Dairy: Cream and Raw Cream

1 Introduction

The Food Safety Act 1990, unless the context requires otherwise, defines 'cream' as that part of milk rich in fat which has been separated by skimming or otherwise.¹

Regulation (EU) 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs affords protection to Cornish Clotted Cream which is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

 

2 Labelling Cream and Misleading Descriptions

The misleading description of food is generally covered by provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 regarding food not of the nature, substance or quality demanded² and false or misleading labels or advertisement.³ The Food Labelling Regulations 1996⁴ make specific provision in relation to particular descriptions applied to cream.

The names listed below are not to be used in the labelling or advertising of cream as the name of the cream, whether or not qualified by other words, unless the cream complies with the requirements shown against the name, except the relevant requirement as to milk fat content need not be complied with if the name contains qualifying words which indicate that the milk fat content of the cream is greater or less than that required.

In calculating the percentage of milk fat in any cream, any ingredient added to the cream shall be disregarded.⁵

 

Name	Requirements
Clotted cream	The cream is clotted and contains not less than 55% milk fat.
Double cream	The cream contains not less than 48% milk fat.
Whipping cream	The cream contains not less than 35% milk fat.
Whipped cream	The cream contains not less than 35% milk fat and has been whipped.
Sterilised cream	The cream is sterilised cream and contains not less than 23% milk fat.
Cream or single cream	The cream is not sterilised cream and contains not less than 18% milk fat.
Sterilised half cream	The cream is sterilised cream and contains not less than 12% milk fat.
Half cream	The cream is not sterilised cream and contains not less than 12% milk fat.

 

3 Raw Cream

Article 10(8) of Regulation 853/2004 concerning hygiene rules for food of animal origin allows member states to retain or adopt national rules on the sale of raw milk and cream.⁶

The restrictions on the sale of raw cream differ from those governing the sale of raw milk in that the requirement to sell at or from the farm premises where the raw milk is produced to the final consumer and carry the health warning do not apply.

The production of raw cream must comply with the requirements that apply to milk based products under dairy hygiene rules and microbiological standards and the milk from which it is made must come from a herd that is officially tuberculosis free, and either brucellosis free or officially brucellosis free.

Raw cream, as earlier noted, is not required to carry the health warning.

 

4 International Carriage of Cream

The International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs Regulations 1985⁷ regulations enable the UK to be a party to the Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be used for such Carriage (ATP). The 1985 Regulations list the perishable foodstuffs specified in the ATP, the temperature conditions for international carriage and thermal efficiency of transport equipment.

The temperature of cream during carriage shall not be higher than 4°C and, in principle, the duration of carriage should not exceed 48 hours.⁸