{"id":"F2008B00645","name":"Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Standard 2.5.5 - Butter","slug":"australia-new-zealand-food-standards-code-standard-2-5-5-butter","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":71977,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2008B00645-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Standard 2.5.5 - Butter","content":"Standard 2.5.5\n\nButter\n\nPurpose\n\nThis Standard defines the term ‘butter’ and sets compositional requirements for the product.\n\n> Note: Editorial note:\n\n> Note: The Australian processing requirements for butter are contained in Standard 4.2.4.\n\n> Note: New Zealand has its own processing requirements for milk and milk products.\n\nTable of Provisions\n\n1 Interpretation\n\n2 Composition of butter\n\n3. Addition of other foods during production\n\nClauses\n\n1 Interpretation\n\nIn this Code –\n\n> butter means a product derived exclusively from milk and products obtained from milk, principally in the form of an emulsion of the type water-in-oil.\n\n2 Composition of butter\n\nButter must contain no less than 80.0% m/m milkfat.\n\n3 Addition of other foods during production\n\nButter may contain –\n\n    (a) water; and\n    (b) salt; and\n    (c) lactic acid producing microorganisms; and\n    (d) flavour producing microorganisms.\n\n  \n\n{THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK}","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":1779},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Standard maintains its original narrow purpose of defining butter and setting basic compositional limits. There is no evidence of scope expansion beyond this core food identity function."},"complexity_factors":["Only 1 defined term in the interpretation section","Single quantitative requirement (80% milkfat minimum)","Simple permissive list containing only 4 allowable additives","Minimal cross-referencing (only editorial notes referring to processing standards in other documents)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does**\n\nThis Standard sets the legal definition of **butter** in Australia and New Zealand. It ensures that anything sold as \"butter\" meets specific compositional requirements and isn't diluted with non-dairy ingredients.\n\n**Key requirements**\n\n*   **Definition**: Butter must be made exclusively from milk and milk products, taking the form of a **water-in-oil emulsion** (meaning tiny droplets of water are suspended within the fat, rather than the other way around like in milk).\n*   **Fat content**: Butter must contain at least **80% milkfat** by weight.\n*   **Permitted ingredients**: During production, manufacturers may only add:\n    *   Water\n    *   Salt\n    *   Good bacteria (*lactic acid producing* and *flavour producing* microorganisms — these help develop taste and preserve the product)\n\n**Who it affects**\n\nThis applies to dairy manufacturers, importers, and retailers. It protects consumers by ensuring that products labeled \"butter\" are genuine dairy fat products and not vegetable oil spreads or heavily diluted substitutes."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Standard is strictly definitional and compositional: it defines ‘butter’ as milk‑derived, requires at least 80.0% m/m milkfat, and lists permitted additions (clauses 1–3). Nothing in the text indicates an expansion or contraction of scope beyond that stated purpose. Processing requirements and enforcement mechanics are intentionally located in other instruments (editorial notes)."},"complexity_factors":["Few clauses and concise drafting (only definitions, one numeric compositional threshold, and a short permitted additions list).","Clear numeric threshold for milkfat (80.0% m/m) reduces interpretive ambiguity about composition (clause 2).","Cross‑reference to other instruments (Standard 4.2.4 for Australian processing; New Zealand processing rules) creates dependency on external documents for implementation and enforcement (editorial notes).","No analytical/test methods or tolerances specified for verifying milkfat; practical enforcement requires external standards or guidance.","Broad ingredient categories (‘lactic acid producing microorganisms’, ‘flavour producing microorganisms’) may require interpretation or supporting guidance (clause 3)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Standard narrowly defines “butter” as a product derived exclusively from milk, principally a water‑in‑oil emulsion, and requires at least 80.0% m/m milkfat, permitting only water, salt and specified microorganisms as additions. It matters to producers and regulators: only products meeting these compositional limits can be marketed as butter, so formulation, testing and labelling choices are constrained."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/australia-new-zealand-food-standards-code-standard-2-5-5-butter","history":"/api/acts/australia-new-zealand-food-standards-code-standard-2-5-5-butter/history","analysis":"/api/acts/australia-new-zealand-food-standards-code-standard-2-5-5-butter/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/australia-new-zealand-food-standards-code-standard-2-5-5-butter/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/australia-new-zealand-food-standards-code-standard-2-5-5-butter/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/australia-new-zealand-food-standards-code-standard-2-5-5-butter/documents"}}