Consumer milk is the general term used to describe all types of milk sold over the counter. The law states that a product described as milk must have nothing added (such as preservatives or colorants) and nothing taken away (such as protein or lactose). The only exception allowed is to alter the fat content of the milk. As a result there are different sorts of milk available with differing levels of fat:
- Low-fat or semi-skimmed milk with 1.5 % fat
- Skimmed milk with a maximum of 0.3 % fat
- Milk with its natural fat content (such as fresh whole milk with at least 3.8 % fat)
How is consumer milk manufactured? The raw milk is first purified and skimmed. Then the fat content is adjusted and the milk homogenised. Immediately before bottling or packaging, the milk is heat treated as required by law. This kills the agents which may cause disease or spoil the milk and extends the shelf-life. A distinction is drawn between:
- Fresh milk (pasteurised)
- UHT milk (ultra-heat treated), and
- Sterilised milk (which is of course sterilised)
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