My family consumes a 12 litre of full cream milk every week. There's a considerable difference in price between colesworth branded milk and other. I wonder what's OzBargainer's choice and why. From label, I find that nutritions are almost same for both.
P.S. - If you don't drink or buy milk then you are not obligated to reply
Ha..Family of 5 however use milk to make Yoghurt, Cottage cheese etc.
Why does store bought milk need sterilisation
@happyangus: I think they mean for making yoghurt, we use long life milk for yoghurt too. Instructions say if you're using other milk you need to heat it first.
Sorry sterilise?
When my grandparents had a dairy they brought the milk straight up from the dairy in the morning still warm. Personally i didnt like it much as a kid but grandma died at 95 my grandfather died at 80 a year after he crashed the farm quad bike. Milks not a problem unless something failed in the supply chain.
I work with a bloke who use to work for Murray Goulburn now Saputo and in testing/surveillance if they find anything outside parameters 10s of thousands of liters will be disposed of. They will not risk bad press over bad milk.
@2esc: Whilst a wholesome story, let's not start promoting raw milk (which is what you described), which is objectively not safe for consumption. Pasturisation is essential.
@tenpercent: "There's raw milk from a small scale farmer who keeps their herd in tip top shape,"
generic statement. Enlighten us by naming a farmer that you purchase raw milk from and do share how have you come to that conclusion. Do you visit the farm often?
@ozb1ozb2ozb3: Oh my. I used a generic statement in reply to two generic statements. Whatever will I do next? Stay tuned to find out.
Enlighten us by naming a farmer that you purchase raw milk from
Why? So some piece of crap can snitch to try and have the farmer shutdown?
@tenpercent: Are you Trolling?
PSA: don't ever listen to uneducated foolish people who recommend "natural" & "raw" foods that are not processed (to reduce food safety risks).
The work of Louis Pasteur in the 1800's was not in vain.
Even the least educated would understand there is a difference between babies getting a direct feeds from a nipple, versus unprocessed milk handled from a cow.
"Mouth to nipple", means no handling issues of the milk from the Mother.
Also see the HUGE amount of scientific studies to show the risks of many pathogens in "raw" cows milk, very easy to find on google.
We don't need any RFK Jr's in this country.
https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+conten…
uneducated foolish
Nice ad-hominem.
PSA: be very wary of arguments where the author/speaker has resorted to ad-hominem in an attempt to win a debate. Ad-hominem is an illogical and fallacious argument to attack the person making an argument rather than reasonably rebutting it. This technique is used by those who cannot win an argument with wit and logic and facts. When it is used it is a sign that they are likely not engaging in a fair and respectful debate, and their intentions may not be aligned with seeking the truth.
who recommend "natural" & "raw" foods that are not processed
Who here has "recommended" anything (and please quote them)? Not I.
Do you ever eat uncooked fruit?
Again, you're talking about hygiene. If proper hygienic equipment and practices are employed there is no reason that raw milk can't also be hygenic.
babies getting a direct feeds from a nipple
Many women pump their breastmilk and provide it in bottles to their babies. Most of the time this is perfectly safe if the women follow basic hygiene practices such as properly washing the bottles and parts of the pump that come in contact with milk, washing their hands before pumping, and storing the milk at the correct temperature in the fridge and for the correct duration. Should these women be forced to use only formula or take their pumped milk to a pasteurisation facility?
@tenpercent: Let's look at the whole conversation from all the posters to this discussion.
Let's not lightly accept a comparison between cow's milk and mother's milk obtained at their own families risk, for which the parents take care to avoid.
Let's also consider the public record of death's in the USA linked to unpasteurised cow's milk consumption which is linked to the increasing number of states over in the USA that changed the law to permit this practise.
Please advise what benefit is obtained from raw cow's milk.
Raw (Cow's) milk advocates claim it's a complete, natural food with more nutrients and benefits than pasteurised milk, including better digestion, stronger immune systems, and relief from allergies and lactose intolerance, but these claims lack scientific support.
Here's a breakdown of the common claims and their scientific validity:
Claims:
More Nutrients:
Raw milk advocates claim unpasteurised milk retains more vitamins, minerals, and enzymes than pasteurised milk.
Reality: While pasteurisation can slightly reduce some heat-sensitive vitamins, pasteurised milk still retains essential nutrients like calcium and vitamin D.
Easier to Digest:
Some claim raw milk is easier to digest, especially for those with lactose intolerance, due to the presence of "good bacteria" that produce lactase.
Reality: There's no scientific evidence to support that raw milk is easier to digest or that it contains lactase, and the presence of "good bacteria" in raw milk is often an indication of contamination.
Improved Immune Function:
Some believe raw milk can strengthen the immune system and prevent allergies, asthma, and eczema.
Reality: There's no scientific evidence to support these claims, and in fact, consuming raw milk can expose you to dangerous bacteria and viruses.
Raw milk is a health-supporting food with rich therapeutic potential
.
Reality: The purported health benefits of raw-milk consumption have not been scientifically substantiated, yet the health risks of raw milk consumption are clear.
Risks of Raw Milk Consumption:
Food-borne Illness:
Raw milk can contain harmful bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, which can cause severe illness, especially in vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
No Scientific Support:
The FDA and other health organisations do not endorse the consumption of raw milk due to the significant health risks and lack of scientific evidence supporting its purported benefits.
@marcozmitch: Where did you copy paste the bulk of this from? I'm guessing ChatGPT or another LLM based on the odd mix of fonts. Some of the text is missing / appears hidden due to the inconsistent formatting. I'm not even going to respond to most of it simply because it's mostly straw man AI fluff that nobody here has mentioned (i.e. you are, or the AI you prompted is, arguing against points that have not been raised by anyone here). I will respond to the parts that you actually wrote and that are relevant to the discussion at hand.
Let's look at the whole conversation from all the posters to this discussion
Yes, let's. With that in mind, I ask again:
Who here has "recommended" anything (and please quote them)?
Again, I have not recommended to anyone to consume raw milk. And others have shared their own experiences. But no one has recommended it to anyone.
Let's not lightly accept a comparison between cow's milk and mother's milk obtained at their own families risk, for which the parents take care to avoid.
Why not? Don't just wave your hands and dismiss the comparison. Explain yourself.
Are you saying if the cow was my own, it was healthy and clean, and I personally undertook the proper hygienic practices to collect and store the milk and take personal "care to avoid" the risks, then it's all good then?
Or instead are you saying that mothers all over the world put their babies at mortal risk every time they pump breastmilk and feed them pumped breastmilk from a bottle? Just an FYI, they do this in hospitals too especially for pre-term babies and advise mothers to continue it once they take bub home.
What is the materially relevent difference in applying proper hygiene to the breastmilk pumping case versus applying proper hygiene to the cow's milk pumping case?
It’s been pasteurised. That basically is sterilized. Don’t listen to JFK Jr, the brain worms are still active.
homogenised and pasteurised already.
the other side of the coin …
12L milk/week between 5 ppl == only 340ml/day EACH … which really isn't much.
like bare minimum, that == milk on cereal + 2 cups of coffee … per day.
then you also talk about using milk to make yogurt/cheese.
If you have kids/young adults … then they can easily drink 1L+ in a day (esp if health conscious) - gym or "fruit smoothies".
just wondering …
does the type/style of milk effect the final outcome of the Yogurt/cheese that you make.
Perhaps trial/error ???
As majority of ppl replying (including myself) - purchase milk from a store to drink … rather than, using to ferment/mature.
Anecdotally, the Mrs and I find that using non-homogenised milk (is a bit more expensive, but worth it IMHO) tends to be perfect for making cream, or the perfect yoghurt (especially ones where it sets perfectly). It's also better for cottage cheese as when you curdle, it splits in a manner that has better consistency and structure.
For drinking we use bog standard Coles/Woolies branded full cream milk.
I've been putting off trying other brands to see how they yield for Yoghurt/Cheese. Reading some comments (that other brands have high fat), I'm going to try other brand and see.
Any nice recipes you could share?
I used to buy Norco, but they weren't available at my local for a while and I started buying store-brand.
Pretty useless poll if you shop at Aldi.
or IGA
Or Costco.
😲
I thought costco’s milk is expensive than coleworths
@kaleidoscope: Definitely not just for the milk. Plus, the convenience is amazing since the minimum order is just $20 for free delivery and Doordash only charges a 3% service fee. If you have a Costco membership already it's a no brainer!
@1d0ntkn0w: Can't trust how Doordash staff handles your grocery. By the time you get your milk it's probably been out of fridge for very long time.
@kaleidoscope: Costco is a pretty mixed bag.
You can often find a given brand name thing for less $$, but the moment you compare to Colesworth or Aldi versions of the product they fall well short.
@The Hawk: Remember you need membership and it's gone up now. Unless you can save more than membership fee with travel costs. Costco is not worth it for milk. It's only worth it to buy items you can't get anywhere else and bulk buy for parties and large family groups
@The Hawk: We buy enough branded clothes from Costco in a year to make back the membership fee, not even counting any groceries. Almost every garment is at least $10 cheaper than any other store and likely more.
or straight from the cow
I, too, shop at straight from the cow.
or other speciality milk brands, that aren't available at the big 3.
I've been on the hunt for the best milk for a creamy, rich latte and got recommended Demeter Biodynamic Unhomogenised Milk by the barista at Ona, they were on the same hunt and ended up choosing this. It is a truly decadent milk, and makes for an incredible latte. it is pricey and can range from anywhere between $6.50-7.25 for a 2L bottle depending on the store.
Another hidden gem for protein fiends, that is available at Woolies and Coles, but not Aldi is The Complete Dairy's High Protein Milk. It tastes just like regular milk, steams well for lattes (albeit not as decadent as Demeter's), and delivers anywhere between 15-18g of protein per serve.
Is it because it's not pasteurised? Pasteurisation kills nutrients
It IS pasteurised (its illegal to sell unpasteurised milk for consumption) - it just isn't homogenised, which means the milk isn't filtered and mixed, separating the cream to the top, as opposed to mixing the cream in until the milk is the same from top to bottom of the bottle. Surprisingly, you'd think the homogenised version would taste better, but for some reason its less creamy in the latte!
@poppingtags: Appreciate that information, thanks for the reply. Also that last sentence is surprising. Might have to give it a go to see what you mean haha
@ayum1: Give it a go, they're both great - but for some reason the homogenised version comes out slightly but noticeably thinner (although still thicker than a lot of other milks) in a latte, than the unhomogenised version.
If you do go to buy it, yellow cap = unhomogenised, blue cap = homogenised.
Insignificantly.
The E.Coli, Listeria and Salmonella bacteria killed by the process of pasteurisation, is a much greater benefit to your health.
Homogenisation is a process that is just about making the fat occur equally in the milk and is what stops the fat settling at the top.
Here is an article on "Barista Milk".
They talk about the breed of cow that has a better flavour of milk and higher nutrient profile.
Using the cheapest lightly homogenised Jersey cow "whole milk" is certainly a good milk for latte's.
https://coffeehero.com.au/blogs/news/best-milk-brand-for-cof…
I don’t regularly drink milk.
On the rare occasion that I get given a free box of cereal I buy the high protein milk or whatever full cream milk that has been marked down on clearance.
With the exception of specialty milf such as A2, all other milk comes from the same cows on the farm. They don’t have sections of a farm roped off for Pura milk and another for Coles milk
Idk about that. I'm not a big milk drinker, but I'm fairly sure I can tell the difference across different brands. I am sure you are right about a some milk just being the same in different bottles, but there is still a lot of variation.
They may add things during the processing but cows can’t produce more protein one day and more taste the next
You do realise that there are different breeds of dairy cows right?
Output from cattle can actually vary wildly from day to day & especially between breeds & locations. Stressors, grass quality, any feeds they are given etc can all have measurable outputs on the ratios of the milk which impacts flavour & texture.
As for store bought milk, it is almost all separated & re-combined for consistency, the varying fat/protein/etc ratios are evened out because most customers would freak out if the taste/ratios drifted week to week. Its also why cheap milk is watery garbage. They actually strip out a lot of the more valuable fats for use in other products & add just enough back to get away with selling it as "whole" milk.
The exception is the speciality milks becoming popular that are not homogenised. Those never go through the full separation & controlled re-combination. They also tend to favour Jersey/Guernsey cows because of the higher fat content. People paying premium for non-homogenised milk will go for the brands with the higher fat content.
I don't know why you're being negged. Pretending there isn't a difference in the quality and flavour of milk is like pretending the cheapest cut of beef at Coles is going to taste the same as Wagu or even Kobe beef. Differences in breed, the grass the cows are eating, etc all impact the flavour.
Of course there's lots of milk brands that mix milk from 1000 cows across 50 farms into one big vat, but there are also brands that just do their own milk and it all comes from their cows in one single region. Country Valley Milk, for instance. There is a material difference in milks, you just have to be willing to pay for it.
Gippsland Jersey is a prime example of this, extra sweet, creamy and even has a slight brown tinge to it
specialty milf
I'd love to see your search history if autocorrect does this to you.
Might be muscle memory
I think the muscle memory here is more of an up and down motion.
Glass and a half of full cream dairy milf in every 200g
Where does one buy this type of milk? Asking for a friend…
It's all in the way its processed.
That's right. And they clearly end up with differing levels of protein, fat and lactose.
Actually farms can be specifically contracted to different companies however sometimes companies buy milk from one another.
There are solely Coles contracted dairy farms as there is Bega etc.
Norco Lite or Aldi Farmsomething Lite.
Normal, full strength milk now just tastes like melted ice cream to me.
I have tired the Wollies and Coles branded milk and it just doesnt hit the spot like Norco does. Their "lite" milk looks like water with a teaspoon of milk powder mixed in.
now just tastes like melted ice cream to me.
You say that like it's a bad thing :)
I don't even like milk, but if I am going to drink it or put it in a hot beverage, I would prefer the melted ice cream version.
One of the great things about living in North America is that you can buy "half and half" in the supermarkets.
Half-and-half is simply a mixture of half whole milk and half cream. It's what you use when you need something richer than milk, but not quite as thick as cream. You'll find it in rich and velvety sauces, soups, and desserts. Many people like using half-and-half in their coffee because it strikes the perfect balance between too creamy and too thin. Store-bought half-and-half is homogenized, which means it's been emulsified so that it doesn't separate when added to other ingredients.
One of the great things about living in North America is that you can buy "half and half" in the supermarkets….
Half-and-half is simply a mixture of half whole milk and half cream
Do they still sell the fat-free version? The 'healthier version' with no fat but with corn syrup plus a few more additives.
Countryside Creamery Fat Free Half & Half.
Ingredients: skim milk, corn syrup, stabilizer (titanium dioxide [color], sodium citrate, dipotassium phosphate, mono and diglycerides, and carrageenan), and vitamin A palmitate.
Same here.
Norco lite most the time at the corner shop, then get that farmsomething at Aldi if I'm already there and need some.
Norco is where it's at. Nice giving the money to a local coop instead of a multinational mega corporation too.
Amusingly depending where you are Norco milk and Coles milk are one in the same.
Used to have to keep track of having enough milk while not having too much and having it expire.
So now I just buy long-life milk. And keep enough in the fridge that that I never run out, It didn't take long to get used to the slightly different taste.
It also meant it was easy to switch to lactose free. That seemed to make a difference. Trying A2 didn't.
I find long life milk has a funny taste compared to normal fresh milk
Costco milk is good
I avoid buying Aldi's Farmdale full cream milk which go bad 3-4 days earlier than Cowoolies ones. I tested many times in every season in the same spot of the fridge. No difference between Woolie and Coles milk which stay good up to 10 days in fridge after lid opened. There is no gelatine cover inside the plastic lid of Aldi's milk that's, I think, why aldi milk is of shorter life. If I make yogurt or drink it in 2-3 days, then I do not care which one I buy.
I do not drink crap lite, soy etc milk, and I do not buy any other milk brands.
That is interesting, my wife and I noticed Aldi cream going bad much earlier than coles and woolworths on multiple occasions.
I also noticed aldi milk tastes less creamy.
That said, I still shop at aldi for their cheese and yoghurt which is great.
I assume it's simply the terrible cold chain practices in Aldi. There isn't much space in the back of an Aldi store and they staff very lean, cold products probably sit around too long before going in the fridge.
This also my experience with Aldi chicken.
Goat milk
greatest of all time milk
Dan Andrew's Best.
Norco
I just milk my guinea pigs.
I just milk my guinea pigs.
Do you have a milking stand over the bucket or do you use really tiny buckets?
I should not have googled that -
Milk is one of the classic examples of a commodity good. Many/most consumers regard it as completely interchangeable when it comes to branding.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity
There is a spectrum of commoditization, rather than a binary distinction of "commodity versus differentiable product". Few products have complete undifferentiability and hence fungibility; even electricity can be differentiated in the market based on its method of generation (e.g., fossil fuel, wind, solar), in markets where energy choice lets a buyer opt (and pay more) for renewable methods if desired. Many products' degree of commoditization depends on the buyer's mentality and means. For example, milk, eggs, and notebook paper are not differentiated by many customers; for them, the product is fungible and lowest price is the main decisive factor in the purchasing choice. Other customers take into consideration other factors besides price, such as environmental sustainability and animal welfare. To these customers, distinctions such as "organic versus not" or "cage free versus not" count toward differentiating brands of milk or eggs, and percentage of recycled content or Forest Stewardship Council certification count toward differentiating brands of notebook paper.
Yep. The main difference between brands is marketing basically. Sometimes they'll add lactase or similar to make it better for intolerance but by and large its irrelevant.
From Cosco but not A2
Norco - support Australian farmers and help them get paid a fair price for the work they do rather than being ripped off by the supermarkets.
Run as a co-op and not foreign owned as well.
For me, paying an extra $1 for a litre compared to the woolworths/Coles branded stuff is worth it and I would happily pay more to ensure we don't lose local farms.
A fair price is what the market determines. No farmer is owed a living, they sell for what they can get, which might make them very rich, or sell up.
Though I see Norco is in a region of Australia where not much milk is produced. Perhaps it is not very efficient there, end the farms exist only to supply the local drinking market?
For most farmers, the farmgate price is determined by world markets. Only about 30% of Australia's milk production is for drinking. The remainder is processed into other goods and/or exported.
https://milkvalue.com.au/milk-prices/how-prices-are-determin…
A fair price is what the market determines. No farmer is owed a living, they sell for what they can get, which might make them very rich, or sell up.
I wouldn't necessarily agree with such a broad brush statement. It doesn't account for market power disparity if there are many sellers vs a few very large buyers (or the other way around for different types of service- like the telco situation in the US). Maybe it's true for milk (I know nothing about the industry) but I've seen too many examples of market price distortions.
Personally, if I could bypass duopoly middlemen, I would be prepared to pay a slight premium to do so. To me, this is like buying meat from a local butcher rather than Coles.
Milk is a commodity.
My local WA Coles sells Browns, which is owned by Shanghai Ground Food Tech.
or Harvey Fresh , owned by Groupe Lactalis S.A. since they swallowed the Italian Parmalat corporationI
Farmers can sell to those international corporations, or in some cases choose a contract direct with Colesworth (who then pay the multinationals to process the milk).
@bargaino: What's a lesser evil (given these constraints)?
Give money to international corporation (non ColesWorth product) vs Give Money to the Duopoly (Colesworth Product)
@k15866: The latter. It is fashionable to slag off Colesworth, but does Australia really have room for another big chain, given the economies of scale? You do have other choices.
Norco, to avoid Bovaer and support Australian farmers.
My family (myself) consumes 9L of ALDI milk a week
Norco, Paul's or from a local dairy
When the wife does the shopping she buys Woolies milk. When I do the shopping I buy Coles milk. We buy lite and full cream. I haven't noticed any real difference between the two brands. We buy these brands because of the price. I can't justify paying extra for the same thing.
Also, Big M is better than Oak.
How big is your family?
Are you a family of cats?
I buy woolies or norco.
All the others taste watery to me.