Butterfat

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Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain.

[edit] U.S. Standards

In the U.S., there are federal standards for butterfat content of dairy products.[1] Commercial products generally contain the minimum legal amount of fat.

• Milks
  • skim milk contains less than 0.5% fat, typically 0.1%
  • lowfat milk contains between 0.5-2% fat; 1% and 2% varieties are widely marketed
  • whole milk contains at least 3.25% fat
• Cheeses
  • dry curd and nonfat cottage cheese contain less than 0.5% fat
  • cottage cheese contains at least 4% fat
  • lowfat cottage cheese contains 0.5-2% fat
  • cheddar cheese contains at least 50% fat relative to the total solids
  • Swiss cheese contains at least 43% fat relative to the total solids
• Frozen desserts
  • ice cream contains at least 10% fat
  • lowfat ice cream, also called ice milk, contains not more than 2.6% fat
  • sherbet contains 1-2% fat

• Creams
  • half and half contains 10.5-18% fat
  • light cream and sour cream contain 18-30% fat
  • light whipping cream (often called simply "whipping cream") contains 30-36% fat
  • heavy cream contains a minimum of 36% fat
  • manufacturer's cream (not federally regulated) contains 40% fat
• Butter (including whipped butter) contains at least 80% fat