Butter and margarine nutritional profiles and market trends

Nutritional and market analyses of butter highlight its varying health profiles and recent price shifts in Germany. According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), neither butter nor margarine is considered inherently healthy, as both consist of approximately 80 percent fat and provide about 750 kcal per 100 grams. Butter provides micronutrients such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, D, E, and K, but is high in saturated fatty acids, which the DGE recommends limiting to ten percent of total energy intake to reduce cardiovascular risks.

Margarine, produced from vegetable oils, typically offers a different fatty acid profile. In the consumer market, a price competition between discounters Lidl and Aldi has led to a reduction in butter prices for private-label 250-gram packs to approximately 1.05 euros. Stiftung Warentest recently evaluated 30 butter brands, finding that 24 received a 'good' rating, while two brands achieved 'very good' scores for taste and spreadability.