Everyone hates the smell of milk turned sour, and it takes like the vomit of vermin if you mistakenly taste it. But this discovery might save you the trouble and worry of spoiled milk for good.
A study conducted by Purdue University researcher Bruce Applegate, associate professor at the Department of Food Science with his team, has devised a technique that can extend the shelf life of milk for up to 9 weeks!
The process is as follows, the regular pasteurisation process is modified with increasing the temperature of the milk by 10 degrees Celsius for one second.
Merely this process adds seven weeks to the usual lifespan of refrigerated, pasteurised milk. To develop the treated milk, the scientists use small droplets of pasteurised milk and make them go through a pressurised, heated chamber to quickly heat up the liquid and then cool it down again. This process is normally known as a low-temperature, short-time or LTST method.
The new process claims to eliminate more than 99 percent of bacteria left behind after pasteurisation.
Lead researcher, Bruce Applegate from Purdue, said in an interview, “With the treatment, you’re taking out almost everything. Whatever does survive is at such a low level that it takes much longer for it to multiply to a point at which it damages the quality of the milk.”
The pasteurisation process is usually used to heat the milk in order to kill off pathogenic bacteria that are harmful if consumed. Refrigerating the milk can help to contain the stubborn bacteria temporarily, but it only slows down the decomposition. And as we all know from experience, the milk does eventually go off. Now thanks to this technique, milk will remain edible for a longer time.
The process not only makes the milk last longer, but it also kills off all the bacteria while conserving the colour, aroma, taste, and aftertaste of the milk such that milk drinkers might never know the difference.
The process also doesn’t require any extra energy than the regular pasteurisation process, making it highly profitable and feasible. It can be scaled up without too much difficulty, and can be transported easily and for longer distances. This means there will be fewer distribution locations and a more efficient network, thus making it a more sustainable choice.
The scientists also plan to test the technique out on raw, unpasteurized milk to see what the effects are. Hope to see this milk in the market soon.
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