Butter is firmly rooted in the daily diet of people many years ago. For a long time this product has been present on the tables of many families of different nationalities: the French spread it on a crispy baguette at breakfast, the British add it to oatmeal, the Russians fill it with dumplings and put it in buckwheat. A sandwich with butter and cheese is often consumed during snacks. For many of us, it has become an integral part of our daily breakfast. The rating of butter as one of the most popular products is growing year after year. Of course, its use is beneficial, but not everyone knows how to choose the right quality product.
What is the use of butter?
The product is absolutely deservedly loved by most Russians. Indeed, in addition to a pleasant taste, it still has a number of components useful to the body. In the ranking of daily consumer goods, butter is one of the ten most purchased food products. And this is not at all surprising, because in addition to a huge range of vitamins (A, D, E, B vitamins), it contains omega polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, which have a beneficial effect on the state of the human body. Due to its consistency, butter envelops the gastric mucosa, has the ability to heal ulcers in the digestive system, and also helps to get calcium to strengthen bones.
The importance of daily oil intake
Nutritionists say that an adult needs to eat 10-25 grams of butter per day. For women, regular consumption of this product is especially important, as it helps to improve the condition of nails and hair. Oil improves mental abilities, so you need to include it in the daily diet of children.
However, only a good quality product in which there are no harmful impurities has useful properties. Therefore, the ratings of the best butter are compiled quite often. It would be good for buyers to carefully monitor the results, which will help them always have at their disposal only natural ingredients. When choosing, you can rely on your own knowledge and feelings, but for this you need to first study the characteristic features of the product. We will use the information of Rospotrebnadzor on the rating of butter, the relevant authorities conduct research on consumer goods regularly, so we can consider them reliable. Meanwhile, every housewife must be able to correctly evaluate the goods when buying.
The main stages of independent oil selection
If, nevertheless, there is a desire to independently understand the quality of a natural product, then you should remember some of its features in order to thoroughly approach the selection process. It is important to analyze the following:
- Appearance of the packaging. Foil material should be preferred, as it protects the product from light, and this prevents the development of pathogenic bacteria in it and allows you to keep healthy vitamins. In such paper, butter stays fresh longer and is safe for consumption.
- Examine the information on the wrapper. It must indicate the number of the state standard in accordance with which the product is made (for natural butter, GOST R 52969-2008 is used). You should also pay attention to the composition, but do not forget that in addition to cream or whole milk, nothing else is added to natural butter. Fat content should be at least 72.5%, since all other types will not be natural products made from animal fats (milk).
- Pay attention to the price. Saying that the cost of the goods is too high, remember that at least 2 liters of milk are required to make 100 grams of the ingredient. A reasonable conclusion follows from this. The normal price of a pack of butter should be comparable to the cost of two bottles of milk (about 100 Russian rubles). If it is below 75 rubles, it is likely that the package contains a product containing vegetable fats.
- Check the expiration date indicated by the manufacturer. Natural preservative-free butter has a shelf life of about one month. In this case, the product with the addition of vegetable fats and stabilizers can be stored for about a year.
If a briquette with a product has already been purchased and there is an opportunity to test it, then you should spend a few minutes and make sure of its quality. This will make it possible to form an opinion on the product of a particular manufacturer, to have their own idea of it in the future, and not rely solely on the butter rating compiled by other people.
The main stages of oil testing at home
A few simple experiments will help distinguish natural oil from a spray:
- It is necessary to carry out an external inspection of the product in expanded form. The natural ingredient has a light yellow color and a uniform consistency, no traces of liquid or fat should remain on the packaging.
- Cut with a knife. At the same time, a good product should not break up into pieces and crumbs, natural butter is excellently spread on bread, does not emit any liquid.
- Put in water. Previously, it needs to be slightly warmed up. If there is any doubt about the naturalness of the product, then a small piece should be placed in water and wait a few minutes. The oil will dissolve and the vegetable fat ingredient will be split into pieces.
- Place the product in the freezer. After the whetstone is completely frozen, it is necessary to get it out of the refrigerator and note the time. If after 5-10 minutes it can be easily spread, this is not a natural product. Real butter will need at least 30 minutes to get an elastic texture suitable for application to bread.
- Melt on fire. If the oil does not foam when heated and any impurities do not stand out from it, then most likely you will see a quality product.
- To taste. If you buy a high-quality natural product, then it will have no smell, and a small piece will quickly and completely melt in your mouth, while the spread will stick to the palate or teeth.
Is home testing enough to determine product quality?
You can independently determine the quality of the purchased product only superficially. Talking about the compliance of the product with the requirements of standards and norms can only be based on laboratory experiments and studies that are taken into account when compiling the ratings of butter. Given its popularity among Russians, 74 trademarks were tested this year on instructions from the Russian government. We checked the types of goods that consumers most often buy.
The ranking of the best brands of butter in Russia was carried out on the basis of research by ANO “Russian Quality System” taking into account the requirements of the national monitoring system (through fan testing). Laboratory studies of the product with a mass fraction of fat content of 72.5% were carried out in May 2018.
Checking butter with a fat content of 72.5%
To compile a ranking of the best butter in Russia, 82 samples from different brands were studied. Experts carefully checked about 25 different indicators, on the basis of which it became possible to determine the level of quality of the products.
According to research, 23% of the goods (19 samples) fully meet the requirements. That is, these products do not contain pathogenic bacteria, preservatives, vegetable fats, and their fat content and composition meet the standard, they are made from high-quality natural raw materials. In addition to renowned manufacturers known throughout Russia ("House in the Village", "Every Day", "Prostokvashino"), the best brands were also awarded to brands that are known only in certain regions and are not particularly popular throughout the country (for example, “Vyatushka”, “Kungurskoye”, “Tommoloko” and others).
Are there any falsifications among butter with a fat content of 72.5%?
But not all manufacturers turned out to be conscientious, 10 of them add vegetable fats to the oil. However, the packaging does not indicate any impurities. The Russians should refrain from purchasing the butter of these manufacturers (for example, Volzhanochka, Peasant from Bashkiria, Seryshevsky and others).
Is any oil safe to eat?
Some of the products did not pass the test successfully and it does not find a place in the ranking as high-quality. Some manufacturers' butter contains E. coli. In laboratory studies, it was found that fungi and bacteria were present in products of 7 manufacturers (Green Agro, Irbitskoye, Stavropolsky Dairy, Omsk Quality Mark, Very Important Cow, Semenishna, Creamy Morning "). And “Polar Bear” oil contained mold spores, which can lead to intestinal infections and serious poisoning of the body.
In addition, employees of the regulatory body note the presence of preservatives in four manufacturers. They increase the shelf life of the final product by adding sorbic acid to it. It is noteworthy that the oil of the Love Product trademark contained an incredibly large dose of this substance: 228.8 milligrams of sorbic acid per 1 kilogram of finished goods.
The results of testing the oil with a fat content of 72.5%
Based on the facts obtained after the tests, we can say that the rating of high-quality butter with a fat content of 72.5% is characterized by the following ratios:
- Every fourth manufacturer wants to be the best in his segment.
- Every second - adheres to the technology of oil production in accordance with GOST.
- A quarter of manufacturers deceive consumers and produce products that do not meet regulatory requirements.
Checking butter with a fat content of 82.5%
In July 2018, the Roskachestvo experts decided to compile another rating of butter in Russia and conduct tests to determine whether they meet the requirements of product standards with a fat content of 82.5%. The segment group consisted of 74 brands that are most actively consumed by citizens of the Russian Federation. This time, 68 different parameters characterizing the quality of butter were tested.
The results of the July study were pleasantly struck by the absence of any violations on the part of manufacturers. All samples were pleased that antibiotics, vegetable fats, E. coli, yeast and fungi were not found in the products. According to the results, 22 manufacturers bothered to get a better assessment, the goods of these plants exceed the standards and requirements established by GOSTs. That is, almost 30% of companies that supply extra-class products to supermarket shelves. The rating of the best butter with a fat content of 82.5% includes well-known brands: Brest-Litovsk, Milava, Village House, Karat, Prostokvashino, Ferma. As well as many manufacturers of regional scale (smaller brands): "Rovenki", "Ruzskoe", "Manor Ilyinskoe" and others.
The results of testing the oil with a fat content of 82.5%
It was noted that in the production of the product 82.5% fat content, manufacturers use high-quality raw materials, the product is produced without the use of vegetable fats, antibiotics and preservatives. All butter from the rating of Roskachestvo fully meets the regulatory parameters. The results of the tests are encouraging. You can, without worrying, buy fatty oil from all manufacturers whose products have been tested.
Reviews
The products that were mentioned last like the customers. They speak badly of Russian Milk. People do not believe that it is made from natural ingredients. Although many praise it and use it even for baking. Obviously, one must still take into account the assessment of Roskachestvo specialists.
Be careful when choosing goods on the shelves of supermarkets, do not chase cheap products, because you can’t save on health! A delicious hearty sandwich with butter and cheese, eaten at breakfast, will cheer you up and increase productivity at the beginning of the working day.