SPREADING the word

Lynne King, ingredients development manager at Dairy Crest Ingredients, tracks recent developments in the butter sector, one of the UK dairy industry's largest markets, explains how EC legislation is supporting the industry and looks at the potential of the European Private Storage Aid programmeThe word butter conjures up an image of wholesome goodness and pure luxury. This image has withstood the test of time, shaking off the vagaries of volatile markets and health trends for low fat diets, to emerge with its pedigree intact as a pure and simple natural indulgence.The basic principles involved in butter making have remained the same over the centuries. Butter is made from cream, which has a natural characteristic that once it is agitated or churned fat globules coalesce into bigger and bigger lumps. The excess liquid buttermilk, produced during this process, is expelled and butter is formed.Most butter manufactured and consumed in the UK is of the sweetcream variety. Unsalted sweetcream butter is produced by churning cream. Salted sweetcream butter has approximately 2% salt added. This added salt not only boosts the flavour of the butter but also enhances its shelf life.EUROPEAN FLAVOURLeading UK creameries now manufacture an extensive range of butters. These include the popular sweetcream salted and unsalted varieties. However since joining the European Community and to satisfy the palate of the better travelled consumer, demand for the production of lactic butters has increased considerably. Indeed Dairy Crest Ingredients supplies several thousand tonnes a year to customers mainly for use in the bakery industry.Lactic butter was traditionally manufactured by acidifying cream through the addition of cultures to generate the lactic acid. Today, this specialist butter is made through using a process of lactic acid and diacetyl additions during the working section of the butter-making process to impart a distinctive acid taste.Traditional methods are still employed in the manufacture of all butter, through a process of milk separation pasteurisation and conditioning, followed by churning and working in a continuous butter maker. Modern technology, state of the art equipment, high quality milk and stringent hygiene procedures ensure today's UK butter is produced efficiently, to top quality standards and will maintain its consistency.Butter is a basic ingredient used daily in home cooking throughout the world. However its potential and versatility continues to be recognised and developed by the food industry as an ingredient for many diverse applications.Today butter is widely used by the bakery, confectionery, ice cream, ready meals and sandwich sectors. Margarine and other types of spreads have partially replaced butter in some applications as a cost cutting or price saving exercise. However, in many cases, consumers have voted with their purses showing that they would prefer to pay the extra small premium to retain the luxury flavour of real butter in the end product.REGULATION 2571/ 97Regulation 2571/97 is an EC scheme to support the milk producing farmers of Europe and also encourage the use of butter, cream, and butter oil in food applications - allowing them to compete with cheaper margarines and spreads.The EC usage under this scheme is approximately 400,000 tonnes p.a. representing about 10% of total EC milk production or around a third of EC butter production.To use butter under this scheme the customer (food manufacturer) must have their premises approved by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce (IBAP). Additionally they must use a minimum of 45 tonnes of butter per year in an approved recipe within one of the eligible end use categories such as confectionery, ice cream and baked products. Dairy Crest Ingredients, a supplier of both free market and regulation butter, provides a specialist value added service ensuring that the administrative requirements of this scheme are understood and obligations are met.Although milk production is obviously a daily, all year round, occupation quantities of milk peak in the springtime. Creameries separate the milk intake into skimmed milk and cream. The cream can be churned into butter and immediately frozen to -20 degrees C. At these very low temperatures butter can be stored for up to one year. It can then be tempered back to chilled temperatures to meet specific customer requirements. This process, which takes around 14 days is administered under controlled conditions to avoid damaging the product or impair subsequent shelf life.PRIVATE STORAGE AIDTo even out the peaks and troughs of butter production the EC has devised the Private Storage Aid programme (PSA). Manufacturers can take advantage of this programme by placing butter into the scheme between March and August. The EC funds the frozen storage of butter for a minimum of three months up to a maximum of around eight months.Butter is a totally natural product and as such its profile can be variable. Butter produced in the summer months, when cows are fed on grass, tends to have a softer texture which is better for spreading, whereas butter produced in winter is often harder - particularly suitable for bakery applications - and contains higher melting point fats.The PSA system can be used not only to help fund the storage of butter but also to assist food manufacturers who require a year long constant supply of a particular type of butter.Butter has a unique taste and texture and through the ages these qualities have made it ideal for use in all types of cooking. It is the foundation of French haute cuisine mainly because it improves the taste and appearance of so many foods. As new trends in food manufacture and changes in consumer behaviour progress so too will new uses be found for this most natural and luxurious of ingredients.