Falling film layer crystallization (FFLC) is a promising approach to milk fat fractionation into oil and plastic fat fractions and can be an alternative to the conventional suspension melt crystallization (SC). The fractionation of milk fat by means of the FFLC process was investigated. Efforts were focused on the maximization of the stearin yield with satisfactory separation efficiency. The performance of the FFLC was also compared with that of the SC process. The experimental runs were conducted at varied Reynolds numbers ranging from 5 to 75, crystallization temperatures from 28 to 32degreesC, and sweating temperatures from 36 to 39degreesC, at a constant cooling rate (0.1degreesC/minute) and a crystallization time of 3 hours. The sweating step was necessary and acted as a refinement step to remove low-melting triglycerides that adhered to crystals. A difference in dropping (melting) points of stearin and olein fractions of 12degreesC and a stearin yield of 20% were obtained at a crystallization temperature of 30degreesC, Reynolds number of 12, and sweating temperature of 36degreesC. The dropping point of the stearin fraction reached 45degreesC compared with 31degreesC for the olein fraction, and 33degreesC for milk fat. Falling film layer crystallization and SC processes were comparable in terms of solid yield, as well as physicochemical properties of the fractions.