NORMAL MILK AND ITS PRODUCTS AS FOOD 19 



tein, and is chiefly valuable as a producer of heat and 

 energy, and for this purpose it is not so economical as 

 butter. On account of its delicious flavor and high food 

 value, cream is extensively used, chiefly in connection 

 with other foods. Sweet cream is perhaps relished by 

 more people than is any other one food. 



The following is a fair average composition of cream 

 as found on the markets of this country : 1 



Per cent. 



Water 66 .41 



Fat 25.72 



Casein and albumen 3 . 70 



Milk sugar 3 . 54 



Ash o. 63 



Butter. Butter is one of the most important sources 

 of fat in our diet, one of the most palatable and easily 

 digested. According to recent statistics, butter consti- 

 tutes about two per cent of the total food, and furnishes 

 19.7 per cent of the total fat in the average American diet. 

 Its flavor depends more upon the fermentation and chemi- 

 cal changes that have taken place in the cream before 

 churning than upon the fat itself. However, butyrin, 

 the characteristic fat of butter, imparts to good butter a 

 peculiar and desirable flavor that cannot be imitated by 

 any other substance. In old or highly salted butter, this 

 delicate flavor is replaced by the stronger and undesirable 

 flavors. 



The price of butter is not necessarily dependent upon 

 its food value, but upon supply and demand, and upon 

 its flavor and appearance. The best grade of butter fre- 

 quently sells for 50 per cent more than the lowest grade. 



The coefficient of digestion of butter is about ninety- 

 nine. This is higher than other animal fats, the latter 



1 Snyder Dairy Chemistry. 



