# Anyone else having a hard time finding skim milk? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 3, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965 "2020-04-03T14:56:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/21 "2020-04-03T23:28:58Z")
I saw this story on the AP a couple of days ago; found it now on Reuters: [U.S. dairy farmers dump milk as pandemic upends food markets](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-dairy-insight/u-s-dairy-farmers-dump-milk-as-pandemic-upends-food-markets-idUSKBN21L1DW). I admit I’m not sure what exactly the reason is that associations are asking farmers to dump milk, tho it claims there is a problem with trucking. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/22 "2020-04-04T01:41:29Z")
A few weeks ago when hoarding became common, I went to a grocery store to buy milk plus a couple other things. The only kind of milk they had was skim. They were putting it out in all the cases, even the one for organic milk, although it wasn’t organic skim. So I went the the other store I shop at, a Trader Joes, and they had all kinds of milk. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/23 "2020-04-04T04:40:16Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I saw this story on the AP a couple of days ago; found it now on Reuters: [U.S. dairy farmers dump milk as pandemic upends food markets](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-dairy-insight/u-s-dairy-farmers-dump-milk-as-pandemic-upends-food-markets-idUSKBN21L1DW). > > I admit I’m not sure what exactly the reason is that associations are asking farmers to dump milk, tho it claims there is a problem with trucking. I just came to cite this same article. It cites two main problems with milk supply: First, a major source of business for dairy is bulk buyers, namely restaurants and schools. (I would suppose that also includes military and hospitals.) With restaurants and schools shut down, there goes a big chunk of their business. They are tooled up to package and label that portion of their product for bulk buyers, not the nice 1-gallon plastic jugs that we see in retails stores. Re-tooling to package all that milk for retail sale will be an expensive deal for them. All the same goes for butter and cheese too. The other big problem is transportation, and the whole supply infrastructure in general. Too many truckers are shut down, or the drivers are sick or afraid to work. Their schedules and routes are also largely geared towards wholesale or bulk buyers, and that needs to be rearranged. So they are having a hard time getting their product to market. The article also points out that milk can’t be stored long. You can’t freeze it for stash it in silos. Several posters above mention freezing milk. So that may work at home, but probably not for pre-sold milk in warehouses. Does freezing damage the quality? ETA: Huge amounts of milk being dumped: > [@](#): > > Leedle has dumped 4,700 gallons of milk from his 480 cows each day since Tuesday. The 7,500-member DFA told Reuters it has asked some other farmers in the cooperative to do the same but did not say how many. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/24 "2020-04-04T04:48:32Z")
The specific problems with distribution infrastructure seems like it could happen with other products as well. Is there something specific to dairy products about that? Will we be looking at famines across the land as other foods start disappearing because the supply chains and transportation infrastructure are shutting down? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/25 "2020-04-04T06:15:16Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Will we be looking at famines across the land as other foods start disappearing because the supply chains and transportation infrastructure are shutting down? :eek: And started cracking down on undocumented workers coming from distant lands. ---
**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/26 "2020-04-04T09:56:52Z")
In the UK at least I heard last week (just hearsay, of course) that the supermarkets, in an effort to stock more of the essential products, are reducing or even eliminating some of their range, including skimmed milk (which is annoying, as I don’t like my tea to taste too ‘milky’). A quick google seems to bear this out (though admittedly the only cites are UK tabloid and local papers. Perhaps the same is happening in the US? > **[Tesco is axing skimmed milk and multibuy offers from its shelves](https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/coronavirus-tesco-axing-skimmed-milk-21745636)** > > In an effort to stop people stockpiling and ensure there is enough supply of essentials to go round during the coronavirus outbreak, supermarket giant Tesco is making some big changes > **[Tesco axes skimmed milk amid coronavirus outbreak as stores 'streamlined'](https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/tesco-stop-selling-skimmed-milk-17975286)** > > Tesco will remove the red-top milk as it streamlines its products on shelves in stores OB ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/27 "2020-04-04T14:07:49Z")
Freezing milk “undoes” homogenization. After thawing, whole milk needs to be shaken each time before pouring. That would not be acceptable to consumers. It’s okay if you, personally, did the freezing. But not if you buy a carton of milk that says "homogenized " and you have tomshake the carton each time you want a glass of milk. Fluid milk can be processed into many things: powdered milk, UHT (shelf-stable milk), cheese, formula, protein drinks. But the arrangements and transportation need to be in place long before the cow gives forth. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/28 "2020-04-04T16:22:14Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The farm market near me has Turner’s Dairy skim milk. They’ve been running out of eggs (people staying home and eating eggs for breakfast?), then they had eggs _but no cartons_. Time to take up juggling? ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/29 "2020-04-04T16:28:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The farm market near me has Turner’s Dairy skim milk. They’ve been running out of eggs (people staying home and eating eggs for breakfast?), then they had eggs _but no cartons_. Time to take up juggling? ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/30 "2020-04-04T18:20:48Z")
Plenty of skim, low-fat and whole milk in my area. But no buttermilk. I want buttermilk for a recipe I want to try haven’t found any the last 2 weeks. Yes I know I could substitute soured milk but I don’t want to. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/31 "2020-04-04T18:31:26Z")
> [@pendgwen](#): > > Plenty of skim, low-fat and whole milk in my area. But no buttermilk. I want buttermilk for a recipe I want to try haven’t found any the last 2 weeks. Yes I know I could substitute soured milk but I don’t want to. I would substitute plain yogurt with some milk beaten in, or kefir or something like that. But WTF? Buttermilk is gone? ETA: Also, check your baking section to see if there’s any powdered buttermilk there. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/32 "2020-04-04T18:42:25Z")
Mesophilic Culture is still easy to find **pulykamell** , you can make your own buttermilk. If you don’t want to order it online, check with your local beer making suppliers. They often stock a limited amount of cheese making supplies. They are also usually a good source for [Star San](https://www.thecheesemaker.com/all-supplies-accessories/). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/33 "2020-04-04T19:29:14Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > Mesophilic Culture is still easy to find **pulykamell** , you can make your own buttermilk. If you don’t want to order it online, check with your local beer making suppliers. They often stock a limited amount of cheese making supplies. > > They are also usually a good source for [Star San](https://www.thecheesemaker.com/all-supplies-accessories/). Oh, I got plenty of Star San. But it apparently isn’t approved for this Covid stuff, as far as I know. (I don’t know if that was your point, but this is something we looked up a couple days ago when I realized – hey I got a shitload of Star San!) And, yeah, of course you can culture your own buttermilk. But I was suggesting a quicker solution. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/34 "2020-04-04T19:33:13Z")
Actually, now I’m finding cites that Starsan may actually be fine for killing coronavirus. This is not what I looked up a few days ago. Any Straight Dope on this? (ETA: Yeah, I have 700mL of this stuff in the basement. So like 23 fluid ounces, and it’s one ounce for every five gallons of water according to the label.) ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/35 "2020-04-04T20:26:38Z")
I’m sorry **pulykamell** , my reply was actually supposed to be for **pendgwen**. I have a cat helping me, so please forgive any keyboard errors! I had read somewhere that Star San did work, but when I went looking again, I found the [maker’s page](https://fivestarchemicals.com/blog) which says it hasn’t been tested against COVID19 or other virus’s. I apologize for posting bad information. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/36 "2020-04-04T20:34:34Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > I apologize for posting bad information. You didn’t post anything saying that. I made an assumption, given the context. You’re fine. I am honestly curious, though, if it can help, because I’m now reading stuff that it may be so, but I can’t find anything definitive. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965/37 "2020-04-04T20:42:30Z")
I did imply it, though. I can’t find the article that said it did work anymore, but when it comes to COVID, things change really fast. If I find anything definitive, I’ll be sure to post it. If you find it first, please share 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-having-a-hard-time-finding-skim-milk/850965.md?page=1)