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As a kitchen staple, milk is one product you don't want to get wrong. According to Aussies, Riverina is the fresh milk brand to buy, thanks to its top-rated packaging design.
The 2020 Finder Retail Awards recognise brand sentiment from customer feedback on different retail product categories. Finder worked with leading data, insights and consulting company Kantar to conduct thousands of customer interviews around their product purchasing history and satisfaction with their purchased products.
Riverina's combined score of 8.46/10 saw it narrowly defeat Norco, Devondale and Farmers' Own.
Established in 1922, Riverina Fresh partners with dairy farmers across the Riverina region. It supplies milk and dairy products to supermarkets and cafes in NSW, Victoria and the ACT, and its products have won multiple awards from the Dairy Industry Association of Australia.
Riverina Fresh's range of fresh milk products includes full cream, light, skim, gold, lactose-free and lactose-free light milk.
The next best performers in this category include Woolworths with a score of 4.49/5, Coles with a score of 4.42/5 and Riverina Fresh with a score of 4.33/5.
Discount supermarket chain ALDI has made a name for itself competing with Woolies and Coles, and it's no surprise to see the three major retailers feature here. ALDI Farmdale offers both fresh and powdered milk, including full cream and lactose-free varieties.
A farmer-owned dairy co-operative, Norco was established in northern NSW in the late 19th century. It sources its milk and dairy products from over 200 farms in northern NSW and southeast Queensland, and offers a huge range of fresh milk products. This includes full cream milk, barista milk, organic milk, lactose-free milk, 2% fat milk and more.
Riverina Fresh partners with 20 dairy farmers in the Riverina region, providing fresh milk to supermarkets and cafes in NSW, Victoria and the ACT. As well as fresh milk, it also produces flavoured milk, yoghurt, cream and more.
Other brands that scored well in this category include Dairy Farmers with a score of 4.62/5, Devondale and Norco with tied scores of 4.58/5.
Farmers' Own is a Woolworths brand that was first launched in stores on the NSW north coast in 2013. The brand has picked up several awards at food and dairy shows in years past, and Farmers' Own products are now sold in NSW, Victoria, WA, SA and the Northern Territory. Its product range includes full cream, reduced fat and unhomogenised milk.
The 2020 Finder Retail Awards recognise brand sentiment from customer feedback on different retail product categories. Finder worked with leading data, insights and consulting company Kantar to conduct thousands of customer interviews around their product purchasing history and satisfaction with their purchased products.
Disclaimer: Please refer to our methodology for more information on how we scored and judged Finder Retail Awards candidates. While we endeavour to assess the majority of product providers in the market, this is not always possible and it may be that not every brand in the market was included for judging.
Total Score | Overall rating | Value for Money | Taste | Packaging design | Freshness | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Riverina | 8.46 | 4.67 | 4.33 | 4.50 | 4.50 | 4.42 |
Other | 8.39 | 4.63 | 4.29 | 4.69 | 4.15 | 4.79 |
Norco | 8.33 | 4.53 | 4.32 | 4.58 | 4.34 | 4.58 |
Devondale | 8.22 | 4.50 | 4.12 | 4.46 | 4.26 | 4.58 |
Farmers’ Own | 8.15 | 4.48 | 4.30 | 4.36 | 4.32 | 4.64 |
Dairy Farmers | 8.13 | 4.40 | 4.16 | 4.52 | 4.28 | 4.62 |
ALDI Farmdale | 8.08 | 4.44 | 4.66 | 4.30 | 4.10 | 4.40 |
Pura | 8.06 | 4.40 | 4.22 | 4.56 | 4.14 | 4.46 |
A2 Milk | 7.97 | 4.32 | 3.94 | 4.38 | 4.30 | 4.50 |
Pauls | 7.88 | 4.36 | 3.98 | 4.34 | 4.24 | 4.46 |
Woolworths | 7.80 | 4.22 | 4.49 | 4.27 | 4.06 | 4.39 |
Coles | 7.75 | 4.15 | 4.42 | 4.10 | 3.98 | 4.27 |
Standing in the refrigerated section at the supermarket and can't decide which milk to choose? There are three main options available:
You've probably also come across A2 milk, which contains the A2 type of a protein known as beta-casein (regular milk contains a mixture of A1 and A2 beta-casein). A2 milk initially rose to prominence on the back of claims linking A1 proteins to a range of health problems, including everything from diabetes to autism. However, a 2009 review by the European Food Safety Authority found that there was insufficient evidence to support any such claims about A1 proteins.
A2 milk is now marketed as an alternative for people who experience digestive upset after drinking milk. Some studies support this claim, but more research needs to be done. A2 milk may therefore be an option for anyone who has trouble digesting milk, but lactose-free milk is also a suitable alternative.
There are a few factors you should consider when choosing fresh milk. Make sure you take the following factors into account when comparing your options:
How much fat you want in your milk could be influenced by everything from health and dietary requirements to taste. However, it's worth pointing out that while the Heart Foundation recommends reduced-fat milk for people with heart disease or high cholesterol, healthy Australians can choose between full-fat and reduced-fat options.
You may need to consider your specific health requirements when buying milk. For example, the recommended dietary intake of calcium changes as you age, with women over 50 and everyone over 70 requiring more calcium than other adults. Lactose-intolerant people can benefit from lactose-free milk, while some products also claim to lower cholesterol. Your GP or dietitian can help you find the right milk for your needs, so ask their advice if needed.
If you're concerned about pesticides, other additives or animal welfare, you may wish to buy organic milk. However, you'll need to be willing to pay extra.
Most fresh milk is priced between $1.20 and $3.50 per litre. Of course, rather than buying purely on cost alone, you may also want to consider what impact the price of milk has on Aussie dairy farmers.
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