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Environment

Pressure-treated Milk That Tastes Good

November 20, 2006 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 84, Issue 47

High-pressure, low-temperature processing of milk can extend its shelf life without hurting flavor, according to Michael C. Qian and colleagues at Oregon State University. Most milk is heated at 72 oC for 15 seconds to rid it of microbes. This treatment provides it with a 20-day shelf life under refrigeration. Ultra-high-temperature processing extends the shelf life to about six months at room temperature but can give the beverage an unpleasant cooked aroma. Alternative bacteria-killing technologies are being investigated, including high-hydrostatic-pressure processing, which can increase the shelf life of refrigerated milk to at least 45 days. Qian's team studied the effect of this technique on milk flavor, finding that the impact is modest at 25 oC but significant at 60 oC (J. Agric. Food. Chem. 2006, 54, 9184). The high-temperature treatment favors formation of hexanal, heptanal, and nonanal, but the low-temperature treatment does not. High temperature also produces more hydrogen sulfide.

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