Milk in plastic bags. What we drink, or the whole truth about store-bought milk. About fresh milk

Poured into glass bottles or paper bags, plastic bags were quite expensive and rare. But now the time has come, and the manufacture of plastic has become cheaper and more massive. Without cheap plastic, we can no longer imagine our lives. Very often, people leave plastic bags and bottles to store food in them, and milk producers, in order to reduce the cost, prefer to pour it into plastic bags and plastic bottles. However, the site found out that this can be extremely dangerous for your health.

Milk from polymer containers

Scientists have long proved that plastic is not as harmless as it is portrayed by manufacturers, and even by those who use such products to package products, including milk. However, consumers still most often trust the manufacturer and do not look for additional information. The picture is rather sad.

Scientists took samples of milk from plastic bags and bottles and analyzed it. It turned out that phthalates were found in almost 60% of milk from plastic bags and 40% of milk from bottles. Phthalates and Bisfinol A are potentially hazardous substances that are added to give the material shape or strength. However, as containers age, they are able to migrate into food.

Scientists have proven that these substances, entering the human body with food, can increase estrogen levels, which contributes to the development of prostate, testicular, and mammary gland cancer, reduce brain activity, provoke cardiovascular diseases and retard brain development in children.

Be carefull!

What can be done to avoid such risks? The answer is given by toxicologists. They urge to be as vigilant as possible when choosing products in polymer containers.

For the production of plastic containers for products, about ten types of different polymers are used. Particular attention should be paid to the labeling on the container. She will tell you what the packaging is made of. These are triangles in the form of arrows with a number inside or Latin letters below them.

The most dangerous plastics are polystyrene (PS, or "06"), polyvinyl chloride (PVC, "03"), other (O, "07"). It is these materials that contain hazardous phthalates and Bisphenol A. Therefore, you should choose packaging marked "BPA free" or "BPA free", "BPA free". If there are no such marks, then it is better to refuse the product in such packaging, especially for children and pregnant women. If this is not possible, then it is worth giving preference to the product in a package made of polypropylene (PP, "05")

It is worth remembering that PET ("01") is the safest for health. It is from it that containers for mineral water, milk, soft drinks are made. But we should not forget that the maximum shelf life of such material is 1 year.

It must be remembered that plastic containers are most often NOT intended for reusable use in relation to food. It is considered to be conditionally safe. This means that it is safe only if the containers are used strictly for their intended purpose, the storage conditions are observed and within the prescribed period, no more. In addition, violation of storage conditions - mechanical damage or non-compliance with the thermal regime - greatly reduce this period.

Therefore, toxicologists recommend generally abandoning the use of plastic utensils and cutting boards at home. And when buying products in polymer packages - do not store it and do not use it in the future. The best thing you can do is to throw such containers in the plastic waste bin.

And remember, your health is in your hands!

All of you have probably heard that low-fat dairy products are good for humans. Usually they add to this: "make sure you take pasteurized milk, otherwise raw milk is unhealthy." The truth is that pasteurized homogenized milk in bags is the real danger.

1. Pasteurization

When heated, bacteria in milk are destroyed. But not only them - enzymes are also eliminated in this way, which makes the finished product more difficult to digest. In fact, some people's milk intolerance is pasteurized milk intolerance. However, the worst consequence of pasteurization is that it makes the calcium homogeneous, meaning our body can no longer dissolve and use it. And yet, pasteurization of milk obtained by an industrial method is necessary, since it is dangerous in its raw form. High-temperature pasteurization involves very strong heating of milk, and, therefore, the almost complete killing of microorganisms.

2. Homogenization

It is said that homogenization is the worst thing that can happen to milk. This is the process of splitting fat molecules under very high pressure. Thus, the fat does not rise, and the liquid is homogeneous. However, this process makes milk fat intolerable: it releases xanthine oxidase, which is harmful to the body when broken down into unnaturally small components. Xanthine oxidase deposits on the walls of the arteries, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

3. Degreasing

When you drink skim milk or low fat milk, you are not only consuming an unnatural product, but you are also at risk of becoming obese. A study published in 2005 in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine structured data on 12,829 children aged 9 to 14 years. As a result, it was found that the use of low-fat milk affected weight gain, but whole milk did not.

4. Feeding cows

Cows, by design, should eat grass, not grain, which is why the milk of herbivores is healthier. The content of conjugated linoleic acid (a substance that helps maintain weight balance and avoid the risk of cardiovascular disease) is higher in it. Grain-fed cows produce less healthy milk, which is poor in vitamins, minerals (especially calcium) and omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, genetically modified foods are often used as feed.

5. Antibiotics

Approximately 80% of antibiotics end up in animal feed. At the same time, the number of people dying from infectious diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant microbes is in the tens of thousands. Is it a coincidence? However, quality control organizations allow the use of antibiotics in packaged milk, and you have no control over the amount.

6. Hormones

The content of hormones in industrial milk is high. This happens for two reasons. First, cows are given hormones to stimulate growth, which are banned in many countries. Secondly, animals are milked 300 days a year, and most of this period the cows bear offspring. Such milk contains 33 times more estrogen (estrone sulfate) than a non-calving cow. There is no specific conclusion about the effect of these hormones on the human body yet, but many scientists associate them with cancers.

raw milk

If you drink raw whole milk, you will be largely spared from the above risks. Of course, critics will not miss the opportunity to caution, but the reality is that only one person in 6 million ends up in the hospital after drinking fresh milk. In other words, you are three times more likely to be in a plane crash than you are from a natural product from a farm cow.

If you have ever drunk real fresh milk, dairy products from the store may seem strange to you - “powdered”, of dubious taste and quality. What is the difference between milk from under a cow and what manufacturers offer us? What “surprises” can you encounter when choosing store-bought milk? About all this - on MedAboutMe.

Milk is one of the most desired products on our table. According to consumer demand, it can only be compared with bread! This product has high nutritional properties and will appeal to both adults and children. According to experts, fresh milk is the most beneficial for health. But unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to purchase it. Most often you have to be content with factory milk.

On the shelves of shops there is milk for every taste and budget: fatty, nutritious and fat-free “dietary”, Mozhaisk and baked, sterilized and pasteurized, with a short shelf life and something that will not go bad for nine months. How not to get confused in all this diversity and choose a really useful product for the family?

The main disadvantage of industrial milk, according to consumers, is its taste. It is inferior to real fresh milk. Trying to figure out what is the reason, many consumers come to the conclusion that all store-bought milk is “powdered”. But actually it is not! The unusual taste of store-bought milk is due to other reasons.

Few people know that farm milk (what we call "homemade" or "village") and a product of industrial production have a different structure. There are over 2 billion large fat globules floating in every milliliter of farm milk. While in the product from the store, these balls are broken into dust, and the size of each of them does not exceed 1 micron! Store-bought milk does not form foam when boiled, it is impossible to make butter and remove cream from it. But this is not the only reason for the change in the taste of the product!

Another point that directly affects the quality of milk is its processing. The temperature control required to make a product safe and drinkable gives the drink a taste of pasteurization. This is a forced measure, without which it is impossible to release good milk on the shelves, which will not cause poisoning and problems in the digestive tract.

What kind of milk
better?

On the label of industrial milk, you can find the inscriptions “whole” and “normalized”. Not all consumers know what they mean. Whole milk is a product of natural fat content, which ranges from 2.8 to 5%. And "normalized" milk can be made from several types of milk of different fat content: most often it is a combination of skimmed and full fat milk, brought to standard fat content - 1%, 2.5% or 3.2%.

The technology for the production of dairy products includes the mandatory processing of milk in a high temperature regime. This is necessary in order to disinfect the milk and provide it with a longer shelf life. The result is:

• pasteurized milk. It can be stored up to 15 days.
• practically sterile milk. The shelf life of such a product is 6-9 months.

What kind of milk
buy for
yogurt?

If you love homemade yogurt enriched with live bacteria and make it with store-bought milk, buy unfiltered pasteurized yogurt. In terms of its composition and quality characteristics, it is closest to raw milk. And remember: yogurt will not work from sterilized and ultra-pasteurized milk. Such milk does not sour!

Only a deaf person has never heard of antibiotics in milk today. This topic is being actively discussed by the media, the best experts are invited to comment: people want to know if there can really be antibiotics in milk, and what can it threaten them with?

Indeed, the world community has cause for concern. In the treatment of cattle, antibiotics are often used, but when the animal is sick, the regulatory documentation prescribes that the cattle be kept in quarantine. The latter should be maintained for some time after recovery - until the antibiotics are removed from the animal's body naturally. However, not all manufacturers adhere to the necessary safety conditions! And then laboratory tests find antibiotic substances in the dairy product. But, fortunately, these occurrences are rare.

Expert comment

Antibiotics are substances of natural or semi-synthetic origin that inhibit the growth of living cells. Simultaneously with the treatment of people with inflammatory diseases, animals are also given antibiotics. The milk of a cow that has been given antibiotics should be quarantined, but due to economic disadvantage, producers often do not do this, but put the milk into production.

It is impossible for buyers to determine whether there are antibiotics in milk without laboratory tests. By themselves, these substances are not harmful to the human body, but their accumulation can lead to the inactivity of similar antibiotics. That is, a person uses similar antibiotics, and they do not work.

How to recognize milk with antibiotics? You can leave pure milk in a glass for 4-5 hours with the addition of sour cream. Natural milk will turn into yogurt, and yogurt will not work from milk with antibiotics. Antibiotics cannot be neutralized. If you have found that your milk contains antibiotics, then you should refuse these products.

If pasteurized milk does not turn sour, in most cases this indicates the content of antibiotic substances in it. But don't blame the manufacturer if you're dealing with pasteurized filtered milk! Manufacturers seal this product using nitrogen. Therefore, at the end of the expiration date, milk does not turn sour, but becomes “carbonated”.

It is impossible to determine the quality of milk "by eye", so consumers have to trust their taste and personal feeling. Many do not believe in the benefits of milk with a long shelf life, believing that everything that is stored for more than two weeks is “solid chemistry”. In fact, the expiration date and the "naturalness" of milk are not synonymous. Manufacturers have many ways to extend the shelf life of the drink, while the feedstock can be anything.

Moreover, it is even more profitable for the manufacturer to produce low-quality milk with a short shelf life, people buy up such a product faster, - says Olga Soklova, researcher, expert of Roskontrol. So don't rely solely on this marker! Compliance of products with GOST and the availability of evidence of quality and safety - these are the markers that indicate milk that is good for health!

Roskontrol experts conducted a study of pasteurized milk of 16 well-known brands. The main goal was to find out if there is counterfeit on the shelves - milk with potentially dangerous additives (starch, chalk, soda and soap). Among other criteria for assessing the quality of the product, it was taken into account whether vegetable fats are used in the manufacture, and does the milk comply with GOST standards? According to the results of the study, the products of the Prostokvashino, Amka, Molochnaya Rechka, Our Farm, Yasny Lug, Vologda, Lianozovskoye, and Big Mug brands turned out to be the best.

Be healthy! Drink quality food!

Milk is one of the oldest and healthiest drinks. It delivers minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus), microelements (iron, iodine, fluorine), vitamins to our body. But is all milk healthy without exception? And how does heat treatment or packaging affect its quality? These and other questions during the round table, held in the editorial office of "MOYO!", were answered by Lyubov BULDIGINA, head of production at Voronezh Dairy Plant OJSC, Elena ARTYOMOVA, head of the marketing department at Tula Dairy Plant OJSC, deputy director of Nashe Donskoye LLC Sergey GARSHIN, public figure Nikolai Sapelkin, gastroenterologist Irina VOROBYOVA, dairy products technologist, lecturer at the Voronezh Technological Academy Ekaterina BOGDANOVA.

* What is the difference between different ways of processing milk?

The quality of milk depends on the processing method. The higher the temperature, the less harmful bacteria in the milk. And the shorter the processing time, the more nutrients remain in the milk.

sterilized milk. It is processed at a temperature above 100 ° C for an hour. This kills both harmful and beneficial microorganisms. This milk can be stored at temperatures up to 20°C for up to six months.

Pasteurized milk. Milk is heated up to 75°C within 2-3 minutes. This allows you to save most of the nutrients. Such milk turns sour rather quickly (shelf life is on average 7-10 days). Store pasteurized milk exclusively in the refrigerator.

UHT milk. Milk within four seconds is heated to a temperature that exceeds 100 ° C. This is enough to destroy harmful bacteria. At the same time, microelements (the same calcium necessary for the skeletal system) and other beneficial substances are preserved.

Such milk is very convenient, for example, for long trips, as it has a long shelf life even at a temperature of +20 ° C, that is, it does not require cold, - explains Lyubov Buldygina, head of production at the Voronezh dairy plant.

* Should milk turn sour into curdled milk?

Pasteurized milk can turn into curdled milk if it is put in a warm place and sourdough is added - kefir, sour cream, - says Elena Artyomova, a representative of the Tula plant. - We are often asked why milk does not turn yogurt in the refrigerator. Any food industry professional will tell you that this should not happen. Milk curdling is caused by bacteria. During pasteurization, pathogenic microflora is destroyed, while lactic acid bacteria become smaller. When milk is in the refrigerator, there are not enough bacteria in it to cause active souring. In other words, milk souring too quickly is a sign of excessive contamination. In any case, I do not recommend using any milk after the expiration date, bitterness and other unpleasant properties may appear in it, even if it has not turned sour. All of the above does not apply to sterilized milk. Yogurt will not work out of it, since the microflora is completely destroyed.

* Why is there no cream layer on the surface of milk now, as it was 20 years ago on bottled milk?

Milk should be a homogeneous liquid, without sediment, says technologist Ekaterina Bogdanova. - High-fat milk should not have cream sludge. If they are present, it is considered a milk defect. Now, compared to Soviet times, technologies for breaking fat balls (and cream is fat) have become more advanced, so often when buying milk, we do not see this layer of cream.

* What is the best package to buy milk in?

- Carton boxes. Sealed packaging protects the product well from spoilage, and due to its opacity, milk does not undergo oxidation from sunlight.

Opaque plastic bottles. The degree of protection from the sun is not bad, but slightly worse than the boxes.

Plastic bags. They are made from a multi-layered film with a black layer inside. This is the cheapest and most vulnerable packaging. It is usually used for pasteurized milk, which can be stored for no more than 5 days.

Bottles (glass and transparent plastic). Sealed, but the product does not protect from sunlight. This lack of a transparent container is leveled by the fact that it is usually used for pasteurized milk, which cannot be stored for a long time. The bottle must be kept in a dark place.

* To drink or not to drink raw milk?

Many Voronezh residents prefer to buy "their own" milk - village milk. It is believed that it is both tastier and healthier.

I drink up to 3 liters of raw milk every day instead of water, - says our guest Nikolai Sapelkin. - I noticed that I began to get sick less, my hair and nails became stronger.

Raw milk in Voronezh, right after milking, can be purchased not only from grandmothers, but also with the help of milk vending machines installed on the streets.

The shelf life of such milk is a day, - the deputy is connected to the conversation. director of Nashe Donskoye LLC Sergey Garshin. - Every morning, a specialized refrigerator delivers containers of milk to vending machines, where the desired temperature is maintained. Such milk must pass veterinary control.

Meanwhile, the doctor Irina Vorobyova still advises to boil raw milk in order to avoid poisoning. And technologist Ekaterina Bogdanova clarifies that unpasteurized milk can be consumed if there is one hundred percent certainty that the cow is absolutely healthy.