Butterfat

Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain.

[edit] Composition

The fatty acids of butterfat are typically composed as follows (by mass fraction):^[1]

• Saturated fatty acids:
  • Palmitic acid: 31%
  • Myristic acid: 12%
  • Stearic acid: 11%
  • Lower (at most 12 carbon atoms) saturated fatty acids: 11%
• Unsaturated fatty acids:
  • Oleic acid: 24%
  • Palmitoleic acid: 4%
  • Linoleic acid: 3%
  • Linolenic acid: 1%

[edit] U.S. Standards

In the U.S., there are standards federal standards^[2] for butterfat content of dairy products.^[3] Commercial products generally contain the minimum legal amount of fat.

• Milks
  • skim milk contains less than 0.5% fat, typically 0.1%
  • lowfat milk contains between 0.5–2% fat; 1% and 2% varieties are widely marketed
  • whole milk contains at least 3.25% fat
• Cheeses
  • dry curd and nonfat cottage cheese contain less than 0.5% fat
  • cottage cheese contains at least 4% fat
  • lowfat cottage cheese contains 0.5–2% fat
  • cheddar cheese contains at least 50% fat relative to the total solids
  • Swiss cheese contains at least 43% fat relative to the total solids
• Frozen desserts
  • ice cream contains at least 10% fat
  • lowfat ice cream, also called ice milk, contains not more than 2.6% fat
  • sherbet contains 1–2% fat

• Creams
  • half and half contains 10.5–18% fat
  • light cream and sour cream contain 18–30% fat
  • light whipping cream (often called simply "whipping cream") contains 30–36% fat
  • heavy cream contains a minimum of 36% fat
  • manufacturer's cream (not federally regulated) contains 40% fat
• Butter (including whipped butter) contains at least 80% fat

[edit] See also

• Milk
• Fat content of milk
• Milk bottle top
• milk bottle
• Kefir
• Goat milk
• Sheep milk
• Cows milk
• Chocolate milk
• Coconut milk
• soy milk
• Ultrapasteurized
• Rice milk

[edit] References

1. ^ National Research Council, 1976, Fat Content and Composition of Animal Products, Printing and Publishing Office, National Academy of Science, Washington, D.C., ISBN 0-309-02440-4; p. 203, online edition
2. ^ [1] ams.usda.gov.
3. ^ [2]^{[dead link]}

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