Butterfat

Butterfat (Milkfat)

Butterfat, commonly known as milkfat, is the fatty portion of milk. Depending on its concentration in dairy products, the fat content determines the categorization of products such as milk, cream, and cheeses. The sale of milk and cream often revolves around the butterfat content they possess.

Triglyceride Dairy Butter

Composition

Butterfat is primarily comprised of various fatty acids. The composition, in terms of mass fraction, typically resembles the following breakdown:

Butter

Saturated Fatty Acids

• Palmitic acid: 31%
• Myristic acid: 12%
• Stearic acid: 11%
• Lower saturated fatty acids (with at most 12 carbon atoms): 11%
• Pentadecanoic acid and heptadecanoic acid: traces

Unsaturated Fatty Acids

• Oleic acid: 24%
• Palmitoleic acid: 4%
• Linoleic acid: 3%
• Alpha-Linolenic acid: 1%

Fatty Acids and Triglycerides

The fats in milk are usually addressed in terms of the individual fatty acids. However, in milk and most foods, fatty acids don't exist on their own. They are incorporated into molecules known as triglycerides.

Butterfat itself is a triglyceride, a type of fat derived from fatty acids such as myristic, palmitic, and oleic acids.

U.S. Standards

The United States has established federal standards concerning the butterfat content for various dairy products. Many commercial dairy products usually contain the minimum fat content as dictated by these standards.

Milks

• Skim milk: Contains less than 0.5% fat, typically at 0.1%
• Lowfat milk: Fat content between 0.5–2%. The 1% and 2% fat varieties are common.
• Whole milk: Contains a minimum of 3.25% fat

Cheeses

• Dry curd and nonfat cottage cheese: Less than 0.5% fat
• Lowfat cottage cheese: Contains 0.5–2% fat
• Cottage cheese: At least 4% fat
• Swiss cheese: Minimum 43% fat in relation to total solids
• Cheddar cheese: Minimum 50% fat in relation to total solids

Frozen Desserts

• Sherbet: Contains 1–2% fat
• Lowfat ice cream or ice milk: No more than 2.6% fat
• Ice cream: At least 10% fat
• Frozen custard: Contains at least 10% fat and a minimum of 1.4% egg yolk solids

Creams

• Half and half: Fat content between 10.5–18%
• Light cream and sour cream: Contains 18–30% fat
• Light whipping cream (often referred to as "whipping cream"): Contains 30–36% fat
• Heavy cream: Contains at least 36% fat
• Manufacturer's cream: Contains 40% fat (Note: This is not regulated at the federal level)
• Butter, including whipped butter: Contains a minimum of 80% fat

See Also

• Fat content of milk
• Clarified butter
• List of dairy products