Fat content of milk

The fat content, particularly of cow's milk, is modified to make a variety of products.

An analysis of a survey done by the U. S. Department of Agriculture showed that consumers of reduced or low fat milk had greater intake of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber compared to the group of whole milk drinkers, yet zinc, vitamin E, and calcium were all under consumed in each group.

The conclusion was that the whole milk drinkers were more likely to choose foods that were less micronutrient-dense, which resulted in their less healthful diets.

For example, scientists in New Zealand have bred cows that produce milk with less than 1% fat content.

[9] Milk's fat content can be determined by experimental means, such as the Babcock test or Gerber method.

In 1911, the American Dairy Science Association's Committee on Official Methods of Testing Milk and Cream for Butterfat met in Washington DC with the U.S. Bureau of Dairying, the U.S. Bureau of Standards and manufacturers of glassware.

Modern commercial dairy processing techniques involve first removing all of the butterfat, and then adding back the appropriate amount depending on which product is being produced on that particular line.

[22] After the change in regulation, all major supermarkets have launched a 1% variety, but production has largely ceased since the COVID-19 pandemic.