The lighter side of fluid milk

Dairy Foods, Sept, 1995 by Jerry Dryer

Are we making any progress on this fat-reduction thing yet? Lowfat and fat-free have been the food industry's mantras for the last decade. So what's dairy doing about it? In earlier columns, we've discussed the successes of the refrigerated yogurt and frozen dairy dessert businesses. In addition, we've looked at the struggles faced by cheesemakers to produce acceptable products.

These days, the excitement--fat-freewise--is in the dairy beverage business. The industry seems to be making some real progress developing skim milks that are more palatable to consumers. Technical Editor Donna Gorski analyzes some of these efforts in her feature, "Improving Skim Milk,".

Many processors have experimented with different ways of adding solids back to skim milk, but have met with mixed results. Now, evidence is mounting that the real key may lie in eliminating skim's bluish tint.

Consider the research in progress at Cornell University, funded by Dairy Management Inc., an effort to determine exactly how fat removal affects the sensory perception of milk. What they've discovered is that of all the attributes, appearance is the primary factor in how people perceive milk-more than flavor, more than texture, more than aroma.

In fact, researchers have concluded that only about 60% of people can tell the difference between skim and 2% milk, even when they can see the milk they're drinking. And when they can't see the milk, only 20% are able to tell the difference.

When the folks at Cornell added titanium dioxide, a whitener, to skim milk, panelists were "tricked" into perceiving a higher fat milk. And even when taste-testers could see the milk, they believed the whitened skim milk had a creamier aroma and thicker mouthfeel than ordinary skim milk.

Fluid processors are picking up on this theme as well. Kroger's Skim Delux, reportedly selling well, is colored with annatto. However, the manufacturer of Skim DeLux is in the process of switching over to beta carotene, because it looks better on the label. In my opinion, the stabilizers in that product raise some quality issues that are better addressed in another column, but Kroger deserves recognition for acknowledging the role of appearance in skim milk.

Strong demand for lowfat milk

The fluid milk business has been dominated by 2% for several years now, but everywhere you look, there is evidence that consumers are moving in the direction of 1% and skim.

* Linda Gilbert's 1994 HealthFocus Trend Report says the average shopper drinks lowfat or skim milk more than three times as often as whole milk.

* The Milk Industry Foundation (MIF) has petitioned FDA to disallow the term "lowfat" on 2% milk. MIF wants to see that descriptor reserved for 1% milk only. The change should quiet critics who claim 2% milk contains more fat than other foods labeled "lowfat" under terms of the NLEA.

* Milk PEP's well-known "milk mustache" campaign is the first major generic milk advertising to focus substantial attention on 1% and skim milk.

So pay close attention to the research being conducted around the country. Look carefully at the spate of new 1% and fat-free products entering your markets. If you reformulate your own products, make sure your packaging reflects the active lifestyles of today's 1% and skim-milk drinkers. Over the next decade, these milk varieties will be in greatest demand.