Definition of butter: It is essentially a water-in-oil emulsion, comprising of more than 80%milk fat, but also containing water in the form of tiny droplets, perhaps some milk SNF, with or without salt. The continuous fat phase in the butter is a complex matrix of liquid butter oil and fat crystals forming a network which entraps the water droplets and to a limited extent small air bobbles.
Butter accounts for a major portion of the nutritive value of milk. Butter is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying.
Butter consists of butterfat, water, and milk proteins. Butter should have a uniform color, be dense and taste clean. The water content should be dispersed in fine droplets so that the butter looks dry. The consistency should be smooth so that the butter is easy to spread and melts readily on the tongue.
The largest butter-producing countries are the United States, Germany, France, New Zealand, and Russia. In the dairy industry today the majority of the butter is produced on continuous butter making machines using the so-called Fritz method. Initially, the milk is concentrated to cream followed by a pasteurization process.
Dairy
product: Butter
