expiration date question about milk?

[Nikki98]

Went to the hfs yesterday and they finally had vat pasturized non homogenized milk. I compared this milk with Organic Valley and noticed that it had a shorter expiration time (five days before expiration), is it because its minimally processed? Organic Valley had a longer expiration time. Inquring minds want to know .

[Cassandra M.]

Yes! Exactly why!

The reason Horizon Organic Milk lasts so long on the shelf...even longer than conventional milk...is because it's ultra pasturized...evil stuff.

[Chicharronita]

I like to use pasteurized cream in my nearly boiling hot coffee, and it is so irritating to me that it's extremely hard to find not only high-quality cream, but one that is not ultra-pasteurized.

I live in a large city, and although I have a goodly amount of health food stores I can get it from, only one is near my house.

The other problem is that the ones who carry decent non-ultra-pastuerized cream tend to carry so few on their shelves that they often run out.

[guestmama9916]

I recently read or heard somewhere that UHT pasteurized milk has a shelf life of 60 days!

[rstump]

Basically the UHT milk is DEAD. Cooked beyond. Sterile. Actually to the point that it is not even seen as MILK by the body anymore.

The other stuff is alive and has some enzymes.

SO MUCH BETTER FOR YOU! EVEN better RAW.....totally alive and full of ALL of goodness!

[nicolelynn]

Originally Posted by Chicharronita

I like to use pasteurized cream in my nearly boiling hot coffee, and it is so irritating to me that it's extremely hard to find not only high-quality cream, but one that is not ultra-pasteurized.

I live in a large city, and although I have a goodly amount of health food stores I can get it from, only one is near my house.

The other problem is that the ones who carry decent non-ultra-pastuerized cream tend to carry so few on their shelves that they often run out.

I agree. That's why I bought Trader Joe's brand conventional heavy cream (just plain pasteurized) over any mainstream organic ultra-pasteurized versions. Now I'm forking out the money for raw cream ($10 for a pint of Organic Pastures) even though my hot coffee kills the enzymes...at least there is some grass-fed goodness in there.

[luvmy2boys]

Originally Posted by nicolelynn

I agree. That's why I bought Trader Joe's brand conventional heavy cream (just plain pasteurized) over any mainstream organic ultra-pasteurized versions.

TJs also has a pasteurized (but not ultra) organic cream. They have half and half as well. At least the one near me does.

[Chicharronita]

Originally Posted by luvmy2boys

TJs also has a pasteurized (but not ultra) organic cream. They have half and half as well. At least the one near me does.

I do buy their organic cream, but not the one in plastic bottles. Although according to some watchdog organization, TJ's organic dairy is iffy, I've been impressed with the quality of their products. The cream is always much thicker than any other brand's. Strauss, which should be one of the best pasteurized brands around, has cream that has the consistency of water.

[oyemicanto]

Originally Posted by Nikki98

Went to the hfs yesterday and they finally had vat pasturized non homogenized milk.

Could you tell me the "brand name" of this - I haven't been able to find any at Whole Foods. Thanks! (i'm still working on the raw milk idea with DH )

[luvmy2boys]

What is meant by "vat pasteurized" and is it any different from other pasteurization? How do I know if something is vat pasteurized, and what are the advantages to that over other(?) methods of pasteurization?

I try to get raw milk (organic) locally, but I can't always get it. TJs sells organic non-homogenized milk ("cream top"), which is what I will buy if I can't get the raw stuff. Is this my best alternative, or is there more I should be looking for?

[Ravin]

Originally Posted by Chicharronita

I do buy their organic cream, but not the one in plastic bottles. Although according to some watchdog organization, TJ's organic dairy is iffy, I've been impressed with the quality of their products. The cream is always much thicker than any other brand's. Strauss, which should be one of the best pasteurized brands around, has cream that has the consistency of water.

The source of this "iffy" status was the Cornucopia Institute's big survey of all the organic companies that exposed the "fake/barely letter-of-the-law and not the spirit of it" organics like Horizon and the Aurora dairy.

http://cornucopia.org/index.php/dairy_brand_ratings/

NONE of the generic brands surveyed answered questions, so they all by fault got low ratings.

Since then, the Organic Consumer Association has started a boycott of the seven big offenders of cheating the public understanding of what organic should mean, and while that list includes several generic labels, TJ's is NOT on the boycott list.

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia...paign_KEY=4756