What Is Semi-Skim Milk?

eHow
July 14, 2011

Milk in the United States in sold in four nutritional varieties: whole, reduced-fat, low-fat and skim, differentiated by percentage of milk fat. Whole milk is full-fat, just as it comes from the cow. Skim milk, low- and reduced-fat have had varying amounts of milk fat skimmed from the surface, reducing fat content. Milk in the United Kingdom follows a similar set of regulations, labeled whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed.

EU Milk Standards
Dairy is regulated by European Union standards in the United Kingdom. The EU sets the guidelines for labeling milk according to the percent of milk fat by volume. Whole milk has nothing added or removed when it comes from the cow. It is pasteurized and homogenized, but no fat is removed. Milk must contain a minimum of 3.5 percent milk fat to be labeled whole. Semi-skimmed milk in the United Kingdom has some of the fat removed, leaving 1.7 percent fat content. Skimmed milk has nearly all of the fat removed, leaving an average of 0.1 percent milk fat. The EU recently added a classification for milk that falls outside of the standard milk fat percentages. Milk with a fat content other than 3.5, 1.7 or 0.1 percent can be labeled with that percentage, but cannot be called skimmed, semi-skimmed or whole. Many manufacturers are producing 1 percent milk as a result.

United States Regulations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sets standards for milk labeling based on fat content as well. Whole milk contains 3.5 percent milk fat, reduced-fat milk contains 2 percent milk fat, low-fat milk contains 1 percent milk fat and skim milk, also called non-fat or fat-free, contains no more than 0.2 percent milk fat. Just as semi-skimmed milk in the U.K. is produced, reduced-fat and low-fat milk are semi-skimmed, but they are not labeled as such.

Choosing Semi-Skim
Semi-skimmed milk has about half the fat content of whole milk. It is lower in calories and slightly lower in Vitamin A, a result of removing milk fat. Unlike skimmed milk, which can be watery and flavorless, semi-skimmed milk retains much of the flavor and some of the creaminess of whole milk without the full fat and calories. In the United States, reduced-fat and low-fat milk also contain less fat and fewer calories. Reduced-fat is slightly creamier, resembling whole milk more closely than low-fat, but low-fat is a creamier alternative to skim milk.

Pasteurization and Homogenization
Most milk on the U.K. market and all milk sold in the U.S. is pasteurized. Pasteurization is a process of rapidly heating the milk to high temperatures, killing harmful microorganisms and prolonging shelf life. Most milk in the U.K. and all U.S. milk is also homogenized. This is a process of straining milk at high pressure through very fine holes to break up fat globules and distribute them uniformly through the liquid, producing a smooth product and preventing a cream layer from forming. Milk in the U.S. is also fortified to add and restore nutrients lost in processing, like Vitamins D and A.

References
UK Dairy Council: Varieties of Milk
Dairy Council of California: Types of Milk