What are evaporated milk benefits? Side effects? Is evaporated milk vegan? Gluten free? Acidic or alkaline? Low fodmap? Good for you? Healthy? Sustainable? Here is all the info on evaporated milk that every ethical consumer wants to know…
Food is something we consume every day and if you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on evaporated milk benefits and side effects.
After learning if evaporated milk is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be able to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about evaporated milk benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Evaporated Milk Benefits And Side Effects
Health
Evaporated milk side effects include:
- high cholesterol
- hormone and antibiotic ingestion
- acne
- obesity
- weight gain
Evaporated milk is…
- Acidic 6.5 pH level (processed cow’s milk) once digested
- Gluten free
- Common food allergen: MILK
Environment
Water footprint: low, 1,020 liters of water used to produce 1 kilogram of milk / 122 gallons of water used to produce 1 pound of milk
Carbon footprint: moderate, 2.52 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of evaporated milk, a car driving equivalent of 5.75 miles or 9.25 kilometers
Destruction: high, evaporated milk production is relatively destructive, land usage for pasture, grain and forage, solid waste (excrement/manure) runoff into soil and freshwater, deforestation for feed crops, animal agriculture leading cause of: species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution and habitat destruction, responsible for up to 91% of Amazon destruction
Evaporated milk is…
Animals
Killed: none, no animals are required to be killed in order to produce milk
Harmed: mother cows and calves are distressed due to separation within 24 hours after birth, male calves slaughtered for veal, female calves fed artificially, locked in tiny cages, cows genetically modified to grow so obese that many become lame (unable to walk) shocked with electric prods, shackled with chains and dragged, beaten, prods poked up rectums, live last few months in crowded feedlots with hundreds or thousands of others, without pasture, often without shelter, must stand in mud, ice and their own waste, dairy cows eventually slaughtered for beef once milk production has ended
Animals indirectly killed or harmed: male calves, in most cases the dairy industry sells “unwanted” male calves to be slaughtered for veal, as pregnancy must occur for female cows to lactate and produce milk, wildlife and ecosystems, habitat contamination (water and soil pollution), wildlife habitat destruction (deforestation/land clearing), wolves and coyotes killed to prevent predation on livestock
Evaporated milk is…
- Not Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems
Laborers
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: varies, laborers are often exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place, even if worker protection exists, employer violations may go unreported, refugees and migrant workers are especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment, fearing consequences of job loss or deportation
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Evaporated milk is…
- A product that has labor issues
Netherlands it the leading producer of sweetened condensed or evaporated milk followed by the UK and Belgium. In the United States Wisconsin has the most dairy plants (199 dairy product plants).
Other leading dairy processing states were New York with 123 plants and California with 114 plants.
The world’s top evaporated milk exporting country is USA, followed by New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, UK, Netherlands, France, Portugal, Lithuania and Denmark.
No and here’s why: While evaporated milk is high in protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and riboflavin it is high in cholesterol, saturated fat and often contains antibiotics and hormones such as rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). This is a genetically engineered synthetic hormone by Monsanto to increase milk production levels, resulting in cow mastitis infections, ultimately requiring more antibiotics.
Is evaporated milk alkaline or acidic?
Evaporated milk is acidic.
What is the pH level of evaporated milk?
Evaporated milk, like other processed cow’s milks, has a 6.5 pH level once digested.
When you eat food, it breaks down to an ash residue that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, silver, copper and iron produce an alkaline ash; whereas sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and iodine, which are in meat, coffee, dairy and alcohol, leave an acid ash.
Going alkaline easier than ever with this: Acidic and Alkaline Foods List
Is evaporated milk gluten free?
Yes, evaporated milk is gluten free. Evaporated milk does not contain gluten.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
Is evaporated milk a common food allergen?
Yes, evaporated milk is a common food allergen: milk. Many people experience allergic reactions to evaporated milk.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
These foods account for about 90% of all food allergies in the United States.
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
Water footprint of evaporated milk?
Evaporated milk has a relatively low water footprint compared to other foods and beverages.
What is the water footprint of evaporated milk?
It takes 1,020 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of milk / 122 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of milk.
Did you know that water is a finite, non-renewable resource?
We must do what we can to conserve fresh water and a major way to reduce needless water consumption is to change the way we eat. That’s not to say we need to reduce our water intake….quite the opposite. It’s important for our health to drink lots of water and eat foods that hydrate. The kind of water conservation we’re talking about here is behind the scenes.
How much water does it take to produce an apple? A serving of rice? A steak dinner?
Find out how much water your food consumes with this: Water Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
Carbon footprint of evaporated milk?
Evaporated milk has a relatively moderate carbon footprint compared to other foods and beverages.
What is the carbon footprint of evaporated milk?
It takes around 2.52 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of refrigerated evaporated milk, a car driving equivalent of 5.75 miles or 9.25 kilometers.
Food not only has a water footprint but also a carbon footprint, known as CO2e, which stands for carbon dioxide equivalent. Since carbon measurements are a bit more difficult to comprehend, it is common to equate CO2e to the distance which a car drives in miles or kilometers.
When calculating carbon emissions, some factors may include…
- farm equipment
- animal feed production
- hothouses (greenhouses)
- food processing
- packaging
- transport
- refrigeration
- freezing
- package waste and more
But that’s not all!
It’s best to keep the following in mind when grocery shopping:
- shopping locally reduces transportation emissions
- food without packaging reduces waste as well as the carbon footprint
- refrigerated and frozen foods increase carbon emissions
- seasonal foods reduce carbon emissions from hothouses (greenhouses)
- growing plant-based foods at home is the most environmentally sustainable method with zero carbon footprint
Find out how much carbon your food emits with this: Carbon Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
Is evaporated milk sustainable?
No. Evaporated milk production is relatively unsustainable.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly and is one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
Read more about ‘What Makes Food Sustainable Or Unsustainable?’
Is evaporated milk vegan?
No, evaporated milk is not vegan. Evaporated milk is dairy, the byproduct of a cow, therefore making it an animal-derived food. A mother cow’s milk must be used in order to produce evaporated milk.
Animals of factory farming are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non-Vegan Foods List
Does evaporated milk have human rights issues?
At this time there are concerns with dairy production. It’s important to stay aware of human rights concerns that may come with specific brands.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Sadly, many labor concerns exist around the world in both developed and developing countries. We must be vigilant to ensure what we buy is not contributing to industries that are unfair to their valuable workers. Some known problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can experience harassment, humiliation and violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks. Consequently, laborers can face nausea, dizziness, heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke -the leading cause of farmworker death!
Such mistreatment is like modern day slavery. Workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation.
Fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
We can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Be sure to read up on this list of ‘Foods You Should Always Buy Fair Trade‘
This post was all about evaporated milk benefits and side effects.
Sources:
Milk, evaporated, 2% fat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D
PETA 12 reasons to stop drinking cow’s milk
Milk Evaporated, Shelf Stable – Agricultural Marketing Service
