h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In my local sainsbury's there now doesn't seem to be whole milk, semi-skimmed, etc, but milk with percentages on them instead.

Plus we seem to have a new milk - orange topped, between skimmed and semi skimmed?

What's that all about?

Really useful new milk (apparently coupons for a free pint to be handed out from Friday)?
Annoying unhelpful percentages so we can't work out what we're buying anymore?
Gimmick?

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3EAD2A8F-F730-41D3-BB98-A0AAEA036B25/0/Orange_milk2_125x125.jpg

Sorry that was the biggest pic I could find.

As a rule of thumb:

Full cream milk is 4% fat
Semi-skimmed is 2% (in fact, it's slightly less)
Skimmed is 0.2%

The new "orange" milk is around 1% fat. I think it's what Americans call "half and half".

Bear in mind that a certain brand of biscuits advertises itself as being "95% fat-free" (i.e. 5% fat) then I think you can see how people twist themselves into knots over the nothingness that is the fat content of milk. People, eh? What can you do about them?

RF

I just wondered why they'd brought in this new one. Has there been huge demand, or did they invent it to invent demand?

Stupid for putting percentages on the bloody bottles anyway.

I still miss the milkman. (although not being stuck behind him on the road I have to admit)

It's a european regulation

Well, the fact that it's been available in the US for a significant amount of time seems to be saying something...although I'm not entirely sure what. Are there people who find the sickly, creamy taste of semi-skimmed "too much", but the grey miserability of skimmed doesn't satisfy their needs?

Ape arrantly so.

It saves them the bother of buying two cartons and having to mix them together to achieve...er...the same result. And BoB knows, convenience is king.

RF

Why don't we get an easy name instead of having to ask our kids - go round the shops, get an ounce of Old Holborn, a green rizla and a pint of 1%.

Doesn't sound quite right...

Well, as an Essex girl/cockney geezer, you'll just have to ask for a pint of "Arfur Narf"!

RF

No, what Americans call half and half is half cream and half milk. 12.5%, apparently.

Over here we get 1.5% and 3.5% or 3.8% milk, those being "fettarme Milch" and "Vollmilch" respectively. I think there may be the 0.2% stuff too, not sure...

OK, I think our full milk is 3.9% and semi-skimmed is 1.7%, so those seem roughly comparable.

There does seem to be a market for those who find semi-skimmed too much , but skimmed (0.2%) too little.

Crikey, how much milk do you have to drink for this to make a difference to you? If you eat a single or you'll undo all the good you've done with reducing the fat in your milk.

Honestly, some poeple obsess over entirely the wrong things!

RF

Semi-skimmed is cheaper, which is why I buy it

>As a rule of thumb:

Full cream milk is 4% fat<

Bloody hell, I never realised. And I've been depriving myself all these years!

It's all sales-pitching. There are legal requirements for the amount of fat in certain types of milk. One producer uses the 1% fat as a selling point but that a normal amount of fat.

Ignore the fat contents and just buy them on whether you want skim, semi or full fat. There is standardised as well which is basically full fat.

Milk producers are allowed to put a certain amount of water into the milk which lowers the fat content(WE pay more for fat i.e. full fat i.e. for the cream.)

Milk producers have to clear the production pipework of certain grades of milk beofre making another grade. They do this pushing plugs of water through the pipes. The plugs of water should go to drain at a certain point but this is not the case. To increase their profits they push water into the milk silos to get the amount of fat down to the legal requirement thereby increasing their profits.

Since the legal levels are such that within the range we really can not tell the difference it's neither here nor there really and as the supermarkets are screwing everyone below them for every penny then I am happy to have just legal milk to stick it to the supermarkets.

So, basically, ignore the percentage stuff it nonsense as if you analysed the fat content over a few onths you would find it would vary considerably from the value on the label.

I used to work in the dairy industry.

Wot, and they've been watering down my milk? This goes from bad to worse

What happened to 'Jersey', 'Full-Fat', 'Homogenised' aka 'Bull's Milk', 'Semi-skimmed', 'Skimmed' and 'Unpasteurised'?

They were, respectively:

'Gold Top', 'Silver Top', 'Crown Top', 'Red and Silver Top' (I believe!), 'Green and Silver Top' (I believe!) and 'Green Top'

Much easier to differentiate.

Also each container is generally in two different plastics, so is difficult to recycle! Always assuming your council does plastic recycling!!!!

Mine doesn't.

MMF

as someone already has said, this is an american thing. my guess is it's a consequence of people being profoundly ignorant about food or too lazy to read the nutrition panels.

but if i put on my pollyanna hat i can pretend it's to stop people spending 5 minutes in front of the dairy cabinets, possibly opening and reopening the doors in pursuit of the right milk. it is therefore an energy saving measure and a good thing. honest.

My store doesn't have cabinets - it's all just stuck out there on the shelves.

I normally buy skimmed milk because unfortunately my parents didn't bother to wean me off milk and I'm finding it a hard habit to break. I am trying to completely give up milk, and I thought watery milk was a good start.

Soon I'll just be on water...

I have this dependence on dairy (but angel delight just so yummy!).

Actually, that's a point. I wonder if we can make custard and angel delight with 1%?

Sweetened oat milk is yummy

My favourite 'labelling' of the moment is that marshmallows contain '0% fat!'

No, just PLENTY of sugars providing LOTS of calories.

But no fat, so stuff your face, go on... (I did... with a fondue fork and a tea-light. How many crispy layers can YOU get from one marshmallow??? LUSHNESS!)

Not exactly. The water content of milk changes through out the year. In wet months like April when there is lots of grass the milk will have a higher water content naturally straight out of the cow.

There are legal limits to how much water can be in the milk. They base this on 'freezing point depression' which is a test to see how much wate is in the milk.

All milks apart from straight homogenised milk is split into two streams: milk and cream through a separator. It is then mixed again with differing amounts of cream being put back into the milk to give the semi and 'standardised' milk.

Therefore, you will naturally get more or less water in the milk through the year. The dry summer months there will be less water in the milk. So, if you buy straight 'unsplit' homogenised milk all year for a set price you would be pating for more water in your milk in April than in July...blame the cows!!!!

Mmmm, we used to buy our milk straight from the neighbour's cow. Alas, those times are gone.

And Robyn - you're right. They seem to be doing a lot of that lately. Find one substance that is the in noshable form, and if the food doesn't contain that, it's automatically healthy

ah c'mon robyn, an entire packet of marshmallows weighs barely more than the same volume of air.

fun to microwave btw.