Non-dairy creamer facts for kids
A non-dairy creamer is a product that you can add to drinks like coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. It's also called a coffee whitener or tea whitener. It's made to be used instead of regular milk or cream.
These creamers usually don't have lactose, which is a sugar found in milk. This is why they are often called "non-dairy." However, many of them do contain casein, which is a protein that comes from milk.
You can find non-dairy creamers in two main forms:
- Dry powder: These don't need to be kept in the fridge. You can store them in a cupboard.
- Liquid: These need to be kept cold in the refrigerator after you open them.
Some non-dairy creamers also come with extra flavors like vanilla, hazelnut, or Irish cream. Just like many other foods, you can also find versions that are low calorie or low fat.
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How Non-Dairy Creamers Were Invented
People started trying to create non-dairy creamers a long time ago. One of the first ideas came from Holton "Rex" Diamond in the 1940s. He worked for a company called Rich Products. He experimented with a special soy protein to make a "soy cream." His goal was to create a creamer that wouldn't curdle, or clump up, when mixed with hot coffee.
In 1950, Melvin Morse and Dick Borne from Presto Foods created "Mocha Mix Coffee Creamer." This was the first non-dairy creamer sold to the public. It was also the first product to use the words "coffee creamer" in its name.
Another early powdered creamer was "Pream," which came out in 1952. It was made from dried cream and sugar. However, it was hard to dissolve in hot drinks because of the milk protein in it.
Six years later, in 1958, the Carnation Company developed a new product. This creamer dissolved easily in hot liquids. They did this by replacing most of the milk fat with vegetable oil and reducing the milk protein. This new product was called Coffee-Mate. It was released in 1961 and quickly became very popular. Soon after, other companies like Borden also started making their own non-dairy creamers.
What's Inside Non-Dairy Creamers?
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Non-dairy creamers are made to feel creamy in your mouth, just like milk or cream. To do this, they often contain hydrogenated vegetable oils. These are oils that have been processed to be more solid. You can also find "nonfat" versions that don't have these oils.
Other common ingredients include:
- Solidified corn syrup
- Sweeteners and flavors, like French vanilla, hazelnut, or Irish cream
- Sodium caseinate: This is a protein that comes from milk. It does not contain lactose.
Is It Really Non-Dairy?
Because of the sodium caseinate, some people and groups consider these products to be "dairy." For example, vegans avoid all animal products, including milk proteins. Also, some Jewish dietary laws classify products with sodium caseinate as dairy. This means they cannot be eaten with meat products.
If you have a milk allergy, it's important to check the ingredient list. Sodium caseinate is a milk protein. Even though it doesn't have lactose, it can still cause a reaction for people with a milk allergy.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that products with sodium caseinate might have very small amounts of lactose. However, for a normal serving size, the amount is usually too small to cause problems for someone with lactose intolerance.
Other Uses for Non-Dairy Creamer Powder
Powdered non-dairy creamer can be used for more than just drinks! When a lot of the powder is floating in the air, it can cause a dust explosion. This is similar to how flour or other fine powders can explode under certain conditions.
Amateur filmmakers and special effects artists sometimes use this property. They can create cool fireball effects for movies or shows. But don't worry! When you use a normal amount of creamer in your coffee, there is no risk of a dust explosion.
