🥛 Skimmed milk
Also known as: skim milk, fat-free milk
Milk from which a separator has removed the cream: less than 0.5% fat.
Skim milk is made by separating the cream from whole milk, which today is done with a centrifugal separator. It keeps almost all the proteins, lactose, calcium and water-soluble vitamins but very little fat: usually no more than 0.5% (the exact limit depends on the national standard), and for skimmed milk powder no more than 1.5% under the Codex standard. Most of the fat-soluble vitamins are removed along with the fat, so in some countries skim milk is fortified with vitamins A and D.
Skim milk looks slightly bluish: light in it is scattered only by casein micelles, without the fat globules that give whole milk its creamy tint. It has roughly half the calories of whole milk.
Skim milk is an important industrial raw material. It is used to make skimmed milk powder, which, according to the FAO, can keep for about three years in a cool, dry place, as well as low-fat tvorog (curd cheese), some cheeses, casein and yogurts.
How it connects to milk
🥛 Skimmed milk → made from → 🥛 Milk
Links
- How it is made
- 🔄 Separation
- Made from
- 🥛 Milk
- Part of
- 🥛 Drinking milk by processing
- Wine and milk
- 🍷 Casein (fining agent)
Frequently asked questions
Is skim milk good for you?
It keeps protein, calcium and lactose but has fewer calories and almost no fat-soluble vitamins unless it is fortified with them.
Why is skim milk bluish?
Without fat globules, light is scattered only by tiny casein micelles, giving the milk a bluish tint.
What to read next
- 🔄 Separation — Splitting into cream and skimmed milk.
- 🍷 Casein (fining agent) — A milk protein that removes brown colour and bitterness from white wine.
Similar
🥛 Whole milk · 🥛 Sterilized milk · 🥛 A2 milk · 🥛 UHT milk · 🥛 Pasteurized milk · 🥛 Mithun milk
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.