How much butter do we actually use?
According to ABC News, the American Butter Institute reported that the United States butter consumption has reached its highest levels in 40 years. Raising nearly 25 percent in the last 10 years. In 2012, Americans ate 5.6 pounds of butter per capita.
Anuja Miner, the executive director of ABI, said in a release that the shift is due to "people moving away from trans fat-loaded margarine and processed products made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils."
"Margarine and other spreads are no longer viewed as healthier alternatives," Miner said.
The nationwide consumption of margarine as fallen since 1995. The product contains trans fat which, various studies show are linked to being harmful because they increase risks for heart disease by both raising bad cholesterol levels and lowering good cholesterol.
In November, the FDA declared trans fats "generally recognized as safe" and were taking steps to remove artificial trans fats from the food supply. The proposal stated the new move will attack the health risks associated with the consumption of trans fat, the artery-clogging ingredient found in crackers, cookies, pizza and many other baked goods.
The move could prevent 20,000 heart attacks a year and 7,000 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5,000 Americans a year die of heart disease because artificial trans fat is in the food supply. New York City banned trans fats from restaurants in 2007. In 2006, the FDA began requiring food manufacturers to include trans fats on nutritional labels.
"While consumption of potentially harmful artificial trans fat has declined over the last two decades in the United States, current intake remains a significant public health concern," FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a press release. "The FDA's action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat. Further reduction in the amount of trans fat in the American diet could prevent an additional 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year - a critical step in the protection of Americans' health."
Reports are claiming that "butter is no longer a dirty word."
"People are realizing that butter is not the enemy: everything in moderation," said Candy Argondizza, vice president of Culinary and Pastry Arts at New York's International Culinary Center, a cooking school that uses 21,946 pounds of butter a year. "In professional kitchens, we use butter freely to finish sauces to round out the flavor and soften acidity, for instance. Now, home cooks are paying much more attention to professional ways in the kitchen and imitating these practices."
