Standardization is the process by which substances and procedures are made uniform. In dairying it means adjusting milk fat to a set level: milk from different batches is blended, or cream added or removed, to hit the target fat content — done especially to keep cheese milk and market milk uniform. More broadly, standardization underpins food quality systems everywhere: uniform methods, specifications, and reference materials let results be compared across plants, laboratories, and countries, which is what makes modern food regulation and trade possible.