Microbial analysis of whole milk samples at the end of declared shelf life showed that TVCs at 30C or 6.5C from directly or indirectly heated ESL milk were significantly lower than those from microfiltered ESL milk and HTST-heated milk. However, this result should not be overestimated due to the low number of samples used in this study. Evaluation of the indigenous enzyme activity (ALP, LPO) revealed that consumer milk products were heated adequately during treatment. The manufacturing processes used for the production of consumer milk can be differentiated by estimating furosine and acid soluble whey protein content.