Certified Cheese Professional Practice Exam

The large globules in milk can rise to the surface due to which process?

1. Pasteurization

2. Homogenization

3. Separation

4. Creaming

The correct answer is: Creaming

Creaming refers to the process in which the fat globules in milk rise to the surface and form a layer of cream. This phenomenon occurs because of the natural buoyancy of the fat, as the less dense fat globules aggregate and move towards the top of the milk. When milk is left undisturbed, gravity acts on the fat globules, causing them to separate from the liquid whey. This is particularly noticeable in non-homogenized milk. In contrast, pasteurization is a heat treatment process designed to kill harmful bacteria in milk but does not directly affect the behavior of fat globules in terms of their rising. Homogenization is a mechanical process that breaks down fat globules into smaller, more uniform sizes and distributes them evenly throughout the milk, preventing cream from rising. Separation typically refers to the mechanical process of removing cream from milk, but it does not describe the natural phenomenon of fat globules moving to the surface. Thus, the process of creaming is specifically associated with the rise of large fat globules to the surface of the milk.