# Can milk be fattier than full? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2012, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858 "2012-10-16T07:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/1 "2012-10-16T07:14:00Z")
Short story I’m used to how grocery store fresh full fat milk tastes in the USA, I’ve started buying from a local source that is a university research station because it is the only source of fresh milk(UHT milk in boxes tastes horrible). This stuff tastes creamier and fattier than standard whole fresh milk in the USA, it almost is like you can taste the butter in the milk! Its good tasting, really good but I suspect it is higher than 8% fat content. Even beyond the taste the weight gain was noticeable in my toddler when we switched him from powdered milk(ghastly tasting stuff!). The label has no nutrition info. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/2 "2012-10-16T07:23:36Z")
[Some dairy cow breeds](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_content_of_milk) can put out up to 5-6% milk-fat milk vs the usual 3.5 to 4% range. I suspect this is what is happening in your scenario. Most of the time milk is blended and processed to standard milk-fat levels by large dairies, it sounds like the university does not do this and just markets the milk straight. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/3 "2012-10-16T10:09:46Z")
In the US we call it whole milk. (I know that doesn’t aswer your question. I just thought I’d share.) ---
**Author:** ![KermitTheFrig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@KermitTheFrig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KermitTheFrig)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/4 "2012-10-16T10:20:50Z")
In the US, 4% butterfat content milk is called whole milk. In the UK whole milk would be 3.5% butterfat, also called full fat milk. According to USDA standards, 10.5% to 18% butterfat is “half and half,” nominally half milk, half cream. Light cream is 18% to 30%, further up the line is medium cream, whipping cream and heavy cream. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/5 "2012-10-16T11:46:00Z")
Perhaps the milk isn’t homogenized. Milk naturally contains large globules of fat and protein, these will separate into layers. Homogenization is a process that breaks up all of the globules to a uniform smaller size, which helps produce a more consistent product with longer shelf life. So your non-homogenized milk might still have 4% fat overall, but all of the fat forms a layer of cream at the top. When you take a sip, the first thing you taste is MILKFAT!, at a level that you would never encounter otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/6 "2012-10-16T12:40:30Z")
Some family friends who own a dairy farm have cows that produce around 7%. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/7 "2012-10-16T15:43:28Z")
In the UK milk from high-fat breeds is commonly known as “gold top”. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/8 "2012-10-17T03:14:26Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > In the US we call it whole milk. > > (I know that doesn’t aswer your question. I just thought I’d share.) The “whole milk” that is bought is some states in the US has some of the butter fat removed and is not really whole milk. After my folks stopped shipping milk it took me time to get use to not drinking “real milk” from the store. ---
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/9 "2012-10-17T05:15:49Z")
Previous topic: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-331039.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-331039.html) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/10 "2012-10-17T05:26:07Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > In the UK milk from high-fat breeds is commonly known as “gold top”. …and would typically be from Jerseys or Guernseys, whereas the usual dairy breed here is Friesian (Holstein, more or less). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/11 "2012-10-17T12:01:39Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > In the UK milk from high-fat breeds is commonly known as “gold top”. From the days when doorstep delivery in glass bottles was the norm. The different types of milk would have different coloured foil tops. From memory: Silver: whole milk Red/white stripes: semi-skimmed Blue/white checks: skimmed Gold: high-fat (Jersey/Guernsey) Red: homogenised Green: unpasteurised. Nowadays in plastic milk bottles, the colours have been totally mixed up, so blue is whole milk, green is semi-skimmed and red is skimmed. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/12 "2012-10-17T12:12:44Z")
> [@KermitTheFrig](#): > > In the US, 4% butterfat content milk is called whole milk. In the UK whole milk would be 3.5% butterfat, also called full fat milk. I believe that the whole milk sold in American supermarkets is 3.25 percent. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/13 "2012-10-17T13:09:58Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > From the days when doorstep delivery in glass bottles was the norm. The different types of milk would have different coloured foil tops. From memory: > > Silver: whole milk > Red/white stripes: semi-skimmed > Blue/white checks: skimmed > Gold: high-fat (Jersey/Guernsey) > Red: homogenised > Green: unpasteurised. > > Nowadays in plastic milk bottles, the colours have been totally mixed up, so blue is whole milk, green is semi-skimmed and red is skimmed. 😕 In the US, depends on what brand you get. We normally buy 2% (compromise), and I’ve seen pink, green, and blue tops. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/14 "2012-10-17T13:32:35Z")
There is also Light Cream available now that is about 7% fat, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/15 "2012-10-18T07:36:36Z")
Summary of milk/dairy terms (in USA) according to butterfat content: [ul][li] 0% = Skim or Skimmed or No-Fat.[/li][li]1% = Low-Fat or 1%.[/li][li] 2% = Medium-Fat or 2%.[/li][li] \>3% - 4.5% = Whole milk or Full-Fat milk.[/li][li]\>10% - 18% = Half & half.[/li][li]18% - 30% = light cream.[/li][li]30% - 36% = whipping cream.[/li][li]\>36% = heavy cream.[/li][/ul] Kermit mentioned this above. And as astro mentioned, most commercial dairy plants blend milk from various herds to provide a consistent product. (Herds vary in the butterfat content of their milk. Some breeds are known to produce higher milk, and each individual herd can vary, depending on how the farmer feeds them, treats them. and cares for them. Some studies have even claimed that cows produce more milk when there is soothing music (especially classical) playing in their barn.) Some plants have ‘cheapened’ their milk by moving closer to the lower limit for that type: the whole milk I remember as a child used to be at or above 4%, now many plants are closer to 3.5% or 3.25% for their whole milk. (Better technology makes it easier to more closely monitor the range of butterfat content.) If you buy direct from a dairy farm or a small creamery, you can get what is called super-fat or premium whole milk, which is higher than 4% butterfat, usually in the 5%-9% range. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/16 "2012-10-18T15:11:57Z")
As I understand it (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong), the standard procedure at most large-scale dairys and milk processing plants is to separate all of the fat out of \*all \*of the milk, basically creating a bunch of skim milk and a bunch of milkfat, and then to add fat back into the milk to create the various products. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-milk-be-fattier-than-full/637858/17 "2012-10-18T16:16:17Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > As I understand it (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong), the standard procedure at most large-scale dairys and milk processing plants is to separate all of the fat out of \*all \*of the milk, basically creating a bunch of skim milk and a bunch of milkfat, and then to add fat back into the milk to create the various products. This is how I understand it to work because nutrition labels are based on the percentage of fat and straight cream actually has other direct uses (e.g. in butter production), so the ‘excess’ cream is sold separately to those buyers.