(Newser)
– A Canadian cookbook author helped feed what is known as “buttergate” – a cry for an apparent change in Canadian butter that keeps it going all the time, even when kept at room temperature. On February 5, Julie Van Rosendaal tweeted the following: “Something’s going on with our butter supply, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it. Did you notice that it’s no longer soft at room temperature? Watery? Rubber?” The next day, she said, “Actually, I think I found out what’s going on with our butter supply. I’m feeling really Nancy Drew this morning. Stay tuned.” Most:
- What Van Rosendaal served next was a Globe and Mail column that presented her theory: that an increase in bread making during the pandemic triggered an increase in the demand for butter – an increase of 12% – which she postulated that led to changes in the feeding of cows. The culprit? Palm oil substances, according to Van Rosendaal et al.
- The BBC explains that “adding energy supplements based on palm oil to cows’ feeding is a decades-old practice that increases milk production for cows and increases the fat content of milk.” The thought is that farmers are using more and that the resulting butter could have a higher melting point, which could impact its consistency at room temperature.
- Van Rosendaal was not alone in his remarks. THE Guardian points out Sylvain Charlebois, professor of distribution and food policy, tweeted about the situation in December and since then he has been talking about it regularly. On Wednesday, he tweeted a press release announcing that Quebec milk producers should ban the use of palm oil on farms – along with a Thursday tweet stating that he had been receiving threats from dairy farmers.
- The BBC reports that the Dairy Farmers of Canada group on Thursday asked milk producers to temporarily stop using palm supplements while a panel examines the issue.
- Charlebois offers two useful perspectives: on why Buttergate reached such a fever point and the economy that may be driving things. In terms of the former, he explains that butter costs much more – up to 3x – in Canada than in the United States, and so Canadians “expect quality” in return for paying these high prices. “So, regardless of what is causing the toughest butter, people are really wondering what is going on here. And they are questioning the lack of transparency in the dairy industry.”
- And then there’s the economy: The Guardian explains that Canada employs a complex system designed to keep foreign products out and keep domestic prices consistent when it comes to milk, butter and cheese. As part of this, farmers receive a flat fee each month. So, “regardless of the quality of your product, regardless of what goes on your farm, you get the same amount of money,” says Charlebois. “How do you actually generate more fat while keeping costs as low as possible? Well, palmitic acids are a very convenient solution.”
(Read more stories about butter.)