Milk, because of its high nutritional value and convenient drinking, has long been completely integrated into our lives. Many people have the habit of drinking a glass of milk every day, either to whiten their skin or to supplement nutrition. In short, milk is very suitable for all ages. Let’s take a look at how to identify the quality of milk.

How to distinguish milk?

(1) Smell

No matter how good the milk is, it must always have the natural milky smell of the cow. If the milk you buy has a strong aroma after opening, there is no doubt that it must have added flavoring or essence. While this milk isn't particularly harmful to the body, this modified milk isn't our first choice of ideal milk.

(2) Look at the milk film

After drinking the milk, you will see a thick white milk film on the glass wall. Then we add a small amount of water to the glass and shake it gently to make the white color on the glass wall evenly lighter; after pouring out the water, repeat it again, and the glass will become transparent and clean again, with no bubbles or hard lumps inside. This means the milk is fresh and has a low bacterial count before processing. If the milk film on the glass is uneven, there are even small lumps and lumps visible to the naked eye, or it cannot be rinsed thoroughly with water and even needs to be scrubbed by hand, then the freshness of the milk and the quality of the raw materials are low. It is not recommended to buy this kind of milk twice.

(3) Look at the milk skin

Put the milk in a microwave or a pot and heat it until it is hot but not boiling, then pour it into a transparent cup. At this time, if there is a uniform milk skin on the surface of the milk, this is normal, indicating that the milk quality is good and the milk fat rate is high. After the milk is poured out, it is normal for a small amount of milk skin to stick to the milk surface of the cup wall to form a complete circle. However, if there are small curds or particles in the milk at this time, or if the particles stick to the wall of the cup after pouring the milk, it means that the protein is uneven and the raw milk may have problems such as excessive bacterial counts. It’s best not to buy and drink this kind of milk again.

Warm reminder: Through these three methods, we can intuitively identify the quality of milk and whether the production process is perfect, and then judge whether this milk (or a certain brand of milk) is worth repurchasing.

What kind of milk is best?

(1) Whole milk

Whole milk is ordinary pure milk, with ingredients close to raw milk, and the fat content is usually around 3%. Whole milk not only has a rich and unique aroma and a full and mellow taste, but the vitamins A, D, E, and K in the milk are all stored in fat, so the nutrition is more comprehensive and the nutrients are almost not lost.

Value: Whole milk basically retains the original nutrients and flavor of milk, and can supplement various vitamins needed in daily life, as well as calcium. However, people who regularly drink whole milk are more likely to gain weight.

(2) Skim milk

Skim milk refers to a product that has been centrifuged to remove most of the fat in the milk. Low-fat milk has a fat content of 1%-1.5%, while skim milk has only 0.5%. Skimmed milk will taste bland and lose nutrients, but it can reduce fat intake.

Value: Compared with whole milk, the nutritional content and taste of skimmed milk are slightly worse, but it meets people’s special needs for dietary health and is a product that can both ensure nutrition and effectively control The "ideal milk" for fat intake.

(3) Organic milk

Organic milk emphasizes that it is completely natural and pollution-free. It is prohibited to use synthetic chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, feed additives, and food additives during production and processing. Of course, organic milk is slightly more expensive.

Nutritional value: The nutritional value of organic milk is much higher than other types of milk. Rich in vitamin E, unsaturated fatty acids, provitamin A and other antioxidant substances, it is purely natural and pollution-free. Frankincense is stronger, tastes better, and is more beneficial to human health.

(4) Nutritionally fortified milk

Fortified milk refers to adding certain nutrients to milk to strengthen the nutritional components of milk. For example, in high-calcium milk, the added calcium can significantly increase the calcium content of the milk. There are many other types of nutritional fortifiers in milk, such as vitamin D and lactoferrin.

Nutritional value: Nutritionally fortified milk can add certain nutrients to meet people’s special needs for dietary health, such as adding a variety of vitamins and minerals, which is suitable for teenagers with strong metabolism; adding lactoferrin, which is suitable for Children with weak resistance, etc.

Warm reminder: We can match our actual needs according to the comprehensive characteristics of each milk. When we often drink milk, supplement our daily nutrition, and consider cost-effectiveness, we choose whole milk; if we do not consider the price factor, we can also choose organic milk with higher nutritional value; those who want to supplement nutrition and effectively control fat intake, Skim milk is an option. Finally, if you need special nutrition, such as teenagers with strong metabolism and elderly people who need calcium supplement, then you should choose nutritionally fortified milk.

How do you read the milk label?

(1) Check the shelf life

Generally speaking, domestic normal-temperature liquid milk kills milk at a high temperature of 135-152 degrees. of all bacteria in it, the shelf life can be up to 6-9 months. However, the shelf life of milk imported from overseas is generally about one year. Whether it is domestic or imported, in order to have a longer shelf life, the temperature during the sterilization process must be higher. Similarly, more nutrients in the milk are lost. Therefore, if the same milk has a long or short shelf life, try to choose a product with a short shelf life, because the longer the shelf life, the greater the possibility of nutrient loss, and the possibility of adding sugar, oil, preservatives and other ingredients.

(2) Look at the implementation standard number.

According to relevant national laws and regulations, dairy products packaging that meets the requirements will have the implementation standard number of GB25190, which can be checked on the website of the US Food and Drug Administration. It can also be said that companies with production license numbers are supervised by the state, and the state will help you supervise the quality of your products. The state conducts regular and irregular sampling inspections of products every year. Therefore, milk with standard numbers is relatively safe to drink.