eli5: Why is there 1%, 2%, and whole milk but not any other percentage?

Question

I just feel like its weird how the percentage goes from 1-2% to whole.

Also, what do these percentages even mean? How can you turn milk into 1% or 2% milk?

In: Other

Answer 1

In the U.S., whole milk must be [at least 3.25% milkfat](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=131.110), though I think the most common is around 3.5%. Most dairies actually fully separate the milkfat from all milk then add back the correct amount for each level (1%, 2%, whole, half-and-half, cream), so skim milk is actually *less* processed than whole, but non-homogenized (e.g. cream top) milks and some smaller dairies might actually sell unmodified milk as their “whole.”