Butter that doesn’t spatter
For decades, butter has been used for frying and spreading on bread. In the course of time, we succeeded in making a butter that is softer and easier to spread. Softer butter is not, however, ideal for roasting meat or frying. Butter makers at FrieslandCampina therefore decided to focus on developing different kinds of butter for different uses rather than one all-purpose butter.
Ingredients for innovation
What does it take to make a butter that doesn’t spatter or burn during frying and roasting? All in all, more than a year of research, hundreds of frying tests and a good measure of innovation. And of course excellent cooperation between research, development, marketing, operations and quality control. With these ingredients FrieslandCampina Butter has succeeded in developing butter that does not spatter or burn during roasting and frying.
Cooperation is the solution
Together with FrieslandCampina Research, the R&D department of FrieslandCampina Butter examined the different types of butter produced. By analysing the differences in composition and properties, the researchers wanted to learn how they could improve the product on the basis of the natural characteristics of milk fat, spreadability and frying features.
Spattering and roasting
Butter is purely natural. The addition of anti-spattering agents, for example, is not allowed. Otherwise, the product may not then be legally called butter. Salt is the only addition made to salted butter. The other ingredients in butter are primarily milk fat and water. Why is it that spreadable butter spatters in the pan? The answer is: air. Microscopic research (or CLSM for the experts among us) shows that butter that spatters less contains more air. Proteins and water gather where the air bubbles meet. When heated, the air bubbles rise up, taking the proteins and water along with them. A layer of oil remains at the bottom of the pan. The proteins and water do not come into contact with the hot surface of the pan. The process is different for butter that does spatter. Because the protein and water in this type of butter do come into contact with the bottom of the pan, the butter spatters and burns.
We know the reason, but does it make a difference?
We have established why butter spatters but are consumers interested? And is it promising enough for FrieslandCampina to invest more time and money in pursuing this further? Consumer trials in Germany (a real 'butter country’) showed that consumers were interested in the prospect of a non-spattering butter. The aid of marketers at FrieslandCampina Butter was requested for these trials. Partly based on the results of the consumer trials, we decided to continue our work to develop butter that doesn’t spatter or burn during roasting and frying.
From idea to kitchen test
Although creating this type of butter is a great idea, it wasn’t quite enough for our researchers. They therefore tested the frying butter on a smaller production line. Not only was the butter itself tested, the influence of pans and heating sources were also examined. A somewhat older and much used non-stick pan on induction heating spattered the most. From that moment on, this so-called worst case pan has become a fixed feature in R&D’s spatter tests.
During in home tests with the improved butter, consumers were pleasantly surprised and enthusiastic; the butter doesn’t spatter during roasting and frying.
Air in butter
Air in butter prevents it from spattering and burning, but the question is how to get the air in the butter properly during the preparation process. It is no simple matter to control how butter acts in the pan. The ultimate solution was so unique that we have applied for a patent, something that rarely happens in the area of butter.
Following small scale testing and among consumers at home, it was critical to scale up to production level as soon as possible. The ‘new’ butter is slightly more voluminous than before and we therefore adapted the packaging and the packaging lines. Our operators have received special training to operate the butter line to the new standards.