Dairy fans rejoice -- butter consumption is at a 40-year high as of 2012.

Bring On The Butter

In the past decade, Americans have increased their intake of butter 25 percent to a high of 5.6 pounds per capita. At its lowest, butter consumption in America was 4.1 pounds per capita in 1997.

Why the bump? The American Butter Institute, a trade organization representing 90 percent of butter manufacturers in the United States, says that a shift in food consciousness is partially responsible.

Natural And Unprocessed

Americans are increasingly looking for natural and unprocessed foods, and with the FDA's proposed ban on trans fats, butter gets a chance to shine again.

The American Butter Institute has even released a new online campaign called, "Go Bold With Butter." With help from food bloggers, the website publishes recipes that use real butter, and shares them via social media.

For their part, some butter substitutes, like Country Crock, have already removed trans fats from their formulas. The market for alternative spreads, however, may continue to decline as more cooks turn to the real thing.

Read More:

• Trans fats backlash pushes U.S. butter consumption to a 40-year-high (Los Angeles Times)
• Butter Consumption Jumps To 40-Year High (NPR)
• Butter popularity hits 40-year high for Americans, cows dancing with glee in Pa. (Philly.com)