The Consumers’ Foundation today called on beverage vendors to display what kind of milk they use in their drinks, as a survey showed that about 90 percent do not reveal the brand, and some use a different brand than advertised or include additives.
The foundation conducted a survey of the fresh milk used at 74 hand-shaken drink stores, cafes and breakfast shops between April and May, and revealed the results at a news conference in Taipei.
Only eight shops, or 10.8 percent, showed the brand of milk used on their Web site or menu, foundation chairman Wu Jung-ta (吳榮達) said.
Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei Times
Some of the shops were even found to have added water to dilute the milk without informing customers, he said.
For example, Truedan (珍煮丹) on its Web site advertises the use of artisan milk, but the foundation found the actual store used the widely available Kuang Chuan milk (光泉乳香世家), Wu said.
Some other stores, including Bobo Labo (料料杯), Corner Kitchen Breakfast (轉角廚房早餐店) and Daily Breakfast (達利早餐店), were found to use concentrated milk from New Zealand in their fresh milk tea, which is imported frozen and then diluted with water, Wu said.
Hwa Da Milk Tea (樺達奶茶) used long-life milk, which often has added sugar and preservatives, he added.
Many shops add powdered milk to their regular milk teas while offering a fresh milk option, Wu said, calling on vendors to clearly indicate what kind is in each drink and the brand used.
Fifty of the stores do not include sugar in their base fresh milk tea, foundation deputy secretary-general Tu Kuan-min (杜冠民) said.
However, seven claimed to have no added sugar while using sweetened milk, and three added honey without informing consumers, Tu said.
The remaining 12 add sugar to their basic fresh milk tea, five of which do not allow adjustment, he added, urging vendors to allow customers the option to adjust sugar levels.
The foundation also surveyed the use of disposable cups.
Only two asked customers if they would use a reusable cup, Wu said, urging authorities to use a system of rewards and punishments to achieve the government’s goal of a 25-percent reduction in disposable cup use by next year.
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