Powdered milk is an essential food supplement for babies, and choosing good quality milk is necessary. However, there are many fake milk products on the market that look almost identical to real milk. Therefore, it’s important to know how to distinguish between real and fake milk to avoid purchasing counterfeit products.

1. How to Differentiate Fake Milk by Looking at the Packaging

1.1. Labels and Packaging

Real Milk:

• The color and patterns are clear, well-balanced, and not blurry or faded. Information like brand name, ingredients, usage instructions, production date, and storage instructions is clearly printed on the packaging.

• Imported foreign milk does not have Vietnamese text printed directly on the packaging.

• The lid of the container is typically sealed with a security seal.

Fake Milk:

• The colors or prints are not sharp, may be blurry, or overly bright.

• The information printed on the milk carton is unclear or missing.

1.2. Product Barcode

You can check the origin of the milk using the barcode printed on the packaging. Here are some barcode country codes you can refer to:

• 893: Vietnam

• 885: Thailand

• 880: South Korea

• 888: Singapore

• 690 - 692: China

• 00 - 13: USA and Canada

• 49 - 49: Japan

• 30 - 37: France

• 40 - 44: Germany

• 471: Taiwan

• 489: Hong Kong

• 94: New Zealand

• 93: Australia

• 50: UK

1.3. Expiration Date

Real Milk:

• The production and expiration dates are embossed or printed clearly on the packaging, with no signs of fading or erasure.

Fa.ke Milk:

• There are two common types of fake milk:

  1. Real milk past the expiration date but with the expiration date altered or made unclear to deceive consumers. This type is often sold at much lower prices than real milk.

  2. Fake powdered milk packaged with the branding of a well-known brand. Fake products usually have blurry packaging, poor quality labels, and are sold at lower prices, so buyers need to be cautious with cheap products.

2. Signs Your Baby Might Be Drinking Fa.ke Milk

The powdered milk market is currently facing the issue of widespread fake milk, which uses increasingly sophisticated tricks to mislead consumers. Giving your baby fake milk can pose serious health ri.sks, which can be recognized through the following signs:

• Digestive Issues: Babies might experience problems like stomach pain, nausea, or diarrhea due to their immature digestive systems being unable to adapt to the harmful ingredients in fake milk.

• Fatigue: Fake milk not only fails to provide the necessary nutrients but also causes poisoning, leading to tiredness, vomiting, dehydration, and even unconsciousness. The weakened immune system also makes the baby more susceptible to il.lnesses such as coughs, colds, and runny noses.

• Weight Loss or No Weight Gain: Instead of healthy weight gain, babies drinking fake milk may lose weight or suffer from malnutrition due to the lack of essential nutrients and ha.rmful substances.

3. The Ha.rm of Giving Babies Fake Milk

Bab.ies have a very weak digestive system, and consuming low-quality milk can lead to allergies, diarrhea, and even poisoning. Additionally, if the ingredients and manufacturing process are not up to standard, bacteria and mold can enter the milk, causing the consumer to suffer from muscle paralysis, poisoning, respiratory issues, or even de.ath. To avoid buying fa.ke milk that could ha.rm your health, mothers should buy products from well-known brands at trusted outlets.

4. Some Tips When Choosing and Using Powdered Milk for Babies

When purchasing milk, mothers should make it a habit to read and understand the information printed on the packaging, including the ingredients, benefits, and origin of the product. Mothers should also monitor their baby's health while using the product. Aside from accidentally buying fake milk, it's also possible that a baby's constitution or physical condition is incompatible with the milk being used. If the baby shows any unusual signs like diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, excessive gas, or respiratory issues, and the cause is suspected to be the milk, mothers should stop using it and take the baby to a medical facility for examination.