Butter | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream, consisting principally of a water-in-oil emulsion derived exclusively from milk or milk products. It is used globally as a spread, cooking fat, and baking ingredient, prized for its rich flavour, texture, and fat-soluble vitamin content (A, D, E, K).

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Butter is high in saturated fatty acids (approximately 50–51 g per 100 g of product), and high intake is associated with elevated LDL cholesterol and increased cardiovascular disease risk; the WHO recommends limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of total energy intake. It contains trace lactose and intact milk proteins, posing risks for individuals with lactose intolerance or cow's milk protein allergy. No acceptable daily intake (ADI) is formally established because butter is a whole food ingredient rather than a discrete food additive.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Regulated as a standard dairy product under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Compositional and labelling requirements apply; no ADI established.source
Health Canada (Canada)	Approved	Butter is a standardised dairy product under the Food and Drug Regulations (B.08.057). Must contain not less than 80% milk fat. No ADI established.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Regulated as a reserved dairy denomination under EU Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 (Common Market Organisation), Annex VII, Part III. Butter must contain a minimum of 80% and less than 90% milkfat, a maximum of 16% water, and a maximum of 2% non-fat milk solids. No ADI established.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Regulated under Chapter 2.1 (Dairy Products and Analogues) of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Defined as a water-in-oil emulsion derived exclusively from milk or milk products; table butter must be made from pasteurised cream. Contaminant limits governed by FSS (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Heart Disease — Butter's high saturated fat content (~51 g/100 g) raises LDL cholesterol and is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk; WHO recommends limiting saturated fat to under 10% of total energy, and cardiology guidelines typically advise replacing saturated fats with unsaturated alternatives.

Hypertension — Salted butter contributes significant sodium intake, which can worsen blood pressure control; individuals with hypertension should prefer unsalted varieties and limit overall saturated fat to manage combined cardiovascular risk.

Diabetes — Meta-analyses link higher butter consumption to modest increased type 2 diabetes risk, and its high caloric density from saturated fat can complicate weight and glycaemic management in people with diabetes.

Lactose Intolerance — Although butter contains only trace lactose (roughly 0.1 g/100 g), highly sensitive individuals with lactose intolerance may experience mild gastrointestinal discomfort, particularly with larger servings; clarified butter (ghee) is generally better tolerated.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Enhancing the Regulatory Decision-Making Approval Process for Direct Food Ingredient Technologies – Legal Aspects of the Food Additive Approval Process (GRAS History). ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2WHO. WHO guidelines on saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children, 2023. who.int
3PubMed. Is Butter Back? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Butter Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Total Mortality, 2016. journals.plos.org
4other. Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council – Annex VII, Part III: Definitions and Denominations for Butter and Other Milkfat Products, 2013. eur-lex.europa.eu
5FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 – Chapter 2.1: Dairy Products and Analogues (Version 3, 2025), 2011. fssai.gov.in

Independently researched5 citations