# What's In Fake cream?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-fake-cream/9766>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 5, 2000, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-fake-cream/9766 "2000-04-05T15:45:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![egkelly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/db5fbb/32.png) [@egkelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/egkelly)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-fake-cream/9766/1 "2000-04-05T15:45:00Z")

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Like many people, I’m trying to watch my weight. I switched from real cream (half and half) for my coffee-but the fake stuff really smells-literally! All the brands I’ve tried have a pronounced fishy odor, when poured into hot coffee! I understand that many food processors use oils derived from fish (menhaded) as fillers in this stuff-is this what I’m smelling? Anyhow-just what are “edible oils”-doesn’t the mfg. have to state the source of these “edible oils”–derived from fish? YUCK!

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-fake-cream/9766/2 "2000-04-05T19:02:00Z")

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Generally it’s soybean oil. Look on the label, it should say “partially hydrogenated soybean oil” or something like that.

It may just be that your particular nose happens to detect a fish odor; as far as I know, they don’t use fish oil in fake cream. Just soybean oil. Soybean oil is a lot cheaper.

Maybe it’s past its “best if used by” date? Or was stored in the fridge next to fish?

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“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen