This wiki page organizes 8 exact USDA Survey Foods records labeled “Butter and animal fats.” It shows the median and central spread of reported nutrients per 100 grams, explains the portion and preparation language present in the records, and keeps every underlying profile and citation available for inspection.
What is included?
USDA places these records in the “Butter and animal fats” survey-food category. Within Feast’s broader navigation, they appear under Sauces, fats & condiments (8 records). The category label is useful for discovery, but it does not mean every record uses the same recipe, brand, cooking method, or portion.
The current collection includes Butter, light; Butter, stick; Ghee, clarified butter; Fat back, cooked; Animal fat or drippings; Lard. Those examples show why the exact wording matters. The complete alphabetical catalog farther down the page preserves all 8 descriptions instead of replacing them with one generic average.
A robust view of the data
The central range runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile of the records on this page. The observed minimum and maximum are included for transparency, but the middle interval is generally more useful for seeing the collection without letting one extreme record dominate.
| Nutrient | Median | Central 80% | Observed span | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caloriesper 100 g | 747 kcal | 495 kcal–884 kcal | 485 kcal–902 kcal | 8 |
| Proteinper 100 g | 0.7 g | 0.2 g–2.9 g | 0 g–3.3 g | 8 |
| Carbohydrateper 100 g | 0 g | 0 g–14.6 g | 0 g–48.5 g | 8 |
| Total fatper 100 g | 82.1 g | 48.7 g–99.7 g | 33.8 g–100 g | 8 |
| Dietary fiberper 100 g | 0 g | 0 g–0 g | 0 g–0.1 g | 8 |
| Total sugarsper 100 g | 0 g | 0 g–15 g | 0 g–48.5 g | 8 |
| Sodiumper 100 g | 487 mg | 1 mg–1,035 mg | 0 mg–2,040 mg | 8 |
| Potassiumper 100 g | 32 mg | 4 mg–54 mg | 0 mg–71 mg | 8 |
| Calciumper 100 g | 12 mg | 3 mg–30 mg | 0 mg–48 mg | 8 |
| Ironper 100 g | 0.1 mg | 0 mg–0.5 mg | 0 mg–1.1 mg | 8 |
All rows use the same 100-gram denominator and values from the cited records. The interval is descriptive, not a recommended intake range or statistical confidence interval.
Calories context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported calories value is 747 kcal per 100 grams. The central records run from 495 kcal to 884 kcal, while the complete observed span is 485 kcal to 902 kcal.
Butter, light is nearest the lower central boundary, and Ghee, clarified butter is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Protein context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported protein value is 0.7 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 0.2 g to 2.9 g, while the complete observed span is 0 g to 3.3 g.
Ghee, clarified butter is nearest the lower central boundary, and Fat back, cooked is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Carbohydrate context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported carbohydrate value is 0 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 0 g to 14.6 g, while the complete observed span is 0 g to 48.5 g.
Animal fat or drippings is nearest the lower central boundary, and Butter, stick is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Total fat context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported total fat value is 82.1 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 48.7 g to 99.7 g, while the complete observed span is 33.8 g to 100 g.
Butter, light is nearest the lower central boundary, and Ghee, clarified butter is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Dietary fiber context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported dietary fiber value is 0 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 0 g to 0 g, while the complete observed span is 0 g to 0.1 g.
Animal fat or drippings is nearest the lower central boundary, and Animal fat or drippings is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Total sugars context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported total sugars value is 0 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 0 g to 15 g, while the complete observed span is 0 g to 48.5 g.
Animal fat or drippings is nearest the lower central boundary, and Butter, stick is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Sodium context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported sodium value is 487 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 1 mg to 1,035 mg, while the complete observed span is 0 mg to 2,040 mg.
Ghee, clarified butter is nearest the lower central boundary, and Animal fat or drippings is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Potassium context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported potassium value is 32 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 4 mg to 54 mg, while the complete observed span is 0 mg to 71 mg.
Ghee, clarified butter is nearest the lower central boundary, and Fat back, cooked is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Calcium context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported calcium value is 12 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 3 mg to 30 mg, while the complete observed span is 0 mg to 48 mg.
Ghee, clarified butter is nearest the lower central boundary, and Butter, tub is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Iron context
Across 8 “Butter and animal fats” records, the middle reported iron value is 0.1 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 0 mg to 0.5 mg, while the complete observed span is 0 mg to 1.1 mg.
Ghee, clarified butter is nearest the lower central boundary, and Honey butter is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.
Preparation language in the records
The counts below report words and phrases that appear explicitly in the 8 USDA descriptions. They can help narrow a search to a closer record. They do not prove that the named preparation caused a nutrient difference, because these survey-food records are not controlled experiments.
1 records use this wording, including Fat back, cooked.
Portion context
8 of 8 records (100%) include at least one named measure in the source data. Together those records provide 25 usable named measures.
Across the pooled named measures, the midpoint gram weight is 15 g. The central 10th-to-90th-percentile interval runs from 7 g to 224 g, while the complete observed span is 5–224 g. This pooled summary mixes different measure types, so it is a navigation aid rather than a suggested portion.
A cup, slice, piece, sandwich, fillet, or fluid ounce can represent a different amount of food. Even two measures with the same label may have different gram weights across records. Open the closest profile and use its listed weight instead of transferring a measure from another record.
USDA’s representative source amount is also not necessarily what a visitor ate. For equal-weight comparison, use the 100-gram table. For meal estimation, match the exact description first, then match the amount, and finally account for additions or preparation details absent from the selected record.
Choosing a closer record
Look for the closest food name, preparation, additions, and context. “Butter and animal fats” is the collection label; the individual description is the actual reference.
Use the per-100-gram values when comparing two records. This keeps the denominator fixed and prevents different source-serving weights from masquerading as a food difference.
Open the profile, select a named household measure when one fits, or enter a gram estimate. Treat scaled decimals as arithmetic from the source—not greater certainty about the plate.
Brand, recipe, cooking fat, sauce, toppings, substitutions, and edible portion can move the result. A current package label or weighed recipe may be more specific than a generic survey-food record.
Complete source catalog
Records are alphabetical, not ranked. Every row links to a complete Feast profile with household measures, all reported nutrients, estimate factors, and methodology, plus the exact USDA FoodData Central source where available.
| Exact USDA description | Calories | Protein | Fiber | Sodium | Source amount | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal fat or drippingsFDC 2710165 | 841 kcalper 100 g | 2.2 gper 100 g | 0 gper 100 g | 604 mgper 100 g | 12 gUSDA reference amount | Full profileUSDA source ↗ |
| Butter, lightFDC 2710157 | 499 kcalper 100 g | 3.3 gper 100 g | 0 gper 100 g | 450 mgper 100 g | 14 gUSDA reference amount | Full profileUSDA source ↗ |
| Butter, stickFDC 2710155 | 743 kcalper 100 g | 0.9 gper 100 g | 0 gper 100 g | 524 mgper 100 g | 14 gUSDA reference amount | Full profileUSDA source ↗ |
| Butter, tubFDC 2710156 | 731 kcalper 100 g | 0.5 gper 100 g | 0 gper 100 g | 583 mgper 100 g | 14 gUSDA reference amount | Full profileUSDA source ↗ |
| Fat back, cookedFDC 2705892 | 750 kcalper 100 g | 2.7 gper 100 g | 0 gper 100 g | 2,040 mgper 100 g | 16 gUSDA reference amount | Full profileUSDA source ↗ |
| Ghee, clarified butterFDC 2710168 | 876 kcalper 100 g | 0.3 gper 100 g | 0 gper 100 g | 2 mgper 100 g | 14 gUSDA reference amount | Full profileUSDA source ↗ |
| Honey butterFDC 2710179 | 485 kcalper 100 g | 0.5 gper 100 g | 0.1 gper 100 g | 218 mgper 100 g | 14 gUSDA reference amount | Full profileUSDA source ↗ |
| LardFDC 2710166 | 902 kcalper 100 g | 0 gper 100 g | 0 gper 100 g | 0 mgper 100 g | 12 gUSDA reference amount | Full profileUSDA source ↗ |
Boundaries and provenance
This page summarizes USDA FoodData Central Survey Foods (FNDDS) records from 2021–2023, published 2024-10-31. FNDDS supplies standardized reference descriptions used to represent foods reported in dietary surveys. Each value on this page remains tied to one exact FDC record; the complete catalog provides direct links so the source can be checked rather than taken on trust.
The records are not laboratory measurements of every possible “Butter and animal fats” preparation. Restaurant recipes change, packaged products are reformulated, homemade ingredient ratios vary, and cooking can change water weight. A photo also cannot reliably reveal every hidden ingredient or gram weight. The robust range describes variation among the records selected for this topic, not uncertainty around a single meal.
The median is not a default calorie count. The 10th and 90th percentiles are not lower and upper recommendations. The minimum and maximum are not promises that every real version falls inside the observed span. These statistics are tools for navigating a source collection while keeping the denominator, record name, and normal recipe variation visible.
Nutrient values do not establish whether a food is appropriate for a particular person or condition. This wiki does not diagnose deficiencies, prescribe targets, or replace advice from a qualified professional. If accuracy matters for an allergy, medical diet, or clinician-directed limit, use verified ingredient information and the guidance relevant to that situation.
A record can report more protein and also differ in sodium, fiber, energy, fat, portion weight, or ingredients. Choosing one metric as a universal score would hide those tradeoffs and imply a value judgment the data cannot support. The alphabetical catalog and side-by-side statistics are intentionally descriptive.
For the full import, filtering, portion-scaling, Daily Value, and uncertainty rules, read Feast’s nutrition-page methodology. For an exact item, use its profile and FoodData Central link rather than citing this collection-level summary alone.
Common questions
No. It is the middle value among these 8 source records on a 100-gram basis. Your recipe, brand, preparation, and portion may align more closely with one specific record or may fall outside this collection.
Source servings can have different gram weights and measure labels. Holding weight at 100 grams makes concentration comparable. After choosing a record, its household measures are more useful for estimating the amount actually eaten.
No. The position only describes that nutrient within this source collection. It does not evaluate the whole food, determine an appropriate portion, or account for an individual’s needs.
Start with the record whose exact wording most closely matches the food. Use a listed measure or gram estimate, then add missing recipe or preparation context. Keep the result as an estimate unless you have a current label or weighed recipe.