On a dry matter basis, what percentage of whole milk is composed of fat?

Whole milk typically contains around 3.5% to 4% fat on a volumetric basis. However, when considering the composition on a dry matter basis, which takes into account the solids present after the moisture content is removed, the percentage of fat becomes significantly higher.

On a dry matter basis, the total solids in whole milk (which include fat, protein, lactose, minerals, etc.) account for about 12-13% of the milk volume, with fat contributing a substantial portion of those solids. When you analyze the solids, fat can indeed constitute approximately 25% of the total.

Thus, understanding that when milk is assessed after removing water content, the concentration of fat appears much higher indicates how the composition changes with this perspective. This higher percentage highlights the richness of fat in whole milk when evaluating it in terms of its dry matter content. Therefore, identifying that around 25% of the dry matter in whole milk is composed of fat is consistent with dairy science principles and knowledge about milk composition.