Uses of cream

The unique natural flavour of cream imparts richness to many food products and enhances flavour quality. Cream contains milk fat, which has melting points in a narrow range. This facilitates quick release of flavours. Cream also imparts smoothness and viscous mouthful to many food products. Milk fat in cream serves as a carrier of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Hence it enriches the food products with vitamins. The presence of protein in cream acts as an emulsifier and helps in emulsification, aeration, foaming. It helps in whipping of cream giving over-run to food products. Cream adds a whitening effect to the product and improves
the appearance and colour. It can also impart browning to cooked food due the reaction between proteins and lactose present in cream. The functional properties of cream mentioned above make it suitable for use in many food products. It may be used directly from the container as an ingredient in the preparation of several food products or serve an intermediate product. Some of the common uses of
cream in which it used in food industry are listed below:

i) Directly in tea/coffee hot chocolate/other beverages to impart richer characteristics colour, texture, flavour and preparation of table/coffee/ whipping cream to used directly as toppings to fresh fruits, desserts and cereals.

ii) Preparation of some special dishes like fruit cream, cream salad, sauces cheese cakes, etc.

iii) Production of plastic cream, frozen cream, whipping cream, sour cream, as intermediary product.

iv) Manufacture of butter, ghee, cream cheese, ice-cream, butter-oil.

v) Creaming cottage cheese

vi) Standardization of milk and milk products.

vii) Sweet-syrups like caramels, fudges, fruit syrup.

viii) Bakery products and confectionary products.

ix) Alcoholic cream beverages.

x) Piping cream-whipping cream is often piped onto cakes and desserts.