Whether you're a coffee connoisseur, cereal enthusiast, or simply enjoy a cold glass of milk, moving to the US and standing in front of the milk-aisle is a confusing sight to behold. “When they say 2% milk, I don't know what the other 98% is.” So how do you know what to buy and what should you be looking out for?
How do they stack up and which products don't exist in each country?
Understanding Milk Fat Percentages
First things first, it's important to understand what the percentage actually means when it comes to comparing your milk.
The percentage is related to the milk fat content of the milk. Milk fat is the naturally occurring fat found in milk, contributing to its flavor, texture, and nutritional profile. Different types of milk have varying fat percentages, ranging from skim milk with virtually no fat to whole milk with a higher fat content (we'll get into half and half and “cream” later.)
Australian Milk Fat Percentages
In Australia the breakdown looks a little something like this:
- Full Cream Milk: This is the Australian equivalent of whole milk and typically contains around 3.5-3.8% fat. The rules for this are it must be more than 3.2%.
- Reduced Fat Milk: This milk variety has approximately 2% fat, offering a lighter option while retaining some of the creaminess. The rules are a bit more vague on this one, there are no strict requirements.
- Low Fat Milk (also known as “Lite” or “Light” milk): With less than 1.5% fat, this is a popular choice for those seeking to reduce their fat intake. This one has a hard rule of <1.5%.
- Skim Milk (also known as “Fat free” or “No fat”: This milk has the lowest fat content, usually no more than 0.15%, making it the leanest option.
US Milk Fat Percentages
In the US they've got a similar breakdown but with different names:
- Cream (or “Heavy cream”): This one contains between 36% and 40% but is more liquid-y than the cream you know and comes presented like milk.
- Half-and-half: This doesn't really exist in Australia and is between 10.5% and 18% milk fat.
- Whole Milk: Similar to Australian full cream milk, whole milk in the US typically contains around 3.25% fat.
- 2% Milk (Reduced Fat): This is the US equivalent of Australian reduced fat milk, containing approximately 2% fat.
- 1% Milk (Low Fat): This milk option aligns with Australian low-fat milk, containing around 1% fat.
- Skim Milk/Fat-Free Milk: Like its Australian counterpart, skim milk in the US has virtually no fat, typically less than 0.5%.
Finding Your Match between Australian and US Milk Fats
If you're looking for equivalent milk fat percentages between Australia and the US, here's a quick guide:
- Australian Full Cream = US Whole Milk (approximately 3.5% fat)
- Australian Reduced Fat = US 2% Milk (approximately 2% fat)
- Australian Low Fat = US 1% Milk (approximately 1% or less fat)
- Australian Skim Milk = US Skim/Fat-Free Milk (virtually no fat)
What is “creamer”?
While all of the products we've talked about above are dairy products, creamer is something completely different. Creamer is basically a highly processed version of oil, sugar, and water and while it's used in coffees, it really has nothing to do with a cow. This is great if you're allergic to cow's milk (in most cases – some have dairy still) but you won't want to drink a glass of this in the morning!
Where is the cream and thickened cream in America!?
One thing that's much more difficult to find in the US is thickened cream, double thick cream, and “dollop” cream – which I miss!
In the UK and Australia, double cream is at least 48% milk fat (which is more than all of the above) and the extra thick dollop cream has added thickeners to really get that texture right up there.
You will find these at specialty markets, but they're not going to be in the grocery stores that you frequent. So when you're eating your pancakes, you'll just have to whip some cream up yourself, or pour it over and live your finest U.S. Diner life!
