Milkfat was once removed from food formulations due to health misconceptions. But thanks to new studies, milkfat ingredients are making a comeback as they may not have negative effects of heart health, obesity and Type 2 diabetes after all. Susan Larson, Associate Researcher at the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, explains how manufacturers can make the most of milkfat’s revitalization in the latest Dairy Detective column from Dairy Foods magazine.

One milkfat ingredient in particular has seen a reputation revamp: butter. Before it was shamed in the 1950s, butter was recognized for essential nutrients, such as saturated fat, butyrate, and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2.¹ Once researchers proclaimed a correlation between high saturated fat intake and heart disease cases, consumption and use decreased.¹ As mentioned in Fix, people then, and many today, didn’t know the findings were inconsistent.

More research is needed to fully understand the healthfulness of milkfat, but emerging evidence caused a reassessment of whole-fat dairy foods, including butter. For example, some studies have indicated that higher-fat dairy foods are associated with lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Other studies have found no clear association between higher saturated fat intake and a higher risk of heart disease.¹

Thanks in part to this new information, U.S. milkfat production is projected to grow to 11.5 billion pounds in 2017. From 2018 on, milkfat exports are expected to continue upward to 13.6 billion pounds in 2025.

To start reformulating your products with milkfat, visit ThinkUSAdairy.org. For more details on the multiple types of milkfat ingredients, how they can improve applications and their formulation benefits, download the Dairy Detective column, published in the January issue of Dairy Foods magazine. And watch out for a more in-depth technical report on milkfat here on Dairy Spotlight!