All the fresh and plain milk that you see on the supermarket shelves has nothing added at all. It will have undergone processing to purify and standardise the milk and to extend its shelf life, but nothing is added, so you can be confident of buying milk with no additions.
Certain types of milk will have additives, but these will be clearly indicated on the product label. Many dairy products will also have ingredients added as part of the process, but again, you will see these on the label. Regulations and clear labelling will ensure the purity of all products and keep you fully informed at all times.
The Processing that Milk Undergoes
All milk obtained from a farm will be subjected to a series of processes:
- Pasteurisation is where the milk is heated to a temperature of 72°C for fifteen seconds or to 63°C for thirty minutes. This kills most of the bacteria and extends the shelf life of the milk to around ten days provided the milk is kept refrigerated at 4°C. The process does not affect enzymes and bacteria that break down fat, so the rich flavour and beneficial minerals and nutrients are not affected.
- Homogenisation breaks down fat globules in the milk into extremely small particles that are evenly distributed, so the cream does not separate and rise to the top of the milk.
- Standardisation creates consistency in the milk. This is necessary because the levels of fat and protein in the milk fluctuate throughout the year due to weather conditions that can cause stress for the animals, the type of feed, and the stages of lactation. To achieve standardisation, the fat is separated and then blended back into the milk in the correct ratio.
None of these processes add anything to the milk but ensure that consumers get pure and fresh milk that has consistency of content and will last. For those seeking even less processed options, non-homogenised milk is available, which maintains the natural cream layer on top.
Milk and Dairy Product Additives
Although fresh and plain milk has no additives, there are some dairy products that do:
- Flavoured milk has sugar, flavours, and preservatives added.
- Lactose-free milk is provided for those who are lactose-intolerant and so cannot consume normal milk due to a lack of the lactase enzyme in their digestive system. In this case, lactase is added to the milk to convert lactose into more easily digested glucose and galactose. There is no detriment to the taste and nutritional benefits of the milk.
- Bacterial cultures are added to ferment milk to produce yoghurt and to start the process of making cheese.
- Desserts based on milk will have flavours, sugars, and preservatives added.
By law, all additives to food products must be clearly indicated on their labels, so you will always know what each product contains. Many dairy products are produced by traditional methods that have been proven over many years. Australia also has some of the strictest food safety standards so you can be assured that all milk and dairy products are of the highest quality and totally safe for consumption. When choosing milk products, consider supporting Little Big Dairy Co, which focuses on minimal processing and transparency in their single-source approach to dairy production.