Flavored milk

Flavored milk is a sweetened dairy drink made with milk, sugar, colorings 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 milk that has sugar, colorings 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 supplements 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.^[1]

Homemade flavored milk is consumed in Latin America.

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 vanilla. Less commonly, other flavors are available, such as cookies 'n cream, lime, malt, mango, papaya, root beer, tropical fruits, coffee, and vanilla crème. With the exception of chocolate milk, many of these flavors are artificial.

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 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. ^[2]

See also

• Milk
• Chocolate milk
• Malted milk
• Milkshake

References

External links

• National Dairy Council-Flavored Milk