In the dairy market, where "a riot of colors dazzles the eyes," marketing battles have been fierce. In previous years, in order to cater to consumer tastes, thickeners, flavors, and other additives were overused. The melamine incident was, in a sense, a consequence of that chaotic battle. Now, under the trend of minimalist consumption, internet-famous "white milk" with gimmicks like "seeing is believing" and "returning to the original taste of fresh milk" has emerged. But what puzzles China Food Observer is: Is milk packaged in transparent bags truly a return to basics? 01. Turning Back the Clock? According to data, in the second half of 2016, white milk first appeared from Kedi Dairy, and it quickly became popular upon launch. In the first nine months of 2017, Kedi Dairy's revenue was 910 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 52.69%, with daily sales of 300 tons of white milk playing a significant role. Consequently, a large number of dairy companies followed suit, including major ones like New Hope, Junlebao, and Wondersun, and even the duopoly of Mengniu and Yili joined the white milk camp last year. At the same time, doubts about the transparent bags used for white milk have been persistent. Some say it is a step backward in history, while others say this packaging can cause poor taste in milk, among other issues. Looking at the evolution of milk packaging in China over the past 30 years, it has gone from glass bottles and ordinary plastic bags to special plastics and metal-plastic composite materials, a qualitative leap. In the early 1990s, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations provided 2794 dairy project assistance to six major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Xi'an. Many cities increased the use of ordinary single-layer polypropylene plastic bag soft packaging for milk. With the deepening of reform and opening up and the introduction of foreign investment, Sweden's Tetra Pak "swept" China, bringing safe aseptic packaging materials for room-temperature milk. Later, the French Presto pack, which is cheaper, also entered. Presto packs look the same as ordinary plastic bags from the outside, but their oxygen barrier performance is more than 300 times that of ordinary plastic bags. But now, with the return of transparent plastic bags, are we back to the beginning? 02. Is Transparent Bag Packaging a Regression? In fact, green packaging has long been a development trend in the entire packaging industry. Dairy packaging is moving towards the "4R+1D" direction, which means low consumption, low quantity, reuse, recycling, and degradability. The greening of dairy packaging should be reflected in the entire process and all aspects, from raw material manufacturing to recycling, with every step being energy-saving, material-saving, efficient, and harmless. This trend is also why Tetra Pak and Ecolean packaging are widely used. However, whether transparent bag packaging is environmentally friendly, degradable, and safe is highly controversial. Admittedly, returning to nature and pursuing the purity of milk should always be advocated and sought. In fact, milk in its original state is thin and has a light taste. The so-called "extremes meet" means that excessive additives actually destroy the nutrition of milk. But milk preservation is subject to certain objective conditions. A researcher at a large dairy company told China Food Observer that milk's natural properties require protection from light; otherwise, vitamins are easily decomposed by light. That is to say, the use of transparent bags is highly questionable in terms of light protection. Research shows that milk contains riboflavin and porphyrins, which are sensitive to light and can produce reactive oxygen species when exposed to light. These reactive oxygen species react with proteins, vitamins, and fats, producing off-flavors. In particular, reactions with amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids can produce various aldehydes, ketones, methionine sulfoxide, and dimethyl disulfide, which significantly affect the flavor of milk. 03. Does White Milk Affect Nutrition? China Food Finance exclusively interviewed senior dairy analyst Song Liang and China food industry analyst Zhu Danpeng, and the two had different opinions. Song Liang told China Food Observer: "Transparent plastic bags have poor light-blocking ability and a short shelf life. Using transparent bags for packaging will definitely have some impact on the nutritional preservation of milk. If left for a long time, chemical reactions are inevitable." He also mentioned that he is not deeply familiar with this packaging material, but he believes that even if top-grade food-grade packaging materials are used, the light-blocking issue is difficult to overcome. Moreover, there are certain requirements for product circulation and storage. Tetra Pak solves the light-blocking and sealing problems. Regarding the popularity of white milk, he emphasized that white milk has unique packaging, looks clean, and is a cost-effective product. In 2014 and 2015, many companies launched high-end, high-priced milk, but due to consumers' purchasing power, the market response was not significant. China Food Observer checked JD.com prices: a box of 16 bags of 180ml Kedi milk costs 42.9 yuan, with each bag only 2.68 yuan, which seems affordable. However, as mentioned in a previous article on Kedi, if you go to the supermarket, this white milk, which is actually room-temperature milk, is often sold in the cold cabinet alongside pasteurized milk, and at a "pasteurized price." Zhu Danpeng, on the other hand, believes that white milk does not affect the nutritional value of milk. Transparent plastic bags give consumers a first impression of short-term preservation. The shorter the shelf life, the more consumers may think there are fewer additives and preservatives, which aligns with consumers' health needs and the desire for simplicity. Based on the company's positioning of the milk and cost considerations, it accidentally became an internet sensation. What is white milk really like? China Food Observer believes that whether it is like "Zhang Xun's restoration" and will be short-lived, or as the advertisement says, "a breath of fresh air in the dairy industry," time will tell. Whether it is a "clear stream" remains to be seen. Source: China Food Finance (ZSCJ-360) -END-