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0 pointsgambiting9y ago0 comments

If I walk into tesco right now I can guarantee that their freshest milk will have a use by date of about 5-6 days from now. It should also be used within a couple days from opening - I would definitely buy a new bottle every 4-5 days. And nope, my fridge sits at a solid 2C, thank you.

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6 comments · 4 top-level

s0rce9y ago· 2 in thread

Wow, we regularly buy milk with best before dates 3-4 wks from the date of purchase. The milk doesn't travel far as there many dairy cows in Northern California.

adrianratnapala9y ago

I wonder if different definitions are at work: i.e. 5-6 days assumes you open it the moment you get it home, while 3-4 weeks assumes you drink it within a few days of opening.

Also milk pasteurisation and sterilisation are on a sliding scale, different countries and producers will use different temperatures and times.

It's likely that in the UK, we do 'just enough' to make it safe. Wouldn't want to ruin a cup of tea, would we?

In America the sell by date is usually 2 weeks out plus you can go another 5-7 days after that.

I wonder if our distribution chain across the pound is faster.

to3m9y ago

That sounds unusually short. I bought 1pt milk from tesco on 2nd April and its use by date is 11th April; the 4pt cantainer i bought last week sometime (so 27th March or so?) is use by 6th April.

Perhaps 3 weeks would indeed be stretching it, but (with the proviso that I'm going entirely by my gut here, nothing scientific) 10 days feels pretty usual.

beojan9y ago

The Tesco Pure or Cravendale milk will have a 3-4 week shelf life, and is also pasteurized rather than UHT.

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