# What is fat-free half & half?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fat-free-half-half/191895>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 30, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fat-free-half-half/191895 "2003-07-30T13:35:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fat-free-half-half/191895/1 "2003-07-30T13:35:08Z")

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As I understand it, half & half is basically half cream and half milk. And the only difference between cream and milk is fat content. So if you remove the fat from both the cream and the milk, don’t you end up with skim milk? Obviously they have to add something to make it \*\*seem \*\*like half & half, but it’s no longer half-something and half-something-else. So what is it, and how can they still call it half & half?

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**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fat-free-half-half/191895/2 "2003-07-30T14:12:00Z")

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Seems like they should call it “imitation Half & Half”!

And what’s with Turkey Bacon anyway!

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fat-free-half-half/191895/3 "2003-07-30T15:17:39Z")

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Well, I tried Googling for the ingredients, and can’t find them, but “Ask Liz” says that Land-O-Lakes told them that it’s skim milk and carageenan (a thickener), and I found on one web site that it contains corn syrup. It’s probably labeled “Non-Fat Half-and-Half Imitation Dairy Product”

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fat-free-half-half/191895/4 "2003-07-30T15:51:03Z")

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Where do you get it panache45? Can you look on the side of the carton & see what it lists as to what’s in it?

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**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fat-free-half-half/191895/5 "2003-07-30T16:13:16Z")

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According to [this article](http://www.salisburypost.com/2001jan/012101pitzer.htm), here’s what’s in Land O’ Lakes Fat-free Half & Half:

> [@](#):
>
> Land O’ Lakes Fat-Free Half-and-Half says, of course, that it’s “fat-free.” But here’s what’s in there instead: nonfat milk, corn syrup, artificial color, dipotassium phosphate, sodium citrate, mono and diglycerides, carrageenan and vitamin A palmitate.

I was unable to locate any reference to half & half, fat-free or otherwise, on Land O’ Lakes site.