Systems and methods of packaging butter sticks involve extruding butter from an extruder, where the extruded butter has a temperature of at least about 50 F. and defined dimensions; cutting the extruded butter into sticks; cooling the butter sticks in a cooling environment such that a temperature of a core of the butter sticks drops by about 2 F. to about 10 F. and an exterior temperature of the butter sticks drops by about 45 F. to about 100 F.; and wrapping the cooled butter sticks in a wrapping assembly, where a transition time between exiting the cooling environment and entering the wrapping assembly is less than one minute such that a temperature of the cooled butter sticks equilibrates during wrapping.

Systems and methods of packaging butter sticks involve extruding butter from an extruder, where the extruded butter has a temperature of at least about 50 F. and defined dimensions; cutting the extruded butter into sticks; cooling the butter sticks in a cooling environment such that a temperature of a core of the butter sticks drops by about 2 F. to about 10 F. and an exterior temperature of the butter sticks drops by about 45 F. to about 100 F.; and wrapping the cooled butter sticks in a wrapping assembly, where a transition time between exiting the cooling environment and entering the wrapping assembly is less than one minute such that a temperature of the cooled butter sticks equilibrates during wrapping.

An extruded butter stick product includes a plurality of pre-defined portions successively connected lengthwise to an adjacent portion by a connecting bridge, each bridge comprising a height that is at least 15% and up to 50% of the total height of the butter stick. Sidewalls of the successively connected portions define at least one trough leading to the bridge. Sidewalls may provide a surface for gripping one of the portions, and a bridge may define a fulcrum for breaking a portion from the butter stick such that each portion of the butter stick can be individually separated from the butter stick at the bridge. Alternatively, sidewalls and the connecting bridge may provide a guide for cutting the pre-defined portions. The butter sticks may be produced by an extruder and/or an extruder die defining an aperture with teeth for defining the troughs and connecting bridges in the butter stick.

An extruded butter stick product includes a plurality of pre-defined portions successively connected lengthwise to an adjacent portion by a connecting bridge, each bridge comprising a height that is at least 15% and up to 50% of the total height of the butter stick. Sidewalls of the successively connected portions define at least one trough leading to the bridge. Sidewalls may provide a surface for gripping one of the portions, and a bridge may define a fulcrum for breaking a portion from the butter stick such that each portion of the butter stick can be individually separated from the butter stick at the bridge. Alternatively, sidewalls and the connecting bridge may provide a guide for cutting the pre-defined portions. The butter sticks may be produced by an extruder and/or an extruder die defining an aperture with teeth for defining the troughs and connecting bridges in the butter stick.