Real butter: percentage of fat content, composition and compliance with GOST requirements

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Real butter is a very he althy product that is made from a minimum of natural ingredients. How to determine the authenticity of this product at home? Let us further consider some factors that indicate the naturalness of the oil and, as a result, that the product will benefit the human body.

About the benefits of oil

It should be noted that butter, like any other product, can be both useful and harmful. Determining its benefits for the human body, it should be noted that butter is a product that can be produced exclusively from natural cow's milk, without the addition of any preservatives and chemicals.

Real butter contains a high content of body fat (81 g per 100 g of product), water (17.9 g), and also contains some carbohydrates and proteins (about 1 g in total). As for the mineral component, there is a considerable content of selenium in the composition of butter,phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, zinc, and potassium. The optimal dose of consumption of the product in question is about 20-30 g for an adult and he althy person.

Next, let's look at how to check real butter and distinguish it from spread.

Marking

When choosing the product in question in a store, it is quite difficult to determine its quality by taste, smell or appearance, but in this situation the buyer has the opportunity to study the label on the package.

So, on the wrapper of natural butter there should be a mark indicating that the product was made in accordance with the requirements of one of three possible GOSTs, providing for the quality of the product:

• GOST R 52969-2008;
• GOST R 52253-2004 (GOST of real butter imported from other countries but packaged in Russia);
• GOST 32261-2013.

In addition to all the above standards, there may also be another mark - DSTU 4399:2005, which indicates that the oil was produced in Ukraine and imported from this country.

Composition

What should real butter be like? When examining the assortment presented on the grocery store shelf, one must give preference to the product that will indicate the correct composition.

What should be included in natural butter? It must indicatenatural cow's milk (skimmed, whole) and a minimum amount of other ingredients, which may include s alt, buttermilk, cream, water, and milk powder. As for the last ingredient, it is added to give the finished product a higher fat content.

The presence of preservatives in the composition of the oil: is it permissible?

Some people observe the presence of preservatives in the composition of the product. Is this acceptable in the case of a natural product? In accordance with GOST, the presence of the following preservatives in the composition of the product is acceptable:

• E200;
• E210;
• E211.

In addition, this document suggests the admissibility of the presence of some stabilizers:

• E440;
• E466;
• E461;
• E471.

Moreover, this product may contain some other additives, including monoglycerides, carboxymetal starch, vitamins A, D, E, and even carotene.

It should be noted that natural oil containing the above ingredients will also be considered natural, but, in accordance with GOST, its name and fat content will differ significantly from the classic indicators: in this case, the product should be called a sandwich or tea oil, and its fat content should be about 50-61%.

Smell and taste

How to identify real butter? Experts in the field note that this can be done by examining the smellproduct.

It is noted that natural oil should not have a pronounced aroma. The taste of the product also should not be bright: it can give off cream and only slightly resemble sour cream. When trying the oil, you should also pay attention to how the product behaves when it hits the tongue. In the event that a piece of the product melts rather quickly and leaves no trace on the tongue, the butter is real and you can safely buy it. If a greasy crust is felt on the tongue, then this sign indicates that the product is not natural and, moreover, was made from vegetable fats.

Fat

You can pay attention to this indicator when choosing oil in a store. It should be noted that the minimum allowable fat content of the product is 78%, and the optimal one is 82.5%. A product with a higher fat content can only be if it was prepared at home and exclusively from natural and whole cow's milk.

In fact, the oil offered on store shelves may have different fat content and be named differently depending on them:

• 82, 5% - natural butter, prepared according to a traditional recipe, in strict accordance with GOST, exclusively from whole milk;
• 80% - an amateur product, which is also distinguished by its naturalness;
• 72, 5% - peasant natural oil with a percentage of fat content acceptable for a natural product with a good composition;
• 61% - sandwich butter;
• 50% - teaoil.

It should be noted that the last two marked product categories cannot be called full-fledged butter and have a completely natural composition. As noted above, it usually contains various additives in the form of substitutes, preservatives and stabilizers.

In order to determine the fat content of real butter visually, you need to look at its cut: a characteristic shine must be visible on it. If there is none, then this indicates that they are trying to sell an ordinary spread under the guise of oil.

In the process of cutting natural butter, you need to pay attention to the knife: it should remain almost clean.

Frozen product can also be examined for naturalness. To do this, cut off a piece of it. A crumbling piece indicates the naturalness of the butter, and if it is cut off in an even and smooth piece, then this indicates that we are dealing with a spread or margarine.

You can check the product for fat content even if it is wrapped in a package. To do this, unscrew a piece of the wrapper and see if there are traces of oil on it: if there are none, this may indicate the naturalness of the contents.

Color

How to distinguish real butter by color? It should be remembered that the natural product has a yellow, but not saturated color. It should not have windy edges, as well as yellowed sections: this indicates an unnatural composition, as well as long-term storageproduct.

Solubility

By the way the butter melts, you can determine its naturalness. It should be noted that at room temperature, a product made from vegetable fats melts very quickly, and characteristic droplets form on its surface. If the product does not melt, but at the same time it softens, leaving its shape, then this only means that animal fats are present in the composition.

How to distinguish real butter from a fake under the influence of high temperature? To do this, put a piece of the product in boiling water. In the event that the piece dissolves very quickly, and golden droplets form on the surface, it is a matter of natural oil. If you throw a spread into boiling water, it will also dissolve, but the mass will settle to the bottom and acquire a darkish tint.

By the way butter melts in a pan, you can also determine the degree of its naturalness. A high-quality product will quickly melt, foam, and its splashes will scatter to the sides.

Hardness

While in the store, you can determine the naturalness of the product by conducting a hardness test. To do this, lightly press your finger on its packaging. If its contents are soft inside, then this indicates the naturalness of the product. Real butter cannot become completely solid, even if it is in the freezer. If the hardness of the contents is felt with a finger, then you should refrain from purchasing the product.

Packaging

It should be noted that in appearancepackaging, you can not choose natural oil. However, it is still worth paying attention to it. So, being at the counter, you should give preference to the product, the packaging of which is made of foil or has such a layer. This wrapping material protects the contents from damage by light, which means that the product does not oxidize.

You also need to pay attention to the integrity of the packaging: it should not be deformed. If dents are observed on a piece of butter, this indicates that the product has previously been re-frozen, as a result of which its taste and nutritional properties have deteriorated significantly.

Expiration date

Real butter can be easily identified by the expiration date on its packaging. In accordance with GOST, storage of the product in special packaging and under certain temperature conditions is allowed for 30 days, and if the wrapper is made of foil - for 35 days. It is this acceptable indicator that you should pay attention to when purchasing a product.

Practice shows that in some cases the shelf life of the product indicated on the packaging may be longer than that prescribed by the standard. Knowing about the main features of butter, you should refrain from purchasing such a product, since in order to extend the shelf life during the production process, it most likely included additional ingredients that are not beneficial to human he alth.

Often on the shelves of Russianshops, you can see butter from imported manufacturers, the shelf life of which exceeds a month. You should also refrain from buying such products, since it should be understood that it spent a rather long period on the road, as a result of which harmful microorganisms could get into the product, which is quite often observed in case of violation of transportation conditions.

It should be noted that home-storage butter can be stored for quite a long time.

Price

How to identify real butter? Most buyers do this by looking at the cost of a product, and it should be noted that this is a good move.

How much does natural oil cost? It should be understood that the minimum cost of this product is in the price range from 80 to 100 rubles for a standard package (200 g). If the product is cheaper, then you should refrain from purchasing it, since it must be remembered that at least 20 liters of cow's milk will be required to produce a kilogram of natural butter. Knowing that the purchase price of milk from farmers is currently about 23-25 rubles per liter, it is easy to make a simple calculation and calculate the cost of a kilogram of the product, as well as its pack.

Knowing what kind of butter is real and being able to determine it, you need to understand certain risks associated with the use of a low-quality product. In the event that the composition of the oil purchased in the store contains the content of trans isomers, you shouldbe prepared for the fact that as a result of their use in food, the risk of the formation of cancerous tumors, as well as problems with the cardiovascular system and, in most cases, infertility increases significantly. Moreover, medicine has proven that the use of spreads entails the appearance of Alzheimer's disease. Of course, whether it is necessary to take such a risk by purchasing cheaper products is up to the person himself, since only he is responsible for his own he alth.