Oct 11 2024
Many of our French cheeses have names which are the result of a historic backstory, such as Roquefort, Coulommiers and Emmental. These names can be derived from the French region they are made in, a technique developed in the Middle Ages or a family name of whoever first produced the cheese. These names tell a story, perfectly encapsulate the characteristics of the cheeses and are world famous. But then you have our milk range which goes by the name of ‘Just Milk’, and that tells a story of its own, because it has no preservatives or additives and is 100% natural and long life. Purely and simply, it is just milk.
Of course, we are not looking to downplay milk as ‘just another ingredient’. Milk is an important source of nutrients, such as protein, calcium and B vitamins, which are important for the health of teeth and bones in particular. For this reason, milk is an essential part of a family diet and is especially important for growing children. But milk is also an essential ingredient for cheese, and also various recipes, such as sauces, pastries, cakes and desserts.
Our Just Milk range not only has no added ingredients, it also benefits from a UHT process to give a longer shelf life. A unique heating process rids the milk of all its impurities, but still means it will last longer than any other regular milk. Each of our three types of milk has the same consistent level of flavour, appearance and nutritional value, and in most cases can be used as the same ingredient in the same recipes. But there are important differences between each one:
Lactose is the main type of sugar found in milk and most people can digest lactose normally, but many people lose this ability as they grow, particularly in the period between ages 2-12. There are currently around 3.25 million lactose-intolerant people in the UK. This means that drinking milk containing lactose can trigger a reaction which could cause vomiting, stomach pains and bloating. Our lactose-free milk contains an enzyme called ‘lactase’, which works to break down the lactose in the milk and makes it easier to digest for lactose-intolerant people. It still has the same taste, texture and nutritional ingredients as regular milk, and can be used for cereals, in hot drinks and as an ingredient for sauces and cakes.
This is described by many people as our tastiest milk and is certainly the most popular. It contains just as much calcium as regular milk and its long-life qualities means you can take it on holiday, and it will retain its freshness. Whole milk contains all its natural fat, which is around 3.5% fat. However, semi-skimmed milk contains around half that, 1.8% fat, because it goes through a process that skims off the cream from the milk. So, there are fewer calories in semi-skimmed milk, and it is a popular choice and used widely in cooking and baking. Our Just Milk semi-skimmed milk has even won several awards.
As the name suggests, our skimmed milk has had ALL the cream skimmed off it, so there is even less fat content and this is popular for people wanting to lose weight. Skimmed milk contains between 0.1%-0.3% fat and again is used widely in cooking and baking. It should be noted, however, that chefs should be careful when using skimmed milk because the lack of fat content can impact on how a dough, for example, should be mixed. You should mix this gently otherwise the resulting product could be tough and chewy. Otherwise, skimmed milk contains all the same qualities and can be used in exactly the same way.
So contact our team at Sodiaal for more information on our range of milks and how they can be used, and we can talk to you about how to supply high quality long-life milk to your restaurants in the UK.
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