HOKKAIDO, Aug. 24 — Suzuki Farm in Hiroo, Hokkaido, started selling grass-fed milk — milk produced from cows raised with only grass — frozen, becoming the first to do so in Japan.
The farm succeeded in preserving its Tokachi Organic Milk without losing its flavor through quick freezing.
If kept frozen, the durable life period of the product will be largely extended to three months, giving the farm a competitive advantage in expanding its sales channels.
Suzuki Farm, located in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region, the country’s top milk-producing area, raises 130 cows, out of which 60 are delivered cows and 10 are beef cattle, on a 66-hectare pasture.
In December last year, the farm began selling Tokachi Organic Milk which is certified as both grass-fed and organic.
The product is a so-called A2 milk, which is believed to be less likely to cause indigestion and discomfort in the stomach due to the type of beta-casein contained.
The frozen product, priced at 2,700 yen for a 800-mililiter bottle and 700 yen for a 180-ml bottle, is available at the farm’s online shopping website and some retailers in Hokkaido.
Usually, when frozen milk is brought back to liquid form, the protein and fat separate and its texture tends to get grainier.
To solve the problem, the farm introduced a quick-freezing machine to freeze milk at a temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius and as a result managed to extend its durable life period without ruining the flavor.
A farm in Hiroo, Hokkaido, sells frozen grass-fed milk.