Why Canadian butter isn't as soft as it used to be?

The addition of palm oil inadvertently increases the melting point of butter, meaning your butter stays harder at higher temperatures.

Why is Canadian butter not soft anymore?

But one potential reason has received the most attention: the use of palmitic acid, a substance derived from palm oil that increases the level of saturated fat in dairy products, in feed given to Canadian dairy cows.

Why is Canadian butter so hard now?

To explain it simply, palm oil given to dairy cows increases the proportion of saturated fat in milk compared to unsaturated fat, thus increasing the melting point of butter. This explains why butter made from cows fed with palm oil remains difficult to spread at room temperature.

What has happened to Canadian butter?

Have you noticed changes in the texture of butter recently? Many Canadians are reporting on social media that their butter is harder and doesn't melt as well as it did before, which some experts believe could be due to palm oil in cow feed.

Has butter changed in Canada?

11, the advocacy group Dairy Farmers of Canada released a statement saying: “There has been no recent data to show that the consistency of butter has changed, and we are not aware of any significant changes in dairy production or processing. Our sector is working with experts to further assess these reports.”

The hard truth about Canadian butter

Why does Canadian butter taste different?

The difference in supposed butter texture, she posited, could be explained by either changes in Canada's tariff rate quota (limitations on the quantity of products that can be imported into the country) or a result of adjustments in the feeding practices of dairy cows.

What is the softest butter in Canada?

Lactantia^® is Canada's #1 Butter Brand. Rich, Creamy & Delicious. Trusted since 1947, Lactantia^® Butter has earned the reputation for being the finest-quality butter with a smooth, rich and creamy taste. Lactantia^® butter is made with 100% pure pasteurized cream.

Why has the texture of butter changed?

Seasonal changes in butter texture produced in summer and winter is a well-known phenomenon, where the content of saturated fats changes as cows switch from grazing on moist grasses in warm weather to drier feeds like hay in the winter.

Why has the consistency of butter changed?

However, palm fats in a dairy cow's diet are known to alter the saturated fatty acid profile of the resulting milk fat, as well – a shift that could show up in butter that's firmer at room temperature. “People are definitely feeding high-palmitic-acid-content fats to cows these days,” confirms Alejandro G.

Why does butter taste different now?

When butter becomes rancid, the enzyme lipase breaks it down into glycerol and fatty acids. Hydrolytic rancidity results in the formation of free fatty acids and soaps (salts of free fatty acids) and is caused by either the reaction of lipid and water in the presence of a catalyst or by the action of lipase enzymes.

Why isn't my butter getting soft?

Room Temperature Butter Is Colder Than You Think

Your finger won't sink down into the butter, nor will your finger slide all around. To get that perfect consistency and temperature, leave butter out on the counter for around 1 hour prior to beginning your recipe.

Why does the butter not soften like it used to?

Many Canadians have struggled melting butter to room temperature. Food scientists say the reason for firm butter may be palm oil in cow feed.

Is Canadian butter different than US butter?

Nouiran and scores of other top pâtissiers have realized, Canadian butter is uniformly made with a government-mandated 80-per-cent fat content, while most butter in Europe – the stuff that makes for great pastries – starts at 82 or 83 per cent.

What is the Canadian butter controversy?

In a controversy dubbed “Buttergate,” Calgary baker and food blogger Julie Van Rosendaal exposed the use of palm fat additives by the Canadian dairy industry and came up with the theory that it is changing the consistency and melting point of our butter.

Why is Irish butter softer than American butter?

In Europe, the minimum is 82%, while in America it's 80%, and anything lower than those percentages cannot be considered butter. So Irish butter is a cultured butter that has been churned to at least 82% butterfat content. The higher the butterfat content, the richer and softer the butter.

What is the softest butter?

Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish Butter

It's actual butter, made from milk that grass-fed Kerrygold cows produce in the summer months, which is high in naturally softer milkfat. There's even a special process that gently churns that summer milk to create a softer, more spreadable natural butter.

Why is my butter always hard?

Little research has been done on the true impact of palm oil in dairy, but agricultural experts say butter made from cows fed with palm oil has a higher melting point and, therefore, may be harder to spread at room temperature.

Has butter changed over time?

Marangoni says he suspects today's butter has more palmitic acid than in the past. The Canadian Nutrient File — which is used by food producers for nutritional labelling and was last updated in 2015— suggests that palmitic acid makes up about 27 per cent of regular butter's total fat content.

Does expensive butter make a difference?

In general it is accepted among pastry professionals that a higher milk fat content in butter will produce flakier, more delicate pastry that browns perfectly. However, with butters that go very far over 82 or 83 percent milk fat, the results can be too far the other way: pastries that are dense and greasy.

Why does butter taste different in Europe?

Typically churned longer thanAmerican butter, European butterhas more butterfat than American. And it's often allowed to fermentor boosted with active cultures,giving European butter a tangy taste.

Which country has the best butter?

The American fascination with Irish butter may only have been spurred a few decades ago, but love for the Emerald Isle's deep, velvety butter is nothing new.

What is the most delicious butter in the world?

1. Rodolphe Le Meunier. One of many on this list that have been thought of as the best butter in the world, Rodolphe Le Meunier is one of the most highly regarded brands out there and is adored by the one-and-only Nancy Silverton (via Saveur).

Why are some brands of butter softer than others?

The hardness of butter is directly influenced by its fat (fatty acid) composition. Palm oil contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Butter composed of a lower proportion of unsaturated fatty acids is softer than butter containing more saturated fatty acids.

Why is Amish butter different?

Amish butter: Amish butter is similar to American butter, but producers make it by churning fresh cream with higher fat content, which they then roll into one- and two-pound logs. American butter contains eighty percent butterfat, while Amish butter contains eighty-four to eighty-five percent.