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Parmalat Milk, is it Real?
Filed under: Toddlers Preschoolers, Nutrition: Health, Weird But True, Mealtime, Resources
So this is a weird one. When we travel we always bring along Parmalat for our toddler. It's much easier, obviously to transport and deal with on the road as it's vacuum-sealed and doesn't need to be refrigerated (until it's opened of course). Upon a recent trip to Central Park Zoo, a friend said someone had once told her that Parmalat isn't really milk.
The friend's acquaintance who made this claim was vegetarian (as is our family) and my friend was actually commenting on how people make such strange distinctions. The acquaintance refused to drink Parmalat because it wasn't "real milk." My understanding is that Parmalat is, indeed, real milk, it's just packaged differently, and perhaps treated a little differently to ensure it's safe to be packaged in a way that allows it to not need to be refrigerated (until opened).
So what is the deal? A recent trip to the Parmalat website upped my curiosity factor. They refer to the milk they distribute as "milk products." They also call it "ESL milk" which means Extended Shelf Life--not English as a Second Language. With regard to the whole vegetarian thing, while we don't necessarily eat meat, a good deal of us do drink milk--Parmalat included. Vegans don't do any animal products whatsoever, but quite a few vegetarians do.
So what's the deal? Is Parmalat really milk, or not? To me, if it looks like milk, smells like milk, and tastes like milk, and they call it milk, it's probably milk.
Pic by allanpatrick.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
8-25-2008 @ 3:22PM
Baron said...It is an ultra high temperature milk. Think about it like something that is super pasteurized. You can get some half and half at the store that is super pasteurized that will give you a shelf life (well, until you open it) of several months. This stuff is heated even higher. Basically, from what I understand, it kills anything in there that would spoil the milk, then it is vacuumed packed so that no air will get in. That way, you are good until you actually open it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UHT
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8-25-2008 @ 3:52PM
Rose said...I've not heard of this product before today. Their website is not big on ingredient lists - I'm assuming that the package itself has the ingredients listed? If it just contains milk and it's the shelf life that your friend is finding weird I'd just steer her in front of the boxes of powdered and evaporated milk that have been on shelves for decades. Long shelf life for milk isn't that new of a concept.
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8-25-2008 @ 4:28PM
Stefania Butler said...It's milk. The tetra-pak is how it's been sold in Italy (where Parmalat is based. The name is a hybrid of Parma + latte) for years. Americans are only now starting to get used to seeing milk (think Horizon) packaged this way. I think Horizon in the asceptic paks tastes awful, but the Parmalat milk, at least in Italy, tastes great.
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8-26-2008 @ 12:11AM
CLM said...It's milk. I have no idea what that person was talking about. I used to get it when I lived in the UK.
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8-26-2008 @ 2:56PM
Saki said...Hello from Portugal. It is milk, it is sold everywhere in Europe, it is smaller, handier (we do not shop everyday, our fridges are not huge) its tetrapak packaging is better for the environment than plastic bottles.
Trust it ;)
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9-16-2008 @ 1:29AM
bubbebobbie said...Hi
I saw your article and thought I would tell you that our family first began drinking Parmalat in Italy in 1977. A LONG time ago. It is new to the states, but not to Europeans.It is in fact milk and how they drink there milk. There fridges are about the size of those in a college dorm so this keeps better and uses less fridge space.
For you Vegetarian friend she might want to know they now make an Organic Parmalat Whole Milk.
Have no fears or concerns, it is very good for your toddler.
Because of Jesus, Bobbie
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11-18-2010 @ 10:57AM
Kristi J said...I have been buying this product for a couple of months now. I like that I can store up a few of these at a time while I have money and don't have to worry about spoilage.
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12-10-2010 @ 12:59PM
Ron S. said...Great milk.. keep several at home all the time..... EXCEPT ! ! !
Whoever invented the opening device for this carton should be FIRED ! ! ! or have to TRY to open 100 of these cartons... It is
IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN them....
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10-25-2011 @ 9:49PM
jaycee said...I've been drinking the "fat free" Parmalat for many yrs. It keeps so much longer that regular milk. I try to get it on sale & buy it in bulk. Delish!!
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