3. Milk fat crystallization

Milkfat is totally fluid (dispersion of a solid phase in a predominantly liquid phase) above 40°C and totally solid below – 40°C. Consequently, it is more accurate to speak of a melting range rather than a melting temperature, since the change of state does not take place at a precise temperature, but with an amplitude of 80°C. Within this range coexist a liquid fraction, which is the dispersing phase, and a solid fraction in the form of crystals, which represents the dispersed phase. Solidification is a complex process, influenced by many factors.

The state of crystallization affects several properties and, in particular, the rheological properties of fats.