More taste with less processing

Milk without reintroduced permeates is available and costs little more than one that tastes more watery

oday’s column is going to be more about ingredients that have been removed from a product rather than ingredients that are additives.

Four years ago, in September 2012, diary giants Fonterra and Goodman Fielder ( which owns Meadow Fresh) were criticised by me and some small milk producers for adding permeate to their milk.

Permeate is a byproduct of milk processing that is added into milk, in effect watering it down, and making the milk much cheaper to produce.

At the time, adding permeates was defended by Fonterra because they “needed to re- add the byproduct to its milk so that it could standardise protein levels throughout the year”.

Re- adding permeate to milk is allowed under New Zealand food standards, which state milk must contain 3 per cent protein.

Back then, across the Tasman, the product to invest in the brand.

I bought this one litre bottle for $ 2.70, and an Anchor blue top one litre bottle for $ 2.69 so the lesspermeate offering is a little more expensive.

My taste test confirmed that the Meadow Fresh one did taste a lot better.

In this country, milk bottles need not list all the ingredients in milk, such as permeates, and there are no regulations around re- adding permeate to milk because it is a dairy byproduct.

The Ministry for Primary Industries says: “Milk may be standardised with separated streams [ e. g. cream or permeate] provided the milk is truthfully labelled with regards to fat content and meets the minimum protein levels required by Australia New Zealand Standards Code standard 2.5.1.”

So for the consumer, working out how processed one milk is compared to another is impossible. Instead, as I do, opt for taste. If it tastes watery, opt for one that has a better milk taste and buy that instead.

Most of the time I’m sure you’ll find it’s one that clearly states, as this one does, that it doesn’t add permeates.