Milk fat

Milk fat is the lipid component of milk, carried mainly in dispersed globules surrounded by a membrane. It contains mostly triglycerides, alongside smaller amounts of phospholipids, cholesterol, and fat-soluble compounds.

Triglyceride: A lipid molecule formed from glycerol bonded to three fatty acids. Triglycerides make up most of milk fat and carry its fatty acids.
Emulsion: A mixture in which droplets of one liquid are dispersed through another immiscible liquid. Milk fat globules form the dispersed phase of milk’s natural emulsion.
Butter: A dairy product made by churning cream to concentrate milk fat into a continuous fat phase. Churning cream rearranges milk fat globules and separates butter from buttermilk.
Saturated fat: Dietary fat whose fatty acids contain no carbon–carbon double bonds. A substantial share of milk fat’s fatty acids are saturated.
Human milk: Milk produced by humans to nourish infants, with a composition that changes during lactation. Its fat composition differs from the more standardized composition of commercial cow’s milk.
Fatty acid: A carboxylic acid with a hydrocarbon chain, serving as a building block of many lipids. Milk fat’s distinctive properties depend on its mix of fatty-acid chain lengths and saturation.
Homogenization: A mechanical process that reduces droplet size and limits separation in an emulsion. It breaks milk fat globules into smaller droplets and redistributes their surface membrane.
Cream: A dairy product enriched in the fat globules that rise or are separated from milk. Cream concentrates milk fat while retaining it as dispersed globules.
Conjugated linoleic acid: A group of linoleic-acid isomers with conjugated double bonds, found especially in ruminant products. Rumen microbes generate conjugated linoleic acid that can enter milk fat.
Coconut oil: A plant-derived oil rich in saturated fatty acids, especially lauric acid. Unlike milk fat, it is composed largely of triglycerides without a surrounding native globule membrane.

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