Cosi Milk versus Regular Milk: Is there a difference?
A couple of weeks ago after making a purchase of Cosi Pets Milk (my cat loves it, and my hamsters get it mixed with a bit of oatmeal), I suddenly noticed that it's manufactured by Harvey Fresh- who also has a range for humans (this sounds really odd haha).
So I decided to head to NTUC Fairprice and purchase a box of Harvey Fresh Lactose-Free Full Cream Milk to compare and see whether I could find any differences.
Nutritional content:
I've highlighted the main points in yellow, pink, and purple boxes. Look at the nutrition information. THEY'RE SO SIMILAR! There's only very, very slight differences but there's definitely nothing significant to note.
They're both UHT milk, which (based on Google) means they're heated so all bacteria is killed, allowing the milk to be kept for months at room temperature if unopened.Â
I noticed that Cosi Pets Milk is also homogenised and pasteurised on top of being UHT. From what I've read, pasteurisation makes food items sterile by killing all bacteria, which honestly sounds similar to UHT? That bit is a little confusing. As for the part about homogenisation: "Homogenization is the process of breaking down the fat molecules in milk so that they stay integrated rather than separating as cream. Homogenization is a purely physical process; nothing is added to the milk."
So, how do they look?
I'm not sure how many of you have fed your kittens or hamsters KMR, but Cosi Pets Milk has a very slightly thicker consistency and is a colour that's similar to that, whereas Harvey Fresh Lactose-free Full Cream Milk looks more like the regular cow's milk we (humans) consume.
I did a taste test, and Cosi Pets Milk tasted slightly sweeter, which could be due to the sterilisation (pasteurisation) and homogenisation process but of course, that's just me making a guess since I couldn't find much of a difference otherwise. It does look more appealing because of a slightly thicker consistency though.
Honestly, my cat couldn't tell the difference haha. It didn't matter to him at all!
With UHT milk, I find that a lot of the nutrients are destroyed in the process. I guess that's inevitable for easy storage. My preferred choice of milk for the boys has always been fresh goat's milk, but they occasionally get regular cow's milk as well because I drink that (the dogs aren't lactose intolerant, but the cat is slightly so he's not allowed regular cow's milk unless it's lactose-free). Cosi Pet's Milk Retails between $4.00-$6.00 a box, whereas the human version retails for only $2.90.
Anyway, this entry is just 'cause I was really curious about what the differences were, and I'm in no way asking anyone to switch or recommending one product over the other (not much of that to do though, since they're from the same company haha) :) I just thought I'd cover the subject to share! Perhaps this would make a good alternative if you have a huge party of 50 dogs and am on a tight budget? :)Â Either way, have a great week everyone!
xx Crystle
Pssttt... I finally got my custom charms and figurine website up. Catch me on Instagram @tannedtofu or the website www.tannedtofu.com :)Â
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Kit: Yes it’s definitely okay to do so :)
Meelow: Hi! You’re very welcome!! :)
Caryn: Yes you’re right, this is definitely not a replacement for KMR :) It’s only a good substitute for regular lactose-free milk :)
Hello, I have been giving my 4+ year old Maltipoo Harvey’s lactose free full cream milk for many years now since I am lactose intolerant myself so, we share the same milk for breakfast. Thanks for this article coz I did not do any comparison 😃
I drink Harvey fresh for years, if not decade (cause I’m lactose intolerant) and feed my cats (@casper_thenotsofriendly_cat) and fosters Harvey fresh too. Never knew Cosi is by same company. I know Harvey fresh is safe for them (and me) to consume. Never thought to buy pet’s milk so never looked at Cosi. I even recommend Harvey fresh as temporary emergency milk for neonatal kittens if can’t find kmr. Can’t replace KMR since it has nutrients especially colostrum that is absolutely needed by kittens
Since you’ve said that the only difference is consistency, does this mean it is safe to treat Cosi Pet’s Milk as normal, lactose-free milk?