The market is flooded with a wide variety of milk types, and advertisements for various dairy brands constantly surround us, making it a real headache when choosing milk in our daily lives! The dairy section of the supermarket is stocked with different types of milk, such as high-calcium milk, pasteurized milk, UHT milk, reconstituted milk, antibiotic-free milk, and more, which is dazzling to the eye. People often don't know which type of milk to choose.
When buying milk, remember these five principles:
1. Don't buy products with long-term, intensive advertising. Choose brands that have been established for a long time, with not too much advertising but a consistently good reputation.
2. Don't buy products that are frequently on sale or discounted. Brands that frequently engage in price wars cannot guarantee the quality of their products. If the discount is because the product is nearing its expiration date or is not fresh, its safety and nutritional value have already been compromised, making it even less worth buying.
3. Try to buy locally produced products. Local products reduce transportation and storage steps, resulting in slightly lower product costs and better value for the same price.
4. Try to buy the freshest products, preferably those with a shorter shelf life. The longer the shelf life, the greater the potential loss of nutrients and the higher the likelihood of additives such as preservatives.
5. Try to buy the purest, most natural products and buy fewer products with multiple added ingredients. Pure, natural products are more difficult to adulterate, whereas mixed products are much easier. For example, it is more difficult to fake pure milk than milk beverages and milk powder.
6. Among products at the same price point, choose the one with a higher fat content. Depending on the fat content, dairy products are categorized as whole, semi-skimmed, and skimmed. National standards stipulate that for pasteurized milk, sterilized pure milk, and pure yogurt, the fat content for whole milk is ≥3.1%, for semi-skimmed is 1.0-2.0%, and for skimmed is ≤0.5%. For sterilized flavored milk, flavored yogurt, and fruit-flavored yogurt, the fat content for whole milk is ≥2.5%, for semi-skimmed is 0.8-1.6%, and for skimmed is ≤0.4%. The fat in dairy products is of high quality, easily digested and absorbed, and provides energy to the body. Among these, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk are suitable for healthy individuals, especially adults who need to limit or reduce their saturated fat intake.
7. There's no need to choose premium milk. In recent years, the dairy market has seen a succession of new concepts, such as "extra-rich milk," "high-calcium milk," and milk fortified with trace elements like iron and zinc, which has left consumers confused and unsure how to choose. Experts point out that adding fats, calcium, etc., to milk is not necessarily a bad thing, but it should be done in accordance with national standards and clearly labeled to allow consumers to make informed choices. Furthermore, milk itself is a naturally ideal food. It is still inconclusive whether artificial additives can actually enhance the nutritional value of milk and its effects on the human body.
How to store milk Pay attention to the following points when storing milk:
(1) Fresh milk should be placed in a cool place immediately, preferably in the refrigerator.
(2) Do not expose milk to sunlight or artificial light, as both can destroy several vitamins in the milk and also cause it to lose its aroma.
(3) When storing milk in the refrigerator, make sure the cap is tightly closed to prevent other odors from seeping in.
(4) If you pour milk into a cup, teapot, or other container and don't finish it, cover it and put it back in the refrigerator. Do not pour it back into the original bottle.
(5) Excessive cold is also harmful to milk. When milk freezes into ice, its quality is compromised. Therefore, milk should not be frozen; refrigeration is sufficient.