CHOICE have completed a survey of over 80 different types of milk found in supermarkets from all across the country and have found that there is no difference between the generic supermarket brand and other brands aside from the price. It seems it isn’t worth the extra cost and Christopher Zinn from CHOICE joins us in the studio to explain why.
The survey of over 80 different types of milk from major supermarkets in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth & Sydney found that aside from the standard full cream, light and skim varieties, there are a plethora of high end milks and some that have added vitamins & minerals that aren't even allowed to call themselves milk.
It also found that generic brands are much the same quality as the major branded versions - and a lot cheaper. In fact, they can be up to half the price of the equivalent big national brands. The survey also found that almost all milk is highly processed and that most people will get no real benefit from the more expensive "milk" products with added extras.
Furthermore, the survey found that all milk qualifies for the description "good source of calcium" and that there's between 115mg and 120mg of calcium per 100mL, regardless of brand.
Milk terms
FULL CREAM
Full cream makes up nearly half of all fresh milk sales. To qualify it needs to contain at least 3.2% fat, as specified by the Food Standards Code. Most brands contain about 3.4% fat and 3.3% protein.
LIGHT/LOW-FAT
Light/low-fat is the second-biggest category (30% of fresh milk sales). To qualify for the description, milk should contain no more than 1.5% fat, with most brands containing 1.3% to 1.4%. Often this milk has skim milk powder added to it, which makes it taste creamier and also boosts the calcium content.
SKIM MILK
Skim Food can be labelled "fat-free" if it contains less than 0.15% fat, and most brands of skim contain about 0.1%. Again, most brands contain extra skim milk powder which makes the milk taste creamier and gives it extra protein and calcium.
PASTEURISATION
Pasteurisation destroys harmful bacteria by heating to a high temperature for a short period of time (the Food Standards Code requires all milk and dairy products sold in Australia be pasteurised).
HOMOGENISATION
Homogenisation is a process that makes the milk fat globules much smaller than in raw milk and prevents cream from separating and floating to the top of the bottle or carton. Homogenised milk looks whiter and doesn't taste as creamy as non-homogenised milk. Contrary to some claims, there's no evidence that homogenisation increases the risk of children developing an allergy to milk.
CHOICE verdict
Despite the profusion of brands and the plethora of claims, the only really meaningful choice when buying milk is between full-cream, low-fat and skim, as the generic brands are little different from the more expensive national brands.
If you like the taste of old-fashioned, full-cream milk that hasn't been homogenised, or you'd prefer milk from cows that have been treated more kindly than usual, you're more likely to find it as organic milk that has been produced by a small local dairy.
For more, visit www.choice.com.au
or call 1800 069 552 or 02 9577 3333.
