Chocolate milk mustaches common

Max Jacobson

Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2002 | 8:22 a.m.

Who among us, as a child, has not been captivated by a simple drink of chocolate milk whether whole milk mixed with syrup like Hershey's, a powder such as Nestle's Quik or cold milk drunk directly from a dairy carton?

It seems chocolate milk is more popular than ever, nowadays. All the schools serve it, partially because much of it is made with low- or reduced-fat milk, and because it offers nutritional and health benefits in addition to good taste. All the big markets stock it, in an increasing number of varieties.

We thought it might be fun to examine a few of the products available, and at the same time, learn a little more about the process that goes into the production of commercial chocolate milk. So here's the skinny, along with some price, taste and nutritional comparisons.

It turns out that our own local dairy, Anderson's Dairy, makes an excellent product, though one is limited to 1- or 2-percent lowfat milk. Kim Webster, a spokesman for the dairy, was happy to hold forth on the subject. Webster is proud of his product, which is sold only in quarts or less.

"We don't do a half gallon or any larger sizes," he said. "Since it is made here, we regard it as a convenience product." He added that it is a popular drink in local schools, and at many work sites.

Anderson's does not own its own cows. Rather, the company relies on a long-standing relationship with a co-op, which has given the company written assurances that the milk it provides does not contain any BHT, bovine growth hormone, a hormone used to induce cows to give milk at a higher rate.

Webster said the milk of each breed of cow tastes differently. Anderson's uses the milk of Holsteins. The cocoa powder used to produce its chocolate milk is a blend of beans from Brazil and the Ivory Coast, and they vary according to richness. The company's chocolate milk, for the record, is delicious.

A quart of Anderson's 2-percent chocolate milk was, surprisingly, only 99 cents at Wild Oats Markets. A local Smith's, at the same time, was selling the same amount for $1.49. Webster noted that Anderson's does not set prices, "The stores themselves do that."

As in white milk, chocolate milk is a good source of nutrients. These will vary from brand to brand, as certain companies fortify their milks with calcium and other nutrients. Basically, however, chocolate milk is a pasteurized, homogenized and flavored milk, produced from fresh, partially skimmed or whole milk, with added sugar, cocoa powder and a few other ingredients.

One ingredient found in almost every commercial chocolate milk is carageenan, a natural vegetable gum used to give chocolate milk a richer, thicker feel. Another ingredient is Vitamin D3.

The one caveat is that cocoa powder does contain caffeine. The amount present, according to an Internet website called chocolatemilk.com, is between 2 and 7 milligrams per 8-ounce serving, roughly the same amount of caffeine as a 5-ounce cup of decaf.

An 8-ounce serving of Anderson's 2-percent chocolate milk contains 180 calories, 3 grams of saturated fat, 27 grams of carbohydrate, 210 milligrams of sodium and 45 fat calories. The label lists the ingredients as: reduced fat milk, sugar, cocoa, starch, salt, carageenan, palmitate and Vitamin D3.

Other milks out there are all a little bit different. If you raise the sugar levels, for instance, you raise the calorie and carbohydrate levels. Raise the fat grams, and you raise the calories, but generally lower the carbs. Naturally, chocolate milk made with whole milk has a richer flavor, but the tradeoffs are obvious.

Here are prices and nutritional values of a few of the other ones found on the market:

Back at Wild Oats, there is the pricier organic product from La Farge, Wisc., called Organic Valley, which sells for $1.99 a quart. This is made with exclusive Dutch cocoa powder, and does have a deep, rich chocolatey flavor. The carton claims humane animal treatment, and urges consumers to "buy organic." At 26 grams of carbs, we can assume there is a little less sugar in this milk.

Then there is Horizon, from Boulder, Colo., sold in aseptic packages. The price is 89 cents for an 8-ounce, individual serving. There are no hormones or pesticides in this milk. But it is penetratingly sweet, so it shouldn't be a surprise that there are 33 grams of carbs, and 200 calories in a serving.

Over at Smith's, there are a variety of other choices. Cream O'Weber, made by a large Utah based dairy, is $1.79 a quart. A comparison between the 1-percent and whole milk versions is dramatic. The 1-percent has 2.5 fat grams per 8-ounce serving, versus 9 for the whole milk product. The calorie comparison is 170 to 220 for the same amount. Naturally, the people who prefer the smooth, rich taste of whole milk will prefer that one.

Shamrock Farms milk from Phoenix sells for $1.79 a quart at Smith's also, and has 220 calories per 8-ounce serving, with 29 grams of carbs and 8 grams of fat. It tastes relatively thin, however, and not as chocolatey as some of the other brands.

Finally, there is Nesquik, an already mixed version of the famous Nestle's Quik selling for $1.99 a quart. There is now a new Double Chocolate flavor, with 230 calories, 8 fat grams and 31 grams of carbs. It seems a bit thicker than the competition, but not noticeably richer in chocolate flavor. There is, however, as a selling point, extra calcium in this milk. One 8-ounce serving supplies 40-percent of the daily minimum requirement.

Incidentally, for those who don't handle lactose or cow's milk very well, a Vermont dairy, Oak Knoll, produces chocolate milk from a goat, which one wag on the Internet has proclaimed is "not as bad as it sounds." You can order the product online from vermontspecialtyfoods.org.