Pasteurized versus Ultra-Pasteurized Milk - Why Such Long Sell-By Dates?
Pasteurization and Ultra-Pasteurization are heat processes that are designed to kill bacteria (germs) in
milk that may be harmful and/or may cause spoilage of milk products. These bacteria are sometimes
found in raw milk from the farm, which is why drinking raw milk is not recommended. Milk from farms
is transported to dairy processing plants and is generally heat processed within a few days after milking to
prevent spoilage and to prolong its shelf-life. “Shelf-life” can be defined as the length of time that a food
can be held under recommended or practical storage conditions and still maintain its “freshness” or
acceptable quality. The anticipated shelf-life of milk is reflected in its “sell-by” or “code-date,” while
many products remain fresh for a period after this date (2-5 days). Both Pasteurized and UltraPasteurized
milks should be held under refrigeration at all times. The major differences between
Pasteurized and Ultra-Pasteurized milks are the intensity of the heat treatment and the method of
packaging, both of which influence the anticipated shelf-life and sell-by dates.
Pasteurization: “Pasteurized” means that the milk has been heated to a minimum of 161°F for a
minimum of 15 seconds or 145°F for 30 minutes (for equivalent kill of bacteria), and packaged under
clean and sanitized conditions. Some bacteria survive pasteurization, most often in very low numbers,
though they are not considered harmful and will generally not spoil milk under normal refrigerated
holding conditions and times. Spoilage of pasteurized milk before its time is most often caused by
bacteria that contaminate the milk after the pasteurization process and/or from improper refrigeration.
Most dairy processors prevent this type of contamination, though it still occurs at times due to errors at
the processing plant. Typical spoilage bacteria found in milk do not cause disease or illness, although the
consumer will often find spoiled product to be offensive. A few types of bacteria are that survive
pasteurization can eventually spoil milk, but this generally occurs later in shelf-life (past code). The
shelf-life of pasteurized milk held under proper refrigeration, defined as less than 45°F, can range from 12
to 21 days post processing. Holding pasteurized milk at temperatures above 45°F will shorten the shelflife
dramatically; the colder the milk the longer it will last, the warmer the milk, the quicker it will spoil.
Ideal storage temperatures for milk and dairy products are 34-38°F. Under ideal refrigeration, most
pasteurized milk will remain fresh for 2-5 days after its sell-by date. Once opened, pasteurized milk
should be used as soon as possible for best quality and taste.
Ultra-Pasteurized Milk: “Ultra-Pasteurized” means that the milk is heated to a minimum of 280°F for a
minimum 2 seconds. This temperature and time combination is much more lethal to bacteria, killing
virtually all of concern in milk. Ultra-pasteurized milk is also packaged under near sterile conditions,
which makes recontamination with spoilage bacteria unlikely and rare. Though Ultra-Pasteurized milk is
processed to be free of spoilage and harmful bacteria, it is not considered sterile because it is not
hermetically sealed (i.e. canned), thus, it requires refrigeration. Ultra-Pasteurization is most often used for
creams and specialty dairy products though its use for milk is becoming more popular. Ultra-Pasteurized
milks will often have more of a “cooked” flavor when compared to conventionally pasteurized milks. The
average shelf-life of Ultra-Pasteurized milk products is 30-90 days when held under refrigeration, but
only until the product is opened. Once an Ultra-Pasteurized product is opened it may become
contaminated with spoilage bacteria. Thus, after opening, Ultra-Pasteurized milk should be kept well
refrigerated (34-38°F) and consumed within 7-10 days for best quality and taste.