milk and food colouring science experiment

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Magic Milk Science Experiment – Amazing Explosion of Color!

Did you know that it is easy to turn ordinary milk into a rainbow of crazy colors? With only four common kitchen items, kids are thrilled by the color explosion created by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules in our magic ingredient!

Watch our demonstration video, then print out a materials list and instructions to plan for this simple and fun science experiment. Easy to understand explanation of how it works is included below.

JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works

Supplies Needed

• Milk (Must be either Whole or 2%)
• Food Coloring. The more colors the better
• Shallow Dish or Bowl

Magic Milk Science Lab Kit – Only $5

Use our easy Magic Milk Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Magic Milk Experiment Instructions

Step 1 – Pour some milk into a shallow dish or bowl until the milk covers the bottom.

Step 2 – Add some drops of food coloring on the milk. You can use a variety of colors, just be sure to add 3-4 drops of each color.

Step 3 – Add a drop of dish soap into the center of the milk.

Step 4 – Watch in amazement as the colors dances across the surface of the milk. Do you know what caused the colors to move around in the milk? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

Detailed Magic Rainbow Milk Science Experiment Step by Step Instructions

How Does the Science Experiment Work

The key to the dancing colors in this experiment is soap! Soap molecules consist of a hydrophilic (“water-loving”) end and a hydrophobic (“water-fearing”) end. Water molecules are polar molecules that can dissolve other polar molecules. Fat (and oil) molecules are nonpolar molecules, so they cannot dissolve in water.

Milk is a mixture of water, fat, vitamins and minerals. When soap is added to the milk, it helps to separate the water and fat in the milk. When soap is mixed in with the fat and water, the hydrophobic end of the soap molecule breaks up the nonpolar fat molecules, and the hydrophilic end of the soap molecule links up with the polar water molecules. Now that the soap is connecting the fat and water, the nonpolar fat molecules can be carried by the polar water molecules.

As the soap molecules connect to the fat molecules, the molecules of the food coloring get pushed around everywhere resulting in an explosion of color! As the majority of soap molecules attach to the fat molecules and the soap spreads throughout the milk, the color explosion will slow and eventually stop. Add more soap and see if there are more fat molecules that haven’t attached to soap – if there are unattached fat molecules still, the color explosion will begin again.

This experiment works best with 2% and whole milk because they contain more fat.

Other Ideas to Try

Try this experiment again using milk with different fat percentages. Try it with skim milk, 1% milk, 2% milk, whole milk, half and half, and cream. Consider even trying evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. See how the amount of fat affects the explosion of color!

I hope you enjoyed the experiment as much as we did. Here are some printable instructions:

Magic Rainbow Milk Science Experiment

Instructions.

• Pour some milk into a shallow dish or bowl until the milk covers the bottom. Tip: Be sure to use either Whole or 2% Milk
• Add some drops of food coloring on the milk. You can use a variety of colors, just be sure to add 3-4 drops of each color.
• Add a drop of dish soap into the center of the milk
• Watch in amazement as the colors dances across the surface of the milk

Reader Interactions

November 11, 2019 at 6:47 pm

I did this in my science class and it worked really well! I looked at a lot of science experiments but couldn’t find one I liked and then I found this at the last minute and it was really good so thank you for sharing:)

April 12, 2023 at 9:03 pm

I agree, Emma. It has worked every time and was fun to watch! This explanation of the experiment is very informative. I have done this experiment a lot when I was younger. ☺️

August 19, 2020 at 11:48 am

It was pretty cool

October 19, 2021 at 8:33 pm

This was a really fun activity!

November 19, 2021 at 8:26 am

Because of this experiment I got to the finals of my Sci Expo

February 13, 2022 at 8:11 pm

It was actually pretty cool. I did this for my science project. Also, the colors came out really nice! i will definitely try again.

April 2, 2022 at 5:27 am

Thanks a million for these fantastic ideas and explanations!

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Magic Milk Science Experiment for Kids

Nothing happens if you drip food coloring onto milk, but once you add a drop of dishwashing liquid, the milk turns into a swirling wheel of color. Here’s how to perform the magic milk science experiment and a look at how it works.

Magic Milk Materials

This is a great science project for kids because all you need is milk, food coloring, and dishwashing liquid. It’s also easy on your pocketbook because you only need a little of the ingredients.

• Food Coloring
• Dishwashing liquid

How to Do the Magic Milk Science Experiment

• Pour enough milk to cover the bottom of a small place or shallow saucer.
• Add a few drops of food coloring. You don’t need to use different colors, but if you do, you can explore how colors combine to make new ones.
• Observe how boring this is. The food coloring drops stay where you put them and may even sink into the milk and disappear.
• Drip a droplet of dishwashing liquid onto the center of the milk. You don’t need to stir the milk. The colors immediately start to swirl on their own.

How the Magic Milk Experiment Works

Adding food coloring to milk doesn’t have much of an effect. Yes, you can color the milk if you stir it, but if you don’t stir it the color spreads by diffusion . Diffusion is a slow process and not very interesting to watch.

When you add dishwashing liquid, the colors start to swirl. Dishwashing liquid is a detergent. Detergents lower the surface tension of the water in the milk, making it easier for the ingredients on the plate to mix. You can observe surface tension if you pour water or milk into a glass and note you can overfill the container slightly. The anti-gravity water science trick also relies on surface tension.

But, that’s not all detergent does. Detergent is an emulsifier . Each detergent molecule has a hydrophobic (“water-fearing”) and hydrophilic (“water-loving”) portion. The hydrophilic portion orients toward water molecules, while the hydrophobic portion orients toward fat molecules. The end result is that detergent forms tiny spheres called micelles that separate the fat from the water. Basically, an emulsifier helps two immiscible (unmixable) liquids mix. The food coloring swirls throughout the milk as the detergent forms micelles around fat globules within it. The fat content of the milk matters. Skim milk contains very little fat, so the detergent doesn’t have a big effect on it. 2% milk and whole milk work much better for the magic milk project because they contain enough fat to cause a visible reaction between the detergent and milk.

From Project to Science Experiment

Science projects work due to scientific principles. For young explorers, you can explain that detergent changes the properties of milk so colors added to it mix better. Explain that the same process happens when you wash dishes. The detergent makes it easier for oil and grease to lift from dishes and get rinsed away. Also, this is a great project for kids to explore colors. They can see that blue and yellow combine to make green, red and blue combine to make purple, and so on.

But, older children can turn the science project into a science experiment. The difference is that an experiment uses the scientific method . In a nutshell, an investigator observes the project, makes a prediction or forms a hypothesis about what will happen if one thing is changed, and then conducts and experiment to see if the prediction was correct. Here are some ideas of factors to change to turn the magic milk project into a true magic milk science experiment.

• What happens if you increase the fat content of milk? You can compare skim, 2% milk, whole milk, and half-and-half. Or, you can mix oil in with milk before continuing the project. Is there a point where the thickness of the milk slows down the reaction?
• Does the project work with water? With vegetable oil? What happens if you mix water and oil and try the project?
• What happens if you sprinkle glitter onto the milk before adding the detergent?
• Temperature affects the rate of many processes and chemical reactions. Is there any difference if you use very color milk compared with hot milk?

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Magic Milk STEM Experiment: Colorful Science for Kids

Are you ready to have some STEM fun with your kiddos? There’s more to this Magic Milk experiment than meets the eye. Learn all about color mixing, chemical reactions, surface tension, and more!

STEM activities provide a fantastic opportunity for kids to explore the world around them and develop a love for science. The “Magic Milk” experiment combines the principles of chemistry and color theory to create a visually appealing and fun learning experience.

Magic Milk is a simple, inexpensive, and safe STEM activity that kids of all ages can enjoy!

Whole milk, food coloring, and a bit of dish soap come together to show children a magical explosion of colors.

This activity not only piques their curiosity but also serves as an excellent teaching moment to delve into the science behind the colorful phenomena. Learning the concepts of surface tension, chemical reactions, and color mixing can begin to cultivate a lifelong love for STEM subjects.

This is one of those simple science experiments that can teach kids things they never thought of before! I first learned about this food coloring experiment (and many other simple experiments) from the  Steve Spangler Science website .

If you love doing STEM activities with your kids, make sure you check out my Earth Day Science Experiment and Snow Volcano Experiment activities too!

Let’s dive in and have some science fun!

The Science Behind Magic Milk

You might be wondering what causes the amazing color explosion in the magic milk STEM activity. There are several factors to consider in this fun science experiment:

To understand what’s happening in the Magic Milk STEM activity, it’s important to know that milk is made up of water, vitamins, minerals, fats, and protein molecules. In this experiment, you observe the interaction between fat (in the milk) and soap.

The type of milk you use for this activity matters . Whole milk has a higher fat content (roughly 3.25%) than reduced-fat varieties (like 2% or 1%).

The fat content of the milk is important for the chemical reaction involved in the activity.

Love crafts and easy DIY projects? Grab this mini activity book for more by clicking the image below – free! 👇

Food Coloring

Now, let’s move on to the color explosion. The magic milk experiment relies on the interaction between milk’s fat molecules and dish soap.

When you add dish soap to the plate of milk, its molecules mingle with the fat molecules, causing swirling patterns of color. This is because dish soap molecules have a dual personality, with a water-loving head (hydrophilic end) and a water-fearing (hydrophobic) head or end.

As the soap molecules find their way into the milk, the hydrophobic end of a soap molecule grabs fat molecules. This forms little clusters called micelles, where the soap molecules surround and isolate the fat molecules. 

The colorful twist comes from the food coloring you’ve added to the milk. As the micelles move around, they push the food coloring molecules into different paths, leading to a rainbow of colors and mesmerizing patterns.

Surface Tension

The surface tension of the milk also plays a role in this activity. Surface tension is a property of liquids where molecules at the surface form a sort of dome due to their molecular bonds.

The dish soap disrupts the equilibrium of the milk’s surface tension, allowing the micelles to move freely and create those beautiful swirling patterns.

Magic milk is a great visual representation of scientific concepts, making it an excellent choice for a milk science fair project. Have fun experimenting with different types of milk to see how the fat content affects the results, and enjoy the dazzling display of colors!

Magic Milk Science Experiment Materials Needed

All you need to do this are a few common everyday ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen! 

Let’s make sure you have everything ready to dive into some colorful, milky science by gathering up these supplies:

• Whole milk – other percentages can be used as a variable
• Liquid food coloring – in a variety of colors like primary colors or pastel colors (I used orange, green, yellow, red)
• Dish soap (e.g., Dawn dish soap)
• Q-tips – cotton swab or cotton ball

Magic Milk Step-by-Step Directions

Introducing the Magic Milk STEM activity, an engaging and fun experiment for kids and preschoolers. This eye-catching activity provides a great opportunity for little scientists to observe fascinating color changes and reactions. Follow this friendly, step-by-step procedure to create some science fun at home.

Pour milk onto the large, shallow glass plate. Pour just a thin layer of milk to cover the bottom of the plate.

Drop 4-5 drops of food coloring (in the colors of your choice) around the plate. Leave a little space between each drop. 

Pro Tip: You can use as many colors as you like, and placing them near each other will create more exciting visual effects.

Each time you use a color, add a drop of dish soap to your cotton swab.

Place the Q-tip in the middle of the food coloring in the milk.

Watch what happens to the food coloring!

Swirl the Q-tip around and ‘paint’ the milk. Watch the cool patterns in the milk as you do this.

Observe The Magic Milk In Action

Touch the dishwashing liquid-covered Q-tip gently to the milk’s surface, preferably near the food coloring drops.

You’ll quickly notice the food coloring appears to burst and dance across the surface of the milk. This happens because the dish soap breaks down the fat molecules in the milk, causing the molecules to move quickly and spread out the food coloring within the milk.

The result is a mesmerizing display of swirling colors that is sure to inspire young minds!

Magic Milk Experiment Variations and Extensions

This experiment is easy and uses inexpensive materials. More importantly, it’s fun for kids!

If you’re looking to expand on the magic milk STEM activity, here are a few options to consider:

• Experiment with different types of milk:  Try using different types of milk, like skim milk, 1%, 2%, and whole milk to observe how the variations impact the experiment. Compare the results and see if your child can determine if the fat content in the milk has an effect on how the colors move. You can also try using different kinds of milk , such as almond, soy, or oat milk, to see how that variable impacts your results.
• Play with the colors:   Encourage your child to mix different food colors and see what new colors they can create in their rainbow milk experiment. This will give the experiment a creative touch and help your child learn color combinations when mixing different colors.
• Gel food coloring:  To take the experiment to another level, try using gel food coloring instead of liquid. Gel food coloring is more concentrated, so it might produce different results. This variation can help your child learn about the different forms and properties of colorants.
• Create patterns:   Teach your child to create various patterns (such as concentric circles), different shapes, a color grid, or even draw a simple picture using the food coloring drops. This offers to make an art project out of the science experiment.
• Play with the thickness of the milk:  Instead of a thin layer of milk on a dish, what happens if you use a glass of milk?

Here are some additional ideas for color-changing milk experiment variations and extensions that can be tried at home:

• Use a dropper to add the dish soap, and try placing it at different spots on the milk to see how the colors react.
• Experiment with different dish soap brands or even liquid hand soap, comparing how they affect the color explosion in the milk.
• Place a piece of paper on top of the milk after the colors have exploded and gently press on it. Carefully lift the paper and let it dry, creating a beautiful, one-of-a-kind piece of art!

Enjoy exploring these easy science experiment variations with your child, allowing them to develop their creativity while learning about the properties of liquids and colors.

Important Magic Milk Safety Notes

First and foremost, always have  adult supervision  when conducting this experiment with young children. While the materials involved are generally safe, adult guidance will help avoid any mishaps and ensure proper handling of the supplies.

Keep the food coloring and dish soap out of reach of children.

Here are some essential safety tips to remember while performing the magic milk activity:

• Use only non-toxic food coloring and dish soap that are safe for children.
• Be mindful of possible allergies to milk or any other ingredients used in the activity. If a child has a milk allergy, consider using a non-dairy alternative.
• Gently pour the milk into the shallow dish to prevent any spills, and securely close the food coloring and dish soap containers when not in use.

I HIGHLY recommend having paper towels or cleaning cloths handy to clean up any spills immediately to avoid stains.

Magic Milk Questions to Consider

As you conduct the magic milk STEM activity and take note of your magic milk experiment results, it’s helpful to keep a few questions in mind to promote critical thinking, observation, and understanding of the underlying concepts.

What did you notice before and after? 

Did you notice a plain layer of milk and food coloring drops sitting on top before you started the experiment? After adding the dish soap and witnessing the reaction, focus on the patterns and changes in the colors.

Comparing these observations before and after will help you understand how the dish soap interacts with the milk.

What happened when you put the Q-tip in the milk? 

When you dipped the Q-tip in dish soap and touched it to the milk surface, the colors likely moved rapidly and created an explosion of vibrant patterns.

Take note of how the colors interacted with each other, and how the movement changed over time.

Why do you think that happened? 

This reaction occurs because the dish soap disrupts the bonds between fats and water molecules in the milk, causing the food coloring to move along with the separation.

Consider how the chemicals in the dish soap and the properties of the milk contributed to this effect.

Why do you think the colors stopped moving? 

Eventually, the colors will slow down and stop moving. This is because the dish soap has reached a saturation point, where it cannot disrupt any more molecules in the milk.

It’s interesting to explore how saturation affects the reaction and its limits.

What else did you observe? 

Apart from the main reaction, there may have been other subtle details to observe. For example, maybe you noticed that different food coloring colors spread at different rates or created distinct patterns. Reflecting on your overall observations can lead to deeper comprehension and appreciation for the magic milk experiment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Whole milk is the preferred choice for the magic milk experiment due to its higher fat content. The fat in the milk interacts with the dish soap, allowing the food coloring to spread and create the “magic” effect. You could also use 2% milk, but the results might not be as vibrant.

The magic milk experiment is a short-lived activity. Once you’ve mixed in the dish soap, the reaction occurs for a few minutes before the food coloring settles and the milk returns to its original state. It’s best to enjoy the experiment while it’s happening and not try to preserve or store the outcome.

If you’re having trouble with your magic milk experiment, there could be a few reasons. First, make sure you’re using whole milk, as the high fat content is essential for the best results. Second, ensure you’re using liquid food coloring, as gel or powdered forms may not produce the desired effect. Finally, check that you’re adding the dish soap correctly: add just a drop of soap in the center of the milk and the food coloring to see the reaction take place.

The magic milk experiment relies on the fat content in dairy milk for the reaction to occur. Almond milk, being a non-dairy milk substitute, generally has a lower fat content than whole milk. Although you can still try the experiment with almond milk, the results may vary and might not be as vibrant or impressive.

More Hands-On Fun

Isn’t this science activity lots of fun?! If you want even more great ideas and inspiration, check out these posts:

• Dancing Raisins Experiment
• Fireworks In A Jar Science Experiment
• Easy Rainbow Walking Water Experiment
• DIY Rainbow Spaghetti For Sensory Fun
• How To Melt Crayons Into New Shapes

Magic Milk STEM Experiment

Ingredients.

• Large dinner plate
• 1-2 cups of whole milk
• Food coloring (orange, green, yellow, red)
• Small container dish soap

Instructions

Pour milk onto the large glass plate. Pour enough milk to cover the bottom of the plate.

Drop 4-5 drops of each color of food coloring around the plate. Leave a little space between each drop. Dip a Q-tip into the dish soap each time you use a color.

Place the Q-tip in the middle of the food coloring in the milk. Watch what happens to the food coloring!

Swirl the Q-tip around and ‘paint’ the milk. Watch the cool patterns in the milk as you do this.

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Magic Milk Science Experiment

January 11, 2023 By Emma Vanstone 4 Comments

This easy  magic milk science investigation is fantastic fun for kids of all ages. All you need is whole milk, food colouring and a little dish soap to create crazy colour explosions. Older children can use this activity to learn about emulsions .

The reaction that gives the colourful display is between the fat molecules in the milk and dish soap. This is why whole milk is the best to use.

How to set up a magic milk investigation

You’ll need.

A shallow tray

Food colouring

Washing up liquid ( dish soap )

Instructions

1. Pour a layer of milk into your baking tray or plate.

2. Gently drip a few drops of food colouring onto the surface of the milk – spread these out.

3. Add drops of the washing-up liquid on top of the food dye and watch what happens.

Safety:  Do not drink the milk after.

What do you think of our magic milk display?

Why does it work?

Think about why we use dish soap in everyday life. It’s to clean our dishes and break down the fat that makes them greasy. Milk is mainly tiny droplets of animal fat dispersed in water; whole milk has a higher fat content than semi-skimmed, which is why it’s the best one to use. The washing-up liquid/dish soap breaks down the fat in the milk. We call it an emulsifier as it allows the water and fat to mix, creating an emulsion. The emulsifier (dish soap) molecules have a water-loving head and a water-hating tail. The tail sticks into the fat droplet and surrounds it, leaving only the water-loving heads. This allows the fat to mix with the water! While doing that, it scatters the food colouring molecules, giving the colourful display you see.

Properties of emulsions

Emulsions are thicker (more viscous) than oil or water and have many uses thanks to their unique properties.

Examples of emulsions in the kitchen

Salad dressings

Other examples are paint and some cosmetics.

Immiscible liquids

Immiscible liquids are those that don’t mix to form a solution.

Examples of Immiscible liquids

Vegetable oils do not dissolve in water. We can use this property of oil and water to make a density jar .

If a mixture of oil and water is shaken and then left to stand, tiny droplets of oil float upwards, and eventually, the two liquids will separate: a layer of oil will form on the surface of the water. However, if an emulsifier is added to the oil and water, a mixture called an emulsion forms, and the oil and water do not separate.

Extension task for magic milk experiment

Try testing different dish soaps to see if they all have the same effect.

Experiment with whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk.

Try one of my other exciting chemistry experiments .

Contains affiliate links

Last Updated on March 14, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

January 23, 2018 at 6:17 pm

We have done this with whole milk, 2%, fat free, cashew milk and non dairy creamers- they all work. The kids (6-11) like the version with q-tip dabbing soap in. They also experimented with placement of food color droplets.

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At-Home Science Experiments: Color-Changing Milk

Some very unusual things happen when you mix a little milk, food coloring, and a drop of dish detergent..

What You'll Need:

• Milk (whole or 2%)
• Dinner plate
• Food coloring (red, yellow, green, blue)
• Dishwashing soap (Dawn brand works well)
• Cotton swabs

What To Do:

• Pour enough milk in the dinner plate to completely cover the bottom to the depth of about 1/4". Allow the milk to settle.
• Add one drop of each of the four colors of food coloring — red, yellow, blue, and green — to the milk. Keep the drops close together in the center of the plate of milk.
• Find a clean cotton swab for the next part of the experiment. Predict what will happen when you touch the tip of the cotton swab to the center of the milk. It's important not to stir the mix. Just touch it with the tip of the cotton swab. Go ahead and try it. Did anything happen?
• Now place a drop of liquid dish soap on the other end of the cotton swab. Place the soapy end of the cotton swab back in the middle of the milk and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds. Look at that burst of color! It's like the 4th of July in a bowl of milk!
• Add another drop of soap to the tip of the cotton swab and try it again. Experiment with placing the cotton swab at different places in the milk. Notice that the colors in the milk continue to move even when the cotton swab is removed. What makes the food coloring in the milk move?

What's Happening:

Milk is mostly water, but it also contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, and tiny droplets of fat suspended in solution. Fats and proteins are sensitive to changes in the surrounding solution (the milk). The secret of the bursting colors is the chemistry of that tiny drop of soap. Dish soap, because of its bipolar characteristics (nonpolar on one end and polar on the other), weakens the chemical bonds that hold the proteins and fats in solution. The soap's polar, or  hydrophilic  (water-loving), end dissolves in water, and its  hydrophobic  (water-fearing) end attaches to a fat globule in the milk. This is when the fun begins.

The molecules of fat bend, roll, twist, and contort in all directions as the soap molecules race around to join up with the fat molecules. During all of this fat molecule gymnastics, the food coloring molecules are bumped and shoved everywhere, providing an easy way to observe all the invisible activity. As the soap becomes evenly mixed with the milk, the action slows down and eventually stops.

Try adding another drop of soap to see if there's any more movement. If so, you discovered there are still more fat molecules that haven't found a partner at the big color dance. Add another drop of soap to start the process again.

This activity and images are courtesy of  Steve Spangler Science .

PLUS:  Mess-Free Experiments C old Weather Experiments F un Science Experiments for Kids

Shop STEM Resources

Color Changing Milk

This is guaranteed to become one of your favorite kitchen chemistry experiments. some very unusual interactions take place when you mix a little milk, food coloring, and a drop of liquid soap. uncover the scientific secrets of soap..

Print this Experiment

This unforgettable hands-on learning experience is fun and easy—no wonder it’s one of Steve Spangler’s most popular experiments! Learn how to turn this activity into an awesome science fair project.

Experiment Videos

Here's What You'll Need

Milk (whole or 2%), dinner plate, food coloring (red, yellow, green, blue), dish-washing soap (dawn brand works well), cotton swabs, let's try it.

Pour enough milk in the dinner plate to completely cover the bottom to the depth of about 1 / 4 inch. Allow the milk to settle before moving on to the next step.

Add one drop of each of the four colors of food coloring—red, yellow, green, and blue—to the milk. Keep the drops close together in the center of the plate of milk.

Find a clean cotton swab for the next part of the experiment. Predict what will happen when you touch the tip of the cotton swab to the center of the milk. It’s important not to stir the mix—just touch it with the tip of the cotton swab. Go ahead and try it.

Now place a drop of liquid dish soap on the other end of the cotton swab. Place the soapy end of the cotton swab back in the middle of the milk and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds. Look at that burst of color! It’s like the Fourth of July in a plate of milk.

Add another drop of soap to the tip of the cotton swab and try it again. Experiment with placing the cotton swab at different places in the milk. Notice that the colors in the milk continue to move even when the cotton swab is removed. What makes the food coloring in the milk move?

How Does It Work

Milk is mostly water, but it also contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, and tiny droplets of fat suspended in solution. Fats and proteins are sensitive to changes in the surrounding solution (the milk).

The secret of the bursting colors is in the chemistry of that tiny drop of soap. Like other oils, milk fat is a non-polar molecule and that means it doesn’t dissolve in water. When soap is mixed in, however, the non-polar (hydrophobic) portion of micelles (molecular soap structures in solution) break up and collect the non-polar fat molecules.Then the polar surface of the micelle (hydrophilic) connects to a polar water molecule with the fat held inside the soap micelle. Thanks to the soap connection, literally, the non-polar fat can then be carried by the polar water. This is when the fun begins.

The molecules of fat bend, roll, twist, and contort in all directions as the soap molecules race around to join up with the fat molecules. During all of this fat molecule gymnastics, the food coloring molecules are bumped and shoved everywhere, providing an easy way to observe all the invisible activity. As the soap becomes evenly mixed with the milk, the action slows down and eventually stops. This is why milk with a higher fat content produces a better explosion of color—there’s just more fat to combine with all of those soap molecules.

Try adding another drop of soap to see if there’s any more movement. If so, you discovered there are still more fat molecules that haven’t found a partner at the big color dance. Add another drop of soap to start the process again.

Take It Further

Repeat the experiment using water in place of milk. Will you get the same eruption of color? What kind of milk produces the best swirling of color, skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk? Why? This is the basis of a great science fair project as you compare the effect that the dishwashing soap has on a number of different liquids. Do you see any pattern in your observations?

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See Exploding Colors in the Magic Milk Experiment

February 25, 2022 by Ana Dziengel 24 Comments

See exploding bursts of color in the amazing magic milk experiment! We’ll show you some two ways to do the experiment and an extension idea for the project as well.

When you add a little bit of dish soap to milk and food coloring, the colors swirl around to form what I would deem very artistic and abstract paintings! For the science behind it scroll to the end of this post.

The magic milk science experiment is a simple science experiment you can do with everyday materials. I love showing kids how to do chemistry experiments using simple household supplies. In fact I would argue that some of the best at-home science experiments use kitchen ingredient s !

We did this project in our after school classes and when our students asked to “take it home” I told them they could easily recreate it in their own kitchen.

Video Overview

Detailed instructions for the magic milk experiment:, how to do the magic milk experiment, magic milk experiment materials.

• Almond Milk or Cow’s Milk
• Q-tips (Cotton Swab)
• Cotton Balls
• Food coloring
• Shallow plate or wide bowls

Magic Milk Instructions: Method #1

• Fill a plate or bowl with milk.
• Drop in at least 2 drops of each of four colors of food coloring. The more variety of colors the cooler the painting.
• Generously dip the end of a q-tip in dish soap.
• Now dip the q-tip (cotton swab) into the milk next to a drop of color.
• The first thing that will happen is the color will burst as soon as the dish soap hits it. It’s a great effect but very short lived. Once there is a little dishsoap in the milk it no longer “bursts”.
• Gently swirl the q-tip through the different colors and you’ll see little rivers of color start to form.
• Continue until the colors begin to mix and become brown. Empty your plate/bowl and repeat.

Magic Milk Experiment Instructions: Method # 2

Time needed:  10 minutes.

This version of the magic milk experiment lasts a long time, provided kids can restrain themselves from moving the cotton ball!

Pour a thin layer of milk in a plate or bowl.

Add a few drops each of food coloring on the center of the plate.

Soak a cotton ball in dish soap.

Carefully place the cotton ball in the center. The colors will explode out of the center!

Let the reaction continue until the colors begin to mix and become brown.

Tips & More

• You don’t need that much milk! I vastly overestimated how much we would need. For a class of 25 kids we used 1 1/2 gallons of milk.
• This is a great use of expired milk products. Put that small amount of whipping cream at the back of your refrigerator to use.
• Kids love the magic aspect of this project. We called the cotton swabs “magic wands.”
• Too much swishing and swirling and you’ll end up with brown muck fast. Of course kids don’t seem to care!

A word about food insecurity

We try to be respectful of the challenges children and families face including food insecurity. As an educator, I try to avoid using food in projects when possible. I make exceptions for projects that may have a lot to teach kids and where I feel we won’t be wasteful. That said, please think carefully about the population of students and families you serve before doing this project. Consider whether they would find this wasteful or offensive before proceeding. Also consider vegan families who may not want their children working with animal products; see some of the alternatives we suggest below.

Magic Milk Variations

• Try Different Milk Types  We have used almond and cow’s milk for this experiment and both worked well. The higher the fat content of the milk the more pronounced the “explosions” should be. A fun experiment would be to compare the results with different types of milk: almond, cow, rice, coconut. You can also experiment with cream, whole milk, and skim milk to see if there is a difference.
• Premix the soap and milk For a variation we premixed the milk and dish soap. You won’t have the color burst effect but it does seem to keep the colors separate a little longer.

The Science Behind the Magic Milk Experiment:

The dish soap molecules are attracted to the fat molecules in the milk. As soon as you introduce the soap to the milk/coloring mixture the molecules race around trying to bond. The food coloring gets pushed around in the process and appears to burst. Eventually the molecules all bond and the reaction stops.

This is a good example of how detergents work, their molecules have two ends: one end is attracted to oils and the other to water. One end of detergent molecules attracts oils and dirt from clothes, dishes etc., and as they stick together they break the oil and dirt down into smaller, easy to remove pieces.

How to Do the Magic Milk Experiment in the Classroom

If you would like to the magic milk experiment with a class full of kids here are step-by step instructions.

Per student Materials:

• (1) Small Plate or other shallow dish (make sure these are waterproof)
• (1) Large Plate or other shallow dish
• Tray to put underneath

NOTE: You may also use a divided plate as pictured above.

T eacher’s Materials:

• Milk 1.5 gallons per class of 25 students
• Tubs to collect dishes in afterwards

Sh ared Materials:

• Small bowl of dish soap
• Q-tips (Cotton swabs)
• Small bottles of liquid food coloring

Experiment #1 Procedure:

• Pass out per student materials. Ask students to place the small plate in the center of the table. It will be used for the second experiment. Ask students to place the large plate in the center of their tray.
• Explain the experiment first. Tell students they will be making colorful explosions using milk and food coloring and a “magic ingredient.” Tell students to use only a few drops of food coloring once it is available. Demonstrate how to carefully squeeze drops out of the food coloring bottles.
• Teacher(s) pour a thin layer of milk in each plate.
• Pass out the shared materials to each group of students.
• Ask students to carefully drop several drops of food coloring in the milk around their plate. Remind them not to disturb the color.
• When everyone has added color tell students to grab a “magic wand” AKA a Q-tip. Ask them to dip the wand into the magic ingredient (soap) but hold it to the side of the plate until everyone is ready. You can ask them if they know what the magic ingredient is.
• Do a countdown and on the count of 3 student should dip their q-tip into one of the drops of color. Instruct students to continue dipping the q-tip into the other drops. Listen for the oohs and aahs!
• When done the teacher should place the plates and milk in tubs to clean.

Experiment #2 Procedure:

• Ask students to place the small plate in the center of their tray.
• Teacher(s) pour a thin layer of milk in each small plate.
• Ask students to carefully drop a good squeeze of three colors of food coloring near the center of their plate. Remind them not to disturb the color.
• When everyone has added color tell students to dip a cotton ball in the soap.
• Instruct students to place the cotton ball in the center of the plate and not move it. See video below. This is an exercise in restraint!
• Watch as the color explodes out of the center of the plate/cotton ball.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ana from Babble Dabble Do (@babbledabbledo)

Turn the magic milk experiment into colorful paper!

Did you know you can expand on this experiment by making Marbled Milk Paper ?

Go HERE   for instructions: 

More Favorite Science Projects to Try:

Michelle - Little Paper Dog says

January 29, 2013 at 7:17 pm

So cool! I can’t wait to try this out with my little guy. 🙂

Ana Dziengel says

January 30, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Thanks Michelle! So simple and fun! BTW your blog is lovely! I particularly love that you have fast and easy projects; I’m trying to do something similar on my blog: quick, easy, simple projects using stuff you already have on hand.

Amanda Preiser says

April 18, 2013 at 5:06 am

This is awesome my daughter and I are going to do this today!

April 18, 2013 at 5:33 am

Thanks for stopping in Amanda! It’s a super fun and simple project. Enjoy!

August 21, 2014 at 11:08 am

Thanks! I’m an art teacher. There’s so many meet ideas I got from your blog. Thanks!

September 4, 2014 at 3:49 am

Linda, I’m thrilled to hear it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Denise says

August 23, 2014 at 1:45 pm

what type of paper did you use for the milk painting project?

September 4, 2014 at 3:51 am

Hi Denise, I used watercolor paper 🙂

Virginia says

January 3, 2015 at 12:34 pm

Did I miss something? I didn’t see directions for a little paper dog. I love this site. GREAT ideas Sorry if ? is dum! I can hardly wait to make the crystals. You know, Epsom salts have done ‘miracles’ ever since I knew of them! They were up front and most important in the “medicine cabinet” of my parents who had fifteen children, therefore many opportunities to use the salts for ‘injuries, localized infections and sore spots.’ Now I see they can add enormously to the decorations in my life as well as do almost magical “healing” Wish my Dad could see those! “What a Wonderful World!” Thank-you!

January 5, 2015 at 5:30 am

Thanks Virginia!

Rachel Holland says

February 7, 2015 at 9:57 am

I have tried this experiment out with my children today. I was really excited about it after seeing the lovely photo’s etc, however it was a bit of a flop. Tried it with Almond milk as suggested and semi skimmed cows milk, but when we put in the washing up liquid not much really happened. We changed the washing up liquid and got much better colour spread. However when it did the colours almost pretty much disappeared and trying to get paintings from them was so wishy washy. Are food colourings in the US very different to those in the UK, or do I just need to buy better colourings? I assumed that the liquid colourings from my local supermarket would be fine. I have also tried with gel colouring (which is the only thing that most stores stock) but this wasn’t particularly good either. I really want to make some lovely backings for Mother’s day cards etc but I am drawing a blank! Any help you could give would be great.

February 19, 2015 at 4:14 am

Hi Rachel, I’m sorry to hear this! Gel food coloring will not work. Regular food coloring should work fine. You will need to make the prints right away, if you wait until the colors are mixed you will get muddy results. And make sure you are using watercolor paper. I tried the project using cardstock and regular paper and they just didn’t absorb the color well. I hope this helps and please keep me posted!

J lewis says

February 19, 2017 at 10:09 am

Hello there, We used paste food colouring from cake shop, used to colour roll out icing, much better than the supermarket colours, which are useless for most things now as they have changed the formulas. Mix the colour paste with a little water to make a strong coloured liquid, we use this for colouring pasta too and play dough.

February 22, 2017 at 5:19 am

Thanks for the tip!

August 19, 2015 at 9:18 am

Was looking for the science explanation (chemical reactions) to share with the students while doing this? I like teaching the science of a science based experiment.

Neera Talukder says

October 25, 2015 at 6:56 am

can the whole milk be used as a substitute for almond milk ?

November 9, 2015 at 9:12 am

Absolutely!

Peggy Ashbrook says

November 30, 2015 at 4:27 am

I love it when you add the science concepts involved, both at an adult level to refresh our memories or learn new, and at a level appropriate for young children. Exploring the properties of art materials engages children in art and science!

August 16, 2016 at 5:13 am

Thanks so much Peggy!

Lisa Lewis says

January 21, 2016 at 8:07 am

I have tried the milk art 3 times with my grandchildren. We were very excited to watch the action of the colors in the milk but no much happened. I used whole milk, food colors, and Dawn dish soap. But once I put the drops of soap in the colors spread a little and then nothing else happened, I have read the posts and people talk about all the movement of the colors but we didn’t get that result. Am I doing something wrong?

August 16, 2016 at 4:51 am

Once the soap and fat molecules combine the reaction does stop. We like to swirl the milk using Q-tips after and watch the colors swirl.

Milton Garcia says

August 7, 2016 at 7:01 am

Messy. But I think my kids would love this activity.

August 15, 2016 at 8:06 am

They will love it!

Morgan says

August 23, 2016 at 12:22 pm

This looks like so much, and I love how it turns out. This would be a great project to take on with my four-year-old! Thanks so much for the idea!

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BEARDED SCIENCE GUY

• Aug 15, 2023

The Magic Milk Experiment: A Dance of Color and Chemistry for Kids

Hello budding scientists and curious adventurers! Ever thought of transforming your kitchen into a vibrant laboratory? Dive into the Magic Milk Experiment – a fun, educational, and visually striking introduction to basic chemistry and chemical properties using everyday materials. Ready to experience the magic of milk?

Materials Needed for Your Magic Milk Experiment

A flat dish or bowl

Full-fat whole milk (crucial for optimal results in the Magic Milk Experiment)

Various food coloring shades

Cotton swabs or Q-tips

Liquid dishwashing soap

Step-by-Step Guide to the Magic Milk Experiment

1. Preparing the Canvas:

Fill the dish with milk just enough to cover the base, about a quarter-inch in depth. Let it rest momentarily to achieve a calm surface.

2. Splash of Colors:

Gently add multiple food coloring drops onto the milk's top layer. Keep them nearby but not overlapping. The more hues, the richer the Magic Milk Experiment display!

3. Magic Unleashed:

Drench a cotton swab's tip into the liquid dish soap – ensure it’s coated without dripping excessively.

Now, place the soapy swab end into the midst of one of the food coloring drops on the milk.

4. Behold the Magic Milk Experiment:

Watch closely! The milk bursts into dynamic patterns, presenting a dazzling display of swirling colors.

Dive Deeper with Your Magic Milk Experiment

Exploring Milks: Test with varied milk types like 2%, skim, or cream. How does each milk’s fat content shape the Magic Milk Experiment's outcome?

Soap Spectrum: Evaluate different liquid soap kinds or brands. How does a natural dish soap compare to its conventional counterpart?

Temperature Trials: Execute the Magic Milk Experiment with both chilled and room-temperature milk. Notice any variation in color dynamics?

Color Choices: Swap food coloring with watercolors or washable school paint. Observe how these mediums influence the Magic Milk Experiment's display.

Crafted Patterns: Design patterns using a toothpick and food coloring before introducing the soap. How does this initial pattern affect the subsequent display?

Soap Quantity: Alter the soap amount on the cotton swab. How does this shift affect the Magic Milk Experiment's outcome?

Zoomed View: Using a magnifying tool or even a microscope, delve deeper into the reaction on the milk surface. Any intricate details catch your eye?

Magic Milk Experiment demonstrates the principle of surface tension, where soap and its attraction to different molecules in the mixture disrupts the milk's surface tension, resulting in this visual spectacle. The Magic Milk Experiment isn’t merely about vibrant visuals; it sparks curiosity and opens doors to grasping fundamental chemical properties and the interaction between molecules. Such hands-on activities nurture children's innate wonder, cultivating an enduring passion for science. So, young explorers set your Q-tips in motion and delve into the mesmerizing world of the Magic Milk Experiment!

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Magic Milk Experiment: How-To Plus Free Worksheet

This classic experiment teaches kids about basic chemistry and physics.

This fun experiment is a classic for a reason! In the magic milk experiment, kids learn about simple chemical reactions and physical properties using only a few ingredients. Read on to see how to do the experiment, and fill out the form on this page to grab your free recording sheet.

How does the magic milk experiment work?

In this experiment, you pour some milk into a shallow dish. You then add drops of food coloring to the surface of the milk. Using a cotton swab dipped into dish soap, you lightly brush the surface of the milk. The dish soap breaks the surface tension of the milk, and the soap molecules try to attach to the fat molecules in the milk. This causes swirls and bursts of fun rainbow colors.

What does the magic milk experiment teach?

This experiment teaches us about the science of molecules and how substances interact. The soap breaks down the fat molecules and makes them move apart, showing us a simple but fascinating example of chemistry in action!

Is there a magic milk video?

This video shows two different ways to do the magic milk science experiment, using very similar ingredients.

Materials Needed

To do the magic milk experiment, you will need:

• Shallow bowl or plate
• Milk, blue dish soap
• Cotton swabs
• Food coloring (inexpensive works better than gel coloring)

Our free recording sheet is also helpful— fill out the form on this page to get it.

Magic milk experiment steps:

1. pour milk into a shallow dish or bowl, just enough to cover the bottom..

2. Add drops of food coloring all over the surface of the milk.

3. Dip the end of a cotton swab into a separate dish of blue soap.

4. Lightly brush the top of the milk with the cotton swab, and watch what happens!

Grab our free magic milk experiment worksheet!

Fill out the form on this page to get your worksheet. The worksheet asks kids to guess the correct order of the steps in the experiment. Next, kids must make a prediction about what they think will happen. They can use the provided spaces to draw what happens before and after they add the dish soap. Did their predictions come true?

Additional Reflection Questions

• What happened when we added the soap to the milk?
• Why do you think the colors appeared on the milk’s surface?
• What do you think would happen if we added more soap to the milk?
• What do you think would happen if we used a different liquid instead of milk?

Can the magic milk experiment be done for a science fair?

Yes! If you want to do the magic milk experiment for a science fair, we recommend switching up some of the variables. For example: Does the fat content of the milk matter? Does the type of dish soap matter? Form a hypothesis about how changing the variables will impact the experiment. Good luck!

Looking for more experiment ideas? Check out our big list of experiment ideas here.

Plus, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters for more articles like this., you might also like.

72 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have On Hand

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Magic Milk Science Experiment

Krystal DeVille

September 24, 2023

Looking for a quick STEM activity that you can do in 20 minutes or less?

This is your answer! You likely already have everything you need to do the Magic Milk science experiment at home right now . Both the prep & cleanup for this experiment is simple.

But being “simple” doesn’t mean it isn’t fun! This awesome experiment is sure to amaze! I was honestly surprised by how well it worked. The results were actually amazing! But first, let’s go over everything you need.

If you’d like more STEM activity ideas, make sure to grab my FREE eBook on 25 STEM activities here .

Table of Contents

• 2 % or Whole Milk ( no skim milk!)
• Food Coloring
• Cotton Swap

How to do the Magic Milk Science Experiment

When I say this is an easy one to do on a whim, I mean it! All you need to do is follow these 4 simple steps.

Step 1: Pour Milk into a Shallow Dish

Pour the milk into a small bowl. Remember, it has to be 2% or whole milk. Skim milk won’t. However, a great way to test hypotheses would be to compare the effects on milk with different fat contents.

Step 2: Add 4-5 Drops of Food Coloring

Add a few drops of the food coloring to the milk.

Below we’ll learn how the science experiment works. The food coloring simply allows us to see the effect adding the dish soap to the milk has. The food coloring itself isn’t part of the reaction.

Step 3: Dip Cotton Swap in Dish Soap

Soak the end of your cotton swap with any kind of dish soap.

Step 4: Touch Soapy Cotton Swap to Milk

Be prepared to be amazed!

As soon as you touch the soap to the milk, you’ll see the different colored milk shoot apart.

The reaction is quick, so make sure everyone is watching!

Record what you saw happened. For extra testing, see how the effects are different depending on the type of milk you use: whole, 2% and skim.

How the Magic Milk Science Experiment Works

The secret to the dancing motion of the food coloring is all in the dish soap.

Milk is mostly made up of water, but it also contains vitamins, minerals, and fat. The fat in milk (like all fats) is an example of a nonpolar molecule, which means it does not dissolve in water.

When the soap is added to the milk, the molecules dance around to try to connect to the fat molecules in the milk.

In simplest terms, the soap causes the fat in the milk to separate from the water, which is why this won’t work with skim milk.

So why the food coloring? Without the food coloring, we wouldn’t be able to see how the milk fat molecules rapidly move around once the soap is added. Plus, its an awesome firework effect!

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Magic Colored Milk Science Project

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If you add food coloring to milk, not a whole lot happens, but it only takes one simple ingredient to turn the milk into a swirling color wheel. Here is what you do.

Magic Milk Materials

• 2% or whole milk
• food coloring
• dishwashing liquid
• cotton swab

Magic Milk Instructions

• Pour enough milk onto a plate to cover the bottom.
• Drop food coloring into the milk.
• Dip a cotton swab in dishwashing detergent liquid.
• Touch the coated swab to the milk in the center of the plate.
• Don't stir the milk; it isn't necessary. The colors will swirl on their own as soon as the detergent contacts the liquid.

How the Color Wheel Works

Milk consists of a lot of different types of molecules, including fat, protein, sugars, vitamins, and minerals. If you had just touched a clean cotton swab to the milk (try it!), not much would have happened. The cotton is absorbent, so you would have created a current in the milk, but you wouldn't have seen anything especially dramatic happen.

When you introduce detergent to the milk, several things happen at once. The detergent lowers the surface tension of the liquid so that the food coloring is free to flow throughout the milk. The detergent reacts with the protein in the milk, altering the shape of those molecules and setting them in motion. The reaction between the detergent and the fat forms micelles, which is how detergent helps to lift grease off of dirty dishes. As the micelles form, the pigments in the food coloring get pushed around. Eventually, equilibrium is reached, but the swirling of the colors continues for quite a while before stopping.

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Magic Milk Science Experiment for Kids with Video

The Magic Milk Science Experiment is a fun and simple experiment for children of all ages. It’s an excellent Science idea for preschoolers and Kindergarten as an introduction to learning about chemical reactions and colors. This color-changing milk experiment is guaranteed to become one of your favorite kitchen chemistry experiments, and you can change up the colors for seasons and holidays.

Milk Science Experiment

Magic Milk Science Experiment for Kids

Not only is this Magic Milk Experiment easy and fun for kids, but it’s also a great way to teach them about the science of milk! All you need is some milk, food coloring, and dish soap – and you’re ready to amaze your little ones with this cool chemistry trick.

Magic Milk Experiment Explained

Magic milk is a popular science experiment that involves using everyday ingredients to create a dramatic color-changing reaction when food coloring is added. By adding whole milk and dish soap to a shallow bowl and then carefully dripping in drops of lemon juice, vinegar, or diluted baking soda, fascinating reactions occur as the magic milk starts to move and change colors.

This experiment allows kids to explore everyday substances found around the house – grocery store lemon juice, dish soap, and milk! – while learning about the science behind chemistry, surface tension, and chemical reactions.

Science Activities for Kids

Materials needed for the Magic Milk Experiment

Gather all the essential materials for your experiment:

What you will need to make your  Magic Milk Experiment  is in the picture below. However, I have it displayed in list form towards the bottom of the page. Have Fun!

Science Project Ideas

If you are looking to make this a Montessori Science activity place these materials out on a tray for your children to enjoy for the day. If you want to do this activity together in a classroom or at home, this is all you need to make this a fun, hands-on science experiment.

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Color Changing Milk Experiment

For this experiment, you only need a gentle drop or two of liquid dish detergent directly in between color droplets.

Begin by pouring some milk into a pie pan or shallow container.

Add several drops of different colored food coloring scattered over the surface of the milk.

The reason behind the milk change is the molecules of fats and proteins in the milk are being broken down by the soap. Then the soap chases the fat molecules, trying to join with them.

You can use cotton swabs to break apart colored molecules and watch how each reacts to the addition of soap. Now that you are prepped with supplies, you are ready to take part in an exciting experiment!

Magic Milk Science Activities for Kids

Montessori science activities.

This is an easy and super fun science experiment that uses common kitchen materials, so you probably don’t even need to go to the store. It only takes a couple of minutes to prepare on a tray, and children as young as 3 can do this science experiment independently.

Magic Milk Science Experiment Lesson Plan

Not Only Science…

Encouraging your child to make art with everyday materials is a great way to fuel creativity. Allowing them to explore the process of pouring milk into a bowl and adding drops of food coloring can be an exciting activity for young minds.

Food coloring is non-toxic, and it’s a fun and easy way for your child to learn about how liquids can blend and blend to create unique color combinations. This activity not only promotes creativity but can also help develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as well.

When the milk stops moving and the reaction is finished, you can repeat the steps as many times as your children like. You can also change up the colors depending on holidays and themes too.

The swirls and bubbling of the milk colors kept going and going after the reaction. It was so cool to watch; the kids loved it!

Magic Milk Experiment

Have you ever wondered what happens when you mix milk, food coloring, and dish soap? With this magic milk science experiment, watch as the colors swirl around in a mesmerizing fashion. Each of the ingredients has its own properties that come into play during this experiment.

The lipid molecules in the milk are attracted to the dish soap, causing them to break apart. This creates a reaction that disperses all of the colors throughout, ultimately mixing them in a super cool way.

Try out this magic milk science experiment for yourself and feel like a scientist!

Preschool Science Experiments

● Milk ● Pie pan or another shallow container ● Food coloring – We used Red and Blue ● Cotton balls or Qtips ● Blue colored dish soap

Instructions:

1. Begin by pouring some milk into a pie pan or other shallow container. 2. Add several drops of food coloring scattered over the surface of the milk. 3. Pour in some drops of red food coloring on the surface of the milk. For the best results, try not to mix the drops of food coloring together yet. 4. Dip a cotton ball into blue colored dish soap. 5. Place the soap covered cotton ball or Qtip into the center of the milk. 6. Watch as the colors magically swirl and twirl through the milk in the container. 7. You can dip additional cotton balls or Qtips into the dish soap and place them throughout the container into the milk to see the colors swirl in different directions.

**We used Blue and Red the first time because we enjoyed this Science Experiment over the summer (4th of July), then we did it again with a variety of colors. You can make this fun and add as many colors as you’d like. Think rainbow, or do other colors for different holidays.   

Pin This Magic Milk Science Activity to Save for Later

Engage your students and children by sparking their curiosity with the magic milk science experiment lesson plan!

This engaging activity gives them an opportunity to bring out their creative side, as it encourages them to explore the science behind making all sorts of magic colors. Whether they choose to examine the effects of changes in temperature or compare different brands of food coloring for the most vibrant results, each student will be delighted when it’s time to enjoy their colorful creation. As a bonus, you may also find that this experiment fosters a newfound appreciation for science among your students!

If you are interested in a more in-depth explanation, head over to  Steve Spangler Science  for a full explanation.

So there you have it – a simple but very magical activity that your child is sure to enjoy! If you’re looking for more preschool science experiments, be sure to check out some of our favorites below.

From exploring colors changing with Jelly Beans to creating homemade slime , there’s something for everyone.

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Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

Discover an Easy Magical Color Changing Milk Experiment for Kids

Science Preschoolers Colors Experiment 28 Comments

Learn about mixing colors  with a color changing milk experiment. Your kids will think this trick is science magic!

We’re talking a lot about how colors mix together right now. I wanted to add in a little extra science twist to continue our learning.

Color Changing Milk Experiment to Magically Mix Colors

I’ve tried doing this magic color changing milk experiment in the past, but remember not having the best great success with it. I don’t remember what we did differently though because this time it worked great.

We took this milk experiment as an opportunity for George to be introduced to mixing primary colors to see what colors they would make.

To do your own color changing milk experiment, you’ll need:

• Liquid food coloring
• Q-Tip or cotton swab

First, pour milk into a small, flat dish. A pie plate worked perfectly for us.

Squirt drops of food coloring in all different colors  (affiliate link), or just use two primary colors, into the milk.

Be sure to not mix it up!

Just let the drops sit as they are.

Dip a Q-tip (cotton swab) into some dish soap. I don’t believe it matters what type of dish soap, but we used Ivory dish soap and had great success.

Dip the dish soap soaked Q-tip end into the milk and watch the magic happen!

See it in action!

After doing the first experiment with all three primary colors, I thought this would be a great experiment to introduce mixing colors to George using only two primary colors at a time.

It magically mixes colors!

We did this color changing milk experiment over and over with all the combinations of primary colors.

Of course, George is just like his older brother and loves green, so that was our first experiment.

Magically mixing colors!

How do we make the color green?

Check out all our science experiments for kids .

George saw the green in the yellow and blue right away!

And then we tried red and yellow to see what they made.

It takes a long time for the colors to actually mix together.

They almost swirl around each other more than anything.

So George didn’t see orange, he kept seeing yellow. Until finally, after letting is mix almost completely together he could see the orange.

What’s so interesting about this experiment is that it bubbles up, the yellow will just appear out of nowhere in the middle of the red all of a sudden!

It really is like magic!

And then we tried to make purple. Blue and red together.

We’ve also had fun mixing colors with fizzy eruptions !

George thought it looked like it made black. I think we overdid it with the drops of color and it got to dark.

The photos here just don’t do this experiment justice. The swirling effect the colors do is just plain amazing to watch.

George’s face gives that away in some of the photos. If we had more milk on hand we could have done this to fill up our entire morning.

My husband suggested that any liquid, like water, could probably work. It’s something about breaking surface tension.

I don’t know what those terms mean, so I’m not going to pretend that I do.

But the reason for the milk is to have the white background so you can see the swirls happening.

If someone has tried color changing milk with anything other than milk, let me know if it does work! Does color changing water work?

We loved trying these other twists on the magic milk experiment:

• Read about the science of how and why this works at Steve Spangler Science
• Mess for Less made the milk explode too!
• Add glitter to see the movement, from Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails
• See what happens when color is added to only the middle of the pan at Craftulate

What are your favorite science experiments for kids? Share your ideas in the comments!

About jamie reimer.

Jamie learned to be a hands on mom by creating activities, crafts and art projects for her three boys to do. Jamie needed the creative outlet that activities provided to get through the early years of parenting with a smile! Follow Jamie on Pinterest and Instagram !

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28 comments.

Katrina Mason says

February 11, 2021 at 9:52 am

I love the q-tip activity. Thank you for sharing

February 11, 2019 at 9:37 pm

Thank you for this wonderful site. I taught 3rd grade for 30 years and now I’m teaching grandchildren. thank you for your generosity. Your research, site development, videos all are such a gift. I’ll be starting these next week on my Nana play dates. Thank you! ! !

April 25, 2017 at 1:12 pm

Fun activity. It does not work though with Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap. I think you need a regular commercial soap. Not a hippy dippy one:)

August 15, 2016 at 4:09 am

Surface tension is also involved. You could use the same principle to make a detergent-powered boat: tape a bread tag onto a matchbox (or similar) with the hole of the tag sticking out. Place in a dish of water and drop detergent into the hole in the tag. That’s it! I like to stick a little toothpick flag in the box too :)

Cynthia says

February 21, 2016 at 6:27 pm

I haven’t tried this one with my preschoolers in awhile. Usually I use toothpicks instead of q-tips but it is the same idea. I need to go and get some milk!

November 24, 2015 at 11:20 am

You may try some other liquids that contain fat, such as cream (amazing patterns) or yogurt. But I recommend trying this experiment using Elmer’s glue (white one). Not only the swirling colors will be beautiful, but is you use a plastic dish and then let the glue dry, you get a fabulous gift for your kids’ window. Try it!

Lisa Horton says

September 15, 2014 at 10:42 am

Really enjoying your ideas. I have tried using primary colored skittles with water in a bowl and it works great. After the coloring from the candy dissolves you are able to mix and see the blended colors change into a secondary color. I tried the experiment from a post by mamajenn.com

Jamie Reimer says

September 15, 2014 at 2:25 pm

Great idea Lisa!

Catherine Jakuta says

August 23, 2014 at 6:07 pm

The colours swirl and mix because the soap is trying to break down the fats in the milk (this is why it works best with full fat milk) much like the soap does when you wash the dishes. This causes the colours to swirl around.

Kristina @ School Time Snippets says

May 15, 2014 at 9:53 am

We just tried this using almond milk {all we had} and it didn’t work. This was a suggested science activity for our my 1st graders curriculum today; they explained it as the dish soap breaking up the fat content in the milk– which is why I a guessing the Almond milk didn’t work and water probably wouldn’t either. Off to the store we go!

May 15, 2014 at 2:46 pm

oh very interesting to know Kristina… that makes sense.

May 14, 2014 at 7:08 pm

We did it with water and then we used blotting paper to record our findings onto, The blotting paper also works, well when wet, and with Any ink run onto it, pen, ink, Food coloring, and thing that runs even ready,made poster paint Have you tried Oil, conflour and food colouring That molds like flaky snow, it is great to use with winter animals There is also slim with custard powder and water that is gloup, strange consistance on your hands Great too with a mint and a fizzy drink stand well back Watch on you tube I wana know is who makes this up, i think of pop corn that was a mistake gone wrong, how nice and graet it is to get things wrong nowadays

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Exciting Magic Milk Science Experiment for Kids

If you are looking for a simple science activity to do with the kids, then look no further! This magic milk science experiment is perfect for you! It amazes the kids every time and it is super easy to do too! Just grab a few household supplies and have a blast with magic milk!

Anytime that a science experiment excites the kids and only takes me a couple of minutes to set up, I feel like a total winner. This one did not disappoint.

*Note: This should be done with adult supervision at all times.

You probably already have all of the supplies in your home and it is something you can do again and again. Keep reading and I will show you how simple this is.

Another thing I love about this science activity is that even preschoolers can participate and enjoy it. My four-year-old thought it was amazing and she was fully able to participate in the whole thing.

Magic Milk Science Experiment

To set up the magic milk science experiment, you only need to grab a few supplies.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Liquid food coloring – gel doesn’t work well
• Cotton swabs

That’s all you need! I bet you have most of them already.

Watch the Magic Milk Experiment Video

Magic milk experiment instructions.

It’s super simple to set up.

1. Pour a thin layer of milk in a shallow pan.

2. Have the kids add drops of food coloring all around in the milk.

3. Then the kids will pick up a cotton swab and dip it in the dish soap.

4. Then put the cotton swab in the milk – pressing it down in one spot and holding it there for about 15 seconds.

Watch what happens! There will be lots of ooohs and ahhhs. And maybe even some questions about what it is happening.

That’s where you can come in and ask a few questions.

How Does the Magic Milk Experiment Work?

Here are some questions to ask the kids:

• What did you notice?
• What happened when you put the cotton swab in the milk?
• Why do you think that happened?
• Why do you think it stopped moving around after a period of time?
• What else did you observe?

After you have discussed this, then you can explain the science behind it. Because I share activities for parents and teachers of young children, I am going to explain this in simple terms.

Milk is made up of minerals, proteins and fats. When the dish soap enters the milk the fat begins to break up. The soap molecules run around and try to attach to the fat molecules in the milk. Normally this process would be invisible to you, but the food coloring helps you to see all of the movement taking place.

Press another dish soap covered cotton swab into the milk and see if there are anymore fat molecules that haven’t been found. If you still see movement, there were still some fat molecules on the loose!

To read a more detailed explanation of what is taking place during this science investigation, check out this article from Steve Spangler .

Expand on the Magic Milk Experiment

Try the magic milk experiment with 1%, 2% and whole milk. Observe what happens and keep a record of how the milk behaves with each type of milk. Did you notice a difference?

If you do this with water will the colors still move all around like they did in the milk?

More Simple Science for Young Kids

These Simple Science Experiments for Preschool are sure to be favorites for the kids!

If you enjoyed this science experiment, then you will love this lava lamp science activity ! It is super simple and really, really fun!

Or give this leak-proof bag science activity a try. It will AMAZE your kids.

Magic Milk FAQ

1. Pour a thin layer of milk in a shallow pan. 2. Have the kids add drops of food coloring all around in the milk. 3. Then the kids will pick up a cotton swab and dip it in the dish soap. 4. Then put the cotton swab in the milk – pressing it down in one spot and holding it there for about 15 seconds. Watch what happens! There will be lots of ooohs and ahhhs. And maybe even some questions about what it is happening.

In general, milk in the magic milk science experiment should not sit out of the refrigerator or cooler for longer than  two hours .

Laughing Kids Learn

Where learning is made fun

Magic Milk Science Experiment

August 3, 2014 by Kate 81 Comments

This particular science activity is lots of fun and a great introduction to those children who haven’t had much experience in observing chemical reactions etc. I had shared this magic milk science experiment  a long time ago and it proved particularly popular on my  Laughing Kids Learn Facebook page .

Recommended age: 2 years + (Active supervision is always advised with my activities)

You will need – 

• 1/2 cup – 1 cup milk
• 1 drop of dishwashing liquid
• food colouring
• toothpicks (optional)

This science experiment is simple to set up and quickly gets to the ‘wow factor’ that will bring a smile to your child’s face.

Simply begin by pouring milk onto a plate. You will need to ensure you have enough milk to cover the base of the plate.

Let the magic happen!!

Carefully add one drop of dishwashing liquid to the middle of the milk.

Quickly a chemical reaction will occur, which will see the colours begin to spread away from the dishwashing liquid drop and begin mixing and churning the colours.

It’s absolutely amazing and you can observe  it continually move and swirl for a decent amount of time!

What is the science behind it, simply put?

Milk is made up of mostly water but it does contain vitamins, minerals, proteins and small droplets of fat. The fat and proteins are super sensitive to changes in the milk and so when the dishwashing liquid is added a chemical reaction occurs.

The soap and fat work hard to join together, which causes the movement. When food colouring is added we are able to witness this chemical reaction occurring. See here for more information .

Going further

You might like to experiment further by adding an extra drop of soap to see if there is more movement. If you see more movement you’ve discovered that there was still more fat that hadn’t combined with the soap. You might like to continue the process.

Would your child love observing this science experiment?

Some other ideas you’ll love – 

August 9, 2014 at 2:07 am

This is so fun and easy. I really admire all of the cool experiments that you do with your little one.

March 27, 2017 at 3:32 am

You are right even though I don’t have kids.

August 9, 2014 at 2:08 am

Wow, this is so fun and easy. I really admire all of the cool experiments that you do with your little one.

August 9, 2014 at 3:59 pm

Awww thanks Nicole! We do have lots of fun. Thanks for popping by and taking the time to comment. 🙂

December 29, 2020 at 8:25 pm

What is the Aim behind this experiment?

August 11, 2014 at 11:25 pm

Love all the recipes please keep me posted.

August 12, 2014 at 8:49 pm

Have you subscribed to my blog Gwenda? I’d love to have you on board and that way you won’t miss a post. Click over to my blog http://www.laughingkidslearn.com and add your email address. Warm regards, Kate

August 18, 2014 at 4:33 pm

Great idea It doesn’t work with ecostore dishwashing liquid but my 3 year old had a great time swirling the colours Great blog!

August 18, 2014 at 4:58 pm

Thanks Heather for sharing that information. Very helpful! I’m really glad your little 3 year old still enjoyed the activity. We had lots of fun with it and little Possum found mixing the colours quite irresistible too. Hope you’ve had a chance to subscribe to my blog. Thank you kindly for your comments. 🙂

September 27, 2014 at 8:15 am

I love this and all of your posts. I have a little man (1 this December) and I have so many things to do with him, thanks to you! Cheers from Seattle!

September 27, 2014 at 9:06 pm

What a beautiful message to send me Meg. Thank you so very kindly. I’m thrilled to hear that you’re enjoying the posts I’m sharing and it is keeping your little one year old busy. I can imagine the visual of this science experiment would impress. 🙂

January 24, 2015 at 12:40 pm

I love your experiments. I teach a science club at the Boys & Girls Club And I frequently use your ideas.

January 26, 2015 at 5:02 pm

Thank you Dixie! I really appreciate hearing that. Feel free to send me through a photo and I can share it on our FB page. 🙂

February 24, 2015 at 2:29 am

This experiment is even better if you use half and half. More fat equals more reaction 🙂

February 24, 2015 at 8:11 am

So half milk and half detergent?

April 11, 2015 at 4:29 am

Half & Half is a high-fat milk product — half milk half cream.

April 11, 2015 at 11:49 pm

The more fat in the milk the greater the reaction will be thanks E. 🙂

December 7, 2015 at 10:56 pm

I would like to show this at a school in a slum area in Africa. However, I’m reluctant to “waste” any foodstuffs, in particular if the kids would long for eating/drinking it. Does anybody have an idea how the milk could possibly be replaced by other ingredients? Obviously fat would be required. I assume that the color of the milk also plays a role, so it is probably not easy.

December 7, 2015 at 11:16 pm

Thank you for your comment. I am no aware of any alternatives and can appreciate your thoughts on this. Is it possible for them to see a video of it being done. I know it isn’t the same as them actually doing it, but I’m sure they will still get the wow factor. Hope that helps.

January 19, 2016 at 12:35 pm

Thanks for this great idea! I am a homeschool mom and we are doing science experiment week. We are sooo doing this one this week! It’s very affordable and you already have the items on hand. Perfect!

January 19, 2016 at 11:33 pm

Hi Helen! So wonderful to receive your message. I’m thrilled you are going to give this experiment a go. We absolutely love it. 🙂

February 19, 2016 at 2:06 am

February 21, 2016 at 1:16 pm

You are very welcome Luke!

April 15, 2017 at 10:06 am

You could probably use oil and water as a substitute for milk.

Also, if you are going to use this to teach kids, it’s probably important to note that this isn’t a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions involve an irreversible change to the molecules themselves and are either exo or endothermic. This is neither. It’s actually physics…the milk’s surface tension is disturbed by the presence of dishwashing liquid (it probably wouldn’t work with dishwasher detergent, so if people are having issues, double check which kind of detergent you are using). Still a very cool demonstration of science. I can’t wait to try it with my niece.

April 16, 2017 at 5:52 pm

Thank you for your great comments. I will keep them in mind the next time I do a similar type activity.

September 9, 2016 at 3:42 pm

You named your child Possum?

September 11, 2016 at 8:35 am

February 11, 2019 at 5:22 am

September 27, 2016 at 11:30 pm

you make Grandparenting babysitting a “joy” …thank you for all the easy and quick ideas!

September 28, 2016 at 5:39 pm

Oh Joy, you make me smile from ear to ear. Thank you so much. Love to hear which activity you have enjoyed the most. 🙂

November 8, 2016 at 10:54 am

I’ve tried this with whole milk and 3 different types of dish soap and I can’t get it to work! What am I doing wrong?!

November 9, 2016 at 2:12 pm

How unusual! The fat in the whole fat cows milk reacts to the dish soap. I can only image that you might be using soap free variety of dish soap or a variation of milk (soy, almond etc won’t work). Let me know how you go Dena.

January 23, 2017 at 4:49 am

Thank you! My 8-year-old loved it and my 15-month old liked watching it. Thanks for sharing!!!

January 23, 2017 at 9:59 pm

You’re so very welcome Maria. Thrilled you were able to entertain both ages. 🙂

February 14, 2017 at 2:53 am

I tried this with my 3 and a half year old today & it didn’t work. We ended up with a murky mess. It seemed there was a reaction as soon as I added the food colouring (I hadn’t added the soap at this point). It was fun to do anyway as we tried to figure out why it didn’t look like your photos and we got a “wow” regardless! Thank you

February 14, 2017 at 6:05 pm

Hi Tracy. I’m so confused why it wouldn’t work for you! It’s the detergent attaching itself to the fat molecules in the milk that causes the reaction so you should see a reaction when you have the milk and food colouring together then add the detergent. Sometimes if you don’t have a full fat milk it can reduce the reaction. I’m glad you still had fun.

March 6, 2017 at 8:33 am

Is your child learning about colour? You’ll be amazed at the beautiful creation you make together in this easy and inexpensive activity! Who says art and science don’t mix?

March 25, 2017 at 4:24 am

The is goneing to be good i like a lot me will do it at home i like do cool thing

March 30, 2017 at 2:14 pm

Have fun with it. 🙂

November 12, 2018 at 1:58 pm

SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

November 19, 2018 at 11:00 pm

Thank you! 🙂

July 1, 2019 at 2:52 pm

I am from New Zealand.

June 4, 2020 at 12:59 am

Thank you so much! we had a blast!

June 9, 2020 at 2:11 pm

Yay! That’s wonderful news.

October 4, 2020 at 5:10 pm

Hello lovely blog and photos BUT please adjust your explanation. This is NOT strictly a “chemical reaction” as the molecules do not break and form new bonds to form new chemical entities, instead they simply move around due to intermolecular forces between the different molecules – fat, protein and water – where positive, negative, hydrophilic or hydrophobic ends of the different molecules attract or detract one another …here is an excellent explanation 🙂

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/adventures-in-chemistry/experiments/colors-move.html

October 5, 2020 at 1:13 pm

Gah, that’s a difficult explanation for a toddler. Can you somehow simplify for our younger audience? Thank you for helping me teach out community.

January 30, 2021 at 9:07 am

There is no chemical reaction going on here. Cute way of explaining hydrophobic, hydrophilic interactions but it is not chemical.

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Science Project Ideas

Milk and Food Coloring

When kids perform this simple experiment, it seems as if they are just having fun with milk, food color and dish soap. But, on close observation, it is clear that it is nothing but physics in action. The educative, along with the fun aspect of the tie-dye milk experiment makes it ideal for the little ones.

Milk, Food Coloring, and Dish Soap Experiment

On touching the food color floating on the milk with detergent, the color would spread to the edge of the plate making a swirling motion.

• A shallow dish – a clear dish works best as you can clearly see what is happening beneath the surface. However, any other opaque or translucent dish or dinner plate works just as fine.
• Food coloring in four different colors.
• Milk with high fat content – Half-and-half or whole milk work best.
• Liquid dishwashing soap
• A clean cotton swab
• Pour milk into the dish to just cover the bottom. The layer of milk should have a height of about ¼ “. Allow the milk to settle.
• Add one drop of each of the food coloring to the milk. The drops should be placed close together near the center of the dish.
• Touch the colored milk at the center of the dish with the tip of the cotton swab. Do not stir the mixture. Note down your observation.
• Put a drop of the dish soap at the other end of the cotton swab.
• Place the soapy tip of the swab back at the center of the milk and hold it there for 10-15 seconds. Note down your observation. The color should churn out from the bottom of the plate to the surface.
• Add another drop of soap to the cotton swab and test the phenomenon again. Place the cotton swab in different parts of the milk and continue your observations. On touching the liquid at the edge of the plate, the color should mix and move around making cool patterns.

Magic Color Changing Milk Science Project Video

Tie dye milk explanation.

The principle at work here is surface tension. When you touch the milk without the soap, nothing happens.  The drops of food color, being less dense than milk, just sit on the surface where you placed them. Since you did not stir, they do not mix with each other much. But when you touch it with soap, the surface tension of the milk reduces. Soap molecules being bipolar, their hydrophilic (water loving) ends dissolve while the hydrophobic (water-hating) ends attach themselves to fat molecules, weakening the chemical bonds holding the latter together. Thus the fat gets dissolved.

The milk surface outside the soap boundary having a higher surface tension pulls itself away from the original spot, dragging the food color along with it. The movement gives rise to convection, drawing the food color down before popping it up again to the surface, some distance away. It is pure fun to watch the soap molecules race around to join with those of fat as the latter twists, contorts, bends and rolls in all directions. The food color is also bumped and shoved around everywhere, in the process.

As the soap evenly mixes with the milk, the movement slows before stopping completely. The addition of another drop of soap starts the motion once again.

Whether children perform the trick in the lab or a science fair, they are sure to garner a lot of attention. They can also utilize the color explosion to do different patterns of milk art as well. At the onset, instruct them to refrain from drinking any of the colored milk as it contains detergent. After the experiment is over, they should simply pour it down the sink to prevent it from spilling here and there.

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Color Explosion Magic Milk Experiment and Science Fair Project

Want an extremely fun, easy, inexpensive experiment with serious WOW factor? You’ve got it with this Color Explosion Magic Milk Experiment that let’s kids explore a fireworks explosion of rainbow colours that appear to move and change like magic! It’s not magic though, it’s science. This easy science experiment is a must do for all ages. Today we have taken things even deeper by developing an entire Science Fair Project around Magic Milk.

Magic Milk Science Experiment

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

With all the crazy experiments we have done around here, from launching baking soda and vinegar rockets, to building light up circuit bugs, to magic colour changing oobleck, sometimes it’s the simple experiments that surprise us the most! This Magic Milk experiment did exactly that.

With a very simple set up, and items from the kitchen, we ended up spending an entire afternoon experimenting, testing and learning. All with lots of mesmerized faces, quietly watching in awe what was happening in front of them.

Here’s the thing with Magic Milk experiments, they are extremely calming and relaxing to watch. It’s like a scientific calm down dish, instead of a calm down bottle. If you need an activity to keep the kids calmly entertained as they learn, this is it!

EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENT – MAGIC MILK

The quick and easy way to do Magic Milk is to take your milk, whatever you have in your fridge should work (as we proved with our science fair project below), then you just need a pie plate or shallow dish, dish soap and food coloring.

Fill the dish with milk

Pour milk into the dish, we made ours about 2cm deep. We used a variety of milks in our science fair project below. You should be able to use whatever you have in the fridge. Let it settle for a moment, this will take more time the higher the fat content.

Add drops of food coloring

Scatter some drops of food coloring in the milk.

Add dish soap

Use a Q-tip or pipette to add a drop of dish soap to the center of the plate and watch what happens!

MAGIC MILK SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

The joy of having kids that have been raised to be creative, imaginative thinkers, who embrace the Scientific Method, is that they have so many amazing questions. Very quickly our Magic Milk Experiment became a Magic Milk Science Fair Project.

HOW DOES THE FAT CONTENT OF THE MILK AFFECT THE MAGIC MILK EXPERIMENT RESULTS?

That was the big question for our science fair project. We wanted to know if the fireworks of colors created by the dish soap in milk would change at all based on the type of milk or cream we used. Specifically we look at fat content.

RESEARCH INTO MAGIC MILK

Our research actually led us to some conflicting and confusing information about what exactly was happening during the Magic Milk experiment. Finally we found some concrete answers that made sense, especially once we did our experiments. Turns out the whole things is based on surface tension and the polarity of molecules. More on the science in a moment!

Resources on Magic Milk include Scientific American and American Chemical Society .

HYPOTHESIS: Higher Fat Content EQUALS SLOWER COLOR MOVEMENT

After doing our research, I pulled out the milks we had available. We were going to test 2% fat (milk), 18% fat (coffee cream) and 33% fat (whipping cream). I asked the kids to come up with their predictions and best educated guesses for what might happen. Their hypothesis was that the higher the milk fat content, the slower the colors would move through the milk.

HOW TO DO THE MAGIC MILK EXPERIMENT

Next we set up our experiments. Our constant variables were our Dawn dish soap applied in the middle of the plate with a Q-tip, milk 2 cm deep in a pie dish so the amount of milk was consistent, a consistent number of food coloring drops scattered in a similar pattern each time.

Our independent variable, the one thing we changed each time, was the fat content of our milk. We used 2%, 18% and 33%.

For our dependent variable we studied how the colors exploded and moved after the dish soap was added. We watched for changes in how fast colors exploded across the milk and if there were different patterns in how the colors moved. We also timed how long the colors continued to move.

Check out our Magic Milk Color Explosion Video!

Results of magic milk science fair experiment.

Our results were striking! The 2% milk rapidly exploded with colors that flew around the plate. In a short amount of time the colors started blending together and the dish soap, which stays as a little bubble, started floating around pushing reactions around the plate. The colors moved and blended about, constantly moving and changing. There was a lot of action with the rainbow of colors.

The 18% moved more slowly, the colors tended to stay together for a very long time without mixing. It also took a lot longer for the dish soap bubble to start moving around the plate.

Once it did start moving, slowly, it did start forcing more mixing of the colors. We found the colors pushed to the edges of the plate in a multi-colored ring.

This color blocking is very similar to what we saw in the Skittles Science Experiment . This made us wonder about the possibility of water stratification and concentration gradient playing a role in our results as well.

33% gave us the most astonishing and amazing results. The colors spread in fractals. Branching out in short little bursts. Like leafless branches, that never mixed into the milk. The soap bubble did not move, staying anchored in the middle of the plate where we had placed it. Very minimal mixing of the colors occurred, only happening when two fractals accidentally crossed paths.

With all three we stopped our stop watch at 15 minutes as the reactions and movement were still ongoing and, although they had slowed, they didn’t seem to be ending any time soon.

I mentioned earlier that when we were doing our research we came across from conflicting and even confusing information on the possible science behind magic milk. Our experiment allowed us to study how the fat content affected the movement of colours, allowing us to draw solid conclusions, informed by our research, into what exactly is happening.

Our hypothesis was correct, but our results lead to even more fascinating findings!

Conclusion – The Science Behind Magic Milk and Fat Content

With our Magic Milk Science Fair Project we were able to study the effect fat content had on the movement of colour when dish soap is added. Our results tell us that fat content plays a large role, but the reason may be surprising.

Liquids have something called surface tension. Water, milk, and cream are made up of molecules that have positive and negative charges on their surface. Just like magnets these charges allow them to attract and repel other molecules. When milk or cream is by itself, it’s molecules are surrounded by the same type of molecules, creating a nicely balanced push and pull. The exception is the top which is exposed to air which pushes down on the liquid, creating surface tension on the top of the liquid.

There is a substance that affects a liquid’s surface tension, it’s called a surfactant. Dish soap is mostly comprised of surfactants. It has a hydrophilic part that is attracted to the water and a hydrophobic part that wants to interact with the fat molecules and repels water.

It’s all about surface tension

The pushing and pulling of the fat and water molecules in the milk separates them, resulting in a decrease of the surface tension.

We see a big difference between our various fat content milks due to the different ratios of fat to water in the liquids. The higher fat content milk is much thicker. We can see this before adding the dish soap if we just look at the food colouring drops. The food colouring spreads significantly in 2%, spreads a little in 18% and doesn’t move at all in 33%.

This means, in our 33% milk, there is less water for the hydrophilic part to attract, and way too much fat for the hydrophobic part to ineract with. The surfactant (dish soap), has very limited effect on the surface tension, which remains quite a viscous, stable liquid. This leads to the fractal style, very limited spread of colour we see in the high fat milk.

In the 2% milk we have lots of water and some fat, allowing the surface tension to be affected easily. This results in a dramatic dance of color.

FURTHER STUDIES IN MAGIC MILK

Already the kids have identified more testing we can do in the future. This includes testing different surfactants. They wonder how shampoo or soaps may affect our results. They also wondered if there would be a difference if we used a oil or gel color instead of liquid food coloring (which is mostly water).

The kids also want to test lower percentage milks like skim and 1%, plus other types of milk like soy, coconut, goat milk, etc. to see how the different types of milk react.

MORE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT IDEAS

Magic Milk Experiment

Explore the magical and explosive colourful experiment that involves a reaction between milk and dish soap.

• 1/2 – 1 cup milk experiment with different percentage fat milks and creams to see how it affects the results
• 1 tsp dish soap
• bottles food colouring in a variety of colours

Instructions

Pour milk into the shallow dish until it is about 1 to 2 cm deep. The amount of milk required will vary based on the size of your dish.

Add drops of food colouring to the milk.

Take the Q-Tip and dip it into the dish soap, then place the q-tip into the middle of the prepared milk and watch the reaction. You can remove the q-tip after a few seconds and the reaction will continue. The pattern of the reaction and duration will vary based on the fat content of your milk or cream. Experiment with a variety to see how your results change.

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Colour Changing Milk Experiment

Watch the magic happen with this Colour Changing Milk Experiment by mixing milk, food colouring and dish soap .

The kids will want to do this experiment over and over again, it is just so fascinating to watch the swirling effects of colour.

What you will need?

You will need milk (near use by date), shallow dish, food colouring, cotton buds (Q-tips) and dish soap.

Step 1-3 

1.  Pour some milk into the shallow dish.

2.  Add approximately 5-6 drops of food colouring.

3.  Prepare the liquid dish soap in a small bowl, adding a small amount of water and mix with the end of the cotton bud.

Step 4 

4.  Place the soap soaked cotton bud into the centre of the of the milk dish.

This photo was taken just after we placed the soap soaked cotton bud into the centre of the milk. It demonstrates how the coloured food dye disperses outwards to the side of the plate.

The food colouring begins to swirl and move around the plate once the dish soap soaked cotton bud is added. It appears to work like magic and is fascinating to watch as the many shades of colours start forming, combining and also separating leaving the bright white of the milk.

Some Ideas:

• Extend the learning by experimenting with different types of milk, such as soy milk, coconut milk, chocolate milk or butte milk.
• Learn about mixing colours – add only red and blue food colouring to make purple, yellow and blue to make green and red and yellow to make orange. The swirling effect mixes the colours together making a new colour.
• Experiment with full cream milk and skim milk. Are the results the same or are they different?

Let’s Learn – What is happening?

Milk is mainly made of water and the other big ingredient is usually fat (not all milk has the same amount of fat). The dish soap bonds with the fat in the milk. This bond is so strong that the water and food colouring are pushed out. The swirling effect is everything else moving around to make room for the dish soap and fat bond.

Learning Opportunities

• Language development: Using descriptive words to express ideas and opinions.
• Make connections with real life experiences.
• Promote scientific thinking: predictions, observations, comparison, reasoning, data gathering, experimentation and evaluation
• Hand-Eye Coordination and Control
• Cause and Effect
• Concentration

Click here for more SCIENCE activities & play ideas

About The Author

Janice Davis

6 thoughts on “colour changing milk experiment”.

Love the website and am doing a project for the science fair called color changing milk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for all the lovely project ideas !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love the website

I love the idea and love it.

so cool i want to try this!

My students loved this experiment!

I am doing this for my project

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Hi and welcome to Learning 4 Kids!

My name is Janice and I am an Early Childhood Teacher in Australia.

I have a strong passion and love for teaching and creating meaningful learning experiences for my students. What I love most is watching children discover in those amazing light bulb moments. I hope Learning4kids brings you some useful ideas.

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Crafts by Amanda

crafts for adults and kid's crafts

Magic Milk Experiment

Author by Amanda Davis on July 27, 2020 Updated on July 25, 2020

This cool magic milk experiment is fun to do and you likely have everything you need on hand. Got milk? Food coloring and dish soap? Then you are all set to do this colorful kitchen experiment!

Why this experiment works

Food coloring is less dense than the milk causing it to remain suspended in the fat molecules of the milk. When you add the dish soap, that breaks up the fat molecules, making the food coloring spread across the surface of the milk. Think of it like washing butter off your hands. The hand soap makes the fat in the butter separate, causing it to break up.

This magic milk experiment uses the simplest of ingredients and I’m going to bet you won’t need to go to the store!

Craft supplies you will need

Get full list of supplies and directions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Helpful Project Information:

• Age Level: 3 and up
• Mess Factor: Low (food coloring can stain fingers)
• Level of Difficulty: Easy
• Time to Complete: less than 5 minutes
• Cost Estimate: Less than $1.00

How to Perform the Magic Milk Experiment

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this project. Please scroll down to simply print out the instructions!

• Pour enough milk into a shallow dish or plate to cover the bottom.

• Place several drops of food coloring into the center of the milk. Repeat with additional colors.

• Squeeze one drop of dish soap into the center of the food coloring and what the magic milk in action!

• Another alternative is to dip a cotton swab into dish soap then dip that swab into the center of the food coloring.

Expert Tips & FAQs

• If really small children will be present, they can participate by pouring milk in using a small cup.
• After the design seems to lose action, you can add another drop of dish soap near the edge and watch all over again.
• Do not use gel food coloring. The density and volume of such a food coloring is not heavier than milk and the experiment won’t work.

This magic milk experiment is super fun for both kids and adults. The first time I tried it I was just as excited as the kids were!

More Science Crafts

• Balloon Experiment for Kids
• How to Make a Rubber Band Car
• Homemade Floam
• Colorful Baking Soda and Vinegar Reaction
• Coffee Ground Fossils

I love to create and share my projects with you! I know it’s hard to remember to come back and search, so I’ve made it easy for you with my weekly newsletter! You can subscribe for free and I’ll send you fun crafts and delicious recipes every week right to your email.

• Shallow dish like a pie plate
• Liquid food coloring
• Cotton swabs

Instructions

• Do not use gel food coloring. The density and volume of such a food coloring is not heavier than milk and the experiment won't work.

This post originally appeared here on Mar 8, 2011 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.

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Reader Interactions

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July 5, 2022 at 10:01 am

Rated this project 5 but earlier I read use hand sanitizer and do they mean instead of Milk?????

Gayle Marriott says

September 2, 2019 at 11:59 am

Hi Amanda, my daughter and I tried this and it was so fun. I’ll use it for my Royal Ranger group at Church. We went a little further with it. We barely laid a piece of paper over the design, lifted it off quickly and came up with a design similar to the one in the dish. Laid it down to dry but sprinkled a little salt on it while wet and it made even a greater and brighter look. Thank you for tis really neat idea…..God bless….

Amanda Formaro says

September 9, 2019 at 5:43 pm

What an awesome idea, thanks for sharing that!

March 16, 2013 at 9:26 am

I did this with my 2 great grandsons and they absolutely loved it. They want to do it all the time now but can’t understand why we can’t save it. We ran out of the liquid food coloring, and like someone else posted, I can not find it. I usually shop at Krogers or Wal-Mart and both of them only had the gel ! I will keep looking tho. Thanks for sharing !

March 19, 2013 at 5:25 pm

That’s odd! They have all kinds of it in the stores around here. Are you looking by the extracts and spices?

November 27, 2012 at 3:19 pm

When I saw the first video, I was excited! My kids aren’t due home for another hour and a half, but I was getting the bowl out and the food coloring. Then I watched the second video where you used the qtip to create a star and I was like a little kid, sitting here going, “Whoooooa, Coool!” Thank you for the fun idea, can’t wait to hear my kids…

Amanda says

December 1, 2012 at 6:17 pm

How fun! Hope you had a blast with the kids Lisa! :)

Les Créateliers says

November 1, 2012 at 8:47 pm

I love this project! I posted it mon my website, you can see the page here: http://www.lescreateliers.com/Les_Createliers/Idees_Ideas/Entries/2012/11/1_Effet_marbreMarbled_effect.html Cheers! Marie-Eve

surferboy690 says

May 7, 2012 at 10:12 pm

Thanks for the great site. I need some help with reproducing the star. No matter what variation I try, I only get results like the first set of images. Nothing even closely resembling the star. I’ve tried cold/warm milk, more/less milk, more/less soap, more/less food coloring.

Can you suggest any more details to try to produce the star? Is the heavy cream vs milk the key? Thanks!

Sabina says

October 23, 2011 at 10:57 pm

Try adding HAND SANITIZER!!! Woah, that is funky! We tried it w/ the milk first and then experimented further with the hand sanitizer. It was cool to see the different reactions!

October 27, 2011 at 1:14 am

Oh how fun, thanks for that top Sabina, we’ll definitely try it!

Anonymous says

April 11, 2011 at 6:06 am

You are so talented!! I have been browsing through you site and you are truely gifted!! I love all the ideas and crafts!! I will definately be subscribing to you!!! ps I love this milk and food dye idea! cant wait to share it with my kids!!!

March 16, 2011 at 11:41 am

Thanks everyone, so fun!

Jackie – I'm surprised you couldn't find liquid food coloring, it should be by the spices, herbs and extracts. :) Of course, assuming you are in the U.S.!

March 15, 2011 at 7:52 pm

WOW!!, did'nt have food coloring, sent Hubby running (ha, he drove) to store & all they had was gel, did'nt work, sent him to few more place's & only gel, geez! wuwt!!, so, could'nt do it, but, Granddaughter used it to finger paint, she was happy, will look on-line for Regular food coloring. Can't wait to try this look's like so much fun.. TY Jackie Theisen

March 15, 2011 at 1:38 am

That is actually really cool! I've never seen that one before. Going to do it with my kids tomorrow!

KimberlyShavatt says

March 14, 2011 at 6:23 pm

That is a really cool trick. I can't wait to show my kids. Thanks!!!

March 14, 2011 at 12:49 pm

love love love all your fun stuff! thank you for posting all these ideas and crafts!!

Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree says

March 13, 2011 at 4:12 pm

Beautiful! Every child would love this!

Josh and Melinda says

March 12, 2011 at 7:43 pm

NEAT!! Kid at heart, and going to go play with the kids! I'm thinking some white tissue paper or onion skin to lay on top and 'capture' their pattern!

Miz Helen says

March 11, 2011 at 2:00 am

Hi Amanda, What great fun! Your post is very informative and a great project for the little ones. Thank you for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and please come back!

MessyMissy says

March 10, 2011 at 4:06 pm

I love this. I used it before at the craft time I host at my local library….it is *always* a success!! I would love it if you would link this up to my Marvelous Mess party. I will picking one project to feature on my sidebar for a week!! Here is the link: http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com/2011/03/marvelous-mess-3.html

March 10, 2011 at 11:51 am

@Anon – That's an interesting idea! I don't think it would work though, I'm thinking it would just blue together. You could certainly try it though. Let me know if it works!

March 10, 2011 at 7:47 am

Oh WOW! Can you put paper on top to get a print?

March 9, 2011 at 9:19 pm

That is so cool!

Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes] says

March 9, 2011 at 8:10 pm

This is so awesome. I'm off to try it right now!

Rachel Harwood says

March 9, 2011 at 7:27 pm

SOOO much fun! I'd love for you to join my For the Kids Fridays link party!!

:)rachel at SunScholars.blogspot.com

Michelle says

March 9, 2011 at 1:33 pm

Oh this is fun. What a fun St Patrick's Day craft too with the rainbow effect.

RedTedArt says

March 9, 2011 at 1:18 pm

Oh my, that looks WONDERFUL and fun and so pretty! Love love love!!!

Maggy PS thank you for linking up Kids Get Crafty!

Nicolette @ Momnivore's Dilemma says

March 9, 2011 at 1:46 am

what a great rainy day project with my rugrats! bookmarking this! thanks for sharing, amanda!

March 9, 2011 at 1:42 am

Awesome doesn't begin to describe this. I don't even have kids and I may try this and make it just to see it react and change colors.

Deeba PAB says

March 9, 2011 at 1:12 am

This is real fun. My lad found something like this on you tube & we had a great time looking at him do it!

Denise * KKL Primitives says

March 8, 2011 at 9:44 pm

How pretty ! I can see my grand kids loving this! Thanks for sharing Amanda!

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• Published: 08 September 2024

Dietary processed former foodstuffs for broilers: impacts on growth performance, digestibility, hematobiochemical profiles and liver gene abundance

• Karthika Srikanthithasan 1 ,
• Marta Gariglio   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5224-8604 1 ,
• Elena Diaz Vicuna 1 ,
• Edoardo Fiorilla 1 ,
• Barbara Miniscalco 1 ,
• Valeria Zambotto 1 ,
• Eleonora Erika Cappone 1 ,
• Nadia Stoppani 1 ,
• Dominga Soglia 1 ,
• Federica Raspa 1 ,
• Joana Nery 1 ,
• Andrea Giorgino 1 ,
• Roser Sala 2 ,
• Andrés Luis Martínez Marínz 3 ,
• Josefa Madrid Sanchez 4 ,
• Achille Schiavone 1   na1 &
• Claudio Forte 1   na1  

Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology volume  15 , Article number:  122 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

The present experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of commercially processed former foodstuffs (cFF) as dietary substitutes of corn, soybean meal and soybean oil on the growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), hematobiochemical profiles, and liver gene abundance in broiler chickens. Two hundred one-day-old male ROSS-308 chicks were assigned to 4 dietary groups (5 replicates of ten birds per replicate) according to their average body weight (BW, 38.0 ± 0.11 g). All groups received a two-phase feeding program: starter, d 1–12 and grower, d 12–33. The control group (cFF0) was fed a standard commercial feed based on corn, soybean meal and soybean oil. The other three groups received diets in which the feed based on corn, soybean meal, and soybean oil was partially replaced with cFF at a substitution level of 6.25% (cFF6.25), 12.5% (cFF12.5) or 25% (cFF25) for the following 33 d.

The growth performance data showed no differences in BW or average daily gain among groups, although the average daily feed intake decreased during the grower period (12–33 d) and over entire experimental period (1–33 d) in a linear manner as the cFF inclusion level rose ( P  = 0.026), positively affecting the gain to feed ratio ( P  = 0.001). The ATTD of dry matter of the cFF-fed groups were greater with respect to control group and increased throughout the experimental period, whereas the ATTD of ether extract linearly decreased with increasing levels of cFF-fed groups compared with control group and throughout the experimental period ( P  < 0.05). Additionally, a linear increase in the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, serum cholesterol, triglycerides and alanine-aminotransferase were observed with increasing dietary levels of cFF ( P  < 0.05); however, no differences were observed in lipoprotein lipase or sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor gene abundance.

Conclusions

The results of this experiment demonstrate that it is possible to incorporate cFF into nutritionally balanced diets for broiler chickens, even up to 25% substitution levels, for up to 33 d without adversely impacting the overall growth performance of male broiler chickens raised under commercial conditions. Further studies are essential to validate the hematological trait findings.

As poultry diets are generally grain-based, the competition for resources between feed and food is of growing concern [ 1 ]. Ongoing research strives to identity sustainable alternatives to corn and soybean meal to replace their use in monogastric animal feed [ 2 ]. In 2022, the European Commission endorsed the use of former foodstuffs in livestock feed, defining them in the catalogue of feed materials [ 3 ] as: “ foodstuffs, other than catering reflux, which were manufactured for human consumption in full compliance with the EU food law, but which are no longer intended for human consumption for practical or logistical reasons or due to problems of manufacturing or packaging defects or other defects and which do not present any health risks when used as feed. ” Europe processes approximately 5 million tons of former foodstuffs annually [ 4 ]. These materials, which are legally distinct from food waste, offer a potential means to reduce the consumption of natural resources, such as water, reducing the carbon footprint and land usage of feed production [ 5 ].

In the last decade, former foodstuffs have been referred to in the literature as ‘ex food [ 6 ]’, ‘food leftovers [ 7 ]’, ‘former food products [ 8 ]’, ‘bakery by-products [ 9 ]’, and ‘bakery meal [ 10 ]’. With advancements in industrial processes, these former foodstuffs emerged as commercially processed former foodstuffs (cFF). They are composed of a mixture of different raw materials obtained from intermediate, unfinished, and incorrect products, primarily from the bakery, confectionary and food industries. These materials undergo unpacking, mixing, grinding, and drying to become feed ingredients as a commercialised product and available on the market under Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1104 [ 3 ]. These cFF have a high energy content due to the presence of sugar, starch, oil, and fat [ 8 , 11 , 12 ]. The inclusion of cFF into animal feeds has proven to reduce food waste accumulation and dependency on traded feed [ 5 , 13 ].

Existing studies have shown that substituting traditional poultry feed components with cFF did not adversely affect broiler growth performance but decreased ileal digestible energy [ 14 , 15 ]. It is acknowledged that differences in source materials and processing techniques can lead to variations in the chemical composition and energy content of cFF [ 16 , 17 ]. Therefore, the involvement of an intermediate processor of former foodstuffs, able to standardize their composition and formulation as commercial feed, is crucial to ensure consistency among batches and provide a high-quality feed ingredient [ 12 ].

Despite the commercial availability of cFF and its recent standardization within the European legal framework, a substantial knowledge gap persists in the literature concerning its inclusion in poultry nutrition and its impact on growth performance, digestibility, liver gene abundance, and health [ 18 ]. Thus, the primary hypothesis of this experiment is that cFF, given its standardization as feed, can substitute traditional ingredients such as corn, soybean meal, and soybean oil in the broiler diet. Therefore, this experiment aimed to assess the impact of different dietary inclusion levels of cFF as a substitute for corn, soybean meal, and soybean oil in broiler diets, focusing on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), hematobiochemical profiles, and liver gene abundance related to lipid metabolism.

Materials and methods

Bird management and experimental diets.

This experiment was conducted at the poultry facility of the University of Turin (North-West Italy). The experimental protocol was approved by the Bioethical Committee of the Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Italy (protocol no. 245, 01/01/2022). A total of 200 one-day-old male Ross-308 broiler chicks were used in the 33-d experimental period. Chicks were individually weighed and divided into 4 dietary groups based on their initial body weight (BW; 38.0 ± 0.11 g, on average), each group comprised 5 pens of 10 chicks per pen. Each pen measured 1 m 2 and had an automatic ventilation system, rice hull litter, individual feeders and drinkers. For the initial three weeks, infrared lamps were used to maintain the temperature recommended for standard breeding practices, and the lighting schedule followed the Aviagen guidelines [ 19 ]. Chicks received vaccinations for Newcastle disease, Gumboro disease, infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis upon hatching. The birds and their environmental parameters were checked daily throughout the experimental period.

The cFF (PRIMO ® ) used in this experiment was provided by Dalma Mangimi SPA (Cuneo, Italy). The cFF’s ingredient list can be divided into 3 main categories, listed in decreasing order of relative quantity in the finished product: bakery by-products (such as wafers, biscuits, bread, crackers, snack, croissants, cakes, seasonal traditional desserts, breadsticks, sliced bread), former foodstuffs (dry pasta, chocolate, puffed cereals), and agro-industrial by-products (cocoa nib shells and hazelnut skins). These materials are primarily sourced through large-scale retail trade and pre-selling production phases, as defined by EU regulation 2022/1104. The cFF contains no other non-food ingredients, and specific recipes, unpacking methods, processing methodologies, and mixing information are protected under the patent rights of the producer.

Based on the cFF chemical composition (Table  1 ), four experimental diets were formulated for the two distinct feeding phases: starter (from d 1 to 12) and grower (from d 13 to 33), as shown in Table  2 . These diets were intended to meet the nutritional needs of broilers with nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn, calculated) levels set at 3,000 kcal/kg for starter and 3,100 kcal/kg for grower phases, in accordance with National Research Council guidelines [ 20 ]. The control group received corn, soybean meal and soybean oil based standard commercial feed (cFF0). The other three experimental diets incorporated the cFF ingredient, substituting corn, soybean meal and soybean oil at the following percentages w/w: 6.25% (cFF6.25), 12.5% (cFF12.5), and 25% (cFF25) (Table  2 ). All diets were administered in crumble form (pelleting temperature 60 °C, size 0.4 cm, humidity 12%). Feed and water were provided ad libitum.

• Growth performance

At the beginning of the experiment, birds were individually labelled with a wing mark. The experimental period lasted 33 d, during which bird health status and mortality were monitored daily. The BW (g) of each bird was recorded upon its arrival and at the end of each feeding phase (1, 12, and 33 days of age, respectively). Feed intake (g) per replicate was recorded at the end of each feeding phase. The average daily gain (ADG, g/d), average daily feed intake (ADFI, g/d) and the gain to feed ratio (G:F, g/g) were calculated on the replicate basis for each feeding phase and for the whole experimental period (d 1–12, d 12–33, and d 1–33, respectively).

• Digestibility

The digestibility experiment was conducted at the end of each feeding phase. The indigestible marker titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) (5 g/kg) was added to the feed during the formulation of the experimental diets (Table  2 ) to evaluate the ATTD. Excreta was collected according to the methods outlined by Dabbou et al. [ 21 ]. In brief, all birds of each replicate were removed from the pens and housed in wire-mesh cages (1 cage/replicate) to collect fresh excreta samples for approximately 1 h/d for 3 consecutive days. Following the collection, the excreta samples collected from each replicate over the 3 d were pooled and frozen at –20 °C until freeze-drying and analysis.

Feed and excreta chemical analyses

The feed, cFF ingredient, and dried excreta were analysed for dry matter (DM, 943.01), ash (942.05), crude protein (CP, 984.13), ether extract (EE, 2003.05), and crude fibre (978.10) using the standard methods outlined by the AOAC International [ 22 , 23 ]. The dietary starch and total sugar were determined for the cFF ingredient and all four diets, while the mineral contents were determined only for the cFF ingredient. All analyses were performed in accordance with the method specified in (EC) No 152/2009 [ 24 ]. To determine the amino acid content of cFF, samples underwent a 22-h hydrolysis step in 6 mol/L HCl at 112 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The amino acids in the hydrolysate were determined by HPLC (Waters Alliance System with a Waters 1525 Binary HPLC pump, Waters 2707 autosampler, and Waters 2475 multi λ Fluorescence Detector, Milford, USA) after derivatization, following the procedure described by Madrid et al. [ 25 ].

Excreta uric acid content was determined by spectrophotometry (UNICAN UV–Vis Spectrometry, Helios Gamma, UK) in accordance with the Marquardt method [ 26 ]. All analyses were performed on two replicates per sample. The CP amount in the excreta was corrected for uric acid nitrogen. The TiO 2  content of feed and freeze-dried excreta was assessed on a UV spectrophotometer (UNICAN UV–vis Spectrometry, Helios Gamma, UK) according to the method reported by Myers et al. [ 27 ]. The ATTD for DM, CP, and EE was calculated according to National Research Council guidelines [ 28 ].

The fatty acid profile of feed (% of total fatty acid methyl esters) was determined according to the methods described by Sukhija and Palmquist [ 29 ], and included saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and total n-6 and total n-3 fatty acids. PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios were calculated.

Hematobiochemical profiles

At the end of the experiment (d 33), three birds per replicate ( n  = 15 birds per dietary group) were slaughtered. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein and 2.5 mL transferred into a EDTA tube and into a serum-separating tube. Blood smears were prepared from anticoagulant-free blood drops and stained using May-Grünwald and Giemsa stains [ 30 ]. Natt-Herrick solution-treated blood samples were used for total red and white blood cell counts using an improved Neubauer Hemacytometer [ 31 ]. One hundred leukocytes, comprising granular (heterophils, eosinophils, and basophils) and non-granular (lymphocytes and monocytes) types, were counted on each slide and expressed as a percentage of the total leukocytes. The heterophil to lymphocyte ratio was calculated according to Campbell [ 30 ].

Serum was obtained by allowing the anticoagulant-free tubes to stand at room temperature for approximately 2 h before centrifuging at 700 ×  g for 15 min. The resulting serum was frozen at –80 °C until further analysis. Total protein was quantified using the Biuret method (Bio Group Medical System kit), and the serum's electrophoretic pattern was obtained using a semi-automated agarose gel electrophoresis system (Sebia Hydrasys ® ). Enzymatic methods were used to measure alanine-aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, triglycerides, cholesterol, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, chloride, uric acid, and creatinine serum concentrations on a clinical chemistry analyser (Screen Master Touch, Hospitex diagnostics Srl., Firenze, Italy), as described by Salamano et al. [ 32 ].

Liver gene abundance analysis

On the day of slaughter (d 33), liver samples ( n  = 5 per dietary group) were taken from 20 broiler chickens and stored in RNAlater at –80 °C until RNA extraction. The nine liver genes analysed, involved in lipid and stress metabolism, were as follows: acyl-CoA oxidase-1 ( ACOX1 ), fatty acid binding protein-1 (FABP1), heat shock protein ( HSPA2 ), caspase-6 ( CASP6 ), catalase ( CAT ), fatty acid desaturase-2 ( FADS2 ), lipoprotein lipase ( LPL ), superoxide dismutase-1 ( SOD1 ), and sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor-2 ( SREBF2 ). Additionally, beta-actin ( ACTB ) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( GAPDH ) were analysed as housekeeping genes. Total RNA was extracted using the FastGene ® RNA Premium Kit, and its quantity (Qbit ® , RNA Broad-Range Assay Kit) and integrity (RIN, Agilent 2,100 Bioanalyzer) analysed. Subsequently, all RNA was reverse-transcribed using the first strand cDNA synthesis kit, and cDNA was quantified using Qubit ® . A 1:50 dilution of cDNA was used to determine the appropriate concentration. For next-generation sequencing, library was prepared by purifying the multiplex polymerase chain reaction products (ExoSAP-IT ® Express), followed by index polymerase chain reaction. The products of the index polymerase chain reaction were quantified by Qubit ® and their sizes analysed using a bioanalyzer (Agilent 2100). Each library was diluted to 4 nmol/L and pooled for next-generation sequencing on the MiSeq Illumina platform. Multiplex digital expression gene analysis was performed by MiSeq Illumina [ 33 ].

Statistical analysis

Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS software package (version 21 for Windows, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Shapiro–Wilk’s test was used to establish data distributions. The assumption of equal variances was assessed using Levene’s test. Each replicate was considered an experimental unit in the evaluation of growth performance and digestibility ( n  = 5 replicates per dietary group), whereas the individual bird was used as the experimental unit for the analysis of blood parameters ( n  = 15 birds per dietary group). The collected data were analysed using one-way ANOVA. Polynomial contrasts were used to test the linear and quadratic responses to increased levels of cFF inclusion in the diet. Differences among dietary groups were considered statistically significant for P value ≤ 0.05. Results were expressed as means plus standard error of the mean (SEM).

R software (version 4.2.2) was used for statistical analysis of the gene abundance data. Read counts were performed using the package ‘featureCounts’; differential abundance gene analysis was conducted using the package ‘DESeq2 R’, with an adjusted P value < 0.05 as the threshold. Each dietary group was compared against all others to search for differential gene abundances. Differences among different experimental groups were visualised using the R package ‘Enhanced Volcano’ [ 34 ]. A principal component analysis (PCA) plot was generated to provide an overview of the differences in gene abundances among the dietary groups, visualized using R software.

Chemical composition of experimental diets

The chemical compositions of the cFF ingredient and the four experimental diets are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 , respectively. Starch content was similar among the 4 diets. As the inclusion level of cFF increased, the EE content of the experimental diets decreased, while total sugar increased. Fatty acids analysis (% of total fatty acid methyl esters) indicated a corresponding rise in SFA and MUFA content, as well as an increase in the n-6/n-3 ratio with increasing cFF inclusion level. Conversely, PUFA levels and the PUFA/SFA ratio decreased as cFF inclusion level increased.

No differences among dietary groups in terms of BW and ADG were registered across the whole experimental period (Table  3 ). Additionally, even if ADFI and G:F showed no differences during the starter feeding phase (d 1–12), a linear decrease ( P  < 0.05) in ADFI and a linear increase ( P  < 0.05) in G:F were observed during the grower phase (d 12–33) and the overall experimental period (d 1–33) for increasing cFF inclusion levels. A lower ADFI ( P  = 0.019) was noted in cFF25 compared with the other dietary groups during the grower period (d 12–33). In relation to the overall experimental period (d 1–33), feed consumption was 8% lower in the cFF25 group compared with the control group ( P  = 0.026).

Apparent total tract digestibility

The results of apparent total tract digestibility analysis are detailed in Table  4 , showing no differences among dietary groups in the ATTD of CP in either feeding phase. The ATTD of EE linearly decreased ( P  < 0.05) with increasing cFF level, whereas the ATTD of DM showed a linear increase ( P  < 0.05) with increasing cFF level throughout the two feeding phases. Notably, quadratic responses ( P  < 0.05) were observed during the starter period in the ATTD of EE and during the grower period in the ATTD of DM.

As outlined in Table  5 , the percentage of heterophils and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio increased linearly ( P  < 0.001) as the cFF inclusion level increased, whereas the percentage of lymphocytes underwent a linear decrease ( P  = 0.001). Dietary treatment had no impact on monocytes, eosinophils, or basophils.

Considering the serum parameters (Table  5 ), we observed no differences in total protein level among dietary groups. By contrast, triglycerides and cholesterol exhibited a linear increase ( P  < 0.05) as the cFF inclusion level increased, with the highest values being observed in the cFF25 group. As for the analysis of serum minerals, iron, phosphorus, and chloride exhibited differences ( P  < 0.05) among dietary groups, whereas magnesium remained unaffected. In particular, levels of chloride and iron increased linearly ( P  < 0.05) with increasing cFF inclusion level. Indicators of liver function, including aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase, expressed no notable variations among dietary groups. Conversely, alanine-aminotransferase displayed a linear increase ( P  = 0.045) as cFF inclusion level increased, with the highest value observed in the cFF25 group. The inclusion of cFF in the diet had no effect on biomarkers of kidney function, namely creatinine and uric acid.

Liver gene abundance

The results of differential gene abundance analysis for each comparison are provided in the Additional file 1. The analysis showed no differences in gene abundances related to lipid metabolism (lipoprotein lipase and sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor) among the dietary groups, as demonstrated by principal component analysis (Fig.  1 ). However, the cFF6.25 group showed distinct abundance patterns in heat shock protein and caspase-6 with respect to the control and cFF12.5 groups, as illustrated in the volcano plot (Fig.  2 ). Specifically, the cFF6.25 group exhibited a down regulation ( P  = 0.008) of 2 genes (heat shock protein and caspase-6) related to stress and the immune system.

Gene abundance profiling; Principal component analysis. PC Principal component , cFF Commercially processed former foodstuffs , cFF0 Control diet (based on corn, soybean meal and soybean oil), cFF6.25 6.25% w/w substitution of corn, soybean meal and soybean oil with cFF, cFF12.5 12.5% w/w substitution of corn, soybean meal and soybean oil with cFF, cFF25 25% w/w substitution of corn, soybean meal and soybean oil with cFF

Gene abundance profiling; Volcano plot. cFF Commercially processed former foodstuffs , cFF0 Control diet (based on corn, soybean meal and soybean oil), cFF6.25 6.25% w/w substitution of corn, soybean meal and soybean oil with cFF, cFF12.5 12.5% w/w substitution of corn, soybean meal and soybean oil with cFF, cFF25 25% w/w substitution of corn, soybean meal and soybean oil with cFF), ACOX1 Acyl-CoA oxidase-1, FABP1 Fatty acid binding protein-1, HSPA2 Heat shock protein, CASP6 Caspase-6, CAT catalase, FADS2 Fatty acid desaturase-2, LPL Lipoprotein lipase, SOD1 Superoxide dismutase-1, SREBF2 Sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor-2, ACTB Beta-actin, GAPDH Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Defining nutritional and functional proprieties of cFF intended for animal nutrition is essential for standardising practices for their efficient use [ 12 ]. The literature contains limited in-depth research on the use of cFF in poultry nutrition. Hence, the aim of this experiment was to contribute towards filling this gap. One potential challenge associated with incorporating cFF into livestock diets is its variable composition, given that it consists of a mixture of diverse raw materials. However, advancements made to former foodstuffs processors in the feed industry mean that variations in cFF composition can now be predicted by considering the different types and relative quantities of raw materials involved. This experiment diverges from the existing literature through its use of a cFF ingredient with a standardized composition formula. It responds to the gap in the literature highlighted by Luciano et al. [ 8 ], who emphasized the significant challenge in formulating a standardized base feed using former foodstuffs.

EFFPA [ 13 ] illustrated similarities among the chemical composition of cFF and common cereals, whereas in vitro studies of pig nutrition [ 6 ] indicated cFF to have a higher glycaemic index potential than corn and heat-processed wheat. Dietary starch is one of the major energy sources for monogastric species, and effective starch digestion has a significant impact on the animals’ energy status [ 6 ]. Therefore, cFF has the potential to replace other energy-rich ingredients traditionally used in feed formulations, with positive effects in terms of the circularity of food production [ 9 ].

The findings of this experiment demonstrated that inclusion of different levels of cFF in the broiler diet was compatible with achieving growth performance in Ross-308 broilers when comparing cFF fed groups with the control group. While there were no differences in the BW among dietary groups, an improvement in G:F was observed in the groups fed cFF during the grower phase as well as across the overall experimental period compared with the control group. This improvement arises from differences observed in feed consumption among groups, while ADG resulted unaffected by the dietary groups. Our results align with studies [ 35 , 36 ] where high levels of dried bakery products, a type of former foodstuff, replaced corn and soybean meal in the broiler diet. Results of these experiments demonstrated that diets containing 25% or 30% dried bakery products had no adverse effects on growth performance compared with the control diet [ 35 ]. However, Potter et al. [ 37 ] observed a decrease in feed intake in turkeys fed a diet composed of 10% dried bakery products. The differences in the literature could be related to the ingredients contributing to the cFF and its chemical composition, or other aspects related to its processing methods.

Indeed, nutrient absorption can also be influenced by feed composition and the processing methods used. Ingredients like cereal flours, eggs, sugar and fats are typically mixed with water to create a dough or batter, which is then subjected to numerous technological processes that can improve their digestibility [ 11 ]. Cooking or thermal processing can alter the chemical and physical properties of food, impacting the access to and bioavailability of both macro- and micronutrients. However, the differences in growth performance observed between this experiment and the cited articles [ 35 , 36 ] could also be due to the differences in the chemical composition of the diet formulations, particularly in starch content and its digestibility [ 38 ]. The experiment by Abdollahi et al. [ 39 ] included feed processing variables in the broad spectrum of the factors able to affect feed intake. Svihus [ 40 ] stated that the much higher capacity of chickens to digest the starch component of feed ingredients (even native starch) compared with other species, such as pigs, rats, and humans, may be due to their particularly abundant secretion of amylolytic enzymes in the pancreatic juice. The author also mentioned that feed intake may be inversely correlated with starch digestibility [ 40 ].

In this experiment, the inclusion of increasing levels of cFF correlated with an increase in the ATTD of DM. This finding might be attributed to the balance between simple sugars and starch in the diet, which is related to the thermal processing of cFF, as reported by Luciano et al. [ 11 ]. Additionally, factors such as fatty acid chain length and degree of saturation can influence fat digestibility in poultry diets [ 41 ]. In this experiment, the ATTD of EE could have been influenced by the reduction in levels of soybean oil in the diet, which was substituted by cFF. This reduction, along with the dietary amount of EE and unsaturated fatty acids, decreased as the levels of cFF increased. However, the ATTD of apparent metabolizable energy, gross energy, and the digestibility of amino acids were not tested and require further investigation, which represents a limitation of this experiment.

The assessment of hematological parameters provides a convenient way to evaluate the nutritional and health status of animals over the course of a feeding experiment [ 38 ]. In this experiment, cFF inclusion increased the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, which serves an indicator of the chicken’s immunological condition, inflammation status, and stress level, which are often attributed to dietary factors [ 42 ]. This experiment is the first to assess the effects of the dietary inclusion of cFF on the hematological traits of broilers. As dietary sugar levels increase with the inclusion of cFF, we might expect an increased heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, since a diet rich in simple carbohydrates is known to promote pro-inflammatory responses, as stated by Fajstova et al. [ 43 ]. Moreover, since cFF are primarily intended for human consumption, it is possible to speculate that the presence of gluten in cFF may have enhanced the inflammatory profile of serum, given the well-known pro-inflammatory action of gluten [ 44 ]. However, the gluten level of cFF was not assessed in this experiment. Additional studies on gut microbiota and histomorphology are needed to confirm the extent of this inflammatory condition in the birds fed diets incorporating cFF.

Serum analysis also indicated an impact of the cFF diet on serum lipidic metabolites. The cFF25-fed group exhibited the highest values compared with the control diet, consistent with previous findings linking diets rich in saturated fats to elevated blood cholesterol levels [ 45 , 46 ]. According to Velasco et al. [ 47 ], the source of dietary fat can impact the lipid profile of serum. In general, fats with a high concentration of SFA were found to elevate blood triacylglycerol levels, although the experiment also observed variations in the serum lipid concentrations in chickens which depended on the degree to which the sources of dietary fat were saturated.

The incorporation of cFF in the broiler diet also resulted in a noteworthy elevation of serum mineral concentrations, including phosphorus, iron, and chloride. The observed alterations may be linked to specific properties of the constituent components of cFF, which may have been subjected to mineral fortification, including high-salt products [ 48 ]. Whereas no differences in hepatic activity were revealed among dietary groups, as confirmed by aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase concentrations, the inclusion of cFF did lead to an increase in alanine-aminotransferase concentrations, which were nonetheless within the physiological range for broilers [ 49 ]. Importantly, no differences were noted in renal metabolites, with the results for creatinine indicating cFF inclusion to have no effect on kidney function in broilers. However, whereas the analysis of gene abundance related to lipid metabolism revealed no effect of the cFF diet on gene abundance at the hepatic level, 2 key genes involved in the stress response and the immune system were highlighted, namely heat shock protein and caspase-6. Under conditions of stress, heat shock protein gene abundance increases, playing a crucial role in protecting the body from oxidative stress [ 50 ]. Existing literature [ 50 ] suggests that the dietary intake of nutrients characterised by antioxidant properties might decrease the heat shock protein gene abundance. Additionally, elevated levels of caspase-6 gene have been associated with liver damage. Therefore, the lower abundance levels of these genes observed in cFF6.25-fed chickens may indicate an antioxidant activity of the ingredient and a subsequent reduction in liver stress [ 50 ]. Further investigations will be necessary to explore this possibility in depth.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first experiment that has been conducted to perform a detailed evaluation of growth performance, nutrient digestibility, hematobiochemical profiles and liver gene abundance with the inclusion of cFF (up to 25%) in the broiler diets. The results demonstrated that, although BW and ADG exhibited no differences among experimental groups, a notable increase in G:F was recorded, providing insights into the potential for cFF to become an alternative ingredient in poultry nutrition. The observed increase in ATTD of DM with increasing substitution level concur with the increase in G:F, indicating a higher digestibility of feeds containing cFF, probably due to the higher level of processing of the raw materials, originally intended for human consumption.

The differences in the serum lipid profiles between control group birds and those receiving the cFF ingredient are also worth noting. Although all values remained within the physiological ranges for broilers, the changes associated with cFF inclusion in the diet should be taken into careful consideration. It is known that industrial baked sweets often contain considerable amounts of SFA and MUFA derived from butter or margarine. Therefore, the specific selection of raw materials, choosing from both sweet and savoury varieties, may modify the fatty acid profile of cFF. The composition of cFF should be carefully formulated to make it compatible with chicken metabolism and nutrition, thus avoiding adverse changes in the blood lipid profile which could affect liver metabolism and meat quality.

Further studies are essential to validate the hematological trait findings. Nonetheless, the findings presented here suggest that the incorporation of cFF into nutritionally balanced diets, even at levels as high as 25%, does not adversely impact the overall growth performance of male broiler chickens raised until 33 days of age under commercial conditions.

Availability of data and materials

The analysed data from this experiment are available upon request from the corresponding author.

Abbreviations

Average daily gain

Average daily feed intake

Body weight

Complementary deoxyribonucleic acid

Commercially processed former foodstuffs

Crude protein

Ether extract

Gain to feed ratio

Monounsaturated fatty acids

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

Ribonucleic acid

Standard error of the mean

Saturated fatty acids

Titanium dioxide

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Dalma Mangimi Spa in Cuneo, Italy, for providing cFF ingredient for this experiment. Special thanks are also extended to Mr. Dario Sola for his invaluable assistance in chicken management and feed processing.

The experiment was funded by the Department of Veterinary Sciences “Ricerca Locale – Linea A”.

Author information

Achille Schiavone and Claudio Forte are co-last authors.

Authors and Affiliations

Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy

Karthika Srikanthithasan, Marta Gariglio, Elena Diaz Vicuna, Edoardo Fiorilla, Barbara Miniscalco, Valeria Zambotto, Eleonora Erika Cappone, Nadia Stoppani, Dominga Soglia, Federica Raspa, Joana Nery, Andrea Giorgino, Achille Schiavone & Claudio Forte

Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service (SNiBA), Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain

Andrés Luis Martínez Marínz

Department of Animal Production, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Josefa Madrid Sanchez

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Contributions

KS, AS, CF; Conceptualization. KS, CF; Data Curation. KS, MG, DS, NS; Formal analysis. KS, MG, EDV, EF, BM, VZ, EEC, DS, FR, JN, AG, RS, ALMM, JMS; Investigation. KS, MG, DS, AS, CF; Methodology. KS, CF; Writing—original draft. KS, MG, AS, CF; Writing—review and editing. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marta Gariglio .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

The experimental protocol was approved by the Bioethical Committee of the Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Italy (Protocol no. 245, 01/01/2022).

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Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declared there is no conflict of interest.

Supplementary Information

Additional file 1: table s1..

Effect of the different levels of cFF in broiler diets on the liver gene abundance.

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Srikanthithasan, K., Gariglio, M., Diaz Vicuna, E. et al. Dietary processed former foodstuffs for broilers: impacts on growth performance, digestibility, hematobiochemical profiles and liver gene abundance. J Animal Sci Biotechnol 15 , 122 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-024-01081-w

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Received : 06 May 2024

Accepted : 24 July 2024

Published : 08 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-024-01081-w

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