Claim: Butter is a type of dairy spread.

Butter is a dairy product containing up to 80 % butterfat -LRB- in commercial products -RRB- which is solid when chilled and at room temperature in some regions and liquid when warmed . It is made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk to separate the butterfat from the buttermilk . It is generally used as a spread on plain or toasted bread products and a condiment on cooked vegetables , as well as in cooking , such as baking , sauce making , and pan frying . Butter consists of butterfat , milk proteins and water , and in some types , added salt . Butter may also be sold with added flavourings , such as garlic butter .   Most frequently made from cows ' milk , butter can also be manufactured from the milk of other mammals , including sheep , goats , buffalo , and yaks . Salt such as dairy salt , flavorings and preservatives are sometimes added to butter . Rendering butter produces clarified butter or ghee , which is almost entirely butterfat .   Butter is a water-in-oil emulsion resulting from an inversion of the cream ; in a water-in-oil emulsion , the milk proteins are the emulsifiers . Butter remains a solid when refrigerated , but softens to a spreadable consistency at room temperature , and melts to a thin liquid consistency at 32 -- 35 ° C -LRB- 90 -- 95 ° F -RRB- . The density of butter is 911 g/L -LRB- 0.950 lb per US pint -RRB- . It generally has a pale yellow color , but varies from deep yellow to nearly white . Its unmodified color is dependent on the animals ' feed and genetics but is commonly manipulated with food colorings in the commercial manufacturing process , most commonly annatto or carotene .