Milk, dry, nonfat, regular, with added vitamin A and vitamin D

Fun Facts

1. The fat content of milk varies with species (cow, sheep, goat, water buffalo), animal breed, feed, stage of lactation, and other factors. In order to provide the consumer with a consistent product, most milk in the U.S. is standardized.
2. To achieve standardization, milk is processed through centrifugal separators to create a skim portion and a cream portion of the milk. Separation produces a skim portion that is less than 0.01% fat and a cream portion that is usually 40% fat, although the desired fat content of the cream portion can be controlled by changing settings on the separator.
3. The fat in milk is secreted by the cow in globules of non-uniform size, ranging from 0.20 to 2.0 µm. The non-uniform size of the globules causes them to float, or cream, to the top of the container. Milk that is not homogenized is sometimes referred to as “creamline” milk.
4. Specialty milk beverages are available that are tailored to specific segments of the population. There are milk beverages with added plant sterols aimed at helping to improve cholesterol levels and others that are fortified with protein and calcium designed for adults. There are carbohydrate-reduced and vitamin fortified milk beverages for people watching their weight.