Real butter is a very healthy product made from a minimum of natural ingredients. How to determine the authenticity of this product at home? Further, we consider some factors that indicate the naturalness of the oil and, as a consequence, 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 beneficial and harmful. Determining its benefits for the human body, it should be noted that oil is a product that can be produced exclusively from natural cow's milk, without the addition of any preservatives or chemistry.
The composition of this butter contains a high content of fat necessary for the body (81 g per 100 g of product), water (17.9 g), and it also contains a few carbohydrates and proteins (a total of about 1 g). As for the mineral component, the composition of butter contains a considerable content of selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, zinc, as well as potassium. The optimal consumption dose of the product in question is about 20-30 g for an adult and a healthy person.
Further we will consider how to check the real butter and distinguish it from the spread.
Marking
When choosing the product in question in the 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 markings affixed to 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 that provide 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 of the listed standards, another mark - DSTU 4399: 2005, which indicates that the oil was produced in Ukraine and imported from this country, can also be found.
Structure
What should be the real butter? Studying the assortment presented on the shelf of the grocery store, one must give preference to the product on which the correct composition will be indicated.
What should be included in natural butter? It should indicate natural cow's milk (skim, whole) and the minimum amount of other ingredients, including salt, buttermilk, cream, water, and milk powder. As for the last ingredient, it is added to give the finished product a greater indicator of fat content.
Preservatives in the oil: is it permissible?
Some people observe the presence of preservatives in the product. Is this permissible in the case of a natural product? In accordance with GOST, the presence of the following preservatives in the composition of the product is permissible:
In addition, this document assumes the permissibility of the presence of some stabilizers:
Moreover, some other additives may be observed in the composition of this product, including monoglycerides, carboxymetal starch, vitamins A, D, E and even carotene are considered acceptable.
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 sandwich or tea oil, and fat content it should be about 50-61%.
Smell and taste
How to identify real butter? Specialists in this field note that this can be done by studying the smell of the product.
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 away cream and only slightly resemble sour cream. When trying 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 in the tongue, butter is real and you can safely buy it. If a thick crust is felt on the tongue, then this sign indicates that the product is unnatural and, moreover, was made from vegetable fats.
Fat
You can pay attention to this indicator by choosing oil in the store. It should be noted that the minimum allowable fat content of the product is 78%, and the optimum is 82.5%. A higher fat product 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 indicators and, depending on them, have different names:
- 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 oil;
- 50% - tea oil.
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 slice: 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 oil, you need to pay attention to the knife: it should remain almost clean.
A 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 oil, and if it is cut with a smooth and even piece, then it means that there is a deal with a spread or margarine.
You can check the product for fat content even if it is wrapped in packaging. To do this, turn off 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 any windy edges, as well as yellowed sections: this indicates the unnatural composition, as well as long-term storage of the product.
Solubility
By the way the oil melts, you can determine its naturalness. It should be noted that at room temperature a product created 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, it only means that the composition contains animal fats.
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 a piece dissolves very quickly, and golden droplets form on the surface, this is a natural oil. If you throw the spread in boiling water, it will also dissolve, but the mass will settle to the bottom and take on a darkish hue.
By the way the oil melts in a pan, you can also determine the degree of its naturalness. A high-quality product will quickly melt, foam, and its spray will fly apart.
Hardness
While in the store, you can determine the naturalness of the product by conducting a hardness test. To do this, lightly press a finger on its packaging. If its contents are soft inside, then this indicates the naturalness of the product. Real oil 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 acquiring the product.
Packaging
It should be noted that by type of packaging it is impossible to choose natural oil. However, paying attention to it is still worth it. So, being at the counter, it is worth giving preference to the product whose packaging is made of foil or has such a layer. This wrapper material protects the contents from damage by light, which means that the oxidation process does not occur in the product.
You also need to pay attention to the integrity of the package: it should not be deformed. If dents are observed on a piece of oil, this indicates that the product has previously been re-frozen, as a result of which its taste and nutritional properties have deteriorated significantly.
Shelf life
Real butter can easily be determined by the expiration date indicated on its packaging. In accordance with GOST, storage of the product in special packaging and in the presence of certain temperature conditions is allowed for 30 days, and if the wrapper is made of foil - for 35 days. It is on this allowable indicator that you should pay your attention when purchasing a product.
Practice shows that in some cases, the shelf life of the product indicated on the package may be longer than that prescribed by the standard. Knowing the main features of butter, it is worthwhile to refrain from purchasing such a product, since in order to extend the shelf life in the production process, it most likely included additional ingredients that are not beneficial to human health.
Often on the shelves of Russian stores you can see butter from foreign manufacturers, the shelf life of which exceeds a month. It is also worthwhile to refrain from buying such products, since it is worthwhile to understand that it spent a rather long period on the road, as a result of which harmful microorganisms could get into the product, which is often observed in case of violation of transportation conditions.
It should be noted that in conditions of home storage, butter can be stored for quite some time.
Price
How to identify real butter? Most buyers do this by analyzing the cost of the product, and it should be noted that this is the right 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 per standard package (200 g). If the product is cheaper, then you should refrain from purchasing it, since you need to remember that at least 20 liters of cow's milk will be required to produce a kilogram of natural oil. 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 per kilogram of the product, as well as its packs.
Knowing what butter is real and knowing how 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 from the store contains transisomers, one should be prepared for the fact that, as a result of their consumption in food, the risk of formation of cancerous tumors, as well as problems with the cardiovascular system and in most cases of infertility, is significantly increased. Moreover, medicine has proven that the use of spreads entails the emergence of Alzheimer's disease. Of course, whether it is necessary to take such risks when purchasing cheaper products is up to the person to decide, since he alone is responsible for his own health.