United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Dairy

Programs

United States Standards

for Grades of

Dry Buttermilk and 

Dry Buttermilk Product

Effective February 2, 2001
1 February 2, 2001

United States Standards for Dry Buttermilk and Dry Buttermilk Product

Definitions

§ 58.2651 Dry buttermilk and dry buttermilk product.

(a) Dry buttermilk (made by the spray process or the atmospheric roller process) is the

product resulting from drying liquid buttermilk that was derived from the churning of butter and

pasteurized prior to condensing at a temperature of 161 F for 15 seconds or its equivalent in bacterial

destruction. Dry buttermilk shall have a protein content of not less than 30.0 percent. Dry buttermilk

shall not contain nor be derived from nonfat dry milk, dry whey, or products other than buttermilk, and

shall not contain any added preservative, neutralizing agent, or other chemical.

(b) Dry buttermilk product (made by the spray process or the atmospheric roller process) is

the product resulting from drying liquid buttermilk that was derived from the churning of butter and was

pasteurized prior to condensing at a temperature of 161 F for 15 seconds or its equivalent in bacterial

destruction. Dry buttermilk product has a protein content less than 30.0 percent. Dry buttermilk

product shall not contain nor be derived from nonfat dry milk, dry whey, or products other than

buttermilk, and shall not contain any added preservative, neutralizing agent, or other chemical. 

U.S. Grades

§ 58.2652 Nomenclature of U.S. Grades.

The nomenclature of U.S. grades is as follows:

(a) U.S. Extra

(b) U.S. Standard

§ 58.2653 Basis for determination of U.S. grades.

(a) The U.S. grades of dry buttermilk and dry buttermilk product are determined on the basis of

flavor, physical appearance, bacterial estimate on the basis of standard plate count, milkfat, moisture,

scorched particles, solubility index, titratable acidity, and protein content.

(b) The final U.S. grade shall be established on the basis of the lowest rating of any one of the
2 February 2, 2001

quality characteristics.

§ 58.2654 Specifications for U.S. grades.

(a) U.S. Extra Grade. U.S. Extra Grade dry buttermilk and U.S. Extra Grade dry buttermilk

product shall conform to the following requirements (See Tables I, II, III, and IV of this section):

(1) Flavor (applies to the reconstituted product). Shall be sweet and pleasing, and has no

unnatural or offensive flavors.

(2) Physical appearance. Shall possess a uniform cream to light brown color, be free from

lumps except those that readily break up with slight pressure, and be practically free from visible dark

particles.

(3) Bacterial estimate. Not more than 20,000 per gram standard plate count.

(4) Milkfat content. Not less than 4.5 percent.

(5) Moisture content. Not more than 4.0 percent.

(6) Scorched particle content. Not more than 15.0 mg. for spray process and 22.5 mg. for

roller process.

(7) Solubility index. Not more than 1.25 ml. for spray process and 15.0 ml. for roller

process.

(8) Titratable acidity. Not less than 0.10 percent nor more than 0.18 percent.

(9) Protein content (dry buttermilk product only). Not less than 30.0 percent.

(10) Protein content (dry buttermilk product only). Less than 30.0 percent.

(b) U.S. Standard Grade. U.S. Standard Grade dry buttermilk and U.S. Standard Grade dry

buttermilk product shall conform to the following requirements (See Tables I, II, III, and IV of this

section):

(1) Flavor (applies to the reconstituted product). Should possess a fairly pleasing flavor, but

may possess slight unnatural flavors and has no offensive flavors.

(2) Physical appearance. Shall possess a uniform cream to light brown color, be free from

lumps except those that readily break up with moderate pressure, and be reasonably free from visible

dark particles.

(3) Bacterial estimate. Not more than 75,000 per gram standard plate count.

(4) Milkfat content. Not more than 4.5 percent.

(5) Moisture content. Not more than 5.0 percent.

(6) Scorched particle content. Not more than 22.5 mg. for spray process and 32.5 mg. for

roller process.

(7) Solubility index. Not more than 2.0 ml. for spray process and 15.0 ml. for roller process.

(8) Titratable acidity. Not less than 0.10 percent nor more than 0.20 percent.

(9) Protein content (dry buttermilk only). Not less than 30.0 percent.

(10) Protein content (dry buttermilk product only). Less than 30.0 percent.
3 February 2, 2001

Table I.--Classification of Flavor

Flavor characteristics U.S. extra grade U.S. standard grade

Unnatural None Slight.

Offensive None None.

Table II.--Classification of Physical Appearance

Physical appearance

characteristics

U.S. extra grade U.S. standard grade

Lumpy Slight Moderate.

Visible dark particles Practically free Reasonably free.

Table III.--Classification According to Laboratory Analysis

Laboratory tests U.S. extra grade U.S. standard grade

Bacterial estimate:

 Standard plate count per

 gram (Max)

 

 20,000 

 

 75,000 

Milkfat content:

 Percent (Min.)

 

4.5

 

4.5

Moisture content:

 Percent (Max.)

 

4.0

 

5.0

Scorched particle content: mg.

 Spray process (Max.)

 Roller process (Max.).

 

 

15.0

22.5

 

 

22.5

32.5

Solubility index: ml.

 Spray process (Max.)

 Roller process (Max.) 

 

 1.25 

15.0

 

 2.0 

15.0 

Titratable acidity:

 Percent

 

0.10 - 0.18

 

0.10 - 0.20
4 February 2, 2001

Table IV.--Classification According to Protein

 Product U.S. extra grade U.S. standard grade

Dry Buttermilk:

 Percent (Min.)

 

 30.0

 

 30.0

Dry Buttermilk Product:

 Percent (Less than)

 

 30.0

 

 30.0

§ 58.2655 U.S. grade not assignable.

Dry Buttermilk or dry buttermilk product shall not be assigned a U.S. grade for one or more of

the following reasons:

(a) Fails to meet or exceeds the requirements for U.S. Standard Grade.

(b) Is produced in a plant found on inspection to be using unsatisfactory manufacturing

practices, equipment, or facilities, or to be operating under unsanitary plant conditions.

(c) Is produced in a plant which is not USDA approved.

§ 58.2656 Test methods.

All required tests shall be performed in accordance with “Instructions for Resident Grading

Quality Control Service Programs and Laboratory Analysis,” DA Instruction No. 918-RL, Dairy

Grading Branch, Dairy Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Washington, DC 20090-6456; and “Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official

Analytical Chemists,” 15th Ed. or latest revision.

Explanation of Terms

§ 58.2657 Explanation of terms.

(a) With respect to flavor:

(1) Slight. Detectable only upon critical examination.

(2) Offensive. Those that are obnoxious and cause displeasure when tasted or smelled.

(3) Unnatural. Those that are abnormal to the characteristic flavor of the product.
5 February 2, 2001

(b) With respect to physical appearance:

(1) Practically free. Present only upon very critical examination.

(2) Reasonably free. Present only upon critical examination.

(3) Slight pressure. Only sufficient pressure to disintegrate the lumps readily.

(4) Moderate pressure. Only enough pressure to disintegrate the lumps easily.

(5) Lumpy. Loss of powdery consistency but not caked into hard chunks.

(6) Visible dark particles. The presence of scorched or discolored specks.