What process separates cream from milk?

The process that separates cream from milk is centrifugation. This method utilizes the principle of centrifugal force to separate substances based on their densities. When milk is centrifuged, the heavier fat globules (cream) rise to the top due to their lower density compared to the liquid portion of the milk. This allows for the efficient separation of cream from the milk, which is essential in the dairy industry for producing products like butter and cream.

While filtration and pasteurization are important processes in milk processing, they serve different purposes. Filtration is meant to remove solid particles and impurities from liquids, and pasteurization is a heat treatment process designed to kill harmful bacteria in milk without altering its quality. Homogenization is a process that breaks down fat globules in milk to create a uniform mixture, preventing cream from separating; it does not separate cream from milk but rather ensures the fat is evenly distributed throughout the liquid. Thus, centrifugation is the correct answer as it specifically targets the separation of cream from milk.