Surely your family also loves condensed milk. But did you know that almost 90% of all condensed milk is counterfeit? In order not to be mistaken with the choice, it is useful to know some facts …
Of course, many will say that, they say, they do not enjoy this product every day, and even then only a little, so what difference does it make what is mixed in there, in a jar! But one can argue, because choosing the right condensed milk is easy if you have certain knowledge! So why put a dangerous product on the table?
Stage one: in the store
Probably everyone knows that high-quality milk made in accordance with GOST can only be called "Condensed whole milk with sugar". Therefore, you may not even take jars with the words "Condensed milk", "Sweet condensed milk", "Burenka" and the like! These are all dairy products, but not real condensed milk. Pay attention to GOST, more precisely, to its number. The correct choice: GOST 2903-78 and the newer GOST R 53436-2009, but many manufacturers sin by indicating GOSTs that are far from the production of this product.
By the way, according to GOST, milk can only be stored in a tin can. Be sure to look at the canned food markings embossed on the lid. For the "correct" condensed milk, the first in the top row is the letter "M" - this is the code mark of the product. The next 3 digits in the first row indicate the manufacturer's code, but the last 2 or 3 digits indicate the assortment code of the product, and you should also pay attention to them: milk condensed with sugar without additives is indicated by 76. Of course, you should not take crumpled cans: milk in them can be spoiled due to internal damage to the coating (plastic packaging even has an advantage in this).
The fat content of real milk is 8.5%, and the shelf life is exactly 12 months. A longer shelf life indicates the presence of preservatives.
Well, now is the time to move on to the lineup. No palm oil, starches or thickeners! Only milk or cream, sugar and water! As an antioxidant, ascorbic acid can be added, and sodium or potassium salts as stabilizers. If you nevertheless decide to close your eyes to the not very correct composition, then nevertheless keep in mind that many manufacturers add aspartame (E951) as a sweetener, and it is forbidden to eat it for children under 7 years old!
Stage two: at home
- Well, you have chosen a jar that meets all external criteria and brought it home. It's time to open and taste the product, because nowadays it is so easy to run into a fake.
- After opening the canned food, smell it: the contents of the can should have a mild milky aroma. If the smell of milk is very strong and unnatural, then the composition definitely contains flavorings, which the manufacturer "forgot" to mention on the label.
- The color of the milk should be light cream. If there is something in the jar with a green or dark tint, such a product should be thrown away immediately!
- The consistency should be uniform. The mealy consistency means that there is a minimum of natural milk and a maximum of artificial additives and thickeners in the jar.
- Milk should not have a very thick consistency. If the product you bought, as they say, has a "spoon", then it was transported or stored at too high temperatures.
- When opening the lid, there should be no lumps on the lid: they are spores of chocolate brown mold and indicate that the manufacturer has neglected the rules of sanitation. Dense and soft lumps are also mold.
- If you see sugar crystals around the edges of the jar, it means that the product has expired, or you came across milk with low-quality artificial sweeteners.
- The taste of real condensed milk should be clean, milky, moderately sweet and free of impurities.
