Buttergate: Why are Canadians complaining about hard butter?

Something is amiss with Canadian butter, according to local foodies, who have been arguing for weeks that their blocks are harder to spread than usual.

These so-called "buttergate" anecdotes have been spreading online, with many Canadians complaining that their butter does not soften at room temperature.

Food experts have churned up palm fat in cow feed as a likely culprit.

The dairy industry insists the claims are unfounded, but has created a working group to seek answers.

Buttergate began with a question posed on Twitter by Canadian cookbook author Julie Van Rosendaal: "Have you noticed it's no longer soft at room temperature?"

Hundreds of home cooks responded with similar butter woes.