I know it’s weird, but things like this fascinate me. I like to fill my brain with useful/useless information to dazzle people at parties, or at least I think they are dazzled.
What does the color of milk jugs mean?
The reason for the rainbow of colors is that milk label colors typically correspond with the milk’s percentage of fat. However, not all brands go by this color scheme, which is why it’s still important to scan the label to ensure that you’re choosing the right container for you.
But for those brands that do like to follow a good color scheme, here’s a rundown of the milk label colors you’ll see in the dairy section and what they mean. Some manufacturers will use different colors, so please read the labels to verify.
Blue = 2% milk
Most brands use blue or light blue caps to denote 2% milk.
Green = 1% milk
The color green is typically used for 1% milk.
Red = Whole milk
Whole milk labels are red so that they stand out from the reduced-fat and skim milks.
Purple = Skim milk
Skim milk, or non-fat milk, usually has a purple cap to indicate that it contains little to no fat.
What do the numbers on your milk jug mean?
Those seemingly random numbers near the top of your milk container are not arbitrary at all. Usually located just beside or beneath the sell-by date, they’re a little-known code that tells you where the milk was bottled before it was delivered to your grocery store.
How do you decipher the code?
The code on your milk may seem like a jumble of numbers at first, but it’s actually an innovative and easy-to-follow system if you know how to read it. Here’s how to interpret those numbers:
- Find the secret code, which is usually near the sell-by date. Hint: It always begins with two numbers followed by a dash and ends with a series of one to five additional numbers and/or letters. It will typically look like this: 01-2345 or 01-23.
- Visit Where Is My Milk From and type in the code.
- Voila! You’ll see exactly where your milk was bottled.
Curious how those numbers can point to the diary that produced your milk? Let’s break it down: The first two numbers, which range from 01 to 56, indicate the state where your milk came from. The series of numbers (or numbers and letters) after the dash tells you the dairy farm it came from.
If you can’t find the code on your container of milk, don’t worry. Not all dairy products have codes. Sometimes this is because the product is dairy-free—you won’t find this code on oat milk or almond milk, for instance.
Example
If you look at the image on this page, here is what the cap and codes are telling you.
Cap Color: Purple = Skim Milk
Code: Best by Apr 28, 04:32, Plant #23-01 = The suggested end date is April 28, 2025, and it was bottled by Oakhurst Dairy, Portland, Maine.
Yeah, I am drinking milk from Maine cows!