Today’s consumer news is dedicated to an everyday food found in every fridge: butter. There are more and more choices on store shelves, and the problem is finding your way around. Analysis with Patricia Chairopoulos, jconsumer journalist, food magazine, on the occasion of the survey conducted in the magazine 60 Million Consumers.
franceinfo: When we talk about butter, what exactly are we talking about, because the regulations are very strict on the name?
The composition of butter is governed by the 1994 European regulation on spreadable fats; it specifies that butter must have “a milk fat content of between 80% and 90%, maximum water contents of 16% and non-fat dry matter of 2%”. That is, lactose, casein, mineral salts, etc.
But what is the difference between sweet butter, fine butter, extra-fine butter? ?
This is where we get into the complexity of the claims. They are not defined by regulation, but professionals have established a code of practice. Thus, the term “Sweet” designates a butter that has not had any salt added during its manufacture: on the labels, the salt content indicated generally varies between 0.03% and 0.05%.
As for the difference between fine and extra-fine butter, let’s first clarify that these terms have nothing to do with their texture, as one might think. They actually indicate the proportion of frozen pasteurized cream that was used to make it. The term “extra-fine” is reserved for butter made from pasteurized cream that has not been frozen or deep-frozen, while “fine butter” refers to butter in which the proportion of frozen or deep-frozen cream does not exceed 30%. This percentage can be much higher in classic butter, with no indication on the label.
And when we talk about churned butter, does that really mean using a traditional technique?
Yes, even if the churns are no longer wooden basins, or only in very rare cases, but very large mechanized stainless steel barrels. What also distinguishes churned butters is their production in successive stages, from start to finish of the process. With, in particular, the maturation phase of the cream for 10 to 20 hours, in the presence of lactic ferments. However, it is mainly during this phase, and depending on the ferments used, that aromas and flavors develop.
There are also salted butters, or semi-salted, with or without crystals. Again, is there a real difference between the products or is it just marketing?
Yes, there is a difference in salt content, between 0.8% and 3% for semi-salted butter, and more than 3% for the salted version. Afterwards, the mentions like “with Guérande salt crystals” are surely true, but it is also marketing. And sometimes you have to turn the packet over to find out the salt content.
Since 2021, it is no longer mandatory to indicate the origin of milk? Surprising at a time when we praise the merits of traceability?
I totally agree. It’s a shame for transparency, but that being said, this information is often on the packaging. Be careful with statements like “Made in Brittany”, “Made in Normandy”, “Made in France”: this does not mean that the milk is of Breton, Norman or French origin. For example, gourmet butter President is of “Norman or Breton manufacture”, but the cream is of “France and EU” origin.
There is a big price difference between common butters and the highest quality butters, is this justified? ?
Yes, because the manufacturing process is longer, and the raw material is of better quality. This is the case for churned butter, but also for raw milk butter, or even AOP butters, “Protected Designation of Origin”: France has three AOP butters: Beurre Charente-Poitou, Beurre d’Isigny, and Beurre de Bresse. A PDO guarantees the consumer that all the stages of production, processing and preparation take place in the geographical area delimited by the designation, and according to recognized collective know-how. This certifies in particular that the milk is of very local origin, or that the cream has matured for several hours.
On the shelves, we also find processed butters, soft or light. We can always talk about butter, and is it really better for your health?
While soft butter has only been softened by an additional operation, without the addition of additives, during its manufacture, light and reduced-fat butters are closer to ultra-processed products. “Light butter”, also called “reduced-fat butter”, must have a fat content of between 60% and 62%; it contains more water than normal butter, and additives such as starch or starch, to improve its texture, are accepted.
“Light butter” or “low-fat butter” is very different: it contains even less fat (between 39% and 41%) but often many additives that must be mentioned in the list of ingredients. We are therefore dealing with an ultra-processed food. And it is better to reduce your consumption of normal butter a little, rather than opting for these products without much taste or nutritional value.