Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
By Justin Long, Writer at Switch4Good
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a hot topic, and for good reason. Linked to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and a host of other health issues, UPFs are a primary culprit in the Standard American Diet, wreaking havoc on human health. Walk into any major grocery store in the U.S., and you’ll find aisles overflowing with these pseudo-foods, while the fresh, whole foods our bodies actually need are relegated to a small section, usually the produce aisle.
When we think of processed foods, bright orange boxed mac & cheese and neon-colored bags of cheese puffs might come to mind. But what if I told you that dairy, in all its forms, is highly processed? Not just the obvious ultra-processed varieties like cheese dips and pudding cups, but even the glass of milk in your fridge.
Ultra-Processed Dairy: The Obvious Offenders
Some dairy products clearly fall into the ultra-processed category—spray cheese, whipped toppings, artificially flavored coffee creamers, and ice creams packed with stabilizers and preservatives. These foods bear little resemblance to cow’s milk, as they undergo significant alterations, including the addition of emulsifiers and artificial colors to enhance appearance, taste, texture, and shelf life.
But while it’s easy to see these products as processed, what about dairy products deemed more “natural?”
Cheese, Butter, and Yogurt
Moving further down the spectrum, we come to cheese, butter, and yogurt. While these products might seem closer to their original state, they still require significant processing. Cheese is made through fermentation, pasteurization, and the addition of enzymes—usually rennet, an enzyme taken from the stomach lining of ruminant animals—before being aged. Butter is churned from cream that’s already been processed. Yogurt is cultured with bacterial strains that ferment lactose into lactic acid—yep, the same stuff contributing to foot odor. While these steps might not be as extreme as what ultra-processed dairy products go through, they still fundamentally change raw milk.
Milk is far from Minimally Processed
Even milk—the most widely consumed dairy product in the world—goes through multiple processing steps before it reaches your glass. After collection, milk is filtered to remove impurities like dirt, bacteria, and somatic cells, then pasteurized to kill harmful microbes and extend its shelf life. Homogenization follows, breaking fat globules into tiny particles to create a uniform texture. Even then, synthetic vitamins A and D are added, altering it even more.
Milk is also standardized to adjust fat content, creating whole, reduced-fat, or skim varieties. Some varieties even have dried milk solids added back in to improve texture and protein content. Flavored milk products are altered even more, with added sugars and artificial flavorings pushing them further from their original form.
The Hidden Processing Before the Milk is Even Collected
Modern dairy is all about efficiency and maximum yield. To maintain continuous milk production, cows are kept in a cycle of annual pregnancies. They produce milk both after giving birth and during their gestation periods. Typically, cows are artificially inseminated within three months postpartum to maintain this cycle. These cows are selectively bred to produce unnaturally high amounts of milk. Many are given growth hormones, like bovine somatotropin (bST), to further increase production. While consumers express concerns about consuming soy products–most of which are unfounded–they may not realize that dairy cows are frequently fed diets rich in genetically modified grains and soy rather than grass from a pasture. This feeding practice alters the nutritional composition of their milk, increasing inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. The administration of antibiotics, including doxycycline and sulfadimethoxine, to dairy cows raises concerns about the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria, posing significant risks to public health, such as increased susceptibility to infections and diseases.
And Finally, for the Organic or Raw Milk Enthusiast
For anyone who prefers their dairy more “pure” –raw, straight from the teat, and still thinks this is a healthier option–it’s important to note that, despite all of the aforementioned processes, cow hormones–namely estrogen and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)–remain present and intact in the final product. Additionally, studies have detected trace amounts of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic in cow’s milk and other dairy products. No matter what the label claims–whether the cows are organic, grass-fed, free-range, affectionately named, or treated to spa days–these contaminants and endocrine-disrupting hormones, not meant for human consumption, will always be along for the ride.
Rethinking Dairy as a Processed Food
By the time milk reaches store shelves, it has been processed not just after leaving the cow, but from the very moment the cow was bred, fed, and milked. The idea that dairy is a purely natural food is a marketing illusion, one that ignores the extensive steps taken to modify and refine it at every stage.
If we recognize dairy as the processed food it is, we shift the conversation about its role in our diet. Just like with any processed product, we have to consider what goes into it before we consume it. When it comes to dairy, it’s time to rethink what we consider “natural.”
Ready to explore a dairy-free lifestyle? Discover our curated resources below to help you make the transition enjoyable and delicious!
