Coles says their fresh milk is "100 per cent Australian fresh milk." Photo: Nic Walker
The "freshness" of Coles Brand fresh milk has been called into question, when an employee confirmed to a customer that it was "made from reconstituted milk powder" on the supermarket's Facebook page.
In a question posted on the Coles Facebook wall, a customer asked a question he "doubt[ed]" Coles would answer.
"Is it true that Coles $1/litre milk is at times made from reconstituted milk powder?"
Coles was quick to reply, and confirmed that the fresh milk was in fact made from powder.
Unfortunately for Coles, the comment appears to have been a typographical error, with one critical word missing from the sentence: not.
A Coles spokesperson confirmed that the Facebook comment had suffered a typo and that Coles Brand milk was "100 per cent Australian fresh milk".
The original comment was deleted overnight, and a new comment was posted on Tuesday morning, saying "we're sorry for the confusion. This was a typo and we can confirm that Coles brand milk is fresh and not made from reconstituted milk powder".
The Facebook blunder comes amid crisis talks between Australian dairy farmers, after major dairy companies slashed the prices they pay for raw milk.
An emergency "milk levy" has been backed by some farmers, while demands are made of the Turnbull government to intervene to protect Australia's milk producers.
Coles has previously found itself in hot water over the freshness of its grocery staples, namely in June 2014 when it was found guilty of misleading consumers to think its "freshly baked" bread was made on the day in store, when, in some cases, it had been partially baked months earlier overseas.
The story Coles' milk 'typo' blunder first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.