What is the shelf life of pasteurized milk unopened and after opening?
Milk is one of the favorite drinks of adults and children. Today, manufacturers offer a wide range of products based on cow's milk.
One of the popular ones is a pasteurized product. It is important to understand how it differs from regular milk, how to store it correctly and what is the shelf life of pasteurized milk.
Content
How long does a regular and pasteurized product last?
The paradox is that homemade natural milk is at the same time the most useful and dangerous. It preserves the entire complex of vitamins and minerals. However, even if a cow is regularly examined by a veterinarian, she can become ill without her owners' knowledge.
Hygiene also matters:
- hand treatment;
- cleaning the udder before milking;
- cleanliness of dishes.
Boiling will make the product safe, but practically useless for health. You can drink raw milk from your own cow if you are 100% sure that she is healthy and while observing all hygiene rules.
Unlike natural milk, pasteurized milk is heated to 60-70 C. In this form, it partially retains useful elements. In the industry it is called short milk because it has the shortest shelf life.The shelf life of such milk depends on the packaging and temperature.
Today there are the following packaging options:
- thick plastic bags;
- glass bottles;
- plastic bottles;
- Tetrapacks.
The shortest shelf life is in bags and plastic bottles. The multilayer structure of tetrapacks allows you to protect milk from spoilage for a longer period. The situation is similar with glass containers.
Milk is one of the products that requires a mandatory expiration date. If the period is not specified, the drink should not be consumed.. Lack of expiration date is a violation of the law (RF Government Decree No. 720).
How and for how long, at what temperature?
Unopened pasteurized milk can be stored until the expiration date. After opening the package - up to a maximum of 48 hours in a cool place. The specific timing of each product directly depends on the packaging, temperature and manufacturer.
In room conditions
Pasteurized milk in bags and bottles is not intended for indoor storage. The drink can “stand” for several hours. The maximum storage period is 5-7 days at a temperature of -2 to +6 degrees, that is, a cold place.
A pasteurized drink in an unopened tetra pack can be kept in a room if the air temperature does not exceed +25 C. The higher the temperature in the room, the faster the milk will sour. The printed product must be placed in the refrigerator.The specific shelf life is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. The values also depend on the additives and stabilizers used within the limits of GOST.
In a refrigerator
All printed packages are stored only in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The lower the temperature in the unit, the longer the pasteurized milk remains fresh, but within the specified expiration date.
It is better to pour the product from the bag and bottle into the best container for storing milk - glass or ceramic, with a tightly screwed lid.
Before doing this, it is advisable to pour boiling water over the vessel. This procedure will protect the drink from foreign odors. Milk can be kept in a tetra pack for the entire shelf life.
It is not recommended to place milk in the refrigerator doors, since this is where the temperature difference is greatest. The ideal option is the middle or lower shelf, away from the door.
Can it be frozen?
One way to preserve milk longer is to freeze it. It should be borne in mind that in this case the product loses some useful substances. However, freezing pays off if you need to store milk for future use. In this form, the drink can be stored for up to two months.
When it's time to defrost, you need to do it gradually.. First, transfer the milk from the freezer to the refrigerator for a day or night. A defrosted drink is stored in the same way as a regular pasteurized one.
Re-freezing the product is not recommended. In this case, the milk completely loses its unique taste, color and smell.
This video will show you how to freeze milk:
Useful tips
To enjoy the taste of pasteurized milk, you need to follow simple rules for selection and storage. Among them:
- When purchasing pasteurized milk, you should always look at the label: check the expiration date, read the labeling.
- The labeling must indicate: composition, nutritional value of the product, information about the manufacturer.
- The packaging must be sealed and in no case damaged or swollen.
- It is better to choose opaque packaging, so the milk retains its taste properties well.
- Opened packaging is stored in the refrigerator regardless of the type of container.
- There is no point in boiling industrially produced milk - it has already undergone heat treatment.
- Milk absorbs foreign odors well, so it should be kept covered in the refrigerator.
- Storing in direct sunlight quickly renders the product unusable.
- Milk that is slightly sour or has expired can be used for baking.
Conclusion
Pasteurized milk is one of the popular drinks among the population. Thanks to industrial processing, it pleases with its taste for longer. It is preferable to store the product in the refrigerator.
It is permissible to leave milk at room temperature for a short time.. Can be frozen. The specific shelf life of a product after opening the package directly depends on the packaging, temperature and manufacturer.
