By PHILIPPA STEVENSON agricultural editor
Now you can spray it with butter.
A new stage has been reached in the evolution of butter products. Once, we were chipping it off the cold block, then "conditioning" it to varying degrees of softness in that little box in the corner of the fridge and
most recently - wonder of wonders - spreading it straight from the cooler.
The latest from the New Zealand Dairy Board's world-beating butter boffins is butter oil that does not need refrigerating, comes in a can and is propelled on to baking pans and food as a fine mist.
Chef David Kerr, of Hamilton's Museum Cafe, tried the unique Anchor Butter Oil Mist at the Herald's invitation.
It was awesome, he said adding that a staff member had commented: "wicked, it even smells like butter."
Mr Kerr said he would use the sprayable butter oil in preference to the canola and soy products he used now because "people seem to like the butter flavour."
Chefs used oil sprays because they were convenient and provided a light covering. Using block butter was time-consuming because it had to be heated and applied to cooking utensils or food with a brush.
Convenience and the wish for the butter flavour were the reasons that gave rise to the new product, said Mike Hermann, general manager of Mainland Foodservice, a Melbourne-based Dairy Board subsidiary.
The idea surfaced at one of a regular series of workshops the company conducts with chefs and food service operators, he said.
Development began about 12 months ago at Waikato's Tatua dairy cooperative - a company which specialises in high-tech products including aerosol cream - and so far 17.2 tonnes or 38,000 of the 450g cans have been made. The raw ingredients come from the dairy plants that make spreadable butter: Kiwi Dairy's Northland plant and Auckland-based New Zealand Dairy Foods.
Mr Hermann said that like spreadable butter, hard fractions were taken from butter and refined further and further until it became an oil.
All of the proteins or impurities that encourage bacteria growth disappear in the refining process, leaving an oil which can be stored at room temperature.
Butter Oil Mist was launched in March at Australia's premier food service exhibition, Fine Foods, in Brisbane to an "outstanding" reception, Mr Hermann said.
Orders were immediate and the company hopes to gain up to 20 per cent of Australia's sprayable-oil market within 18 months. The product is expected to be launched in New Zealand within the next four months, and is being tested in other markets.
Mr Hermann said the butter oil commanded a 10 per cent premium over other oil products and sold in Australia for around $A6.
By PHILIPPA STEVENSON agricultural editor
Now you can spray it with butter.
A new stage has been reached in the evolution of butter products. Once, we were chipping it off the cold block, then "conditioning" it to varying degrees of softness in that little box in the corner of the fridge and
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.