Milk's hidden additives

[dee-luded 2,959]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/consumer/food/article/-/13441814/milks-hidden-additives/

Milk's hidden additives

Most of us drink it every single day, but it appears that milk isn't as natural as you might think.

What dairy producers are putting in your milk - and there's a lot of it - will shock you. If you think the milk you drink is pure and straight from the cow, it's time to think again. Milk is being tampered with, and waste products are being added to it. Now for the first time, an industry whistleblower has come forward to spill the beans.

The whistleblower still works in the dairy industry, having spent years working in milk processing, and fears repercussions if his voice is heard or his identity revealed.

“I've seen it, I was part of it, and it's wrong,” the whistleblower said. “It's about time the public knew what the companies are up to. It's a waste product - it used to be tipped down the drain, then companies saw they could use it to save money. It's a tightly held secret they don't want the public to know about. Companies know it would be detrimental to their sales if people found out.”

What the major companies are doing is that after milking, solids that are separated out, pasteurized, homogenized, reduced, and refined are then mixed back. The big secret that's kept from the public is they also mix in a lot of the cheap, filler additive consisting mainly of lactose. The left-overs of milk production called permeate.

Peter Nathan runs the A2 milk company, which produces milk from specially bred Guernsey and Jersey cows. A2 does not contain a protein found in normal milks, called A1 beta casein protein, which is allegedly linked to a range of illnesses, including heart disease and allergies. And A2, which is more expensive than normal milks, does not have permeate added.

”It's got an additive that most consumers don't know they've got in their milk, and it doesn't taste the way milk should taste,” A2 Milk CEO Peter Nathan said.

Permeate's up to twenty per cent of most milks, including full cream, skim, low fat, and the supermarkets’ private labels.

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http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/our-story/home-truths/permeate-in-milk/

Permeate in Milk - The Hidden Alternative

Permeate In Milk – The Hidden Additive

At Aussie Farmers Direct we believe ‘milk is milk’, simple as that, but not everybody does...

Only the best, freshest, most wholesome milk, makes it into our bottles. Good old fashioned, Aussie milk, straight from Aussie cows, reared on Aussie soil, by Aussie farmers, bottled at Aussie Farmers Dairy with ‘no added permeate’, the way milk should be. However not all Aussie milk is just milk.

Like anything in life you get what you pay for, and with some cheaper milks, you’re paying for added permeate, in some cases up to 12% at different times of the year. There is no requirement to declare the percentage of added permeate, so consumers have no idea it’s in their milk.

What is Permeate?

Permeate is a milk by-product that can occur during the production process. It is often used to standardise nutritional levels in milk. Basically it’s a cheap filler. Adding permeate to milk makes it cheaper to bottle, so fatter profits for those companies that practice it, an inferior product for consumers and less money for dairy farmers.

Rest assured we won't ever compromise on the quality of our milk and we proudly label all our milk 'no added permeate' as a guarantee.

Our Milk Promise:

1. Always 100% Australian – Revitalising local communities.
2. Quality - No added permeate ever in our milk, it’s creamier that way.
3. Convenience - FREE home delivery to save you time and money.
4. Everyday - Giving customers and farmers a fair go.

‘As the milk wars between supermarkets have crunched margins for major milk producers, industry sources say permeate is increasingly used to reduce the cost per litre’.

- Source: The Age.

Edited January 31, 2014 by dee-luded

[mauriesy 7,357]

This is an old Today Tonight beat-up from nearly two years ago. Most suppliers have stopped permeate addition. I think it gets fed to pigs again, like it used to be.

However, you know that permeate is just the whey from cheese manufacture, don't you? It came out of the milk in the first place. I'm not suggesting it's right to add it back again, but it's hardly some sort of dangerous product. If you want a standardised milk fat and protein level year round, it has to be adjusted, because cow's milk varies seasonally, and between breeds.

There's no researched and validated scientific proof that A2 milk actually does what it says. I really like the taste of it but not the expense of it. But again, A1 (non-permeate) milk is not the devil.

BTW, Holsteins and other breeds can also be A2A2 i.e. produce A2 milk. It's a recessive gene, not restricted to Jerseys and Guernseys.

Jerseys also produce milk that is higher in fat (about 5.5%) compared to other breeds (about 3.5%). Jersey A2 full-cream milk may not be suitable for people who need a low fat diet.

If milk companies were adding melamine as a 'filler', like the Chinese once did, then I'd be really worried. That kills.

[DemonFrog 1,356]

Milk can be used for more things than just drinking it

[hardtack 10,627]

Milk can be used for more things than just drinking it

That whole series of milk as fashion shots is amazing.

[mauriesy 7,357]

That whole series of milk as fashion shots is amazing.

You mean milk as fashion photoshopping.

[hardtack 10,627]

You mean milk as fashion photoshopping.

Actually, Photoshop may have been involved, but essentially all of the shots involved the actual and planned throwing of milk and then they were merged to create a final image. These were planned and executed perfectly...true works of art. You can read all about it here:

http://www.fastcocreate.com/3019732/the-pin-ups-in-this-calendar-are-wearing-only-spilled-milk-but-nobodys-crying-about-it

[dee-luded 2,959]

This is an old Today Tonight beat-up from nearly two years ago. Most suppliers have stopped permeate addition. I think it gets fed to pigs again, like it used to be.

However, you know that permeate is just the whey from cheese manufacture, don't you? It came out of the milk in the first place. I'm not suggesting it's right to add it back again, but it's hardly some sort of dangerous product. If you want a standardised milk fat and protein level year round, it has to be adjusted, because cow's milk varies seasonally, and between breeds.

There's no researched and validated scientific proof that A2 milk actually does what it says. I really like the taste of it but not the expense of it. But again, A1 (non-permeate) milk is not the devil.

BTW, Holsteins and other breeds can also be A2A2 i.e. produce A2 milk. It's a recessive gene, not restricted to Jerseys and Guernseys.

Jerseys also produce milk that is higher in fat (about 5.5%) compared to other breeds (about 3.5%). Jersey A2 full-cream milk may not be suitable for people who need a low fat diet.

If milk companies were adding melamine as a 'filler', like the Chinese once did, then I'd be really worried. That kills.

i think you miss the point, that if they want to call it Milk, they should leave it alone, as it came from the cow. Except for the pasteurizing.

if they want to add additives, or subtract something, Print it loud & clear, on the labels. not in the Fineprint. stop trying to sneak it buy the shoppers.

it took the public a long time to realise just how much the milk had been adulterated.

I've been buying Real milk for the last 3 years or so.

not the water I used to pay for, with added milk, solids & permeates.

the best milk is from dairy Co-Ops. or from the farmers gate.

[mauriesy 7,357]

In my local area I buy Pauls or Great Ocean Road milk. I buy it because even though it's $1.50 per litre, compared to the $1 per litre for Coles or Woolworths milk, it gives a better return to the farmers themselves. It also just happens to be 'permeate free'. If you want to buy full-cream Jersey, or A2, or Farmers Fresh for upwards of $2 per litre, then that's your choice. Good on you.

But your usage of words like 'adulteration' and 'hidden additives' is just rubbish. It's also marketing spin from the boutique producers trying to make a point of distinction.

All the material composition of the various brands and types of milk is just actual components of milk, some of which may be separated and re-added to make various levels of fat and protein. The nutritional information is always available on the side of the pack. If you don't want milk with some whey put back in it, then you fortunately have that choice. Lots of others want other choices too. The market needs skinny and low-fat milk (which I personally hate) to supply a need, just as much as full-cream and A2.

I'm wondering if you could suggest how milk companies can achieve a standardised 3.6% fat year-round for 'normal' milk, when the milk that comes in in winter or from Holsteins is 2.9% fat, and the summer milk from Jerseys is 5.4% fat ... if they aren't allowed to adjust, extract, alter, re-add and/or blend it?

P.S. the $1 a litre home brand milks are loss-leaders anyway. They are there to get you into the supermarket to buy other stuff while you're there, and to kill smaller opposition, like milk bars and 7-11s.

[dee-luded 2,959]

In my local area I buy Pauls or Great Ocean Road milk. I buy it because even though it's $1.50 per litre, compared to the $1 per litre for Coles or Woolworths milk, it gives a better return to the farmers themselves. It also just happens to be 'permeate free'. If you want to buy full-cream Jersey, or A2, or Farmers Fresh for upwards of $2 per litre, then that's your choice. Good on you.

But your usage of words like 'adulteration' and 'hidden additives' is just rubbish. It's also marketing spin from the boutique producers trying to make a point of distinction.

All the material composition of the various brands and types of milk is just actual components of milk, some of which may be separated and re-added to make various levels of fat and protein. The nutritional information is always available on the side of the pack. If you don't want milk with some whey put back in it, then you fortunately have that choice. Lots of others want other choices too. The market needs skinny and low-fat milk (which I personally hate) to supply a need, just as much as full-cream and A2.

I'm wondering if you could suggest how milk companies can achieve a standardised 3.6% fat year-round for 'normal' milk, when the milk that comes in in winter or from Holsteins is 2.9% fat, and the summer milk from Jerseys is 5.4% fat ... if they aren't allowed to adjust, extract, alter, re-add and/or blend it?

P.S. the $1 a litre home brand milks are loss-leaders anyway. They are there to get you into the supermarket to buy other stuff while you're there, and to kill smaller opposition, like milk bars and 7-11s.

its always best to buy from the local producers.

re our cars, once our factories infrastructure are gone & the local parts producers are gone, all car makers will be gone from our shores.

car will double in price as a captive market. with shipping going up, we will have shot ourselves in our feet.

[DemonFrog 1,356]

its always best to buy from the local producers.

re our cars, once our factories infrastructure are gone & the local parts producers are gone, all car makers will be gone from our shores.

car will double in price as a captive market. with shipping going up, we will have shot ourselves in our feet.

As long as local producers show respect to their local markets, I would agree.

Very likely that will happen, agreed

Not sure that will happen as the car industry is very competitive and car will be produced in lower production cost countries and a lot of cars are already imported.

[jazza 1,323]

its always best to buy from the local producers.

re our cars, once our factories infrastructure are gone & the local parts producers are gone, all car makers will be gone from our shores.

car will double in price as a captive market. with shipping going up, we will have shot ourselves in our feet.

my best milk,gets turned into powder and is sent to asia

women there prefer to not breastfeed.

whats left goes to the local industry

you getting cheap milk doesnt help the farmer,maybe the supermarket but not us

our farmgate prices have steadily dropped for the last 8 years as the overseas companies now screw us and we see no kids coming into the farms anymore.

shame ,but thats the whey it goes

[dee-luded 2,959]

As long as local producers show respect to their local markets, I would agree.

Very likely that will happen, agreed

Not sure that will happen as the car industry is very competitive and car will be produced in lower production cost countries and a lot of cars are already imported.

in a more captive market where car makers are exporting to us, the car manufacturers will be busier, & their wages will rise. costs will rise.

With the rising price of fuel for shipping, our car prices will go thru the roof. When our dollar falls further, this will make imports even more expensive.

Once we have sold the car factories as real estate, & scrapped the machinery, it'll be too late to rebuild the industry.

we need a car industry, & we need a manufacturing industry. we are a sparse place that requires travel.

[dee-luded 2,959]

my best milk,gets turned into powder and is sent to asia

women there prefer to not breastfeed.

whats left goes to the local industry

you getting cheap milk doesnt help the farmer,maybe the supermarket but not us

our farmgate prices have steadily dropped for the last 8 years as the overseas companies now screw us and we see no kids coming into the farms anymore.

shame ,but thats the whey it goes

a friend of mine, a dairy farmer has just slit with his partner, & has to sell the farm. the pressure the supermarket duopoly is putting on our farmers is wrecking their lives.

globalisation is a disaster for us, & we are yet to see the worst of it.

[jazza 1,323]

a friend of mine, a dairy farmer has just slit with his partner, & has to sell the farm. the pressure the supermarket duopoly is putting on our farmers is wrecking their lives.

globalisation is a disaster for us, & we are yet to see the worst of it.

sliiting your partner is not good

we also cant sell farms atm there no buyers out there,the kids havent got a hope of getting in

[mauriesy 7,357]

our car prices will go thru the roof.

You're the first person I've ever seen arguing that retaining local car manufacturing will keep prices down. If anything it causes higher prices.

Lower prices will most likely come about through volume production (something Australian car manufacturers can't achieve ... it's what is killing them at the moment) and the total abolition of tariffs (more likely when there are no more local manufacturers to protect).

The great unknown is the exchange rate though, and that is linked to interest rates as much as anything. If the exchange rate goes down, local car manufacturing will be more viable, but it will be too late if they're all shut.

There are lots of good reasons to keep local manufacturing, but lower prices is not really one of them.

[dee-luded 2,959]

You're the first person I've ever seen arguing that retaining local car manufacturing will keep prices down. If anything it causes higher prices.

Lower prices will most likely come about through volume production (something Australian car manufacturers can't achieve ... it's what is killing them at the moment) and the total abolition of tariffs (more likely when there are no more local manufacturers to protect).

The great unknown is the exchange rate though, and that is linked to interest rates as much as anything. If the exchange rate goes down, local car manufacturing will be more viable, but it will be too late if they're all shut.

There are lots of good reasons to keep local manufacturing, but lower prices is not really one of them.

tell that to the farmers re their produce. we are pulling up our fruit trees, shooting our animals, whilst importing from countries with little to no regulations regarding healthy pesticides & fertilizers, drenches, etc.

Re the cars, the imports are only cheap as they are subsidised by their governments, & the luxury imported cars are affordable Via our Tax claims, & exemptions. FBT

we sell them iron cheap, & have it come back totally value added... & as a quest for status & fashion, so many of us just have to have an imported car. At the expense of our workers jobs, & our manufacturing sector.

.... the funny thing is that most of the business owners who have had manufacturing businesses in Australia, have bought Imported vehicles in the past themselves. Wrecking their own industries.

[dee-luded 2,959]

a friend of mine, a dairy farmer has just sPlit with his partner, & has to sell the farm. the pressure the supermarket duopoly is putting on our farmers is wrecking their lives.

globalisation is a disaster for us, & we are yet to see the worst of it.

sliiting your partner is not good

we also cant sell farms atm there no buyers out there,the kids havent got a hope of getting in

to true

Edited February 3, 2014 by dee-luded

[DemonFrog 1,356]

my best milk,gets turned into powder and is sent to asia

women there prefer to not breastfeed.

whats left goes to the local industry

you getting cheap milk doesnt help the farmer,maybe the supermarket but not us

our farmgate prices have steadily dropped for the last 8 years as the overseas companies now screw us and we see no kids coming into the farms anymore.

shame ,but thats the whey it goes

In my view it is about sustainable milk prices.

That is that there is a local producer that is operating efficiently and at a cost effective price.

IMO industries that want support from the local community have an obligation to also support that community. Too many times have I seen a particular industry slow little or no regard to the local community and chase the fast dollar in other areas to be forced back when thing turn sour in those new markets or it was only a short term wind fall. As a customer I have little sympathy for industries try and price gouge/forget their local communities. A recent example that I remember was when the local banana industry set it products over east due to a shortage of Bananas and the large short term profits on offer. Hence I actually no long look to buy local bananas.

Government protection of industries is an emotive thing. IMO Government should not support unsustainable industries unless there is a greater benefit to the community. Where Government does support industries it should be for an equity interest so that some of the profits generated from such support can go back to the community and not just in shareholders pockets.

The loss of the car industry does have a security issue. In time of war how are we to arm ourselves? We will have to rely on supply from overseas from shipping etc. Industries of manufacture are import not just for jobs and job generation. But that is another story.

[mauriesy 7,357]

In time of war how are we to arm ourselves?

Not with Commodores and Falcons.

Modern warfare isn't Spitfires and women in overalls working in converted factories. It's high technology, most of which we don't have here anyway. Everything the military use, except for a few all-terrain vehicles made in Bendigo, now comes from overseas. Even uniforms.

At least they'll still be able to drink local milk.

[dee-luded 2,959]

In my view it is about sustainable milk prices.

That is that there is a local producer that is operating efficiently and at a cost effective price.

IMO industries that want support from the local community have an obligation to also support that community. Too many times have I seen a particular industry slow little or no regard to the local community and chase the fast dollar in other areas to be forced back when thing turn sour in those new markets or it was only a short term wind fall. As a customer I have little sympathy for industries try and price gouge/forget their local communities. A recent example that I remember was when the local banana industry set it products over east due to a shortage of Bananas and the large short term profits on offer. Hence I actually no long look to buy local bananas.

Government protection of industries is an emotive thing. IMO Government should not support unsustainable industries unless there is a greater benefit to the community. Where Government does support industries it should be for an equity interest so that some of the profits generated from such support can go back to the community and not just in shareholders pockets.

The loss of the car industry does have a security issue. In time of war how are we to arm ourselves? We will have to rely on supply from overseas from shipping etc. Industries of manufacture are import not just for jobs and job generation. But that is another story.

I agree, & the cheap wages in Asia, & the favorable dollar exchange rates, are also temporary.. not worth losing your manufacturing industries over.

[DemonFrog 1,356]

Not with Commodores and Falcons.

Modern warfare isn't Spitfires and women in overalls working in converted factories. It's high technology, most of which we don't have here anyway. Everything the military use, except for a few all-terrain vehicles made in Bendigo, now comes from overseas. Even uniforms.

At least they'll still be able to drink local milk.

Oh and I thought the could arm up the old Torana.

The enemy would never know what hit them nor would we for that matter.

[daisycutter 29,740]

Oh and I thought the could arm up the old Torana.

The enemy would never know what hit them nor would we for that matter.

bring back the P76 i say

[jazza 1,323]

bring back the P76 i say

yep,neighbour could fit 4 sheep in the boot of the old 76

[Guest]

Oh and I thought the could arm up the old Torana.

The enemy would never know what hit them nor would we for that matter.

It would be Mad Max come to life.

[DemonFrog 1,356]

It would be Mad Max come to life.

I got to get to the MFC Training ontime!