United States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural 

Marketing

Service

Dairy

Division

USDA Specifications

for Ghee

Effective October 19, 1993
1 October 19, 1993

USDA Specifications for Ghee

To produce ghee eligible for official certification, the ghee shall be produced from cream or butter

meeting specific quality requirements.

When produced from cream, the cream shall have flavor characteristics acceptable for the

manufacture of butter equivalent to U.S. Grade B or better. The cream shall be pasteurized at a

temperature of not less than 1650 F. and held continuously in a vat at such temperature for not

less than 30 minutes; or pasteurized by the HTST method at a minimum temperature of not less

than 1850 F. for not less than 15 seconds; or shall be pasteurized by any other equivalent

temperature and holding time which assures adequate pasteurization.

When produced from butter, the butter shall conform to the flavor requirements of U.S. Grade B

or better, and shall have been manufactured in a USDA approved plant.

Ghee shall have a slight lipase cultured flavor and be free from objectionable flavors. The body

and texture shall be uniformly grainy. The physical structure of ghee must consist of a mixture of

higher softening points fats in crystal form dispersed through lower softening points fats in liquid

form. When heated to approximately 1400 F., the finished product shall be practically clear and

have a uniform color which is at least as dark as “heavy” when compared to USDA butter color

standards. If food coloring is used, it shall be safe and suitable, and acceptable to the importing

country.

In addition the finished product shall meet the following analytical requirements:

Milkfat -- 99.6% minimum

Moisture -- 0.3% maximum

Free fatty acids -- 0.3% maximum (expressed as oleic acid)

Peroxide value -- (milli-equivalents of oxygen per kilogram of fat): not greater than 0.3

Certification

An official United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certificate shall be issued for the

product shipped, and shall contain the following information:

1. Laboratory analysis
2 October 19, 1993

2. Date and place of manufacture

3. A health statement that reads as follows:

“The ghee was manufactured in a plant inspected and approved by the Dairy

Division, AMS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, as operating under sanitary

conditions, and the ghee was considered suitable for human consumption at the

time of inspection and laboratory analysis.”

4. Net, tare and gross weight of each lot

Quality Assurance

The product shall be prepared, processed and packaged in a plant approved under the USDA

requirements contained in the “General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA

Inspection and Grading Services.”

Packaging Requirements

The product shall be packed in airtight containers; residual head-space shall be flushed with an

inert gas prior to sealing the containers. All other packaging requirements shall be described

under the terms of the contract.

Labeling and Marking

The following information shall be shown in English on one side of the container in letters not less

than 10 millimeters in height:

1. Name of product

2. Date of manufacture (day, month, year)

3. Contract number

4. Serially numbered in order of production

All containers shall be clearly marked with permanent waterproof ink.