I've heard the term cream is mainly used for milk products, such as sour cream and creme for ointments, such as moisturizing creme, but they are used interchangeably.
Cream vs. creme
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The only time I've seen "creme" is in regards to food. I wouldn't use it for lotions or moisturizers or anything similar, so I don't know that they'd be interchangeable. This may be a language thing, though.
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I've only seen "creme" used as a loan word from French, with the accent over the first "e." That applies to both food and body lotions, depending on its usage. "Creme fraiche" for example, is a food product. I can't think of any lotion examples right now that aren't brand names, but I'm sure they exist... (And I'm only failing to use the accent because I don't have the technology for it in this little quick-reply box.)
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I think it's a legal distinction. I think in thr US you're not allowed to call a food item "cream" unless it actually has some dairy in ... with some items maybe grandfathered in, like "Cream of Wheat" and "cream of chicken soup", neither of which have cream or even milk in.
"Creme" is an advertiser-invented weasel word as far as I know, a borrowing from French to get around food regulations -- or to give a European cachet to something with a gloppy texture.
"Creme" is an advertiser-invented weasel word as far as I know, a borrowing from French to get around food regulations -- or to give a European cachet to something with a gloppy texture.
I'm with Alessandra. In the US, the word cream must involve a certain percentage of dairy product (or be grandfathered in if already a registered trademark).
Creme is frequently used for various health and beauty products with a texture not like cream or whipped cream but more like pudding. Or, at my house, cream that sat in its carton forgotten until it became a semi-solid.
Maryn, who was amused
Creme is frequently used for various health and beauty products with a texture not like cream or whipped cream but more like pudding. Or, at my house, cream that sat in its carton forgotten until it became a semi-solid.
Maryn, who was amused
It seems that this explains everything.
So, the safe way is to use cream for both foods and ointments, except for things like creme liqueur, which is not the same as cream liqueur.
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Yep. Unless you are quoting with humorous intent. "She picked up a package of non-dairy, artificial hazelnut flavored coffee creme and a bottle of cranberry-raspberry juice drink blend."
Or unless you run a walmart or drugstore online shop. "Moisturizing creme" (with quotes) has more than a million results in Google.
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Because people will think that lotion on the drugstore counter that says "cream" on the label will think it's edible?
Gotta wonder who got sued for that law to come into place... and who did the suing.
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No, that's for foods only.
As Alessandra Kelley said, foods that don't have cream in them can't call themselves "cream" or use the word "cream" in them.
Other things, from Turtle Wax to Oil of Olay, may use the word "cream" freely.
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Edy's (Dreyer's) ice cream has started putting out all the most interesting flavors as "frozen dairy desserts" (in small letters, on top of the picture, hoping you won't notice). Ice cream has to have at least 10% milk fat.
Here's the Wikipedia mention: As of 2008, most of Dreyer's ice cream has been reformulated with cheaper whey or skim milk among the two chief ingredients rather than cream and milk, though both are still present in smaller quantities. These particular flavors are labeled as "frozen dairy dessert" rather than ice cream.
I don't know why they don't call it "ice creme" though!
The word "creme" makes me think of things in individually wrapped packages with "Little Debbie" written on the box of twelve. I'm suddenly ravenous after reading the previous post from bonitakale. ;-)
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