Channel Island milk is a creamy, light beige coloured milk from Jersey and Guernsey breeds of cattle. In the United Kingdom, Gold Top® produced by Quality Milk Producers Ltd, is one of the best known Jersey brands after QMP's gold milk bottle top. Today, Channel Island milk is produced in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Denmark, the United States and Canada as well as the Channel Islands.
Channel Island milk has a higher fat (5.4 per cent) and protein (3.9 per cent) content than whole milk produced by Holstein Friesian cattle (3.9 per cent and 3.3 per cent respectively), and also contains higher levels of calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D than other types of milk. Milk from Guernsey cows is notable for the levels of beta-carotene, Omega-3 fatty acid and A2 β-casein protein.
The Guernsey and Jersey dairies have a monopoly on milk supplies on their islands, and both distribute a range of full fat, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk from the local pedigree herds. In the UK, Channel Island milk and dairy products are often targeted at the premium end of the market; the UK retail market for Channel Island milk products is more limited than that in Canada and Denmark, where a wider array of yoghurts, cheeses, cream cheeses and ice creams made from Channel Island milk, in full fat and low fat forms, are sometimes available.