Update- Fairlife has made a lot of news lately and I do cover that in this post. Please read to the end to see my thoughts on what happened.
What is fairlife milk?
fairlife milk is milk. That’s the simple answer. To answer more in depth, fairlife is a milk that has been filtered in a way that allows the components of milk; fat, protein, minerals, water and lactose to be divided into its most basic parts. Once the milk is divided into its most basic parts, fairlife recombines the parts, leaving out the lactose, some of the fat and increasing the protein and nutrients.
The filtration process is not some sort of chemical process, nothing is added to the milk for it to be filtered. Filtered means just that, the milk is sent through filters to strain the different parts out. You can read more about the filtration process on the fairlife website.
If you have a big bowl of fruit salad but you take out the blueberries because someone is allergic to them, it’s still fruit salad right? fairlife is milk, end of story.
Why is Coca-Cola involved with fairlife milk?
First things first, fairlife isn’t that new. Back in 2012 the people behind fairlife had their product on some store shelves but they didn’t have the distribution that they thought their product deserved. So they began talking to Coke about a partnership.
If I had a business that made a drink that I wanted to see on as many store shelves as possible, I’d talk to Coca-Cola too! Coke saw the opportunity to bring a new, innovative and healthy option to the dairy case and signed on.
Update- Coca Cola Purchases Fairlife.
Who are the people behind fairlife?
Mike and Sue McCloskey are not only the founders of fairlife, they are the owners of Fair Oaks Farms. Fair Oaks, fairlife… see the connection?
If Fair Oaks Farms sounds familiar it may be because Mike Rowe played cow midwife in an episode of Dirty Jobs there. Or maybe you’ve visited their farm? With over 500,000 people stopping to visit each year, Fair Oaks Farms isn’t just any old farm. It’s a destination that connects people to how their food is created from the very start.
While Fair Oaks Farm is a very large farm, Mike and Sue and everyone there farm with absolute transparency.
Random cool fact, Mike is also a veterinarian! Fair Oaks Farms is a thoroughly modern dairy farm that is constantly innovating to be the best stewards of the environment and caretakers of their cows. After visiting the farm myself, I can say that I have zero qualms about buying their products. Anyone reading this can visit for themselves and see exactly what goes on behind the scenes of fairlife.
Is fairlife lactose free? Will it compete with regular milk?
In my opinion, probably not. People who are happy with their standard gallon of milk probably won’t be ditching it for a jug of fairlife. Since the lactose in fairlife is removed in the filtration process, it’s a great alternative for people who are lactose intolerant or are on a lower sugar diet. It’s also a great product for people who want to add protein to their diet. I think fairlife brings more options to the dairy aisle and choice is a good thing. I’d rather people grab fairlife than milk alternatives. You can learn more about milk HERE.
How does fairlife stack up to regular milk nutritionally?
So what’s the big difference between regular milk and fairlife? While I love me regular milk, I have to say, what fairlife offers ounce for ounce is pretty awesome. Especially for people who are seeking out this kind of product.
When you compare a serving of fairlife to 2% Milk, fairlife offers 5g more of protein, almost 100mg more calcium and only 6g of sugar compared to the 12g of standard milk, with the same calorie content.
Should we gather all the fairlife and burn it at the stake?
While it may appear that there is witchcraft involved, it’s just a combination of cows, science and innovation. I think we can probably save the firewood for something more deserving.
Update- 6/6/19
This week an undercover video was released that was filmed on Fair Oaks Farms. You can read my thoughts on it HERE. I also recommend watching the video from Fair Oaks Farms founder, Mike McCloskey.
You can read more about what is and isn’t in milk HERE.
