Does the milk tea you drink really have "milk"? Is milk tea calcium-supplementing and nutritious? The answer is…

Do you have the habit of drinking dairy products? According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Daily Dietary Guidelines", Chinese people should consume six major food categories every day, "dairy products" is one of them, and "My Plate" also recommends "a glass of milk every morning and evening." Some people are accustomed to having milk tea with breakfast, or having a cup of milk tea from a hand-shaken beverage shop in the afternoon, believing that this is both calcium-rich and nutritious. The Tung Foundation reminds you, does the milk tea you drink really contain "milk"?

Despite repeated reminders, some people still mistakenly believe that "milk tea" is a type of dairy product. The Tung Foundation explained that commercially available milk tea may contain creamer, condensed milk, anhydrous butter and other substances. The raw materials of creamer are high-saturated fat vegetable oils such as coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, corn syrup, casein, stabilizers, spices, food coloring, etc. It does not have the ingredients and nutrition of dairy products, and it is difficult to supplement protein and calcium. Usually, a lot of extra sugar is added to milk tea, which can easily cause health risks.

At present, the Chinese government has not standardized the milk content of relevant milk tea products, so the actual milk content between products varies greatly! In the past two years, the Tung Foundation investigated 317 cases of milk tea in hand-shaken cups, and asked the Taiwan Product Testing and Certification Center to assist in sampling 22 cases. It was found that the milk content per 100 ml varied greatly (0%~96%)! Among them, 5 have a milk content of less than 10%, and only 2 have a milk content of more than 50% (it is understood that one of them is a product that combines pure dairy products with matcha powder without adding water, and the milk content is estimated to be 96%, and the other one is a product that uses thick raw milk and black tea, and the milk content is estimated to be about 65%).

Regarding packaged milk tea products (liquid), the Tung Foundation also investigated 77 cases in hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores, and found that:

Nearly 50% of the products had a milk content of less than 20% (38 items), of which 22 had creamer added. Another 25% of the products had a milk content of less than 10% (20 items), and contained almost no dairy products.

Only 35% (27 items) of the products have a milk content higher than 50%.

The Tung Foundation Food Nutrition Center reminds that regardless of the milk content of hand-shaken or packaged milk tea, the added sugar content should not be underestimated. According to the survey data:

Nearly 60% to 70% of added sugars contain more than 5 grams per 100 ml.

Nearly 30% to 40% not only have added sugar content exceeding 5 grams per 100 ml, but also have a milk content of less than 20%.

Table 1: Survey results of milk content and added sugar content of commercially available milk tea products

Table 1: Survey results on milk content and added sugar content of commercially available milk tea products.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission recommends that adults should consume less than 50 grams of added sugar per day, and the World Health Organization (WHO) further recommends that daily added sugar intake should not exceed 25 grams. Director Xu Huiyu of the Tung Foundation explained that added sugar refers to extra sugar added when making or preparing food and beverages. If you consume 500 ml of milk tea a day, and each 100 ml contains 5 grams of added sugar, you have reached the upper limit of sugar intake. Combined with the added sugar intake from other foods in the diet, if you drink it frequently, it may bring a burden to your body in the long run.

Beware of the delicious trap hidden in milk tea

Although the tea and milk aromas of milk tea are so harmonious and linger in your mouth, milk tea is a national drink that Chinese people are proud of and is loved by people of all ages. However, you must pay special attention to the delicious traps they bring! Director Xu Huiyu reminded that in recent years, due to the rise of consumers' health awareness, the word "fresh milk" has appeared in common product names. Compared with "milk tea", "fresh milk" tea may be a relatively healthy choice at this stage. If you really want to drink milk tea to supplement the nutrition of dairy products, you might as well make it yourself. After making the tea yourself, add fresh milk or long-lasting milk. Not only can you mix it according to your personal taste and intake, you will also know how much sugar to add to avoid excessive sugar intake. If you buy packaged milk tea, you must pay attention to the ingredients, nutrition labels and sugar content so that you can drink it happily and safely.

Two servings of milk a day, health follows

The Tung Foundation reminds that dairy products mainly provide high-quality protein, calcium, and vitamin B2, which contribute to the body's composition and bone maintenance. Daily intake of dairy products is the simplest way to meet calcium needs. It is recommended that people consume 1 to 2 cups of dairy products (1 cup is 240 mL) every day, and give priority to domestic and local dairy products, which can reduce carbon emissions generated during transportation, shorten food mileage, and contribute to environmental friendliness.

The Tung Foundation called on the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the packaging of fresh milk tea products, requiring them to use fresh milk before being named "fresh milk tea" to help the public make judgments from the labels and avoid misleading consumers.