Why is prepackaged chocolate milk thicker in consistency than the chocolate milk you make at home?

Answer 1

It is mixed by industrial machines. And they aren't using the cheap plain, jane chocolate syrup or powder we do.

Answer 2

Well to answer that question, I would suggest that you check the ingredients label on the prepackaged chocolate milk that you are buying. Chances are that they are adding a lot more 'ingredients' then you are!

Some are to preserve the product [and if you think about it, us too!], some are to give it a more appealing color, and some are to thicken it to what they think is the optimal texture.

Then think about how you make it at home... Milk [ whole, 2%, skim ], chocolate [ powder, liquid, real ] .

Bet yours has a ton less ingredients. If you want yours to be thicker, add more chocolate or less liquid. Oh and BTW, I never use water in my chocolate milk!

Answer 3

The amount of people on Yahoo! Answers who make wild guesses and just make things up is amazing to me. If you don’t know the answer, then don’t answer the question. Answers like; “I think” or “I guess” are completely useless and invalid answers to me.
Some of you know what you’re writing about and have responded with well thought out answers.

Kudos to “doc_of_blood” and especially “LX V” for knowing what they are talking about instead of just guessing.

All of the chocolate milk that I’ve seen sold in the stores and markets is made from low fat milk. I have seen it sold as 2%, 1% or non-fat, milk fat.

When I was a teenager I worked in a plant that manufactured the flavoring concentrate for many big soft drink manufactures including Coca-Cola. It was there that I learned of things like “gum arabic” that was used in the soft drink concentrate and other gums.

Gums like carrageenan, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, locust bean gum and agar gum are used in manufactured or processed food. They are used mainly as a thickener in drinks like chocolate milk but they are also used to help keep ice cream from forming ice crystals.

Without seeing the list of ingredients on the container of chocolate milk you drank it would be impossible to tell you for sure. To answer your question, the chocolate milk that you buy at the store has probably one of the thickeners that I mentioned with carrageenan being the most common for all milk products. I wasn’t able to find the exact ingredients to chocolate milk on the Internet. Some chocolate milk doesn’t have any added gum but it is rare.

I have provided you with a link to a web site where you can buy your own carrageenan powder to make great thick chocolate milk or homemade ice cream. I am thinking about buying some myself because it wasn’t easy to find anyone who sells this stuff.

I looked at many sites for the information that I provided including:

Coffee Drink Supplies ~ Coffee Wholesalers

How Stuff Works

Wikipedia

Answer 4

The mix contains powdered milk with the idea that you can mix it with hot water instead of hot milk. When you mix it with milk its thicker because theres double the milk/fat. When you mix it in water the consistency should be the same.

Answer 5

The other answers have been good ideas. Another reason may be the High Fructose Corn Syrup it contains. When you make it at home, it doesn't have it and is better for you.

Answer 6

I think they have to add something to it so the chocolate doesn't seperate from the milk and settle to the bottom.

Answer 7

I know that the premade stuff contains carageenan which is a kind of gelatin. I believe it is derived from seaweed. You find it in most ice creams too.

Answer 8

my guess would be that they use a syrup, and alot of it.
Blessings!