100% Canadian Milk
On Your Table
Learn how dairy products made from 100% Canadian milk make it from the farm to your table. And be sure to look for the 100% Canadian Milk symbol wherever you buy dairy products. It’s your guarantee that they’re made entirely from locally produced milk renowned for its purity, high quality and great taste.
Milk
In Canada, milk is pasteurized and homogenized before being sold, and vitamin D is added to facilitate calcium absorption. In addition, all forms of skim milk – liquid, evaporated or powder – also contain vitamin A.
When milk leaves the farm, it has about 4% fat. At the plant, part of the cream is removed to make the four types of milk available for purchase: homogenized milk (3.25% fat), partly skimmed milk (2% and 1% fat), and skim milk.
UHT (ultra-high temperature) milk is milk that has been pasteurized at a very high temperature, a process that considerably extends the shelf life of milk without altering its nutritional value. UHT milk can be kept up to three months after the treatment date, and no refrigeration is needed before the container is opened.
Micro filtered milk is processed according to a microfiltration process that eliminates bacteria, making it possible to pasteurize milk at a lower temperature. This process produces a creamier milk with a longer shelf life than traditional milk (i.e. 30 days versus 18 days).
Cheese
Four steps are involved in cheese making: curdling, draining, pressing and ripening. The surface of cheese can be soft, hard, dry, or even cooked. Cheese, in all its forms, is an excellent source of protein, calcium and riboflavin.
Cream
Cream is made by separating the fat from the milk, which produces skim milk and cream. To obtain products with varying degrees of fat (e.g. 35%, 15%, 10%, etc.), milk is added to the cream. Some types of cream can be kept in the refrigerator for 45 days.
Butter
Butter is made by churning cream that has been separated from whole milk. Butter is at least 80% butterfat and naturally contains the milk solids and water found in the cream, plus salt (except for unsalted butter).
Yogurt
Yogurt is made from fresh, whole or partly skimmed milk, to which milk powder or other milk components and bacterial cultures are added. This blend is then heated to a temperature that allows bacteria that stimulate milk fermentation to develop. Yogurt in all forms – firm, stirred, plain or mixed with fruit – is a source of calcium and vitamin B12.
Ice cream
Ice cream can be made from a combination of cream, milk or evaporated milk. In Canada, in order to be labelled “ice cream”, the product must contain at least 36% milk solids. In addition, it must contain a minimum of 10% fat, or 8% fat if cocoa, chocolate syrup, fruits or nuts are added.
Only ice cream is made from 100% milk or milk ingredients; anything not labelled as ice cream is a frozen dessert made with oils like palm kernel oil or coconut oil.
Learn how dairy products made from 100% Canadian milk make it from the farm to your table.
