Title 21 — Food and DrugsRelease 119-73
§321a “Butter” defined
Title 21 › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - FEDERAL FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC ACT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - DEFINITIONS › § 321a
Summary
Defines "butter" as the food people call butter. It must be made only from milk or cream (or both), may have salt or coloring, and must contain at least 80% milk fat after normal tolerances.
Full Legal Text
Title 21, §321a
Food and Drugs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
For the purposes of the Food and Drug Act of June 30, 1906 (Thirty-fourth Statutes at Large, page 768) “butter” shall be understood to mean the food product usually known as butter, and which is made exclusively from milk or cream, or both, with or without common salt, and with or without additional coloring matter, and containing not less than 80 per centum by weight of milk fat, all tolerances having been allowed for.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Food and Drug Act of
June 30, 1906, referred to in text, is act
June 30, 1906, ch. 3915, 34 Stat. 768, which was classified to subchapter I (§ 1 et seq.) of chapter 1 of this title, was repealed (except for section 14a which was transferred to section 376 of this title) by act
June 25, 1938, ch. 675, § 1002(a), formerly § 902(a), 52 Stat. 1059; renumbered § 1002(a), Pub. L. 111–31, div. A, title I, § 101(b)(2),
June 22, 2009, 123 Stat. 1784, and is covered by this chapter. Codification Section, which was not enacted as part of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act which comprises this chapter, was formerly classified to section 6 of this title. section 1002(a) of act
June 25, 1938, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 301 of this title, provided that this section should remain in force and effect and be applicable to the provisions of this chapter.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
21 U.S.C. § 321a
Title 21 — Food and Drugs
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73