Butter

 Water in fat emulsion

 Cream is pasteurised
 Churned in a drum
 Fat globules coalesce
 Liquid buttermilk drained off
 Salt added
 Butter weighed, cut and packed
 Fat + Water content controlled by Law

© PDST Home Economics

 Nutritive Value
 Protein Some HBV protein. All the casein in
the buttermilk
 Fat 80% Saturated fat (butyric acid)
Cholesterol present
 Carbohydrate Most of the lactose drained
off with the buttermilk, only
trace left
 Minerals Trace of calcium, sodium chloride
added
 Vitamins Vitamins A+D
 Water By law must contain no more than 16%
 Classification of Butter
Salted butter, unsalted butter, reduced-fat butter,
cream butter, spreadable butter and concentrated
butter

Dairy Spreads
Mixture of butter and vegetable
oils. Spreadable straight from the
fridge. Reduced fat dairy spreads.
These have only half the fat of butter or margarine
 Culinary Uses of
Butter/Margarine
• Adds flavour to food e.g. potatoes
• Prevents food from sticking e.g. sausages on pan
• Adds moistness to food e.g. bread
• Shortening agent e.g. pastry
• Required for making sauces e.g. white roux sauce
• Emulsions. Component of emulsions e.g. mayonnaise
• Prolongs shelf life e.g. cakes
 Margarine
 Oil extraction. Oil refined to remove strong
flavours and any impurities
 Hydrogenation. Hydrogen gas passed through the
oil (in the presence of a nickel catalyst) to
artificially harden it. Unsaturated fat changed to
saturated.
 Blending. Other ingredients added, skimmed milk,
salt, colouring, antioxidants, emulsifiers and
vitamins A+D
 Churning. Mixed in a votator until the correct
consistency is achieved
 Temperature. Temperature is lowered between 5 –
100C
 Shaping + packaging
Margarine Oil extracted

Hydrogen gas passed through

Blended with other ingredients

Churning

Temperature lowered

Shaped + packed
Functional Dairy Spreads
 Proven to reduce cholesterol e.g.
Benecol, Flora Pro-Active.
 Made from sunflower oil, vegetable oil, buttermilk,
plant stanol, water and salt.
 The plant sterols (stanol ester) prevents the
absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine so
that it is excreted from the body.
 If stanol is included in the diet there will be a
reduction in blood cholesterol levels, so this will
result in a reduction in the risk of heart disease.
 There are no hydrogenated fatty acids and virtually
no trans-fatty acids in these spreads.
 Suitable for spreading , baking and frying.
 Cholesterol
 Cholesterol is a soft wax like substance found in all
the cells of the body
 Most of the cholesterol in the body is made in the
liver and the rest obtained from animal foods
 Cholesterol in the blood helps transport fats around
the body
 Cholesterol is bound to certain proteins forming
lipoproteins
 High density lipoproteins are the good type and help to
remove cholesterol from the body
 Low density lipoproteins are harmful and are
associated with the build up of cholesterol on
the arteries thus causing heart disease
 Normal blood cholesterol may vary between
150 –250 mg per 100ml of blood