Skim, 2%, reduced fat, low-fat, zero-fat, whole – when it comes to milk, there are more ways to describe its fat content than we can count! If you've always wondered about the fat content in different types of milk, read on.

Most raw milk, that is milk straight from the cow, contains four percent or higher milk fat. Actual percentage of milk fat varies based on the type of cow that produced the milk and other variables such as type of feed and time of year. All cows' milk is an excellent source of calcium, regardless of fat content. Vitamin D is added to every type of milk to enhance the absorption of calcium.

The 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) dictates the current food labels. Under the 1990 guidelines, stricter requirements were enforced for foods that marketed themselves as lower fat, higher in fiber, or other nutrition claims. Under the NLEA, a product must not contain more than 3 g of fat per serving to be labeled low-fat. Milk was given an exemption, so that 2% milk, which contains 5 g of fat per eight-ounce serving, could still be called low-fat.

As of January 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changed the labeling guidelines so that milk products now conform to the rules just like every other food. The milk processors advocated these changes, since they now have new words to use instead of "skim" for fat-free milk. Apparently, some people associate skim milk with less nutrient value, as in the nutrients are "skimmed off," and not just the fat. Milk that is labeled "zero-fat" should therefore be more popular than the old-fashioned "skim."