Butter consumption in the U.S. has reached its highest level in 40 years, driven by the movement toward food that contains natural ingredients, as opposed to margarine and other spreads that were once hailed as healthier alternatives.

Of course, butter consumption in the U.S. typically gets a bump at this time of year, thanks to holiday baking and meal preparation. It's estimated that at least 40 percent of butter consumption in the U.S. takes place between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

Wisconsin's Nordic Creamery is hard-pressed to meet demand for its butter, according to an article by Joe Taschler for the Journal Sentinel. "At the end of the week — every week — our coolers are empty," said creamery owner Al Bekkum. "We just can't keep up."

Butter's numbers have been moving steadily higher over time. During the past decade, Americans have increased their butter intake by 24 percent, according to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

Some of the increase in butter consumption is due to a shift in consumer preferences away from processed foods, artificial ingredients and trans fats derived from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. In November, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began the process of banning trans fats from the American food supply.

"They (consumers) want to see something that is wholesome and not a lot of other ingredients in it," said Marianne Smukowski, of the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

"They are looking for something that is pure and good to eat."

Nordic Creamery has introduced a line of flavored artisan butters, including a garlic and basil butter. The products are proving to be a hit.

Grassland Dairy Products Inc., whose plants make about a third of the nation's butter, sometimes faces challenges when searching for executive talent.

"We're trying to do a better job of retaining local talent," Trevor Wuethrich, a vice president at Grassland and the fourth generation of the Wuethrich family to work at the company, told the Journal Sentinel reporter.

"We go to the high schools and say, 'Go to college. (But) you don't have to go to Singapore or New York,'" when it comes time to graduate and choose a career.

"You can come home and have that same job that you think you're going to get in the big city."

The company processes about 5 million pounds of milk per day and purchases milk from 850 farmers. It employs about 450 people and has been expanding into areas such as milk protein isolates, although butter is still the company's core product. PD

—Summarized by PD staff from cited source