ABSTRACTCarboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is used mainly as a stabilizer and thickener agent in the food industry. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of CMC concentration (0.75, 1.00, 1.25 and 1.50% w/w) and type of milk (skimmed milk and whole milk) on the flow behavior of dairy products. Flow properties of samples were clearly affected by both the type of milk and the CMC concentration. All samples exhibited a thixotropic and shear‐thinning flow behavior. Whole milk samples with the higher CMC content (1.25 and 1.5%) showed an overshoot in the shear stress versus shear rate profiles. In both whole and skimmed milk samples, the consistency coefficient and the yield stress values increased with CMC concentration, while the flow index values decreased. In general, the whole milk samples gave higher values on the consistency index and yield stress and lower ones on the flow index, than the equivalent samples made with skimmed milk.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThe first step to developing new health products that also satisfy consumer demands is to study how the interaction between the ingredients and the components of the food matrix influence the physical and sensorial properties of food. To this end, a study was made into how carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) concentration affected the flow behavior of dairy desserts, formulated with either skimmed or whole milk. The flow behavior of these systems was not only influenced by CMC concentration but also by the milk type.