Understanding Butter Grades

In 1989, the USDA set standards (butter grades) for butter produced and sold commercially in America. Butter can be designated as one of three different grades; U.S. Grade AA, U.S. Grade A and U.S. Grade B. Butter must contain a minimum of 80% milk fat. To be graded, butter is scored on four characteristics; flavor, body, color and salt. The grade can be found on the packaging.

Essentially, the specifications for the U.S. grades of butter are as follows:

(a) U.S. Grade AA.
Possesses a fine and highly pleasing butter flavor. May possess a slight feed and a definite cooked flavor. It is made from sweet cream of low natural acid to which a culture (starter) may or may not have been added.

The permitted total disratings in body, color, and salt characteristics are limited to one- half (½).

(b) U.S. Grade A.
Possesses a pleasing and desirable butter flavor.
May possess any of the following flavors to a slight degree: Acid, aged, bitter, coarse, flat, smothered, and storage. May possess feed flavor to a definite degree.

The permitted total disratings in body, color, and salt characteristics are limited to one-half (½), except, when the flavor classification is AA, a disrating total of one (1) is permitted.

(c) U.S. Grade B.
Possesses a fairly pleasing butter flavor.
May possess any of the following flavors to a slight degree: Malty, musty, neutralizer, scorched, utensil, weed, and whey. May possess any of the following flavors to a definite degree: Acid, aged, bitter, smothered, storage, and old cream; feed flavor to a pronounced degree.

The permitted total disratings in body, color, and salt characteristics are limited to one-half (½), except, when the flavor classification is AA, a disrating total of one and one-half (1½) is permitted and when the flavor classification is A, a disrating total on one (1) is permitted.

Source: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004470