🧪 Milk fat

Milk fat is the fat contained in milk and the main source of its energy and creamy taste. According to FAO, cow's milk has about 3.3 g of fat per 100 g, and this fat provides roughly half the calories in whole milk. It floats in milk as tiny globules wrapped in a thin membrane. The globules are lighter than water, so in non-homogenised milk they rise to the top and form cream.

Milk fat is 97–98% triglycerides, and in them scientists have counted more than 400 different fatty acids with chains of 4 to 24 carbon atoms. Saturated acids make up 65–75% of all the fatty acids in the milk of cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep; in whole cow's milk that comes to about 1.9 g per 100 g. The most common unsaturated acid is oleic acid. Milk fat carries the fat-soluble vitamins, so skimmed milk contains noticeably less vitamin A.

The fat content of milk varies widely between animals: according to FAO, from 0.7 g per 100 g in donkeys to 16.1 g in reindeer. Milk fat is used to make cream (in the EU, at least 10% fat), butter (80–90%) and ghee (at least 99.6% under the Codex Alimentarius).

Milk fat is not a separate product but the fat of the milk itself, and other dairy products are made from it. In milk it floats as tiny globules among the water, which is why non-homogenised milk forms a cream layer on top. Cream in the EU has at least 10% fat, butter 80–90% and ghee at least 99.6% under the Codex Alimentarius. Animals differ too: milk fat ranges from 0.7 g per 100 g in donkeys to 16.1 g in reindeer, while cow's milk has about 3.3 g.

The fat content is written on the pack. In the EU, whole milk has at least 3.5% fat, semi-skimmed 1.5–1.8% and skimmed no more than 0.5%, so look for those three words. According to the NHS, a product with more than 17.5 g of fat per 100 g counts as high in fat. Milk is sold at supermarkets, convenience stores and corner shops, usually in cartons or bottles, and cream and butter sit next to it in the chilled aisle.

Why it matters to you. FAO and WHO recommend that saturated fats provide no more than 10% of the energy in your diet. The NHS notes that most of the fat in dairy products is saturated, so adults and older children are better off choosing lower-fat milk, while children under two should have full-fat products. In the EU, the name tells you the fat content: whole milk has at least 3.5%, semi-skimmed 1.5–1.8% and skimmed no more than 0.5%. According to the NHS, a product with more than 17.5 g of fat per 100 g counts as high in fat.