FAQs

Yes, Natrel introduced the first Fine-filtered Organic milk in Ontario and Quebec several years ago. All our Natrel Organic Fine-filtered milk comes from Certified Organic farms and is processed at our certified organic dairy. You can enjoy 1%, 2% and 3.8% m.f. varieties in 1L, 2L and 4L sizes.

Yes, you can freeze Natrel milk. In cartons or bags it can go straight into the freezer but jugs needs to be decanted into a suitable container. Freezing milk does not alter its taste or its nutritional value, but the texture and appearance may be slightly modified. Thaw the milk in the refrigerator and shake well before consuming. Milk can be frozen for up to 3 weeks. Once thawed, the milk must be consumed within days.

Yes, you can freeze Natrel chocolate milk. It can go straight into the freezer for a maximum of three weeks. Freezing milk does not alter its taste or its nutritional value, but the texture and appearance may be slightly modified. Thaw the milk in the refrigerator and shake well before consuming within days.

At Natrel, we don’t just pasteurise our milk. We also fine-filter every drop to remove virtually all the bacteria that makes milk go sour, so it tastes purer and stays fresher longer. Naturally. Without preservatives.

Natrel milk can be given to children once they are weened from breastmilk or infant formula. Consult your doctor on the right time for your child to move to cows milk.

Natrel is part of Agropur dairy co-operative. Agropur is a co-operative of about 3,000 farmer members who are committed to ensuring the highest animal welfare standards and strives to ensure that all members exceed Provincial Dairy Regulations , legislation relating to quality, traceability, hygiene and animal welfare.

Yes. Natrel makes Lactose-free milk in 1L, 2L and 4L sizes and in skim, 1%, and 2% m.f. NEW Lactose-free 10% Coffee Cream and 35% Whipping Cream are also available… so now Natrel gives you the freedom to love milk again.

Natrel currently makes only three cream varieties: Natrel Lactose Free 10% Coffee cream, Natrel Lactose Free 35% Whipping cream and Natrel Cafe, a variety of flavoured creams for coffee and desserts.

No, we don’t add anything to Natrel Fine-filtered milk to keep it fresher. It is the Fine-filtering that makes Natrel milk taste purer and stay fresher longer. Naturally. Without preservatives.

The vitamin A in milk is found in the fat particles. The process of skimming milk tends to reduce the amount of vitamin A that is naturally present in milk. This is why vitamin A must be added to low-fat milks. The vitamin A added to milk is called Palmitate.

Vitamin D is added to milk to maximize the body’s capacity to absorb the calcium it needs to build and maintain healthy bones and teeth. A glass of milk meets 45% of your daily vitamin D requirements.

If the carton or bag is sealed, milk will keep in a refrigerated environment for 35-37 days. Once the carton or bag has been opened, we recommend it be consumed within 7-10 days. You can help extend the shelf life of your milk by keeping it cold. Pick it up as your last item in the store; if possible,carry an insulated bag to bring it home; get it in the fridge quickly and after opening promptly return it to the fridge after every use. Remember milk can start to spoil after only 20 minutes in a non-refrigerated environment…so keep it cold.

Once milk is open, bacteria can enter and start to turn the milk sour. By resealing the carton or folding the bag to remove air AND promptly returning them to the refrigerator after use, you can help keep your Natrel milk tasting purer and fresher.

Unless you are buying a speciality milk like Natrel Calcium Milk Beverage, only vitamin A and vitamin D are added to milk. There are no preservatives added to any of the products that Natrel offers. Extended shelf life for Natrel milk and cream is achieved by using different methods of pasteurization or filtration.

Yes, you can interchange milk with Natrel Lactose Free milk in any cooking or baking recipes.

Yes! You can sour your own milk by adding one tablespoon of either vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of Natrel milk. We do not recommend that you use any milk product that has expired or gone “off” to ensure your baking turns out perfectly.

Absolutely not. Happy cows are productive cows. Bovine Growth Hormone used in the USA is illegal in Canada because its use is thought to be harmful to cows and considered unethical. All Natrel milk comes from Canadian cows who live on Canadian farms. At Natrel we love Happy Cows.

The dairies that produce Natrel milk are located in Quebec, Ontario and B.C. To make sure you get the freshest, purest tasting products with the longest shelf-life possible, we source our milk locally and produce it locally. Milk has a relatively short shelf life, around 22 days and although the dairy experts at Natrel have found a way, by finely filtering it, to make our milk stay and taste fresher longer, around 35 days, that’s still not enough time to ship and distribute it throughout Canada. We are working on packaging and product innovations that may help extend the shelf life of our products naturally so that someday our entire product line may be enjoyed across the country.

If the store currently has some Natrel products on shelf, ask the Dairy Manager to order the product you are looking for on his next order. Most stores receive an order once or twice a week at least. If it still doesn’t show up on the shelf, drop us a note through the Contact Us section of this website with the details and we’ll send a representative to try and get the product added. Unfortunately certain stores do not carry Natrel products for contractual reasons. If your store is one of these then we can let you know what stores in your area carry our products

Natrel milk is widely available in supermarkets, convenience stores, mass merchandisers and warehouse clubs. If you are having trouble finding us, send us an email through the “contact us” section of our website and we’ll find a location close to you and let you know.

No. In Canada, the use of artificial growth hormones is prohibited for dairy cows and antibiotic use must comply with Canadian law. Regulations concerning the safety and quality of the milk supply is very strict including its inspection and its testing, both on farms and in dairy processing plants. Natrel milk does not contain preservatives, we finely filter our milk so it stays fresh longer.
Learn more on Health Canada’s website

No. Natrel Lactose Free milk and cream will not promote lactose intolerance in people who are normally able to drink milk containing lactose. Unless you have a milk protein allergy, this milk can be enjoyed by everyone with or without lactose intolerance.

Yes, several of Natrel’s products are gluten free.
Natrel Café: French Vanilla, Hazelnut, Irish Cream, Moka
Natrel Calcium Dairy Beverage: , 1%, 2%
Natrel Fine Filtered Milk: skim, 1%, 2%, 3.25%
Natrel Flavoured Milk in Single Serve Format:  Chocolate, Vanilla, 2% milk
Natrel Flavoured Milk – Dark Chocolate 1%, Milk Chocolate 1%
Natrel Lactose Free Milk: skim, 1%, 2%
Natrel Lactose Free Cream – 10% Coffee Cream and 35% Whipping Cream
Natrel Omega 3 Milk Beverage: 1%, 2%
Natrel Omega 3 DHA 2%
Natrel Organic Fine-Filtered Milk – 1%, 2%, 3.8%

There are two types of trans fats, those that are naturally occurring and those that have been artificially manufactured. Naturally occurring trans fats present in dairy products are not associated with health problems.

The trans fats in dairy products are produced in the rumen (stomach) of cows. They are also present in small amounts in the meat of ruminant animals such as beef and lamb.

Dairy fat contains very small amounts of naturally occurring trans fats – 250mL of whole milk; 30 g of cheddar cheese and 10 g of butter each contain 300mg (0.3 g) of trans fat. In contrast, foods containing industrial trans fat contain several grams. A donut can contain as much as 6000mg (6.0 g) of trans fat.

Some studies have shown that Natural trans fats present in Dairy products, like CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), may be beneficial to health and protect us from some types of cancer, such as breast cancer.

On the contrary, artificially-produced trans fats are considered the worst type of fat for the heart. Indeed, they lower the good cholesterol (HDL) and raise the bad cholesterol (LDL), which greatly increases the risk of heart disease.

These artificially-produced trans fats are produced during a process called “partial hydrogenation” (or commonly known as “hydrogenation”). Through this process, a vegetable oil is transformed into a solid fat at room temperature. Artificially-produced trans fats are found in many margarines and all vegetable shortenings, as well as the foods made with them, including many commercial snacks, baked goods and fried foods.

Want to know more, visit the Dairy Farmers of Canada website.

Yes, our milk is pasteurised and homogenized. If you want to know the difference between the two, check out more frequently asked questions on this site.

Yes, Homogenization is the process that allows milk to have a homogeneous (uniform) consistency. If you take a litre of milk straight from a cow and place it in a refrigerator, all of the cream will completely separate, leaving you with skim milk on the bottom and a layer of cream on the top. To make “2% milk,” you need the cream to stay suspended in the milk. Homogenization is the process of breaking up the fat globules in cream to a small enough size so that they remain suspended evenly in the milk rather than separating out and floating to the surface.

The process of pasteurization was named after Louis Pasteur who discovered that spoilage organisms could be inactivated in wine by applying heat at temperatures below its boiling point. The process was later applied to milk and remains one of the most important operations in the processing of milk.

Although it is carried out at different stages depending on the product, pasteurization is a step in the manufacturing process of every dairy product with the exception of some unpasteurized cheeses.

If you boil a liquid, you can kill all bacteria and make the food sterile, but you often significantly affect the taste and nutritional value of the food. When you pasteurize it instead, what you are doing is heating it to a high enough temperature to kill certain (but not all) bacteria and to disable certain enzymes, and in return you are minimizing the effects on taste as much as you can. Prior to pasteurization, many diseases were transmitted through raw milk to children and adults alike. That problem has been completely eliminated.

No, Natrel Fine-filtered milk is pasteurized, like all milk. But by using our fine-filtering method we can remove virtually all the bacteria so our milk tastes purer and stays fresher longer than milk that has only been pasteurized.

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. This leads to increased bone fragility and risk of broken bones, particularly of the hip, spine and wrist.  The loss of bone mass occurs without symptoms so many people are unaware they are at risk.

According to Osteoporosis Canada, one in four women over the age of 50 has osteoporosis. At least one in eight men over 50 also has the disease. However, the disease can strike at any age.

Calcium is crucial to maintain life. Virtually every cell in your body, including those in the heart, nerves and muscles, relies on calcium to function properly. Bones require calcium to maintain their strength.

Calcium is found in four places in your body, bones, teeth, cells and blood. Since calcium is so important, your body makes sure it has a supply ready whenever it needs it by absorbing it from the food you eat, slowing down how much leaves your body in urine and by taking it from bones if there is not enough available through the other sources.

Good calcium nutrition helps to maintain an adequate supply so that your body doesn’t have to dip into its only calcium reservoir – your bones.

Age	Daily calcium requirement
4 to 8	800 mg
9 to 18	1300 mg
19 to 50	1000 mg
50+	1200 mg
Pregnant or lactating women 18+	1000 mg

Source: http://www.osteoporosis.ca

Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt are excellent sources of calcium because they contain high amounts of calcium that are easily absorbed by the body. Skim milk products provide as much calcium as whole milk with the added advantage of less fat and cholesterol. Salmon and sardines with bones in, tofu and beans are also good sources of calcium.

Virtually all body cells, including those of the heart, nerves and muscles, need calcium to function properly. Calcium is essential for building and maintaining strong bones. It helps maintain a normal heartbeat and regulates blood pressure and can also help reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Calcium is important for normal blood clotting, which is essential to healing. Calcium helps control muscle contraction and relaxation. Some studies suggest calcium can help prevent colon cancer in certain people. Calcium is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system.

Vitamin D, as well as calcium, is essential to preventing osteoporosis and may reduce other health risks such as diabetes and immune system disorders. While sunlight provides vitamin D, Canadians may experience seasonal vitamin D deficiency in winter because winter sunlight in northern latitudes does not contain enough ultraviolet B for vitamin D production. Milk fortified with vitamin D3 contains 100 IUs per 250 ml glass or 45% of your daily required intake.

For more information check out Osteoporosis Canada website: http://www.osteoporosis.ca

Natrel Fine-filtered milk undergoes a gentle filtering process where virtually all of the bacteria that is naturally present in milk, is removed. Regular pasteurization kills bacteria but does not remove it. Our specially designed filter allows all of the natural protein, vitamins and minerals to pass through ensuring that Natrel Fine-filtered milk retains all of its original nutritional goodness. Plus, because over 99% of the natural bacteria that makes milk go sour is removed, Natrel milk has a richer, creamier texture and tastes purer and stays fresh longer than regular pasteurized milks, without preservatives. Naturally. Try some today and you’ll know exactly what we mean.