That’s Why Milk Is White – An Explanation

Components of the milk provide the white color

In addition to the 90 percent water content, milk also consists of fat, lactose, proteins, and a number of enzymes and also contains calcium and vitamins, among other things. Fat is one of the reasons why milk appears white – or, to put it better, is reflected in white.

• Since fat does not dissolve in water, it floats on the surface and forms a layer of cream, which is homogenized before the sale, i.e. the fat contained in the freshly milked milk is broken up.
• These crushed fat droplets cannot bind again because this is prevented by natural emulsifiers. These are both fat and water-soluble, which means that the fat now mixes in the milk.

White – a simple reflection

Milk now appears white due to these dissolved fat molecules, which are highly scattering light. In technical jargon, this is called the Tyndall effect. The milk appears white to us because the light is refracted countless times.

• Since sunlight, like other light sources, covers the entire color spectrum, this multitude of colors mixes, and the color white is created.