Flavoured milk
Encyclopedia
Flavored milk is a sweetened dairy
drink made with milk
, sugar
, coloring
s and artificial or natural flavorings. Flavored milk is often pasteurized using ultra-high-temperature (UHT) treatment, which gives it a longer shelf-life than plain milk. Pre-mixed flavored milk is sold in the refrigerated dairy case alongside other milk products. Flavored sweetened powders or syrups which are added to plain milk are also available.
that has sugar
, coloring
s and (mostly inexpensive artificial) flavorings added to make it more appetizing, especially to children. It can be sold as a powder to be added to plain milk, or bought pre-mixed alongside other milk products. Flavoring can be included in a straw, and some flavored milk products are designed as dietary supplement
s by including additional vitamins or minerals. Bottled spiced (masala
) milk is a popular beverage in the Indian subcontinent. Other companies provide flavored beverages in the United Kingdom, which sells packaged beverages to the mobile vendor market. Australia
has the highest consumption rate of flavored milk in the world, standing at 9.5 liters per capita in 2004.
. Less commonly, other flavors are available, such as cookies 'n cream, lime
, malt
, mango
, papaya
, root beer
, tropical fruits, vanilla
, and vanilla crème. With the exception of chocolate milk, many of these flavors are artificial.
, host of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
, brought attention in the United States to public schools that serve flavored milk in the school cafeterias. Flavored milk advocates claim that many children will avoid the nutrition found in milk unless it has been flavored, with the benefits of milk outweighed by a few teaspoons of sugar. Opponents note that with rising levels of obesity and heart disease, flavored milk should be removed from schools and children should be taught to drink regular milk.
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
drink made with milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, coloring
Food coloring
Food coloring is a substance, liquid or powder, that is added to food or drink to change its color. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and in domestic cooking...
s and artificial or natural flavorings. Flavored milk is often pasteurized using ultra-high-temperature (UHT) treatment, which gives it a longer shelf-life than plain milk. Pre-mixed flavored milk is sold in the refrigerated dairy case alongside other milk products. Flavored sweetened powders or syrups which are added to plain milk are also available.
Types
Flavored milk is milkMilk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
that has sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, coloring
Food coloring
Food coloring is a substance, liquid or powder, that is added to food or drink to change its color. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and in domestic cooking...
s and (mostly inexpensive artificial) flavorings added to make it more appetizing, especially to children. It can be sold as a powder to be added to plain milk, or bought pre-mixed alongside other milk products. Flavoring can be included in a straw, and some flavored milk products are designed as dietary supplement
Dietary supplement
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet...
s by including additional vitamins or minerals. Bottled spiced (masala
Masala
Masala or massala is a term used in South Asian cuisines to mostly describe a mixture of spices. A masala can either be a combination of dried spices, or a paste made from a mixture of spices and other ingredients—often garlic, ginger, onions and chilli paste...
) milk is a popular beverage in the Indian subcontinent. Other companies provide flavored beverages in the United Kingdom, which sells packaged beverages to the mobile vendor market. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
has the highest consumption rate of flavored milk in the world, standing at 9.5 liters per capita in 2004.
Thin milkshakes
Healthier versions are produced using real fruit, such as pureeing bananas, strawberries, and mangoes into the milk. Although thicker than traditional flavored milk, they are much healthier because they require less sugar to be added. The sugar that would normally need to be added is found in the fruit.Flavors
The most common flavor for flavored milk is chocolate, which is achieved with cocoa powder. A variant of chocolate flavored milk are candy-bar themed drinks, which claim to mimic the flavors of popular candy bars. Other common flavors for flavored milk include strawberry, banana, and coffeeCoffee milk
Coffee milk is a drink similar to chocolate milk; however, instead of chocolate syrup, coffee syrup is used. It is the official state drink of Rhode Island in the United States of America.-History:...
. Less commonly, other flavors are available, such as cookies 'n cream, lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
, malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
, mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
, root beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
, tropical fruits, vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
, and vanilla crème. With the exception of chocolate milk, many of these flavors are artificial.
Controversy and criticism
Jamie OliverJamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
, host of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is a television series which premiered on ABC on March 21, 2010...
, brought attention in the United States to public schools that serve flavored milk in the school cafeterias. Flavored milk advocates claim that many children will avoid the nutrition found in milk unless it has been flavored, with the benefits of milk outweighed by a few teaspoons of sugar. Opponents note that with rising levels of obesity and heart disease, flavored milk should be removed from schools and children should be taught to drink regular milk.