Retail samples of Canadian butter and margarine wrapped in aluminium foil‐paper laminate were found to contain dibutyl, butyl benzyl and/or di‐2‐ethylhexyl phthalate (DBP, BBP, DEHP) as packaging migrants at levels up to 10.6, 47.8 and 11.9μg/g, respectively. These phthalates were determined by capillary gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC‐FID) after clean‐up of the separated oil by sweep co‐distillation. The phthalate esters found in the contacted butter or margarine were also found in the contacting wrappers. They were determined in wrapper extracts by liquid chromatography with diode array detection or by GC‐FID. Analysis of unused wrappers showed 76–88% of the total DBP and DEHP to be present on the foil (outer) surface as a component of the protective coating (washcoat). The remainder of the DBP and DEHP was found on the food‐contacting paper surface, presumably by transfer from the outer to inner surface during storage in tightly wound rolls, although transfer of phthalate esters, if present in the paper‐foil adhesive, cannot be ruled out. Food‐contacting surface concentrations of DBP and DEHP were found to be 2.4 to 4.7 and 2.8 to 3.6 fig/cm2, respectively. Samples of each packaging component: paper, foil, adhesive, washcoat and inks were analysed for phthalate esters and only the washcoat was found to contain phthalate esters.