Butter Consumption Jumps To 40-Year High
NPR
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
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The average American eats 5.6 pounds of butter — a 25 percent increase over the past decade. Its jump in popularity is due to an overall trend towards natural foods, and a "smear" campaign against processed butter alternatives.
Transcript
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
And our last word in business is: Spread the butter.
Maybe some of you are slathering butter on a piece of toast right now or dropping a pat of butter into your oatmeal. You're not alone. Butter consumption is at a 40-year high - and here's an image I almost hesitate to offer - the average American - according to some estimates - eats 5.6 pounds of butter every year.
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
That's a 25 percent increase over the past decade. Its jump in popularity is due to an overall trend towards natural foods, and a rejection of processed ones.
And the FDA recently banned trans fats, the hydrogenated oils found in many imitation butter products.
GREENE: But even with the rise of foodies and state fair butter sculptures, we're not even close to the per-capita consumption of the 1930s, which was over 18 pounds of butter a year per person. Why did it make me...
MONTAGNE: That's a lot toast.
GREENE: I don't want to have any butter now for days.
MONTAGNE: Mashed potatoes.
(LAUGHTER)
MONTAGNE: I don't know, it sounds good to me, David.
GREENE: OK. OK.
MONTAGNE: Butter...
GREENE: More power to you. That's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm David Greene.
MONTAGNE: And I'm Renee Montagne. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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