Process for preparing a butter-like dairy product

A process for preparing a butter-like dairy product which comprises the steps of pasteurising a cream containing not more than 40% by weight of fat, centrifuging the pasteurised cream and recovering a concentrated cream containing 50 to 60% by weight of fat, adding skimmed milk in quantity such that the fat content of the final product will be between 47 and 56%, heating the cream to between 85.degree. and 93.degree.C in 5 to 60 seconds, adding an acid substance in quantity such as to bring the pH of the final product to between 5.2 and 5.6, said addition being made under conditions such that the temperature of the product after said addition is at least 85.degree.C, said acid substance being selected from the group consisting of an acid culture of a microorganism producing a butter flavour and an edible acid together with a butter flavour, cooling the resulting mixture to a temperature between about 2.degree. and 10.degree.C and holding the product at this temperature for at least 24 hours, the quantity of acid substance added when an acid culture being from 1 to 5% by weight and when an edible acid being from 0.05 to 0.2% by weight, said percentages being based on the weight of the final product.