A milk bottle top is a lid to a milk bottle. Unlike the lids to most other food and drink containers, milk bottle tops are systematically colour-coded to signify to the consumer different varieties of milk. This colour coding tends to vary between, but is usually consistent within, each country.

Countries

Federal Republic of Germany

• Lavender top - Skim milk
• Light blue top - 1% milk
• Dark Blue top - 2% milk
• Green top - Whole Milk
• Light Green top -Buttermilk

French Republic

• Aluminum top - Skim milk
• Red top - whole milk
• Blue top - 1% milk
• Yellow top - 2% milk
• Green top - cream

Canada

• Green top - Skim milk
• Pink top - 1% milk
• Blue top - 2% milk
• Red top - Unhomogenized
• Black- Chocolate milk

United Mexican States

• Yellow top - Whole Milk
• Green top - 2% milk
• Blue top - 1% milk
• Red top - Skim milk

Éire Republic of Ireland

• Blue top - whole milk
• Red top - 2% milk
• Green top - 1% milk
• Pink top - Skim Milk
• White top - creamer

Kingdom of Norway

• Pink top - Whole milk
• Yellow top - 2% milk
• Green top - 1% milk
• Blue top - Skim milk

State of Israel

• Red top - Kefir
• Blue top - Whole milk
• Light blue top - 2% milk
• Green top - 1% milk
• Light green - Skim milk

Finland

• Red - whole milk (3.5% fat)
• Dark blue - normal milk (1.5% fat)
• Blue - light milk (1% fat)
• Light blue - fat free milk

Australia

• Blue top - Regular milk
• Purple top - Reduced Fat milk
• Light blue top - Low Fat milk
• Red top - Skim milk
• Gold Top - Unhomogenized

New Zealand

• Purple top - full fat milk
• Dark blue top - standard fat milk
• Light blue top - "lite"(light fat) milk
• Dark green top - trim (semi skimmed) milk
• Light green top - trim (fully skimmed) milk
• Yellow top - trim (fully skimmed with added calcium) milk
• Red top - fresh cream

Peoples' Republic of China

• Blue top - Whole Milk
• Red - Reduced Fat
• Dark Green - Low Fat
• Light Green - Skim

Republic of China

• Dark Green top - Whole Milk
• Red top - Reduced Fat
• Yellow top - Skim Milk

Russian Federation

• Green top - Whole Milk
• Blue top - Half Milk
• Red top - Reduced Milk
• Pink top- Low fat
• Yellow top- Skim Milk

United Kingdom

See

Plastic bottles

• Blue tops (whole/full fat) indicate the highest fat content, 3.25%
• Green (semi skimmed) indicates fat content around 1.8%
• Red (skimmed) means minimal fat, typically 0.1%

and much less commonly,

• Purple (partially skimmed) or orange at Sainsbury's indicates 1% fat content.
• Gold (Channel Island milk) indicates around 5.5% fat content.

Glass bottles

See also

• Silver foil indicates whole milk.
• Red striped foil indicates semi skimmed milk.
• Blue hatched foil on a silver background indicates skimmed milk.
• Green foil indicates raw (unpasteurized) milk, giving rise to the name "green-top milk".

United States of America

• Red tops indicate whole milk.
• Pink or light blue tops indicate skim milk.
• Blue tops indicate 2% milk.
• Yellow or purple tops indicate 1% milk.
• Brown tops indicate chocolate milk.
• Green tops indicate buttermilk.
• White tops indicate Unhomogenized milk.
• Black tops indicate Unpasteurized milk.

Benefits

The colour-coding of milk bottle tops helps consumer quickly choose the product that is right for him or her without having to scrutinise the labels. It also encourages consistency in the product across regions.

Criticisms

Critics assert that placing such an emphasis on fat content diminishes the perceived importance of other qualities of manufactured milk, like the addition of vitamins and homogenising chemicals, whether it was organically produced, and the welfare of the animals farmed for it.

References