Market Revolution Predicted as 1% Milk Launches at Sainsbury's

02/04/08 The first supermarket own-brand milk with a 1% fat content is set to launch in the UK in April. With UK shoppers traditionally used to choosing from only 3 milk types with varying fat contents, Sainsbury's is set to revolutionise the milk market by becoming the first retailer to offer its customers another option in the form of its own-brand 1% fat milk.

1% milk is already hugely popular in the US and Canada, and with the UK launch in Sainsbury's stores nationwide, it looks set to become the preferred choice for health conscious shoppers who still want to enjoy the taste of semi-skimmed milk. If all UK semi-skimmed consumers were to switch to 1% milk, they could reduce their saturated fat intake by a massive 12,000 tonnes per year - the same as 112 million blocks of lard.

Although it contains nearly half the fat of semi-skimmed, 1% milk retains the same amount of calcium and vitamin B as semi-skimmed and skimmed milk. Calcium from dairy is better absorbed than any other source of calcium and a 200ml glass of 1% milk can provide an adult with over 1/3 of his or her daily calcium requirement. As well as these nutritional benefits and a reduction in fat, Sainsbury's and its suppliers have worked to ensure that 1% milk retains the creamy flavour of semi-skimmed milk.

Says Dr Judith Bryans Director of The Dairy Council, "We welcome the additional consumer choice that Sainsbury's 1% fat milk will offer. 1% fat milk provides the same range of vitamins and minerals as semi-skimmed milk, but with a lower fat content. For those who want less fat but don't like the taste of skimmed milk then 1% is a great option".

Dr Alison Stephen, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research comments, "Milk and milk products make the greatest contribution to saturated fat intake in the UK of any food group; and research suggests that people who consume 1% milk have lower intakes of fat and saturated fat than those having milk with a higher fat content."

- Opting for 1% milk instead of semi-skimmed (1.7% fat) could reduce a person's saturated fat consumption by 55% in a year - equivalent to 200 chocolate digestive biscuits

Sainsbury's believes that 1% milk will be particularly well received by those young women who avoid dairy products in an effort to reduce their fat intake. A lack of calcium build-up during the crucial teens and throughout their 20s can result in the onset of osteoporosis in later life. Men are also expected to welcome the launch which will offer them a low fat, yet full flavoured alternative to skimmed milk, currently mainly popular with women.

Says Sainsbury's Nutritionist Charlotte Parker, ‘Our challenge is to educate customers about the advantages of drinking 1% milk as part of their efforts to reduce fat and saturated fat in their diets. Saturated fat is one of the most common causes of increased blood cholesterol levels and in turn the risk of coronary heart disease, so the benefits of switching to this new, lower fat milk could be hugely significant."

Charlotte continues, ‘Rather than overhauling their diets completely, we are encouraging our customers to make a simple change. By switching from whole or semi-skimmed to 1% milk they will still get the calcium and nutrients that they need, while reducing their saturated-fat intake and hence their risk of heart-disease.'

Sainsbury's has developed 1% milk to help reduce the saturated fat content, giving customers the opportunity to opt for a healthier product without compromising on taste.