There is no longer any whole milk: now it is called whole milk. Is it to combat fatphobia?

Brands like Mimosa, Terra Nostra and Continente no longer have “whole milk” on the labels of milk cartons. “The word fat no longer sells, there are those who consider it fatphobic.”

The phenomenon is occurring in major Portuguese brands, for example, but it has also reached white supermarket brands, such as . Whole milk is no longer “fat”: it is “whole“.

The most curious thing is that the brands did not comment on the sudden change, and social media users, who noticed the difference in the labels weeks ago, began to speculate about the reason and impact of the decision.

Many surprised consumers speculated about the possible fear on the part of brands to have negative connotations in its products, associated with the word “fat”. But even though the labels have “whole milk” written on them, the milk descriptions on the brands’ websites still say “whole milk.”

“The world is really messed up”, complains one internet user: “I don’t know what to say anymore”. Another person: “sand maybe calling milk fat could be bullying”.

To , nutritionist Mária Benedito explains that the change may effectively be related to marketing strategies that avoid terms with a negative connotation such as “fat”, associated with fatphobia (or “fat shaming”, the name given to prejudice against fat bodies).

“The word fat no longer sells“, says the nutritionist: “whole milk doesn’t sell because the word ‘fatty’ has a negative connotation. There are those who consider him fatphobic.”

But the designation “integer” is already common in countries like France and Spain, where “Lait Entier” and “Leche Entera” are used, respectively. And, if we think about it, perhaps it is even more correct: “it is called whole because it is not modified, it is the original”, explains the nutritionist.

“The fattier milk has just over 3% fat, which makes it creamier. In Portugal it fell into disuse, with preference being given to semi-skimmed milk”, says Benedito.

Alexandre Fernandes, nutritionist and therapist, highlights to the weekly that whole milk does not undergo fat removal, unlike semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. Thus, the change is only in the nomenclature, while the properties of this milk remain unchanged.

Benedito warns, however, of the risk of food misinformation with the change. Some brands use strategies that promote their products as healthier, influencing consumer choices.

The Mimosa website, for example, describes whole milk as “ideal for those looking for all the flavor and nutritional richness of milk”. The expert highlights: food literacy is essential for an informed choice.