Food

Milk

Updated: 30 Aug 2007

Introduction

With so many types of milk around, do you need a different one for every person in your family - or can you all just drink a glass-and-a-half of the same milk?

It's no longer a case of just choosing the right-coloured top. There are milks that claim to "help maintain optimal bone strength", "help maintain a healthy heart", and "feed your brain".

We look at some of the "wonder" milks stacked in the chiller.

Why so many different milks?

Back in 1995, when we last looked at milk, you could buy several types - full cream, standardised homogenised, reduced-fat, or trim. But it's nothing like the choice available now. Milk's become sexy.

Ninya Maubach, from the Department of Marketing at Massey University, told us there were several reasons companies offered such a wide variety of milks.

"Offering a wide selection of brand extensions gives the brand a greater shelf presence". One type of milk won't take up much room in the chiller and won't make the brand stand out.

"Also food companies have recognised that health concerns motivate some people's choices. They are increasingly marketing products with nutrition claims."

Where does your milk come from?

There are two big players in the Kiwi milk market - Fonterra and Goodman Fielder.

Fonterra owns the Anchor and Anlene brands.
Goodman Fielder owns Dairy Fresh, Meadow Fresh, Naturalea and Sun Latte.

Supermarkets are also big players. They sell their own house brands such as Pam's and Signature Range.

Depending where you live, you'll also be able to buy brands supplied by smaller independent cooperatives, such as Gisborne Milk and Taranaki Milk.

Special milks

There are a number of milks on the market that make nutritional claims, including:

Milk for healthy bones
Milk for a healthy heart
A2 milk
Just for kids
Milk to aid digestion

Healthy bones

Anlene milk is marketed as a dietary supplement. Its three-step system claims to help maintain your bone strength through essential bone nutrients, effective absorption, and the locking-in of nutrients.

Anlene contains the same amount of calcium as calcium-enriched milk. But what differentiates it from regular milk is its added vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium and zinc.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. One cup (250ml) of Anlene gives you more than half your daily requirements. But most people don't need extra vitamin D from their diet. Over 90 percent of what we need is provided by sunlight on our skin.

While there's concern that some New Zealanders have insufficient vitamin D levels, the best way to boost them is to get out and about. You don't need a special milk to do that. See our Vitamin D deficiency report for more.
Vitamin K is added to "lock-in" the bone nutrients. People on the blood-thinning drug warfarin need to be careful - the vitamin K in Anlene may interfere with the effectiveness of their medication.
Magnesium and zinc are added to help keep your bones rigid and strong.

Healthy heart

Anchor Vital has added omega-3 fatty acids, which the packaging claims is important for heart health.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for health - the body can't make them, so you need to include them in your diet. They have many actions: these include lowering total and LDL cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease. See our report on Omega-3 supplements for more.

To help reduce the risk of chronic disease (especially heart disease), the Ministry of Health recommends 430mg per day for women and 610mg per day for men.

One 250ml glass of Vital will give you 125mg of omega-3 fatty acids.
A serving of fish - especially oily fish like salmon and tuna - is a much better source of omega-3. One 150g salmon fillet will give you around 4700mg and half a small can of tuna provides 370mg.
But if you're not keen on seafood, Anchor Vital can contribute to your needs.

A2 milk

A1 and A2 are the most common proteins in milk. Milk sourced from different cows has varying proportions of A1 and A2 - milk produced in New Zealand is normally a mix.
In the 1990s it was hypothesised that the A1 protein in milk was a risk factor for autism, diabetes, schizophrenia, and heart disease. The A2 Corporation was set up to produce milk from cows that mainly produce A2 proteins.
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority commissioned a report in 2004 to look into these claims. It found little evidence of a relationship between A1 milk and a higher risk of health problems.

Just for kids

Anchor Mega Milk and Meadow Fresh Calci Kids are specifically marketed for kids. They have extra vitamin A and D compared with regular milk. However, calcium-enriched milks contain more calcium.

Meadow Fresh Junior is for growing toddlers. It's enriched with iron "to feed their brains and fuel their lives".

Nutritionally, kids don't need to drink special milks. It certainly doesn't hurt to have the extra vitamins and minerals, but children eating a balanced diet will get adequate amounts from other foods.
Drinking too much of any milk may displace iron-rich foods in the diet. Toddlers should drink no more than 600ml of milk each day.
Cows' milk shouldn't be given to babies under one.

Aids digestion

People with lactose intolerance don't have an enzyme to break down lactose, the main sugar in milk. For these people, drinking milk causes unpleasant symptoms such as stomach cramps, bloating and diarrhoea. Symptoms are usually dose-related, so small amounts of milk and other dairy products can usually be eaten.

Liddell's lactose-free milk has had the lactose converted into galactose and glucose, so the enzyme lactase is no longer required.
Goats' milk may also be easier to digest. It still contains lactose, but the fat globules are smaller and this may help digestion. It also lacks a substance called agglutinin, which causes the globules to cluster together in cows' milk.

Choosing the right milk

All milk is nutritious. It's an important source of calcium, protein, potassium, and vitamin D.

Most packaged food must have nutrition labelling. Here's what to check out in milk.

Fat

The first decision you need to make is whether to go for full fat or reduced fat milk. The fat in milk contains a high proportion of saturated fat. In the 2002 National Children's Nutrition Survey milk was one of the main sources of saturated fat.

From the age of one, cows' milk can be included in a child's diet. Because very young children grow rapidly and need the energy from fat, they should have regular or whole milk rather than reduced-fat milk.

Everyone over the age of two should drink low-fat or reduced fat varieties. For your heart's sake it's important to restrict your intake of saturated fat.

Full cream or whole milk has around 4 percent fat. It has more energy, fat and saturated fat than other milks.
Regular blue-top milk must have a minimum of 3.2 percent fat.
Reduced fat milk contains no more than 2 percent fat. It's often labelled "lite", "balance", or "reduced fat".
Trim milk has almost all the fat removed. By law, it can't contain more than 1.5 percent fat - but it usually contains half a percent or even less. Super Trim and Extra-Slim contain 0.1 percent fat.

Calcium

This is needed to build and maintain strong and healthy bones. A deficiency can cause osteoporosis - a disease of the bones. This is particularly a problem for women later in life.

Milk products are a major source of calcium in people's diets. New Zealand children get about one-third of their calcium intake from milk.

Children aged 9 to 11 years and adults need 1000mg per day. Teenagers, women over 50 years, and men over 70 years need 1300mg per day. Younger children need less because of their smaller body size.

Nearly 20 percent of our girls and 12 percent of boys don't consume enough calcium. Inadequate intakes are more common in children aged 11 to 14 years than in younger children.

Regular and full-cream milk contains about 290mg per 250ml glass.
Reduced fat and trim milk contain about 350mg per glass.
Calcium-enriched milks contain around 500mg per glass - that's half the recommended daily intake for most people.

Other sources of calcium include dairy products, such as cheese and yoghurt, legumes, certain nuts such as almonds and hazelnuts, fortified juices and breakfast cereals, green leafy vegetables, and small bony fish such as sardines.

Allergies and intolerances

Foods can upset people for many reasons. If you break out in hives, or wheeze or vomit after drinking milk, you probably have a milk allergy. But if you feel bloated or get an upset stomach, you probably have lactose intolerance.

Milk (along with egg and wheat) allergies are the most common allergies in children. Many children tend to grow out of them by the time they're aged four or five.

If you follow a vegan diet or you're allergic to cows' milk or just don't like the taste, there are several alternatives you can try.

Soy milk

Soy milk has less saturated fat than regular milk, is a good source of protein and is lactose-free. Soy also contains isoflavones, a type of plant oestrogen. Isoflavones are thought to be responsible for soy's positive effects - such as reducing blood cholesterol, protecting against heart disease, and reducing the risk of some cancers.

The evidence for these benefits is mixed and some groups are concerned that soy products pose health risks.

Soy is naturally low in calcium so make sure you choose a calcium-fortified product.

Rice milk

Rice milk is made from rice, water and vegetable oil. It's low in fat and saturated fat and is lactose free. But it isn't a good source of calcium, protein or some of the other nutrients in dairy products.

In 2006, Food Standards Australia New Zealand issued a warning that rice and other cereal-based beverages aren't a suitable milk substitute for children aged under five. These drinks are now required to carry this advisory statement.

If you use rice milk as a replacement for dairy milk, make sure it's fortified with calcium and don't rely on it as a good source of protein and vitamin D.

Milk jargon

Homogenised describes a process where the milk fat globules are reduced in size, so they remain suspended throughout the milk. This prevents the cream from separating out and gives the milk a more uniform texture.

Unhomogenised milk will have a creamy layer on top. Practically all milk in New Zealand is homogenised.
Pasteurised milk has been heat-treated to kill bugs and prevent spoilage.
Long-life or UHT is milk that's been heated to a very high temperature to destroy any bacteria. It's then packed in sterile packaging and will keep for many months without refrigeration. Once opened, it needs to be kept in the fridge and used like regular milk.
Organic milk comes from organically farmed animals. It has the same nutrition profile as its non-organic equivalent and is pesticide-free.
Biodynamic means it's sourced from biodynamic farms. This is similar to organic farming but has additional requirements for enhancing the soil's structure and nutrient cycles.

Our advice

Have at least two servings of milk or milk products every day.
Everyone over the age of two should drink low-fat or reduced-fat milk.
Toddlers shouldn't have more than 600ml of milk each day. Too much milk may displace other foods in the diet.
Cows' milk shouldn't be given to babies under the age of one.
If you drink soy or rice milk, choose one that's fortified with calcium.

Top milk tips

Milk (including UHT milk once it's opened) should be refrigerated below 4°C. Keep it out of the fridge for as little as possible.
The best-before date is a guide to how long the milk will last if it's not opened. Once opened, use it within 4-5 days.
Milk can become oxidised if it's exposed to sunlight or left too close to a light source. It's not harmful but may give the milk an unpleasant taste. Most milk packaging is opaque to protect against this.
Milk can be frozen but it isn't recommended. Freezing affects the protein and may result in the milk looking curdled. If you do freeze milk, defrost it in the fridge. A better option is to buy UHTmilk that will last for months unopened.

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Report by Belinda Allan