Have you ever prepared a recipe and in the end the result was not what you expected? This can happen for a variety of reasons, ranging from the preparation method or even using the wrong product. And one of the reasons for this in the case of recipes has to do with the appearance of dairy products in supermarkets🇧🇷
For those who consume milk and derivatives, the diversity of brands and prices ends up conditioning the choice, so it is possible to buy often without knowing what to bring home. The big question is that this attitude leaves out a very important piece of information: the packaging label.
In the case of dairy products, the packaging is very similar and because they are side by side on the shelves, they end up confusing the consumer. “He thinks he’s buying the original product, with the advantage of a cheaper price. But, in practice, he realizes that he didn’t take any of it home,” says nutritionist Mariana Etchepare, PhD in Food Science and Technology and lecturer at Positivo University (UP).
According to the expert, labeling is a tool that guarantees the consumer’s right to information and helps to make choices that take into account nutritional, cultural and consumer habits.
The difference between milk-based drink and yogurt
Speaking of dairy products, no doubt what confuses people the most are the milk drink and yogurt. But they are not the same and the Guide now shows you the main differences. Understand better below!
- Yogurt: it is the result of milk fermentation, the natural version does not contain flavors or added sugars. Even so, most have sugar or some kind of flavoring in their composition;
- Milk drink: it is made from fermented milk with up to 51% whey and may also contain fruit pulp or juice. However, to be fuller and with a consistency close to that of yogurt, it usually has cornstarch and a little powdered milk.
According to the nutritionist “In nutritional terms the yogurt is more complete because it contains more protein, calcium, as well as beneficial bacteria for the intestinal flora. The milk-based drink, however, does not contain all these nutrients in the same quantity». For starters, it’s more diluted, while yogurt is more concentrated and creamier. «Not to mention that in the production process the composition of the milk-based drink has more whey than the milk itself, which reduces production costs. However, it is less caloric and nutritious than yogurt,” he clarifies.
Don’t confuse milk mix with condensed milk
Other dairy products that are also confused by consumers are milk mixture and condensed milk🇧🇷 So, be aware of the main differences between them so that you don’t get any surprises when preparing your sweets and desserts!
Traditional condensed milk it is obtained from the reduction of cow’s milk and sugar, which gives it a yellowish and creamy appearance and also a sweet taste. Already the milk mixture It is a mixture of whey, with vegetable fat, milk in smaller quantities, sugar, corn starch, as well as chemical additives, such as thickeners and preservatives.
Despite being cheaper and having a similar texture, you can’t substitute condensed milk for the concoction in recipes. This is because exchanging products presents a very different end result.
Even powdered milk and dairy compound are not the same thing.
When it comes to dairy products, these two are undoubtedly the ones that cause the most confusion, also because they have the same packaging, you understand better with the nutritionist’s explanation.
🇧🇷The milk, as the name suggests, is made with dehydrated powdered milk. It has no addition of any mineral or other compound. It is a natural product and contains sugar, vitamins, mineral salts, fats, proteins and other substances contained in the milk itself”, informs the teacher.
already the dairy compound It is an alternative to cow’s milk. “It is also a powdered product, but it has a blend of at least 50% milk and other substances that can be dairy, such as whey, butter, cream or non-dairy blends, such as vegetable oils and maltodextrins,” he exemplifies.
Pay attention to cream, culinary cream and curd-flavored cream
the sour cream It is made with cow’s milk cream and skimmed milk powder. However, the canned version contains ingredients such as xanthan gum thickeners and stabilizers, which makes it more industrialized. In this sense, canned cream – despite being a little more expensive -, contains fewer preservatives🇧🇷
On the other hand, the culinary cream it does not rely entirely on milk, but on vegetable creams and other non-dairy components (such as starch, additives, emulsifiers and stabilizers) to obtain a texture and flavor close to that of milk cream. The inclusion of these products makes the culinary cream a less nutritious option.
Cream cheese flavor it is found next to traditional ricotta and, often, the only information on its packaging is that it contains starch in its composition. Furthermore, it can also be defined as a cream cheese taste. While the traditional cottage cheese it is made with cream or butter to make it creamier.
But starchy cottage cheese has a lower nutritional base. «Not to mention that it usually has vegetable fat, palm oil, a greater quantity of additives, such as preservatives and thickeners to give a flavor and texture similar to traditional ricotta», he reiterates.
Now that you understand the difference between dairy products, it will be much easier to spot them in supermarkets and buy the right product for your recipe! Share on your social networks so that more people know what they are consuming.
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
