Light Butter
Is anyone familiar with Corman’s light butter? Corman is a company in Belgium. They also sell products in France and Denmark under the names Carlsbourgh and Balade. For a short time, I was able to purchase their light butter in the U.S. It had fabulous butter flavor (because it is REAL butter, but they somehow magically removed a lot of that fat). Sadly, Corman’s light butter disappered from my grocery shelf never to be seen again.
I’m not actually familiar with the product, and having never tasted it, I’m unable to recommend for or against the product. Your description of magically transformed butter piqued my interest, though, so I decided to see what I could find out.
The Corman’s web site was of little help in solving the mystery. Though the site does promote the light butter, it provides very little information about what spells and hocus pocus they use to reduce the fat content. The only mention I was able to find is that “the fractionation technique allows Corman to adjust the softness of a butter naturally by separating the liquid triglycerides (oleins) from the crystallized triglycerides (stearins).”
What’s the fractionation technique? Even after emailing Corman for more information, I’m still not sure. I’ve reproduced their email below, complete with information of where the product can be found and under what labels. If there’s a chemist out there who can explain more clearly what their process entails, I would definitely appreciate your input.
Hello,
We thank you very much for you email.
We reduce the cholesterol through a strictly physical process: encapsulation of cholesterol with B-cyclodextrin. This patent (of which we are the owner) enables us to preserve the natural flavour and taste of butter.
In order to reduce the fat, we simply add a liquid phase (composed of buttermilk) to the decholesterolized butterfat in order to reach a total fat content of 41%. Through physical processes, we reduce fat and cholesterol while remaining a pure dairy product, what is nowadays impossible for our competitors.
To answer to your first question, you can find our product in the States under the brand “Balade Light Butter” at 41% in the following stores:
- Trader Joe’s
- Albertson’s
- Sam’s club
- …
Product imported by Schratter Foods Inc, Fairfield, NJ 07004
Have a nice day.
Best Regards,
Léon LOCHT
Business Unit Director
Consumer Goods
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:32 pm
HHMM, I may just have to see if I tag along with my mother in law on her next Sam’s Club trip. I just hope I don’t have to buy 10 pounds of butter.
I wonder if you can bake with it too? Or did the “softening” process kill that thought?
February 23rd, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I’m a very amateur chemist, but I’ll take a stab at it.
Butter is an emulsion, with 4 main components: proteins, water, liquid fats, solid fats.
The proteins and the water, combined, are buttermilk.
My guess is that what Corman does is to replace a significant portion of the liquid fat with buttermilk. (That is, separate the liquid and solid fats (fractionization); mix the solid fat with some additional buttermilk to get a “buttery” consistency again.) The tricky part, to me, would seem to be the emulsification.
If I’m right, you would not want to use this product for cooking.
February 23rd, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Thanks for the info! I’m not a fan of Trader Joe’s, but I’ll definitely have to give them another look now.
February 26th, 2007 at 2:33 am
Cyclodextrins are large, ring-shaped molecules made up of small sugars. The inside of the ring is hydrophobic (water-repelling, like oil), and so other hydrophobic molecules, like cholesterol, get lodged inside. The cyclodextrin can then be removed, taking the cholesterol with it. I would guess that other fats are removed in smaller quantities because their small size, relative to cholesterol molecules, allows them to slip out.
February 26th, 2007 at 2:38 am
Here’s a paper about removing cholesterol from milk:
Cholesterol Removal from Homogenized Milk with ß-Cyclodextrin
Take a look at the introduction
April 16th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Hi,
I just purchased Balade from Belgium at Wegman’s Market in Allentown. It was over $3 for a small tub, but worth every penny. It is not with the other butters in the dairy case, it was in a refrigerated unit in front of the breads at their bakery. I did look again in the dairy case, but it wasn’t there. Hopefully they always carry it. I have purchased it once before there about a month ago. It is really good!!
October 31st, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Sirs:
My nephew and I have been using your product for about a year and we are both very happy with it.
I had been purchasing it from Costco, but today when I went to purchase more I was told that they discontinue Balade during the holiday season. I, personally, cannot understand why, but “mine not to reason why.”
I do frequent Trader Joe’s and/or Albertson’s and will try them tomorrow. If neither of them have it, could you please let me know another store from which I may purchase Balade? I do not know whether or not there is a Sam’s club in Southern CA.
Sincerely yours,
Gladys Nassour
February 20th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
We have purchased your product from Trader Joe’s and they say it is no longer available. Where can we purchase your product in the USA.
Thank You,
Willard Yarde
February 21st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Mr. Yarde–
I think you’ll need to get in touch with the manufacturer.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:18 am
I love Balade it is a great butter substitute for me. I am allergic to soy so that rules out a lot of other choices. This substitue has NO SOY And NO HYDROGENATED OILS two things I don’t want to consume!
I have purchased Balade at Trader Joe’s and am not trying to get Pick and Save to sell this great product. Every couple of weeks I talk to a manager and ask about getting the product in their store. If enough people ask for it; Pick and Save may start stocking it!
August 4th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I just bought Balade Light Butter at TJ’s in Henderson, NV on Aug 1, 2008. It is THE BEST fake food I have ever tried!! I must have more. I’m buying up a bunch next time and sticking it in the freezer. By the way, how can one not be a fan of TJ (Trader Joe)?? Just curious
August 12th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Personally, I’m looking at “best fake food” and thinking that’s an oxymoron—I always advocate the consumption of a real ingredient over a fake one.
January 7th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I also like the Balade product, but have just bought the Land O’ Lakes Light Butter with Canola hoping that it will be comparable in taste, cheaper and easier to find.
October 8th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Balade butter is absolutely terrific - but hard to find - and far too frequently the merchants choose to rip us off at ridiculous prices ! It’s now on E-Bay at
about $10 per 8 ounce tub - which is an outrageous price I will NOT pay.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I love Balade — it is the best! I buy it at the Trader Joes in my NJ neighborhood.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I think Balade Light butter is WONDERFUL!!! I am a chef who teaches healthy cooking. Balade is always incorporated into my lessons. When I am in PA, I buy Balade at Trader Joe’s…no problem. I am trying to find it in West Palm Beach, Florida since I am there for the winter. Does anyone know where I can purchase it? I have called Sam’s Club, Costco and Albertsons, with no avail. I would appreciate any help to locate it since LOL light butter just doesn’t cut it for me. THANKS SOOO MUCH!
June 17th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
I lived in France from age 8-12 therefore I tasted the best cheese and butter, and so now I have this forever fond memory taste and smell of rich sweet creamy butter. The Land O’ Lake or other American butters are not even close to European butter’s delicious taste. About 2years ago, 99cent only store sold Corman Light Butter imported from Germany! I was delighted to find an imported product from Europe and since it was light pure butter, I just had to try it. After tasting the Corman butter (Balade in US), boy, you wouldn’t believe this, I went to all three 99cent only stores closest to my home and bought all the butters. I shared some to my friends and family members and the rest I froze them. Yes, my freezer was packed of this butter! I’m down to my last two blocks of Corman butter
I’m in search of where I can buy more and came across this web-page, and had to to make a remark. I will try to contact 99cent only store to see if they can get more from the distributor. Butter lover, you must try Balade butter
June 20th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
I’m not buying it. The light butter is lower in fat content and therefore would not compare to “the best butters in france.” The whole point of your higher-quality European butter is that it has more fat in it, not less. Anyone seeking a better quality butter would do better to seek out a plugra-style European butter.
Ms. Tassel–you’re not by any chance part of a marketing campaign designed to use internet comment boards as a medium by which to insert paid opinions under the ruse of being actual word-of-mouth recommendations, are you?
August 9th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Oddly enough, my store (in the very urban area of W.Philly) now carries it! I was so surprised to see a european-looking container that I had to pick it up and check it out. I have butter at home, so the purchase will have to wait, but this thread has been interesting to me.
August 21st, 2010 at 3:02 pm
After discovering (and loving) Balade Light Butter @ Costco in San Diego, I bought it for years until, suddenly, Costco was no longer stocking it. I bought every 3-pack carton they had left-over a year ago- and am now down to my last one. Where can it be found in the San Diego area? At Costco it was 3 cartons for about $5.50 total. Very, very good product.
May 13th, 2011 at 7:30 pm
I found it at Trader Joes and LOVE it! It tastes great! I don’t bake so I don’t care about that. I do use it on potatoes, and veggies and my grand daughter just loves it too and she it 10 years old. It is YUMMY!!!