Milk, it does a body good. At least that is what the ads have been telling us since the '80s and '90s, if not earlier. And this is still ingrained in most of our minds as being true. But when those commercials first aired there were not as many options for milk as there are today.
Twenty years ago your choices were predominately regular, a reduced fat variety or nonfat. But today picking a gallon of milk from the plethora of choices can stop you in your tracks and make you wonder: which milk will do your body good?
Making that milk selection is not just about being calorie conscious anymore; the choice also deals with allergy or dietary considerations and can even come down to an ethical decision for some. One of the more predominant choices available now is the option for organic milk. And while we know that there is a real difference between organic and regular, we also know there is a pretty steep hike in price? And so, we at Kitchen Daily wanted to know: is the difference between organic and regular milk one you can taste? And if so, which tastes better? Our team of editors conducted a taste test to find out.
Before we get to the results, here are some regulation differences between organic and regular milk:
Organic vs. Regular
Antibiotics. If an organic dairy cow needs to be treated with an antibiotic, they are not allowed back into the herd until after 12 months of being certified as antibiotic free. Non-organic dairy cows can be returned back to the herd as soon as they get those results.
Pasture feeding. According to regulations, organic cows must have access to pasture feeding. The terms for this are vague; the amount of time a dairy cow spends on the pasture is unknown and most likely varies according to the size of the farm.
Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH). Organic cows are not allowed BGH injections. BGH is commonly used to enhance milk production in regular dairy cows. The worry with BGH is that cows injected with this hormone will produce additional Insulin Growth factor, which may cause illnesses in humans if ingested excessively
Pesticides. While regular dairy cows do not have regulations on whether their feed can be treated with pesticides, organic cows do.
The Verdict:
Twenty-three editors blind-tasted the two milks, side by side, and...
- 53 percent of our tasters were able to clearly identify which milk was organic.
- 56 percent of our tasters preferred organic milk to regular milk
Here's what our tasters thought:
Organic Milk: "Has a neutral, thirst-quenching flavor." "Has a richer flavor." "Tasted thicker." "Sweeter." "Has an odd taste." "Tastes smoother, creamier."
Regular Milk: "Has a bit richer taste." "Tastes more watery." "Has a more complex flavor." "Has a slightly plastic taste." "Slightly less sour." "Waterier."
Both: "Both Good." "Milky Tasting." "Organic doesn't have as strong of a flavor as regular." "I can't tell the difference." "Yup, they both taste like milk." "They taste more or less exactly the same."
In Summary: There is not a huge taste difference between organic milk compared to regular milk -- though there was a slight preference toward organic. One could assume that those who spend the extra bucks for organic milk do so because of the regulations surrounding it -- more so than for its flavor.
Which milk do you prefer? Organic or regular? Leave a comment below.
As always, our taste tests are in no way influenced by or sponsored by the brands included.
WATCH: An iconic milk does a body good commercial from the early '90s.
CORRECTION: The entry previously stated that 24 editors participated in the taste test when in fact there were only 23.