Cow milk, pasteurized, vitamin A + D added, 0% fat

Overview

This is fluid cow milk from which nearly all butterfat has been removed, then pasteurized and fortified with vitamins A and D. It has a thin, watery mouthfeel compared to whole or reduced-fat milk, with a mild, slightly sweet flavor dominated by lactose. In the United States, “0% fat” or “nonfat” milk is legally defined as containing less than 0.5 percent milkfat by weight ^[2].

Origin and history

The practice of removing cream from milk has existed as long as milk has been left to settle, but commercial skim milk as a distinct product emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the development of mechanical cream separators. Pasteurization, named after Louis Pasteur, became standard in the early 20th century to reduce pathogenic bacteria ^[1]. Fortification of skim milk with vitamins A and D became common in the United States after the 1930s and 1940s, when rickets (caused by vitamin D deficiency) was recognized as a public health problem. The FDA mandates that vitamin A be added to skim milk at a level of at least 2,000 IU per quart, and vitamin D at 400 IU per quart, because these fat-soluble vitamins are lost when the fat is removed ^[2].

Varieties and aliases

• Nonfat milk (common U.S. label)
• Skim milk (common U.S. label)
• Fat-free milk
• Desnatada (Spanish-language label in U.S. markets)

Culinary uses

Nonfat milk is used where the richness of fat is not desired or where a lower calorie count is the priority. It is common in cereal, coffee, and smoothies. In baking, it produces a leaner crumb and less tender texture than whole milk, so recipes may require adjustments in fat content from other ingredients. It is also used in some low-fat or diet-oriented prepared foods, sauces, and puddings where a thinner consistency is acceptable. Because it lacks fat, nonfat milk does not form a stable emulsion in hot coffee as readily as whole milk, and it produces less foam for espresso-based drinks.

Cross-cuisine context

No widely recognized analogue in Mexican cuisine exists for pasteurized, fortified nonfat cow milk. Traditional Mexican milk consumption has centered on whole fresh milk (leche entera), evaporated milk (leche evaporada), and sweetened condensed milk (leche condensada), all of which retain their fat. In other LA-relevant cuisines, such as Korean or Chinese cooking, fresh cow milk of any fat content is a relatively recent introduction and is typically consumed as whole milk. The concept of a deliberately fat-stripped, fortified fluid milk is specific to Western industrial dairy systems, particularly in the United States.

Notes for cooks

• Nonfat milk has a shorter shelf life after opening than whole milk because the lack of fat changes how it spoils; it is more prone to developing off-flavors from oxidation.
• It cannot be substituted 1:1 for whole milk in recipes that rely on fat for texture, such as custards, ice cream, or rich cakes. Adding a tablespoon of melted butter per cup of nonfat milk approximates whole milk’s fat content.
• Fortified nonfat milk should not be boiled aggressively; high heat can cause the added vitamins to degrade and the milk proteins to scorch and form a skin.