Cream powder
Cream powder suppliers and sourcing guide
Cream powder is spray-dried cream. Pasteurized cream, or a blend of cream and milk, is often homogenized, concentrated and spray-dried to a free-flowing powder high in milkfat. The U.S. standard of identity calls it dry cream and sets milkfat at 40 to under 75 percent. Brands use it in drink mixes, coffee and cocoa products, sauces, soups, bakery and confectionery where liquid cream is impractical.
- Category
- Food staples and powders
- Also known as
- Dry cream · Dried cream · Powdered cream · Sweet cream powder
- Facts checked
- November 2026
Forms and grades of cream powder
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Standard dry cream
Sweet cream powder within the U.S. standard range of milkfat, the usual grade for dry mixes.
High-fat grades
Powders toward the upper end of the milkfat range for rich sauces and confectionery.
Sour cream powder
Cultured cream dried to a powder for dips, seasonings and dressings; sold under its own name.
With emulsifiers or anticaking agents
Grades with added emulsifier, stabilizer or flow agent, which must appear on the ingredient statement.
Organic or grass-fed
Made from organic or pasture-based milk, offered by fewer suppliers.
What to check on the COA
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
- Milkfat
- Fat by Roese-Gottlieb or Mojonnier extraction, the main specification and price driver.
- Moisture
- Oven-drying moisture; the U.S. standard limits it on a milk solids not fat basis.
- Oxidation
- Peroxide value or free fat, plus a flavor check, since high-fat powders go stale with air and heat.
- Solubility and scorched particles
- Solubility index and scorched particle rating, using ADPI-type methods.
- Microbiology
- Standard plate count, coliforms, yeast and mold, Salmonella, Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus.
Storage, lots and expiry
Storage and shelf life
Store cream powder sealed in multiwall bags or cans with a moisture and oxygen barrier, in a cool, dry place away from odors; the high fat content oxidizes and picks up off-flavors. Nitrogen-flushed packaging keeps it longer. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification, and older stock should be checked for flavor and oxidation before use.
Lots and expiry dates
Milkfat, free fat and flavor vary between lots and with the age of the powder. Record milkfat, moisture and manufacture date for each lot, and rotate first-expiring, first-out.
Regulatory status
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 131.149 defines dry cream as the product obtained by removing water only from pasteurized milk or cream, or a mixture of them, which may have been homogenized.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)Under the same standard, dry cream contains not less than 40 percent but less than 75 percent milkfat by weight on an as-is basis and not more than 5 percent moisture on a milk solids not fat basis.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)The standard permits safe and suitable optional ingredients including emulsifiers, stabilizers, anticaking agents and nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)FDA lists milk among the major food allergens in the United States.
Source: fda.gov (opens in a new tab)
This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Cream powder suppliers
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
We are checking cream powder suppliers now
Every listing is checked against the supplier’s own website before it goes live, so this list fills in over the coming weeks. The specs and COA checklist above are ready today.
Sell cream powder? Request a listingFrequently asked questions
What forms of cream powder can brands buy?
Common forms include standard dry cream, high-fat grades, sour cream powder, with emulsifiers or anticaking agents and organic or grass-fed. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
What should the COA for cream powder include?
Expect milkfat, moisture, oxidation, solubility and scorched particles and microbiology, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
How should cream powder be stored?
Store cream powder sealed in multiwall bags or cans with a moisture and oxygen barrier, in a cool, dry place away from odors; the high fat content oxidizes and picks up off-flavors. Nitrogen-flushed packaging keeps it longer. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification, and older stock should be checked for flavor and oxidation before use.
What is the regulatory status of cream powder?
21 CFR 131.149 defines dry cream as the product obtained by removing water only from pasteurized milk or cream, or a mixture of them, which may have been homogenized. Under the same standard, dry cream contains not less than 40 percent but less than 75 percent milkfat by weight on an as-is basis and not more than 5 percent moisture on a milk solids not fat basis. The standard permits safe and suitable optional ingredients including emulsifiers, stabilizers, anticaking agents and nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. FDA lists milk among the major food allergens in the United States.
More food staples and powders
- Cocoa powderCocoa · Cacao powder
- Chocolate liquorCocoa liquor · Cocoa mass
- Cocoa nibsCacao nibs · Cracked cocoa
- Roasted coffeeCoffea arabica · Coffea canephora
- Instant coffeeSoluble coffee · Instant coffee powder
- MatchaMatcha green tea powder · Powdered green tea
- Black teaCamellia sinensis · Thea sinensis
- Nonfat dry milkNFDM · Skim milk powder
- Whole milk powderDry whole milk · WMP
- Sweet whey powderDry sweet whey · Dried whey
- Buttermilk powderDry buttermilk · Dried sweet cream buttermilk
- Dried whole eggDried eggs · Whole egg powder
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