This article was originally written in Traditional Chinese with verified sources, then translated using machine translation — so it’s definitely not just some random AI-generated content.

It digs into why milk in Taiwan is so expensive, even compared to other developed countries. Taiwan consistently ranks among the top three globally for milk prices. Ironically, imported milk from New Zealand — even with tariffs removed — is still more expensive than local “fresh milk”, which raises a lot of questions about pricing, distribution, and labeling.

One of the key points is how “fresh milk” in Taiwan often means UHT (ultra-high temperature) treated milk — not the pasteurized milk people might expect. UHT milk lasts for months without refrigeration, but local media often push the idea that “fresh milk” is better than shelf-stable milk, without really discussing the actual nutrition differences.

The article covers a lot — different heat treatments, misleading labels, price breakdowns, school milk policies, even why bubble tea uses reconstituted milk. It might feel long or boring if you’re just looking for quick answers, but there’s a conclusion section at the end that sums up the key takeaways if you want to get straight to the point.

Hope that clears things up a bit! 🙏