Non-dairy creamers are liquid or granular substances intended to substitute for milk or cream as an additive to coffee or other beverages. They do not contain lactose and are therefore not considered dairy products; accordingly, some parts of the world require the alternate term non-dairy whiteners that does not imply the presence of real cream.
Nestlé Coffee-Mate, introduced in 1961, was the first powdered non-dairy creamer. To replicate the mouthfeel of milk fats, non-dairy creamers often contain vegetable-based fats, although non-dairy non-fat creamers/whiteners also exist. Other common ingredients include sodium caseinate (a milk protein (casein) derivative that does not contain lactose), corn syrup or other sweeteners, and flavorings.
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