![\"\ubc84\ud130\"](\"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/image\/2026\/05\/CP-2023-0083\/image-003abb28-2a7d-42e1-845f-e36f8b2c121c.jpeg\")
[RealFood=Reporter Yook Sung-yeon] \u201cIt says \u2018milk butter\u2019\u2014isn\u2019t this natural butter?\u201d<\/p>\nTranslation result [RealFood=Reporter Yook Sung-yeon] \u201cIt says \u2018milk butter\u2019\u2014isn\u2019t this natural butter?\u201d<\/p>\n
A woman in her 30s, identified as Ms. Koo, said she didn\u2019t realize the butter she bought at a convenience store was processed butter. \u201cI bought it instead of margarine because I don\u2019t like palm oil and additives, but I found out I\u2019d been eating processed butter,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Butter seems like one simple product, but it comes in two types: natural butter and processed butter. Both can legally be labeled with the word \u201cbutter,\u201d which is why shoppers sometimes mistake processed blends for pure butter.<\/p>\n
Technically, butter is a dairy product made by separating milk fat from raw milk or other dairy, or by fermenting those components. Processed butter begins with that butter but then has other foods or food additives mixed in. In short, the butter most people imagine is a single-ingredient product made only from milk, whereas processed butter is a composite product that blends butter with vegetable oils and additives.<\/p>\n
If the product\u2019s food type is simply listed as \u201cbutter,\u201d the ingredient list will usually show straightforward items like cream, salt, and cultures. Processed butter, however, often includes ingredients beyond milk fat\u2014think palm oil, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and emulsifiers.<\/p>\n
The key difference is milk fat content. According to South Korea\u2019s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, butter must contain at least 80% milk fat. Processed butter, by contrast, has a milk fat content of 30% or more. That higher milk fat in natural butter gives you the rich, true-butter flavor.<\/p>\n
Processed butter\u2019s perks are price and convenience: it\u2019s cheaper, additives extend its shelf life, and it spreads more easily straight from the fridge.<\/p>\n
If you want to avoid additives or savor authentic butter flavor, opt for natural butter. The catch is that the distinction isn\u2019t always obvious. Current rules allow processed butter to be labeled simply as \u201cbutter.\u201d When brands use names like \u201cmilk butter\u201d or \u201cbuttery flavor\u201d without clarifying that it\u2019s processed, shoppers can get confused.<\/p>\n
To tell the difference, don\u2019t rely on the product name\u2014check the food type listed on the back or bottom of the package. That line will specify whether it\u2019s natural butter or processed butter. The labeling is mandatory under food standards, but the print can be tiny and easy to miss.<\/p>\n
If it\u2019s processed butter, pay extra attention to the nutrition facts. Under revised regulations being phased in this year, nutrition labeling is now required for butter. That includes calories, sodium, sugars, fat, protein, and other nutrients. The ministry expanded mandatory nutrition labels from 182 items to cover all processed foods\u2014including butter and processed butter\u2014bringing the total to 259 items.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Many consumers confuse natural butter with processed butter, unaware of the differences in ingredients and production methods.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/thumbnail\/2026\/05\/CP-2023-0083\/thumb-d2e9c287-1513-4c96-a2b2-373f3555aee6.jpg","footnotes":""},"categories":[278098],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-261446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food"],"yoast_head":"\n