# logic or pasteurization?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-or-pasteurization/514507>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 20, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-or-pasteurization/514507 "2009-10-20T18:11:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-or-pasteurization/514507/21 "2009-10-21T10:14:35Z")

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Can there really be such a thing as 0% milk? As far as I know it’s the fat that makes milk white and gives it taste, so if you take it away it wouldn’t be milk anymore.

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**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-or-pasteurization/514507/22 "2009-10-21T12:06:56Z")

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> [@Floater](#):
>
> Can there really be such a thing as 0% milk? As far as I know it’s the fat that makes milk white and gives it taste, so if you take it away it wouldn’t be milk anymore.

There’s also lots and lots of protein and a good deal of carbohydrates (mostly lactose). The protein also makes milk white, and contributes a lot to the taste. So 0% milk would definitely be lacking a significant portion of the flavor and substance of whole milk, it still has all the milk protein and sugars.

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**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 21, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-or-pasteurization/514507/23 "2009-10-21T20:44:27Z")

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Whole milk from the store is generally about 3.5%, but some family friends with a small dairy farm can get as much as 7% from their cows. So yes, there’s definitely some fat removed even from “whole” milk.

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