Cream

cream

Yellowish part of milk, rich in butterfat, that rises to the surface naturally if milk is allowed to stand. In the dairy industry, cream is separated mechanically. Cream is graded by percentage of fat content. In the U.S., half-and-half, a mixture of milk and cream, contains 10.5–18% butterfat; light cream, commonly served with coffee, contains no less than 18%; and medium and heavy creams (the latter including whipping cream) contain about 30% and 36% respectively. Commercial sour cream, about 18–20% butterfat, is inoculated with lactic-acid-producing bacteria. See also ice cream.

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cream

1. cream sherry a full-bodied sweet sherry

2. 

a. a yellowish-white colour

b. (as adjective): cream wallpaper

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Cream 

a dairy product with a high fat content, obtained by separating whole milk into cream and skim milk. Before the invention of the cream separator, cream was obtained by allowing milk to stand between 12 and 24 hours and removing or pouring off the cream that had formed. Dairies produce cream with fat contents of 10,20, and 35 percent (see Table 1).

Table 1. Chemical composition (in percentages) and caloric value of different types of cream
*1 calorie = 4.19 kilojoules
Fat .......................	10	20	35
Protein .....................	3.4	3.0	2.4
Lactose ....................	4.2	3.6	2.7
Minerals....................	0.6	0.5	0.3
Water......................	81.8	72.9	59.6
Calories* per 100g .............	117.3	213.1	334.5

In addition to table cream, condensed and powdered cream are also produced. Most cream is made into butter. Cream is also used in the manufacture of sour cream and ice cream.