For a household of one or two, choose semi-skimmed milk based on how much you’ll use after opening. UHT milk can be stored unopened, pasteurised milk needs to be kept chilled, and a smaller pack can help reduce waste. The word ‘mild’ doesn’t tell you what the milk will taste like. Check the pack size, ingredients and storage instructions, then try a small quantity first if taste is especially important to you.
If you don’t get through much milk, compare how much you’ll open at a time with the recommended time for using it after opening. UHT cartons, multipacks of smaller cartons and pasteurised milk all have different storage requirements.
Check the stated lactose content and ingredients of the product you choose. Candia’s ‘easy to digest’ GrandLait Frais de Montagne contains semi-skimmed milk and lactase: reduced lactose does not mean dairy-free.
Check the recommended age before choosing a pack size or flavour. Manger Bouger says semi-skimmed milk is suitable from the age of 4; Candia offers a separate product for children from age 3. Guidance for younger children is different.
Start by thinking about how much milk you’ll get through once it’s open, then choose between UHT storage and the chilled aisle. You’ll need to try the milk to judge its taste, while the treatment, pack size and nutritional information can all be checked on the packaging.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Leftovers and storage | How much you’ll open at a time and how long the milk keeps after opening. | When I don’t drink much milk, I want to finish each container within the time stated on the pack. Around 33% of consumers prioritise reducing waste. |
| Taste and everyday use | Whether the milk is UHT or pasteurised, and how it needs to be stored before opening. | For coffee, cereal or cooking, I prefer to try the milk before buying several cartons. Taste and everyday use come first for around 25% of consumers. |
| Lactose | The stated lactose content and whether milk is listed in the ingredients. | If I’m looking to reduce lactose, I need to distinguish this from being dairy-free. This is a priority for around 17% of consumers. |
| Child’s age | The age stated for the product and the type of milk intended for the child. | Before choosing a single-serve portion for a child, I want to know whether the product is suitable for their age. Around 25% of consumers put this check first. |
You can compare the treatment, ingredients and nutritional values per 100 ml, but these alone won’t determine how the milk tastes to you.
If taste is a key factor in your purchase, try one carton or a smaller pack before choosing a larger multipack.
A multipack of smaller cartons lets you open less milk at a time; a large carton may suit you better if you can finish it within the time stated. Candia recommends using GrandLait within 4 days of opening, compared with 3 days for Lactel pasteurised milk and 5 days for the Auchan UHT carton we checked.
Compare your usual consumption with the pack size, and follow the storage instructions for the product you buy.
Candia’s ‘easy to digest’ GrandLait Frais de Montagne contains less than 0.1% lactose, but its ingredients include semi-skimmed milk and lactase.
If you have a milk allergy, don’t rely on the lactose claim alone: check the ingredients and allergen information.
Manger Bouger says semi-skimmed milk is suitable from the age of 4. One Candia product is labelled for children from age 3, but this guidance does not apply to babies or to all semi-skimmed milk.
Check the child’s age and the guidance on the product. For younger children, follow the recommendations for their age.
Lactel offers, among other products, pasteurised semi-skimmed milk and a UHT variety enriched with vitamin D.
The GrandLait range includes UHT semi-skimmed milk, a fresh reduced-lactose variety and a pack for children from age 3.
Carrefour offers UHT semi-skimmed milk, as well as a separate Carrefour Bio UHT variety.
E.Leclerc’s range includes 1 L cartons, as well as 50 cl and 25 cl packs.
Auchan offers UHT semi-skimmed milk, including 1 L cartons and 50 cl packs.
These two Joybuy multipacks suit different routines: 50 cl cartons if you want to open less milk at a time, or 1 L cartons if you drink milk more regularly. Either way, check that the total quantity in the multipack suits you.
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Open 50 cl at a time rather than a litre, while bearing in mind that there are six cartons in the multipack. If you’re looking to reduce lactose, check the stated lactose content and ingredients for this product before choosing it.
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For a household that regularly gets through 1 L cartons. There are six in the multipack, so compare this quantity with how much you drink and check the after-opening instructions on the packaging.
No. Manger Bouger says it is suitable from the age of 4 and provides different guidance for younger children. For children under one, Assurance Maladie recommends continuing with infant formula, so check the child’s age before choosing milk labelled for children.
No. Candia’s ‘easy to digest’ GrandLait Frais de Montagne contains less than 0.1% lactose, but it also contains semi-skimmed milk and lactase. If you need to avoid milk, check the ingredients and allergen information rather than relying on the lactose claim alone.
Compare how they’re treated, their pack sizes, ingredients, storage instructions and nutritional values per 100 ml. The DGCCRF says that nutritional information per 100 g or 100 ml makes products easier to compare; it doesn’t measure how mild the milk tastes.
Follow the timeframe and chilling instructions stated for the product you buy. Lactel recommends using its pasteurised semi-skimmed milk within 3 days, Candia says 4 days for GrandLait, and Auchan says 5 days for the 1 L UHT carton we checked. These timeframes don’t automatically apply to other products.