Cream (from Greek chrisma) is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before 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 using centrifuges called "separators". In many countries, cream is sold in several grades depending on total butterfat content. Cream can be dried to

a powder for shipment to distant markets.

Cream produced by cows (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 colour cream. Cream from cows fed indoors, on grain or grain-based pellets, is white.

Types of cream
In the United States, cream is usually sold as:

• Half and half (10.5–18% fat)
• Light, coffee, or table cream (18–30% fat)
• Medium cream (25% fat)
• Whipping or light whipping cream (30–36% fat)
• Heavy whipping cream (36% or more)
• Extra-heavy or manufacturer's cream (38–40% or more), generally not available at retail.

Not all grades are defined by all jurisdictions, and the exact fat content ranges vary.

Whipping or light whipping cream
A lighter version of double cream with a fat content of over 35 per cent - the minimum amount necessary to allow it to stay firm once beaten. It's the fat globules that trap whisked air, creating the characteristic foam and texture of whipped cream. Whipping cream whips well without being quite as rich as double cream and also makes a slightly lighter pouring cream. It makes a good topping for desserts, meringues and puddings that need a slightly lighter touch.

Whipped cream

Cream with 30% or more fat can be turned into whipped cream by mixing it with air. The resulting colloid is roughly double the volume of the original cream as air bubbles are captured in a network of fat droplets. If, however, the whipping is continued, the fat droplets will stick together destroying the colloid and forming butter; the remaining liquid is buttermilk. Confectioner's sugar is sometimes added to the colloid in order to stiffen the mixture and to reduce the risk of overwhipping.

Whipped cream may be sold ready-to-use in pressurized containers. (One popular brand is Reddi-wip.) Nitrous oxide is used as a propellant, and when the cream leaves the nozzle, it produces four times

the volume of whipped cream, i.e., twice the volume produced by whipping air into it. Using this technique, it may also be prepared in reusable dispensers, similar to a seltzer siphon bottle, using inexpensive disposable nitrous oxide cartridges. However, the whipped cream produced with nitrous oxide is unstable, and will return to a more or less liquid state within half an hour to one hour. Thus, the method is not suitable for decorating food that will not be immediately served.

Chantilly cream (French: crème Chantilly) is whipped cream with sugar and vanilla.

In the United Kingdom, the types of cream are legally defined as follows:

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