Milk "best used by dates"

[Jdeere562]

Friend of mine works part time at Pilot Travel Center in Council Bluffs, IA.
She called me last night. Said a customer showed her that best by date was some day in November of 2024.
Went to the cooler and all cartons of that brand of milk were stamped with that date. Customer bought another brand.

My guess is the date was stamped wrong. What say you all?

 

[Cujet]

There are forms of ultra pasteurized milk that do last a very long time

 

[atikovi]

Don't buy milk but assume its full of preservatives to last so long.

 

[Oliveoil2]

Smell test.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Don't buy milk but assume its full of preservatives to last so long.

No, not necessarily full of preservatives. They simply kill everything that’s living in it so nothing can spoil. Unpasteurized milk, if you can get it, goes “bad” in 3-7 days while refrigerated, but is actually good for you.

I don’t drink anything that has the possibility of containing rBGH… period,

 

[MrHorspwer]

Ultra-high-temperature processing - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Funny how grocery prices gets everyone all riled up but a perfectly safe process that's been around for a half-century which greatly extends the life of products in your own refrigerator and reduces your cash outlay on food each week is dismissed as suspicious.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Oillover]

There are forms of ultra pasteurized milk that do last a very long time

+1
Some of them are "shelf stable" so they don't even need to be refrigerated.
First time I knew such a product existed was in the early 90's in a grocery store in S. Africa (many living in poverty, where a refrigerator isn't always available).

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Taste it

There are forms of ultra pasteurized milk that do last a very long time

and they'll have corresponding expiration dates way out int eh future to reflect that. If those shelf-stable milks expired last November, then they must have been really old

 

[Egg_Head]

Unless you're making White Russians, don't buy milk at a truck stop.

 

[vavavroom]

The Best By date is not the Expiration Date. Milk is all over the place depending on to which degree it's been pasteurized. Could last from 2 weeks to 6 months or longer. If you buy organic milk it's almost always UHT even if it's not labeled as such.

 

[chemman]

Here is a link to a shelf stable UHT milk from cows that does not need to be refrigerated:

parmalatmilk.com

 

[Pablo]

I like when the smell is just right and the chunks hit the back of your throat.........AFTER you chug the carton.

And blow it all over the room.

 

[atikovi]

Just buy the powdered version. Lasts for years and no heavy jugs to lug home and potentially spill in the car.

 

[buster]

I don’t mess with milk. Once it’s passed it’s best by date it gets tossed.

I switched to Oat milk last 2 years.

 

[wag123]

Canned evaporated milk has been on the market since 1885. It is real whole dairy milk that has had 60% of it's water removed and lasts for years. It was the only way to safely ship and store milk before refrigeration. Condensed milk is evaporated milk with sugar added.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I like UHT milk. Usually Horizon in the fridge. They usually put a 3 month or so date on it - but I am sure it would last much longer unopened. Keep Parmalait in the cupboard in case we run out - but I wouldn't want to drink it directly - tastes a bit off. OK on cereal.

Of course once opened, you get a week like everything else. Its not just the UHT but also the container. No oxygen, no oxidization.

 

[kschachn]

Don't buy milk but assume its full of preservatives to last so long.

Wut?

 

[atikovi]

Wut?

Maybe I should have added an "I" before that.

 

[kschachn]

Maybe I should have added an "I" before that.

You assume a lot of things. “Full of preservatives”? Where are you buying milk?

Do you know what pasteurization is? Or UHT milk?

 

[nate379]

There are forms of ultra pasteurized milk that do last a very long time

I saw those at the store one day. Didn't even need refrigeration.