Fat Free Half & Half FAQ

Yes, Land O Lakes O Lakes® Fat Free Half & Half works well in many recipes. Here are some suggestions:

• In flour or cornstarch thickened sauces, soups and gravies 
• Baked goods, such as scones, muffins, cakes and quick breads 
• Uncooked frostings, such as butter cream frosting 
• Cooked custard creams 
• Chocolate sauces and toppings 
• Frozen ice cream desserts if the recipe contains fat or eggs

There are certain cooking or baking recipes in which Land O Lakes® Fat Free Half & Half does not work well.  In the following types of dishes, Land O Lakes® Traditional Half & Half will work better:

• Candies from a boiled syrup, such as caramel and toffee
• Baked dishes, such as quiche, casseroles and homemade scalloped potatoes
• Sauces that do not contain a flour or cornstarch thickener
• Recipes that contain vinegar, such as cucumber and coleslaw recipes
• Ice cream recipes that do not contain fat
• The product cannot be whipped 

This product requires refrigeration.  For best results we recommend using  it by the date stamped on the package.  Once opened, the product should be used within 7-10 days.

We do not recommend freezing this product.  Although freezing does not affect the safety or nutritional value of the product, frozen-then-thawed product may affect texture and/or taste. We do not guarantee the quality of our products if stored frozen. 

Because our Fat Free Half & Half is produced similar to Traditional Half & Half, combining milk and cream, we can label it half & half.

Half & half is a standardized food defined in 21 CFR 130.180. It states that half & half is a mixture of milk and cream which contains not less than 10.5% but less than 18% milkfat. In 1993, FDA enacted a new regulation to promote and facilitate the development of healthier foods. This regulation allows food manufacturers to modify a standardized food to meet a defined nutrient content claim. In this case, we have reduced the milkfat in half & half to meet the nutrient content claim “Fat Free.”

In order to meet the criteria for a “Fat Free” claim we have reduced the total fat to below 0.5 grams per serving by using less cream and nonfat milk in the place of whole milk. 21 CFR 130.10 also allows for the addition of other safe and suitable ingredients to improve texture, add flavor, improve appearance or add sweetness so that the fat reduced product is not inferior in performance characteristics to the standardized food defined in 21 CFR 130.180.

Please call 1-800-878-9762 for help locating this product in your area.