The packaged liquid milk is already open, can you still drink it or not?

The shelf life of liquid milk in packaging

Liquid milk is divided into various types, depending on the processing process. There is raw milk (raw milk), pasteurized milk, and UHT milk. The resistance of each type of milk is, of course, different. The milk with the longest shelf life is UHT milk, followed by pasteurized milk, and finally raw milk.

The good news is that currently most packaged milk has been processed by the pasteurization or UHT method, no longer raw. So packaged milk is usually more durable than raw milk milked directly from cows without sterilization.

Before the packaging is opened, pasteurized milk usually lasts a week to two weeks after production. Meanwhile, UHT milk can be stored longer if the packaging is not opened, which is up to several months. Note that milk should be stored in a cool place (ideally in the refrigerator), away from direct sunlight, and not damp or wet.

Can I drink the remaining liquid milk whose package is already open?

You may have bought a box of liquid cow's milk and drink it within a week, not consumed immediately. Or your child asks to drink packaged milk, but then doesn't finish it and asks for the remaining milk to be saved for later tonight or even tomorrow.

Well, whether or not it is safe to drink milk that has an open package depends on the type of milk and how it is stored. Here's the explanation.

Pasteurized milk

Pasteurized milk has been processed so that it is free of bad bacteria and is safe for consumption. However, if the packaging has been opened, milk is susceptible to being exposed to bad bacteria again (recontamination). Especially if after opening the milk is not immediately put in the refrigerator again.

According to the Foods and Drugs Administration in the United States, which is equivalent to the POM in Indonesia, pasteurized milk should not be consumed again if it has been left open outside the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature at that time. The hotter the weather and the air, the shorter the resistance of pasteurized milk that has been unpacked.

Meanwhile, if the milk is stored in the refrigerator after opening, you still have to finish it immediately. Don't leave it for days, let alone a week. This is because the nutrition of milk that has been unpacked and not consumed immediately is no longer optimal.

UHT milk

Slightly different from pasteurized milk, UHT milk has a longer shelf life. After opening it for the first time, UHT milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to about 4 days afterward. It is still safe for consumption and its nutrition is still maintained.

However, it is the same as pasteurized milk, if it has been opened and is not immediately stored in the refrigerator within 1-2 hours, do not consume it again.

What are the signs that the milk is stale and unsuitable for drinking?

A nutritionist, Dr. Matthew Lantz Blaylock, Ph.D., spoke up about this when he was met at Pacific Place, South Jakarta on Friday (14/09). According to him, milk should be drunk and finished. Furthermore, Dr. Matthew explained, "Open liquid milk can be contaminated with bad bacteria that produce gas, sour taste, or change color."

"It is the bacterial contamination," said Dr. Matthew, who made the milk stale and the taste changed. Milk that is no longer suitable for drinking will usually make you bloated, taste sour, and turn yellow or have a thickened texture.

Dr. Matthew also explained that maybe if the changes were not too obvious, milk would still be suitable for drinking even though the nutrition was not as optimal as it was when it was fresh. However, Dr. Matthew warns that if the milk has been opened for too long and hasn't been stored in the refrigerator, or if you're unsure about its quality, it's better to just throw it away.