Is it right for children to drink fresh milk? Nutritionists teach you how to distinguish the nutrition of fresh milk!

Fresh milk is a very popular drink in daily life. Many adults and children are accustomed to having a cup of nutritious and delicious fresh milk every day to supplement nutrients such as calcium and protein. Walking into supermarkets and convenience stores, you’ll see a dazzling array of choices lined up on the shelves, with dazzling ingredient labels that make you confused. Many people think that fresh milk from different brands are actually similar and cannot tell the difference between them. In the end, most of them choose fresh milk with beautiful packaging and rich flavor. But do you know? Beautiful packaging and rich flavor do not mean nutrition!

The production process, sterilization method and packaging of fresh milk will not only cause differences in taste, but also affect the nutritional content of fresh milk! (Photo provided by Mamajing)

Nutritionist Liu Suying said that in fact, the production process, sterilization method and packaging of fresh milk will not only cause differences in taste, but also affect the nutritional content of fresh milk! How to choose fresh milk with better nutritional content? In addition to the five major nutritional information indicated on the packaging, you can also distinguish the milk by the sterilization method used to make it.

Nutritionist Liu Suying said that pasteurized fresh milk is nutritionally closer to raw milk and can retain the lactoferrin and immunoglobulin in raw milk. (Photo provided by Mamajing)

Ultra-high temperature sterilization can eliminate 99.9% of both good and bad bacteria in raw milk, thus preventing the fresh milk from spoiling due to temperature changes during the supply process. The rich taste produced by high temperature sterilization is also more acceptable to the Taiwanese people. It is the sterilization method currently adopted by most domestic dairy companies.

When parents buy fresh milk, please pay attention to the sterilization method on the fresh milk packaging. There are currently two common sterilization methods on the market: "pasteurization" and "ultra-high temperature sterilization". The main difference lies in the sterilization temperature. The ultra-high temperature sterilization temperature is about 125-135〫C, which can kill 99.9% of bacteria.

What is the ideal level of sterilization? Nutritionist Liu Suying said that ultra-high temperature sterilization will inactivate the functional proteins in raw milk, while pasteurized fresh milk is nutritionally closer to raw milk and can retain the lactoferrin and immunoglobulin in raw milk, preserving more complete nutrition and having a taste closer to raw milk. Therefore, it is recommended that parents purchase fresh milk brands that have undergone pasteurization, such as Mizuho Goku and other fresh milk.

"Rich and mellow aroma" ≠ nutrition! Debunking myths about fresh milk’s nutritional content

Children love to drink fresh milk with a "rich and fragrant" taste. It is fragrant and rich, so it should be rich in nutrients, right? Parents, this is actually a wrong concept!

The key to rich aroma lies in "sterilization temperature"! Ultra-high temperature sterilization will cause the milk to produce a "Menagerie reaction", which gives the milk a slight cooking smell and a mellower taste, resulting in a rich and mellow taste.

Nutritionist Liu Suying explained: "Ultra-high temperature sterilization will also destroy some of the milk's proteins and water-soluble vitamins such as B group. The whey protein in fresh milk contains lactoferrin and immunoglobulin, but when the heating temperature is too high, the lactoglobulin in the whey protein will be destroyed and denatured, and the above-mentioned good proteins will also be destroyed, reducing the nutritional value."

Nutritionists remind us that the "rich and mellow" taste of fresh milk can be said to be a by-product of high-temperature sterilization, and such milk is not more nutritious. Pasteurized fresh milk uses a milder sterilization process, so it tastes closer to raw milk and is more refreshing, and has more complete nutrition than rich and mellow fresh milk!

Choose pasteurized fresh milk, so your children can drink the nutrition of fresh milk!

Ultra-high temperature pasteurization is still the most common method in the Taiwanese market. A few brands, such as Ruisui Jizhi, use pasteurization to make fresh milk. Because pasteurization is relatively mild, the quality control of raw milk is also more stringent. In addition to carefully selecting high-quality milk sources from ultra-high temperature dairy areas such as Changhua, Chiayi, and Tainan, Ruisui Jizhi's control over the number of bacteria in the milk source is even stricter than the national level! After strict low-temperature distribution, the pasteurized fresh milk with a refreshing taste and nutrition that is closer to raw milk is delivered to consumers.

Pasteurized fresh milk uses a milder sterilization process, so it tastes closer to raw milk and is more refreshing, and has more complete nutrition than rich and mellow fresh milk! (Photo provided by Mamajing)

Nutritionist Liu Suying reminds consumers that if they want to buy high-quality, nutritious fresh milk, they should first judge the nutritional completeness of the fresh milk from the sterilization method and taste; in terms of packaging, it is recommended to choose paper box packaging, preferably light-blocking packaging materials. Because vitamins B2 and B12 in fresh milk are sensitive to light, they are easily damaged by light if left on the shelves all day, thus reducing their nutritional value!

Mizuho Jizhi uses light-blocking packaging materials imported from Europe, and does not do any bleaching on the inside of the paper box, blocking more than 99.2% of light, allowing the fresh milk to retain the flavor and nutrition closest to raw milk from sterilization and packaging to drinking!

As the first gatekeepers of their children’s nutrition, parents must first have a more complete understanding of fresh milk so that they can choose good fresh milk that the whole family can drink healthily and safely in the dazzling fresh milk market! (Photo provided by Mamajing)

As the first gatekeepers of their children’s nutrition, parents must first have a more complete understanding of fresh milk so that they can choose good fresh milk that the whole family can drink healthily and safely in the dazzling fresh milk market!

[This article is in collaboration with Mizuho Extreme]