Sales of full fat milk on the rise, say producers

Red top milk is in and green top milk is out, according to Guernsey Dairy, which has seen sales of full fat milk increase by 30% since 2019.

Dairy operations director Andrew Tabel said the return in popularity of full fat milk saw sales rise from 568,000 litres in 2019 to just over 750,000 litres in 2025.

He added: "By contrast, low fat milk, which still accounts for the majority of our sales, has declined gradually, while skimmed milk has seen a more noticeable reduction, falling around 23% since 2019."

Tesco has also reported a large rise in sales of full fat milk, but the British Heart Foundation has emphasised the high fat content.

Tabel said the sales pattern was similar to the trend in the UK, with some people - especially younger customers - moving back to "more natural and minimally processed foods".

Tesco said nutritionists have said "full fat dairy can actually be beneficial" as part of a balanced diet.

It sold more than three million extra litres in 2025 than it did two years ago – a rise of more than 100 per cent.

Eamon Fenlon, managing director of Jersey Dairy, said "young people were looking for a lot more protein", adding "milk fits the bill".

He told BBC Jersey whole milk made up 10% of their sales on the island and they have seen sales grow 20% annually over the last five years.

"Jersey milk is renowned as the best milk in the world."

He said "protein is the big buzzword out there at the moment" fuelling the boost in sales.

The company sells milk to Hong Kong - with full fat milk making up 60% of the order. It also exports to Korea, where the order is for whole milk only.

Analysis by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, which is funded by the government, showed a decline for semi-skimmed, skimmed and other cows' milk in the UK in the 12 weeks to 21 February, while whole milk "continued to see volume growth, with a 3% increase year-on-year".

Registered Nutritionist Sophie Gastman said: "People are kind of willing now to pay for a bit more of an indulgent milk.

"There's a big interest in digestion, and there's a move away from a strict low-fat mentality towards minimally processed food."

She added there is a "huge shift" away from diet foods to those which feel more filling and satisfying.

The British Heart Foundation's senior dietitian Dell Stanford, said: "Full-fat Channel Island milk can contain up to three times as much saturated fat and about 50% more calories than semi-skimmed milk."

She added it can be part of healthy, balanced diet, but said "cutting saturated fat and calorie intake by choosing reduced fat milk is likely to be beneficial for a lot of people".

Ian Givens, emeritus pofessor of nutrition at Reading University, said the difference in protein between skimmed, low fat and full fat milk was "absolutely negligible".

He is a co-author of a report suggesting cutting consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods, which are the main source of saturated fatty acids in western diets, rather than on the fat content of dairy foods, "are more likely to benefit the population's cardiovascular health".

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