Caustic Commentary, Butter Consumption Rising

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Americans are eating more butter—consumption has risen 25 percent in the last decade. Americans now eat 5.6 pounds of butter per person per year, up from a low of 4.1 pounds in 1997. This is a far cry from the 18 pounds per person per year Americans consumed as late as 1934, before the Great Depression, World War II and the advent of margarine changed the nation’s eating habits. A report in the Los Angeles Times (January 7, 2014) credits butter’s growing popularity with “more understanding about the health hazards of its processed counterparts” namely margarines containing trans fats. But the Times report states as fact that “it’s not a health food. In a word, butter is fat—and not the good kind. It’s loaded with saturated fat, which has been linked to heart disease.” Fortunately more and more Americans are rejecting this kind of propaganda. Food manufacturers “are working hard to take advantage of [the new] demand by labeling their cookies and frozen pies as ‘made with real butter’.” Even “healthier” margarine is struggling to stand out in a nation “increasingly captivated by foodie culture. Butter has become a symbol of America’s growing appreciation of authentic cooking. . .

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