‘Chocolate milk is the older milk’: Costco shopper questions milk pricing after noticing chocolate is cheaper than regular
A Canadian Costco shopper noted a significant price difference between chocolate and regular milk. Dean K (@deank760) published a viral TikTok that accrued over 64,000 views as of Sunday.
In it, he showcases that the store is selling chocolate milk for less than regular. Several TikTokers who responded to his video shared their own theories as to why this could be the case.
@deank760 #FYI #costofmilk #funny ♬ original sound - Dean K
Chocolate vs. regular
"Why milk is so expensive," the TikToker states at the top of the video. It begins with him cracking open a door in the dairy section at a Costco location. There are several green milk crates placed directly inside the fridge. He pulls a 750ml brown container above a $1.25 yellow price tag.
"Here, $1.25, for chocolate milk. 750 milliliters," he says. Following this, he pans his video up further in the refrigerator showing off a one-liter carton of unflavored milk. "You got one liter, 2%, $3.59."
It's not as if a higher fat content of milk at the store yields a higher price point, either. That's because he pans his camera to the right to reveal a liter carton of 1% milk also retailing for $3.59. "Same with the 1%," he says.
He finished his video with a joke, commenting on the pricing disparity between chocolate versus regular milk. "Now the reason it's so expensive is that the cost of getting the chocolate out of the milk is why we pay so much," he concludes.
Is chocolate milk always cheaper?
Another Canadian retailer, No Frills, also sells chocolate milk at a lower price point. As of this writing, the chain is offering a 2-liter container of chocolate milk for $4.49 each. However, the website indicates its standard pricing is $5.19. Conversely, the 2% regular Neilson variant retails for $5.34.
Other folks, like this Redditor, have also noticed on trips to the supermarket that chocolate sells at a lower price point. Users on the Canadian website Red Flag Deals also remarked that chocolate milk sells for less than regular at Costco.
However, a 2021 piece published by The Lewiston Sun Journal indicates that this isn't necessarily the norm. The outlet says that "chocolate milk is very expensive" adding that "it has sky-high costs."
Again, there are personal anecdotes from shoppers, like this Tiger Net commenter, who state otherwise. While shopping at Food Lion, they noted the same quantity of chocolate milk was .20 cents cheaper than its regular counterpart.
Other TikTokers have noticed a price difference
This user also posted a video pondering why the store he shopped at sold chocolate milk for less than regular. In his clip, he states that regular milk prices were prohibitively expensive. In fact, it cost so much, that he opted not to buy it. Comparatively, the chocolate price point was low enough that he felt more comfortable buying it.
@thebnoth It should be more expensive because its got that extra stuff #milk #chocolatemilk #expensive #chocolate #inflation #cheap ♬ Elevator Music - Bohoman
He couldn't understand why he was paying less money for technically more product. "Chocolate milk is regular milk but with a bunch of stuff added to it," he stated. "So why am I not paying for that extra stuff?"
One commenter who replied to Dean's video had their own theory as to why chocolate milk sells for less. "Chocolate milk is old milk nearly expired mixed with chocolate so you can’t taste its spoil," they said.
Another commented, "Dated a guy that worked at a diary plant. The chocolate milk is the older milk."
Someone else said that dairy farmer sales quotas have something to do with it as well. "Quotas. Dairy farmers pay for quotas so they are regulated with the amount they can produce. And milk never goes on sale and farmers are protected."
Is chocolate milk ‘inferior?’
Murmurs of lower grade milk having its flavor masked by chocolate have circulated the internet. According to a user on this Quora post, "only the best quality milk is sold as appearance grade." They added that discolored or milk with an off-flavor is often used in chocolate variants. Furthermore, these types of milks are utilized in processing various types of cheeses, he claims.
Another Redditor questioned whether or not chocolate milk is made with spoiled dairy and just "re-pasteurized." One commenter highlighted the legal implications for a company knowingly passing off potentially harmful goods as safe for human consumption. This led them to believe this wasn't the case.
Fact checking
Dairy farmer Carrie Mess also penned a blog post disputing this claim, however. Albeit, she referenced some more graphic details. Namely, that "bloody or pus filled" milk is used to manufacture chocolate milk. She primarily highlighted the logistics of transporting milk as a key explanation as to why this isn't the case.
"If chocolate milk was made from bloody milk that would mean that farmers would have to have expensive additional equipment to store that milk. There would also have to be a special milk truck going around to farms to pick it up. Which is pretty absurd when you think about it," she penned.
Snopes says it also investigated accusations that flavored milks are made from expired dairy. According to the fact-checking website, this isn't the case. "The accusation that commercially sold chocolate milk is intentionally made from expired milk is not supported by any available evidence."
The Daily Dot has reached out to Costco and Neilson via email, and Dean via TikTok comment for further information.
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