Spreads are soft, spreadable foods based on fats, including butter, margarine, and reduced-fat and blended spreads, designed to be used at the table straight from the refrigerator. Modern spreads may be enriched with plant sterols or stanols for cholesterol-lowering claims, or with probiotics, omega-3s, and other functional ingredients, and reduced-fat versions rely on water structuring and stabilizers to mimic full-fat texture. Their quality hinges on fat crystallization, emulsion stability, flavour, and salt balance, and nutrition labelling is closely regulated, particularly where health claims are made. They remain one of the most technically demanding everyday foods to formulate.