Cream

Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfatlayer skimmed from the top of milkbefore homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by usingcentrifuges called "separators". In many countries, cream is sold in several grades depending on the total butterfat content. Cream can be dried to a powder for shipment to distant markets.

Cream skimmed from milk may be called "sweet cream" to distinguish it from whey cream skimmed from whey, a by-productof cheese-making. Whey cream has a lower fat content and tastes more salty, tangy and "cheesy".

Cream produced by cattle(particularly Jersey cattle) grazing on natural pasture often contains some natural carotenoid pigments derived from the plants they eat; this gives the cream a slight yellow tone, hence the name of the yellowish-white color, cream. Cream from goat's milk, or from cows fed indoors on grain or grain-based pellets, is white.