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Posts: 263

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Q: Do you drink milk in China? What brand do you recommend?

  Happy New Year to all the folks on this site!

I'm from Russia, dairy products are indispensable part of our menu, but it's such a challenge to buy decent milk, butter or cheese here. I found some cheese & butter in Metro, but I'm confused about milk, esp. after several milk scandals in China. I don't drink sweet Chinese milk or milk powder, I just want plain (no sugar) pasturized milk. Which brand do you recommend?

11 years 12 weeks ago in  Food  - China

 
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Flower Fresh seems to be OK. Can be bought for 12-14RMB per liter.

 

I also always keep a small stock of UHT milk from YiLi (specifically the top one on this page http://www.yili.com/product/liquid_milk/pro_intro/nnl.shtml ) 

 

Both these are "just plain milk" 

 

Our local Carrefour also has some imported milk from New Zealand and butter from Australia and Denmark. The NZ milk is priced very unfavorably compared to the local milk, the butter has no local alternative. 

Scandinavian:

Recently both walmart and carrefour has had German milk at less than 10RMB per liter. I am pretty sure it is packaged in China, but tastes like real German milk

10 years 42 weeks ago
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11 years 12 weeks ago
 
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I only drink foreign milk, from Germany, Australia or New Zealand. You can find many affordable (from 18kuai) brands in Walmart, Carrefour or BHG. Chinese milk tastes like there is not enough fat in it, and it is just weird. When it comes to butter try the brand called SUKi, good unsalted butter and cream cheese is also ok.

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11 years 12 weeks ago
 
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I won't touch Chinese milk, about a year ago (iirc) they lowered the quality requirements for pasteurisation, China now legally accepts for sale the highest bacterial level milk in the world, and that is the legal level. Can you just imagine what the actual level is?

Scandinavian:

do you have a source for that ? 

11 years 12 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

found an article called "China produces the worst milk in the world" anyway, must have milk for baking. 

 

I do drink milk, cold from the fridge several times per week and have yet to die from it

11 years 12 weeks ago
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Hugh.G.Rection:

No, I remember someone posting a link on here a good while back about it though, maybe as much as a year ago.

11 years 12 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

that's cool. found several articles to back up your statements. might not have a cup of milk for breakfast tomorrow

11 years 12 weeks ago
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I cried with happiness the day I found a supermarket with French milk, Kiwi butter and Aussie cheese. Literally cried.

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Shifu

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You couldn't pay me to drink Chinese milk. It's got some of the worst quality standards in the entire world. An official even admitted it. If you want milk, best to spend some extra money on imported stuff. I usually pick up some New Zealand stuff at the supermarket.

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Shifu

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Yili

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11 years 8 weeks ago
 
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I used to drink Chinese milk.  Can't remember the brands, whatever skim or low-fat types they had available at the local RT-Mart (大润发). I always thought it was weird how the shelf life on milk here is listed as much shorter than what I see back in the US (maybe 5-6 days versus 2 weeks) and the availability was always random; they wouldn't always have it in stock.  Anyways, after the scandals and lowering of their national quality standards, I stopped drinking any kind of Chinese milk.  My bowels seem to happier for it.

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11 years 8 weeks ago
 
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Peasant

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There was a similar question a few months back which may be of some help: http://answers.echinacities.com/node/93566

 

I try to drink "Sanyuan" milk products (三元) whenever possible. I am not sure if it is available outside of Beijing, but for my money, the refrigerated liters are the best tasting domestically produced milk I've had here. 

 

For heavy whipping cream, I use the small refrigerated packages by Nestle which I think cost ~20 RMB

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11 years 8 weeks ago
 
Posts: 360

Shifu

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I only drink organic milk from farms outside Beijing. You can get them (along with organic yoghurt) from Jenny Lou shops, Lohao City or You Shishe. There about 16 RMB a carton.

icnif77:

I know, it makes you happy that you finally drink 'organic milk' in China. Now, tell me please what makes your milk 'organic'? Do they feed your cows only with bamboo from Nepal and Sichuan, or caws get some of 'outside of Beijing', not polluted grass also in their diet?

10 years 42 weeks ago
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11 years 8 weeks ago
 
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It will depend on where you live and how long you intend to live in China. 

 

Shanghai has the entire range: organic milks, closed cycle milk such as Asahi, foreign UHT milk, and the full range of fresh local milk: low, middle and high-end. 

 

Your best long term bet is NZ milk which has also become very affordable now that the local milk increased in price.  Organic milks and Korean fresh milk are very expensive and there is a healthy distrust towards all organic and high-end local milks.

 

So, it is just not worth the worrying. If you've run out of NZ milk, go for Asahi or once in a while a high-end (15 yuan per liter) Chinese milk.

 

Also remember that the standard for a product in China is its profitability not its quality and that the selection of products on the shelves in supermarkets is decided by the payments producers make to the store. Again quality or a safe product is no one's concern but the customer.  

 

 

 

ElenaDob:

Thanks, I've foind NZ milk in Carrefour.

11 years 8 weeks ago
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Posts: 821

Shifu

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Can't get fresh milk here in Hebei very easily, I get milk delivery every morning from the milk man.

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10 years 42 weeks ago
 
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Me too! I am in Fukang, Xinjiang, buying fresh, not pasteurized, cow milk from farmers at the open market. Not really a delivery, butt......

 

Milk is stored in ordinary plastic bags. 1l of milk (I guess) in one bag. The biggest problem was (is) how to open plastic bag full of milk (without spilling it), and pouring milk into the dish for brewing (killing germs). 

 

Not an easy task whatsoever!

 

 

JustinF:

ask a Canadian

10 years 42 weeks ago
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10 years 42 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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metro has an import milk from the us that i buy its organic milk and it tastes ok

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Answer of the DayMORE >>
A:  "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "S
A: "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "Shenzhen agent can connect you with an employer, who's authorized to hire waigouren ... and can sponsor Z visa." It's not like every 10th person you meet in Shenzhen's hood can sponsor work visa ...  The only way to change from student to labourer visa is just a regular way by: 1. Finding an employer, who'll apply for an Invitation letter; 2. Exit China and apply for Z visa in your home country's Chinese embassy; 3. Enter China in 30-days after Z visa was stamped into your travelling instrument ...As I am aware, you won't be able to switch to Working permit by remaining in China....,so make ready for a return to your home .... -- icnif77