Are consumers ready to consider 1% fat milk?

18th January 2010, 10:33am

People who regularly use semi-skimmed milk would be happy to switch to drinking 1% fat milk, according to research published by the Food Standards Agency to coincide with the launch of the second phase of its saturated fat campaign.

Dr Clair Baynton, head of nutrition at the FSA, said: "In the 1970s full-fat milk was very much the norm, but since then we have seen a decisive shift to semi-skimmed, which now outsells full-fat by quite a margin.

"Our research shows that people are prepared to consider switching to 1% fat milk and those who regularly use semi-skimmed like the taste as much. We tend to use milk on a daily basis so this small step will make a big contribution to reducing our saturated fat."

Whole milk is, on average, 3.5% fat, while semi-skimmed is about 1.7% and skimmed is 0.1% fat. 1% fat milk is suitable for adults and children from five years of age.

The UK-wide survey of consumer attitudes to 1% fat milk found that three-quarters of consumers liked the taste just as much as semi-skimmed. The research involved an at-home trial period (about five days) with households substituting semi-skimmed for 1% fat milk.

It found that while 56% were able to taste a difference, 94% or more found it to be an acceptable alternative across a range of uses, including in hot drinks, on cereal, as a drink on its own, in milkshakes and in cooking.

And 85% of those who gave it to their children said they did not notice the switch when given the lower-fat milk.

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