Flavored milk is a sweetened dairy drink made with milk, sugar, , and sometimes . It may be sold as a pasteurized, refrigerated product, or as an ultra-high-temperature (UHT) treated product not requiring refrigeration. It may also be made in restaurants or homes by mixing flavorings into milk.
In New England, milk blended with flavored syrups such as chocolate or strawberry in a milkshake machine, is commonly called a "milkshake"; in other parts of the United States, a milkshake always includes ice cream or thickeners.
Types
Common flavourings include
Chocolate milk,
Coffee milk,
malted milk, vanilla, strawberry and banana. Commercial brand flavours include
Horlicks,
Nesquik and Milo. Bottled spiced (
spice mix) milk is a popular beverage in the Indian subcontinent.
Consumption
Australia has the highest consumption of flavored milk in the world, drinking more than the per capita figure for any other country in 2003.
[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/11/1076388435970.html theage.com.au ] It is particularly popular in the Australian states of
South Australia and Western Australia. A 2013
Sunday Times article reported Western Australia was the "flavoured milk capital of Australia," with a A$220-million industry, average consumption of per person, and more than 40 varieties of
iced coffee alone available.
[Sonia Kohlbacher (9 November 2013). "WA in a flavoured milk war" – PerthNow. Accessed 27 January 2015.] Similarly, a 2006
Adelaide Advertiser reported South Australia consumed of flavored milk each year, with 82% of market share held by a single brand, Farmers Union. According to
Coca-Cola Amatil, one of the largest bottlers in the Asia-Pacific region, South Australia is the only place where sales of flavored milk outstrip those of cola.
[(24 June 2008). "Coke hopes things go better with - milk" – The Advertiser. Accessed 27 January 2015.]
Controversy and criticism
Jamie Oliver, 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 outweighing a few teaspoons of sugar. Opponents say that with rising levels of obesity and heart disease, flavored milk should be removed from schools and children should be taught to drink plain milk.
A 2018 analysis of more than 90 popular chilled flavored dairy milks revealed that a carton of flavored milk can contain as much sugar as a can of soft drink, with many of the bestselling brands containing more than a day's worth of added sugar in a single serving.
Recently, there have been limited new regulations introduced to safeguard children's meals. The latest policy, known as the fourth state-level Healthy Beverage Default law (HBD), aims to restrict sugary beverage options in children's meals. However, it has been found ineffective in reducing children's sugar intake. Despite efforts in various U.S. states like Illinois and Delaware to regulate flavored milk and 100% juice, there are still variations in fat content, size restrictions, and calorie limitations for children.
See also
External links
