The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Member Map
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. General Science
  3. General Science
  4. Any suggestions about adding preservatives, such as chlorhexedine, to milk?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Any suggestions about adding preservatives, such as chlorhexedine, to milk?

  • 6 Replies
  • 3547 Views
  • 0 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Caleb (OP)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 62
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 3 times
    • View Profile
Any suggestions about adding preservatives, such as chlorhexedine, to milk?
« on: 18/05/2014 18:24:44 »
Three months ago I added a drop of chlorhexedine (actually a drop of hibiclens) to a gallon of milk and it stayed unspoiled well beyond its expiration date, much longer than other gallons of milk I have had in my fridge.

Does anyone do this kind of thing regularly? I had read that chlorhexidine has been used for decades as a food preservative in Europe for decades.

Any other suggestions for safe food preservatives?

Yours,

Caleb
Logged
 



Offline CliffordK

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 6408
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 15 times
  • Site Moderator
    • View Profile
Re: Any suggestions about adding preservatives, such as chlorhexedine, to milk?
« Reply #1 on: 18/05/2014 20:17:55 »
In Italy, most of the milk is sterilized.  Just buy a case of milk.  Put it in the closet, then grab a liter whenever you wish.  Once opened, put it in the fridge.  Most of my current milk usage is in cooking, so I generally use powdered milk.

No doubt industry is looking for better preservatives, but a lot can be done with merely managing one's food.
Logged
 

Offline Caleb (OP)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 62
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 3 times
    • View Profile
Re: Any suggestions about adding preservatives, such as chlorhexedine, to milk?
« Reply #2 on: 19/05/2014 06:51:25 »
CliffordK -- Interesting. Very good observation!

Here in the U.S. the milk is pasteurized, which means, according to wikipedia (I checked just now) that the major microbes that could contaminate milk before the expiration date are killed, but the milk is not sterilized as in your neck of the woods.

Almost makes me think that the the agricultural lobby is interested in milk going bad earlier than it the last possible time because that would mean they would sell more... but no, that's crazy talk.

Interesting -- Thanks, CliffordK -- I didn't know that.

Yours,

Caleb
Logged
 

Offline CliffordK

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 6408
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 15 times
  • Site Moderator
    • View Profile
Re: Any suggestions about adding preservatives, such as chlorhexedine, to milk?
« Reply #3 on: 19/05/2014 08:17:02 »
Just an observation from earlier travels.
 [ Invalid Attachment ]
Some of the people I was with could not get used buying cartons of milk from the store shelves. 

Once opened, it does need to be refrigerated, and will eventually go bad.

Here in the USA, you can buy canned condensed milk which also has a long shelf life before opening.

As far as why the sterilized, boxed milk is not sold in the USA, I really don't know.  I doubt many people are either throwing out large amounts of spoiled milk, or chugging gallons before the expiration date.  Perhaps it has to do with different production, shipping, and distribution networks.  One wouldn't need reefer trailers for transporting the milk, or refrigerators in the stores to sell it.  In some places farmers will breed all the cows for spring calves which could cause a significant impact on winter milk production.  No doubt, August in Italy also has a significant impact on the distribution of perishables. 

* Parmalat.jpg (34.78 kB, 450x298 - viewed 918 times.)
Logged
 

Offline Bored chemist

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 21998
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 511 times
    • View Profile
Re: Any suggestions about adding preservatives, such as chlorhexedine, to milk?
« Reply #4 on: 19/05/2014 10:04:30 »
Quote from: Caleb on 19/05/2014 06:51:25

Almost makes me think that the the agricultural lobby is interested in milk going bad earlier than it the last possible time because that would mean they would sell more... but no, that's crazy talk.


Or it could be because sterilised milk tastes funny.
Logged
Please disregard all previous signatures.
 



Offline chiralSPO

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 3455
  • Activity:
    2%
  • Thanked: 434 times
    • View Profile
Re: Any suggestions about adding preservatives, such as chlorhexedine, to milk?
« Reply #5 on: 19/05/2014 13:11:01 »
One can definitely buy parmalat in the USA. I usually keep a box or two in the pantry as backup, but I do prefer the pasteurized milk, and use that primarily...
Logged
 

Offline alancalverd

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 11417
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 671 times
  • life is too short to drink instant coffee
    • View Profile
Re: Any suggestions about adding preservatives, such as chlorhexedine, to milk?
« Reply #6 on: 19/05/2014 23:23:48 »
Sterilised milk is great in coffee but completely wrong in tea. When I was a lad, many households would have a pint of sterilised for cooking and coffee, and a pint of pasteurised for drinking and tea, delivered every day. The public taste for steri may have been a hangover from wartime (it was standard military issue) and with the advent of domestic refrigerators pasteurised became the posh statement. Steri, conni and evap are still popular in the Far East, but nobody puts milk in Chinese tea anyway.   
Logged
helping to stem the tide of ignorance
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags:
 

Similar topics (5)

How does coconut milk get inside the coconut?

Started by JerryadeBoard Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution

Replies: 3
Views: 13194
Last post 26/07/2008 18:25:33
by thedoc
Why is that some people can't digest milk and other people can?

Started by Naila PachaniBoard Physiology & Medicine

Replies: 1
Views: 2631
Last post 05/11/2010 22:06:37
by SteveFish
How do they make semi-skimmed and skimmed milk?

Started by neilepBoard General Science

Replies: 29
Views: 27368
Last post 08/11/2020 21:53:52
by Salik Imran
If cows ate strawberries, would their milk taste of strawberries?

Started by neilepBoard Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution

Replies: 5
Views: 4393
Last post 26/08/2017 13:44:35
by Bored chemist
Why do women prefer milk chocolate over dark chocolate?

Started by AmonkeyandabubBoard Physiology & Medicine

Replies: 5
Views: 4665
Last post 16/05/2020 22:04:55
by Colin2B
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 0.193 seconds with 52 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.