Shelf Stable Milk
The food industry is moving towards the national trend of healthy products. Schools have already eliminated soft drinks from vending machines and natural and organic food vendors have cornered larger shares of the market over the past few years. Food Banks are getting on board as well and food conscientiousness has added the title of nutrition conscious. The need for vegetables and a well-balanced meal are highlighted in request data, but the finer food groups are the most perishable. Enter shelf stable milk.
Shelf stable milk has a shelf life of several months and can be kept in above refrigerator temperature settings. It has roughly the same manufacturing process as regular milk, but comes out as a cleaner, better product. Historically, taste has been the sole malefactor, but that has changed dramatically since its release.
How It’s Made
To be clear, shelf stable milk is milk, real milk. How it comes to be so durable is through its pasteurization process. Shelf stable milk has been Ultra-high temperature (U.H.T) pasteurized. That means that rather than being heated to 161 degrees and killing most bacteria, it is heated to 282 degrees, killing even more bacteria, including pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. By sealing the milk in aseptic bags (vacuum sealed to prevent air seepage and foil lined to prevent light entrance), shelf stable milk is impregnable to the contaminants that rob it of shelf life.
Aseptic technology: The process by which microorganisms are prevented from entering into the package during and after packaging. This is accomplished by filling a sterilized package with a sterile food product within the confines of a hygienic environment. The aseptic package received the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development. It is the only package to ever receive this environmental award.
The process of ultra-high temperature pasteurization was invented in the 1960s in Europe and it has become more popular worldwide. Although shelf stable milk is relatively new to the American borders, it has made enormous progress in the industry and is expanding as far as its marketers are taking it.
Technically, shelf stable milk is actually fresher than regular milk. Bacteria cause ordinary milk to immediately begin spoiling after pasteurization. That is why it must be chilled instantly and all the way into your refrigerator (the chilling process slows bacterial growth). With shelf stable milk, spoilage causing pathogens are burned away and when it is immediately hermetically sealed, it does not begin to spoil until you open it in your home. Shelf stable milk can be stored at room temperature, but once it is opened, the environment makes it react just like regular milk. So shelf stable milk requires refrigeration after opening, too.
Social Impact
Shelf stable milk is more environmentally friendly than regular milk because it requires no refrigeration throughout the entire transportation process until it is opened by the consumer. The package itself is square, which makes it easily stored which makes it more easily shipped and results in fewer trucks and thus less CO2 emissions.
Shelf Stable milk has the same nutrition as regular pasteurized milk, meaning its reward for food banks is an amazing shelf life of a nutritious food. Because of this, food banks across America are asking for this new product. The North Texas Food Bank is one such provider. Shelf stable milk is a perfect supplement to the Food Bank’s mission of providing nutritious food to the hungry.
Facts
The best temperature to store the milk is between 33 and 80 degrees and the milk can withstand temperature fluctuation. Shelf Stable milk uses no preservatives and no radiation.
In the US, governmental programs, airlines, the military and food banks are all using shelf stable milk. Recently, Coca Cola Enterprises signed a deal with Bravo! Foods International Corp. to fill their vending machines with Bravo!’s Slammers shelf stable milk.
The food bank industry is in need of nutritious, non-perishable items. Shelf stable milk is the perfect item to supplement a meal, especially the many childrens’ meals. Give a gift to the children of your community and donate shelf stable milk.
Other Related Links: