Cream
The dairy sector is of great importance to the European Union (EU) with its creams and dairy products highly valued all over the world. Milk is produced in every single European Member State without exception. The varied landscape provides a healthy diet for herds of cows, goats, sheep and buffalo to produce high-quality milk. The main producers are Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy and Ireland. Together they account for almost 70% of EU milk production.
Cream is a key ingredient in many European desserts but is also used as an ingredient in numerous other foods including ice-cream, sauces, soups, stews, puddings and cakes. In essence, it is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. Double cream or full-fat crème fraîche are often used when cream is added to a hot sauce, to prevent any problem with it separating or "splitting."
