Best fresh milk brands in Australia

The best fresh milk brands in Australia

• Top-rated fresh milk brand: Riverina Fresh
• Best fresh milk brand for value for money: ALDI Farmdale
• Best-tasting fresh milk brand: Norco
• Best fresh milk brand for packaging design: Riverina Fresh
• Best fresh milk brand for freshness: Farmers' Own

Top-rated fresh milk brand: Riverina Fresh

With a combined score of 8.46/10, Riverina Fresh is the winner of the Finder Retail Award for the top-rated fresh milk brand. After impressing consumers with its taste, freshness and packaging design, Riverina Fresh milk is a top choice when you're filling your shopping trolley.

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.

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Best fresh milk brand for value for money: ALDI Farmdale

If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, ALDI Farmdale fresh milk is the top choice among Australian consumers. With a score of 4.66/5, it takes the win as the best fresh milk brand for value for money.

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.

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Best-tasting fresh milk brand: Norco

With an average score of 4.58/5 for taste, Norco was chosen as the best-tasting fresh milk brand by Australian consumers. This was a closely fought category, with Norco narrowly defeating Pura with a score of 4.56/5, Dairy Farmers with a score of 4.52/5 and Riverina Fresh with a score of 4.50/5.

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.

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Best fresh milk brand for packaging design: Riverina Fresh

Riverina Fresh impressed Australian consumers with its packaging design, earning a score of 4.5/5. This sees it take the win for best fresh milk packaging design, beating out Norco with a score of 4.34/5, Farmers' Own with a score of 4.32/5 and A2 Milk with a score of 4.30/5.

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.

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Best fresh milk brand for freshness: Farmers' Own

If you're looking for the freshest milk, Australian consumers recommend Farmers' Own. With a score of 4.64/5, it was voted the best fresh milk brand for freshness.

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.

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Best rated fresh milk brand award breakdown

	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

What types of fresh milk are available?

Standing in the refrigerated section at the supermarket and can't decide which milk to choose? There are three main options available:

• Full cream. Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, this must contain at least 3.2% fat and 3% protein.
• Reduced fat Reduced-fat, low-fat, light and 2% milks have a fat content of 1-2%. Check the ingredients panel on the label if you're worried about how much fat is in your milk.
• Skim. To earn the "skim" label, milk must have no more than 0.15% fat and at least 3% protein.

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.

What to consider when choosing fresh milk

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:

Type of milk

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.

Health needs

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.

Organic

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.

Price

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.