Three core issues in choosing milk

Usually, fresh milk and pure milk are the first choice, because these two types of milk contain only raw cow's milk and are high in protein.

It is said that "a bottle of milk can strengthen a nation". Milk is very nutritious and is closely related to people's lives and health. The Chinese Residents' Balanced Diet Pagoda (2022) recommends that each person consume 300 to 500 grams of milk and dairy products per day. Milk is a good source of protein and calcium, with a high nutrient density, and more intake should be encouraged. Now, supermarkets sell a variety of milk and dairy products. How should we choose?

The "big family" of dairy products Milk is produced by processing raw milk squeezed out of cows, and contains high-quality protein, multiple vitamins, various minerals and a large number of biologically active substances. However, freshly squeezed raw milk contains pathogenic microorganisms and impurities such as E. coli, and cannot be eaten directly. It must be sterilized before it can be sold on the market. At present, the sterilization methods of raw milk usually use pasteurization and ultra-high temperature sterilization. Pasteurization is to kill harmful bacteria in milk at 62-65℃ for 30 minutes, or at 75-90℃ for 15-16 seconds, while retaining various nutrients in milk to the maximum extent. Ultra-high temperature sterilization is to heat at 135-150℃ for 2-3 seconds, instantly killing harmful bacteria and microorganisms, while protecting the nutrition and taste of milk to the maximum extent.

As we all know, according to different production and processing methods, milk and dairy products can be divided into pasteurized milk, sterilized milk, reconstituted milk (modulated milk), other dairy products and milk-containing beverages. Pasteurized milk is fresh milk, which has a short shelf life of 7 to 15 days. Sterilized milk is also called room temperature milk or pure milk. It is produced by ultra-high temperature instant sterilization technology and has a relatively long shelf life of about 6 months. Reconstituted milk has to go through two ultra-high temperature sterilization processes. First, the fresh milk is made into milk powder, and then the milk powder is reconstituted into milk. Its shelf life is longer, up to 1 to 2 years. After two ultra-high temperature treatments, the nutritional value of reconstituted milk is slightly inferior to that of fresh milk and pure milk, but its nutritional loss is limited. Studies have reported that compared with pure milk, reconstituted milk from the same milk source will lose a very small amount of protein and 15% to 30% of vitamins. Other dairy products include yogurt, milk powder, condensed milk, cream, cheese, etc. The most common one on the market is yogurt. Milk beverages are milk drinks made from fresh milk or dairy products, which are fermented or unfermented, and with the addition of water, sweeteners and fruit flavors.

There are tricks to scientific selection. Faced with a wide variety of milk and dairy products, there are some tricks to scientific selection.

1. Look at the label and identify the category

The milk and dairy products sold on the market can be simply divided into four categories: fresh milk, pure milk, reconstituted milk, yogurt and milk-containing beverages. If you have decided which dairy product you want to buy, you must look at the food label on the package when purchasing, which will detail which type of dairy product the product belongs to. Usually, fresh milk and pure milk are the first choice, because these two types of milk only contain raw cow milk, with high protein content, generally up to 3.0-3.6 grams per 100 grams; calcium content is also rich, reaching 100-120 mg per 100 grams. The second is reconstituted milk, the raw materials for production are generally raw cow milk and milk powder. If milk powder is added, the food label will indicate "reconstituted milk" next to the product name. Yogurt is generally fermented from fresh milk and is rich in protein, calcium and vitamins. It is a good choice especially for people with lactose intolerance.

2. Look at the ingredients and choose authentic ones

Fresh milk and pure milk are both "real milk" containing only raw milk. It is recommended that you choose these two types. When purchasing, pay attention to the ingredient list. If it is fresh milk and pure milk, the ingredient list only says raw milk. There are no other ingredients after this word, which is authentic pure milk. If it is modulated milk, the ingredient list starts with raw milk, followed by various food additives. Due to the addition of food additives, long-term consumption of modulated milk can easily lead to obesity and tooth decay. It is usually not recommended to choose milk-containing beverages. Generally, its protein content is 0.7 to 1.0 grams per 100 grams, which can be said to be not milk. Reflected in the ingredient list, water ranks first, sugar ranks second, and milk or milk powder ranks third. Therefore, when consumers choose, especially for children and teenagers, they should try to avoid buying milk-containing beverages.

3. Look at the content and choose nutrition

When choosing milk, the two most important indicators to look at are the protein content and the fat content. The protein content of milk is relatively high, mainly including lactoferrin, globulin, etc., which can be directly converted into amino acids and directly absorbed by the human body. Usually, every 100 grams of milk contains more than 3 grams of protein. Fat is a type of nutrient inherent in milk, and its normal content is 3%. If it is reduced to below 0.5%, it is skimmed milk. But after skimming milk, many fat-soluble vitamins cannot be absorbed by the body. Now many people are keen on buying high-calcium milk, but the calcium in high-calcium milk is artificially added, and the human body's absorption rate of it is not much higher than that of ordinary milk.

Special reminder: fresh milk needs to be stored in low temperature refrigeration and has a short shelf life, so when choosing to buy, be sure to check the production date and shelf life, and try to avoid purchasing products that are near their expiration date.

Healthy adults and children can drink whole milk directly, people who need to control their weight can drink skim milk, and middle-aged and elderly people should give priority to high-calcium milk.