Milk: Bright Lights, Bad Flavor

2007_05_11_testing milk.gif Fluorescent lights make milk taste bad reports Reuters. "Milk stored within a few inches of fluorescent light in translucent containers usually has a detectable oxidized flavor within two to four hours and a distinct off-flavor within 12 hours," says Robert Marshall, a University of Missouri food science professor.

People digging to the back of the milk in the supermarket aren't just reaching for the latest epiration date then. They're also getting milk that hasn't had as much exposure to the flourescents.

Have to admit that I have a serious addiction to Ronnybrook Farms milk, sold in returnable glass bottles at the green market. There's a crisp fresh flavor without those "cooked", cardboard or plastic flavors from most grocery store milks.

Yeah, dragging the bottles back and forth on Saturday morning is a bit of a bother, but taste farm fresh milk side by side with the grocery milk and you might make the switch too.

Where do you buy milk? In paper, cardboard, plastic?

(Photo: Robert Marshall testing milk, from MU)

Comments (2)

I'm a huge fan of Evan's Creamery milk. They're a much smaller operation than Ronnybrook (and similarly harder to get, though I know that both Murray's Cheese and Saxelby Cheesemongers stocks a full line of their products). Their milk tastes richer and decidedly more "milky" to me.

posted by the cheesemonger on May 13th 2007 at 9:26am
view the cheesemonger's profile

Back home, in Canada, used to buy organic milk in glass jars (tasted much better than the stuff in paper cartons or plastic bags). We got it from an organic farmer who got it from the dairy once a week (he delivered!). Here in Switzerland, haven't found milk in glass (yogurt creme fraiche, yes; milk, no)... Here all milk comes as either UHT in a tetrapack, or in plastic bottles. The Swiss ones are lined so as not to let light in; the French ones are translucent.

posted by mschatelaine on May 14th 2007 at 1:14am
view mschatelaine's profile