What is the difference between canned Wangzai and boxed Wangzai? Nutritionist: There is a big difference, don't buy the wrong one

Wangzai, both adults and children love it.

After a survey, we found that the number of people who like to drink canned Wangzai far exceeds those who like to drink boxed Wangzai. The reason is that the canned version tastes mellower and more satisfying! Of course, some friends also like to drink boxed Wangzai because the boxed version is not too sweet and not easy to get sick of.

It's obviously the same kind of milk, so why is it divided internally into the can party and the box party?

It wasn’t until we bought two sizes of Wangzai and studied them that we discovered that the color, aroma and taste of these two types of milk are actually completely different!

1. What is the difference between canned and boxed? Pour the boxed and canned Wangzai milk into a cup and you will find that the colors of the two Wangzai are actually different: the boxed Wangzai is normal milky white, while the canned Wangzai is a bit brown.

Take another sip and you'll find that the canned Wangzai is noticeably sweeter and has a hint of caramel, like a low-end version of milk tea. The boxed Wangzai, on the other hand, has a lighter aroma, like regular milk with sugar added.

But judging from the ingredient list, there is no difference in the composition of the two types of milk. Even the fat content, which has the greatest impact on the milk flavor, is exactly the same.

Could it be that the manufacturer secretly added something to the canned milk without our knowledge...?

02 The reason is here. Don’t guess. Wangzai has already officially announced the reason:

Wangzai Milk is a formula milk, which contains milk, sugar, edible flavors and some other food additives.

During the heating process, these sugars will react with the proteins in the milk to produce a brown product - melanoidin. This product is very common in food: roast duck skin, toast edges, crispy parts of pancakes, roasted coffee beans...

Because of the different packaging methods, canned Wangzai has an additional high-temperature sterilization process than boxed Wangzai. This results in a deeper Maillard reaction, more brown products, and naturally a darker color.

The Maillard reaction is more than just a color change. It is a major part of the culinary world and is even called a flavor reaction. The unique flavors of many foods are inseparable from this reaction: the sweet aroma of toasted bread, the burnt aroma of French fries after frying, the barbecue flavor of steak after grilling, and so on.

The Maillard reaction can be divided into three stages: initial, advanced and final.

As the sterilization time and temperature increase, the reaction gradually escalates, and the flavor substances produced become more and more complex. The flavors of these substances vary, such as fruity, nutty, boiled meat, barbecue, butter, caramel and coconut.

It seems that the Maillard reaction of canned Wangzai is deeper and produces more flavor substances, so it is no wonder that its aroma is richer~

03 Why does canned Wangzai taste sweeter? In addition to the difference in color and aroma, friends generally think that canned Wangzai is sweeter! Is it because the Maillard reaction consumes sugar, so the manufacturer added more sugar to the canned Wangzai in advance?

To verify, we sent two types of Wangzai to test the sugar content. The results are as follows:

Judging from the results, the sugar content of the two milks is almost the same (only 0.5g difference per 100g), which is not enough to cause such a big difference in the sweetness of the milk.

Where does the sweetness come from? We guess it may be related to the aroma of canned Wangzai.

Cooking pays attention to color, aroma and taste because our taste buds are affected by the smell of food. This phenomenon is called odor-induced taste enhancement (OICTP).

Scholars have conducted experiments and found that the smell of soy sauce can increase the perception of saltiness among volunteers, while strawberries can increase the perception of sweetness. Many people think that canned Wangzai is sweeter, and it is likely that its unique caramel flavor plays a role.

In addition, the Maillard reaction also produces some sweet substances, such as 2-butanone. The deeper the reaction, the more sweet substances are produced, which may be one of the reasons why canned milk tastes sweeter.

There are many similar phenomena of "different packaging and different flavors" besides Wangzai Milk. For example:

Coke in a can tastes better than in a bottle

This is because aluminum cans are more airtight and less likely to leak, so the drink tastes more airy and better.

Bags of potato chips taste better than buckets

This is because bagged potato chips are made from whole-cut potato slices, which are thinner and crispier; while barreled potato chips are made from potato flour, which has a firmer texture but is not crispy enough.

In addition, we would also like to remind everyone that Wangzai tastes good, but do not let your children drink too much.

WHO recommends that children should consume less than 25g of free sugars per day.

A can of Wangzai contains about 13g of sugar, which is much lower than a can of Coke (35g). But if you drink 2 cans a day, you will exceed the limit in a matter of minutes.

Adults can drink it occasionally to satisfy their cravings, at least it is healthier than milk tea, but children should still drink healthier pure milk.

Canned Wangzai VS boxed Wangzai, which one do you prefer?

Click on the comment area and vote for your favorite Wangzai~

References:

[1] Han Yi, Zhao Yan, Xu Mingsheng, et al. Research progress of Maillard reaction product melanoidin[J]. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2019, 40(09): 339-345.

[2] Yi Shengnan, Lu Jing, Pang Xiaoyang, et al. Effect of heat treatment on the degree of Maillard reaction and volatile components of milk[J]. Food Science, 2021, 42(14): 9-15.

[3] Liu Haiyan, Ren Qingxi, Ma Ying. Effects of heat treatment on the physicochemical properties of bovine milk[J]. China Dairy Industry, 2019, 47(10): 9-14.

[4] Meng Yuecheng, He Shanshan, Li Yanhua, et al. Study on the degree of Maillard reaction of milk under different heating conditions [J]. Modern Food Science and Technology, 2015, 31(01): 158-165.

[5] Song Huimin. Effect of heat treatment on milk flavor and storage quality[D]. Harbin: Northeast Agricultural University, 2015.

[6] Dai Min. Analysis and regulation of volatile flavor substances in fresh milk[D]. Harbin: Northeast Agricultural University, 2006.

[7]Djordjevic J, Zatorre RJ, Jones-Gotman M. Odor-induced changes in taste perception[J]. Experimental Brain Research, 2004, 159(3):405-408.