question about sugars in milk

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Eskimopie
Eskimopie Posts: 235 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I always read that fat free or low fat milk has more sugar than full fat because they add it to compensate for the taste? Or something like that?
So I checked all the milks at my work fridge and this is what I found (based on Lucerne milk, Safeway brand.)

Sugar grams (per cup)
Fat Free: 12 grams
1 percent: 15 grams
2 percent: 14 grams
Whole: 12 grams

Does anyone understand how this works? Should I stick to whole in my coffee?

Replies

  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Milk does not contain added sugar (as in, the ingredients don't list "sugar"). Lactose is sugar and that is reflected on the nutrition labels for milk. Any dairy product will have sugar because of this.
  • Eskimopie
    Eskimopie Posts: 235 Member
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    Milk does not contain added sugar (as in, the ingredients don't list "sugar"). Lactose is sugar and that is reflected on the nutrition labels for milk. Any dairy product will have sugar because of this.

    Well yes, I know this. However, on these boards and elsewhere people have stated that manufacturers add sugar to fat free milk to help the taste. Is this just totally untrue? If so, why would the different types of milk have different amounts of sugar?
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    I drink skim milk, mostly because that's what I am used to and grew up on, and never in my life have I seen sweetened milk. Quite frankly, that sounds gross. So either it is a regional thing, and somewhere in the world sweetened milk in a carton is popular, or it is a myth.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    Well yes, I know this. However, on these boards and elsewhere people have stated that manufacturers add sugar to fat free milk to help the taste. Is this just totally untrue? If so, why would the different types of milk have different amounts of sugar?

    People say all kinds of idiotic *kitten* on these boards. Constantly.

    3 grams isn't a whole lot of difference.
  • Eskimopie
    Eskimopie Posts: 235 Member
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    Alright I researched it myself. Looks like they don't actually add sugar (glucose) to milk, but because all the fat is removed, there is more room for the rest of the nutrients in milk, including the natural sugar. So its just a matter of proportions.
  • Eskimopie
    Eskimopie Posts: 235 Member
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    Guess I could've done this in the first place...though its still weird that the non fat I looked at is less than the reduced fat. Sorry everyone.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    No need to apologise. It was a sensible question.

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