The Consumers’ Foundation yesterday 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 in April and May, and presented the results at a news conference in Taipei.
Only eight shops, or 10.8 percent, showed on their Web site or menu the brand of milk used, 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.
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, with the milk 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 claim to have no added sugar while using sweetened milk, and three add honey without informing consumers, Tu said.
Twelve add sugar to their basic fresh milk tea, and five of those do not allow adjustments, he added, urging vendors to allow customers the option to adjust sugar levels.
The foundation also surveyed the use of disposable cups.
Only two shops asked customers if they would use a reusable cup, Wu said, urging authorities to use a system of reward and punishment to achieve the government’s goal of reducing disposable cup use by 25 percent by next year.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
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