Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

raccoon

(31,111 posts)
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:12 PM Dec 2021

Anyone else noticing milk going Bad more quickly than it used to?

Used to be it might last a day or two past the expiration date.

Last two half Gallons—same brand, same store—went bad a day or two before the date. No it’s not the refrigerator; it’s working ok.

I attribute it to problems with the supply system.
Maybe the milk sits around too long somewhere.

53 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Anyone else noticing milk going Bad more quickly than it used to? (Original Post) raccoon Dec 2021 OP
I noticed that last year in Arkansas. Changed over to non dairy sinkingfeeling Dec 2021 #1
Oh my, noticed it as well........how far is our milk coming from....I live a kennedy Dec 2021 #2
Yep. I'd have to pour a bunch out very soon after expiration jimfields33 Dec 2021 #3
Didn't know that. I'll be buying the organic milk next time. Haggard Celine Dec 2021 #10
Agree 100%. Organic has very long fridge life and tastes much better too. Pobeka Dec 2021 #18
That's because Organic milk druidity33 Dec 2021 #37
I make kefir everyday with organic milk - no problem womanofthehills Dec 2021 #45
well, not all brands druidity33 Dec 2021 #46
Since I am raising 3 teenagers, it's been like 20 years since a gallon lasted overnight questionseverything Dec 2021 #4
Oh you just brought back a memory KentuckyWoman Dec 2021 #13
I feel ya but there are definitely bigger problems to deal with questionseverything Dec 2021 #16
+1 uponit7771 Dec 2021 #26
No kidding. ForgedCrank Dec 2021 #38
Food evaporates and all the sudden their pants are too short! questionseverything Dec 2021 #41
I have one teenager and we go through 4-5 gallons a week! Luciferous Dec 2021 #44
I think the Mayans were right, the world ended in 2012 and we've been coasting to a stop since then. NightWatcher Dec 2021 #5
I switched to Organic milk because it doesn't spoil quickly. In fact it rarely spoils at all. flying_wahini Dec 2021 #6
The quality is not as good KentuckyWoman Dec 2021 #7
Years ago I started buying ONLY "micro-filtered" Milk... WarGamer Dec 2021 #8
Yes suspect the supply system bucolic_frolic Dec 2021 #9
ultra pasteurized milk lasts longer iemanja Dec 2021 #11
Darigold lasts a long time KT2000 Dec 2021 #12
What I noticed is that my favorite organic milk musette_sf Dec 2021 #14
Check the temperature setting on your fridge. N/T lapucelle Dec 2021 #15
I have noticed I_UndergroundPanther Dec 2021 #17
If I buy milk from Meijer, that almost always happens... SKKY Dec 2021 #19
Yes, for the past year or so happybird Dec 2021 #20
Damn you Joe Biden! maxsolomon Dec 2021 #21
I was told once Bayard Dec 2021 #22
I use extra creamy oatmilk. I think the brand is Planet Oat. CentralMass Dec 2021 #23
Try this. CentralMass Dec 2021 #25
You've got a witch about qazplm135 Dec 2021 #24
Ancient Egyptians would combine sour milk with Crocodile shit and use that a spermicide. Kaleva Dec 2021 #27
I buy lactose free milk and it lasts about a month Bev54 Dec 2021 #28
My milk in the Middle East has been reliable. Tetrachloride Dec 2021 #29
I have not noticed that myself. But when I buy milk I always reach to the back of the case to totodeinhere Dec 2021 #30
We buy organic by the half gallon in the wax paper carton. LuvLoogie Dec 2021 #31
Yes! And Crisco is weird now. displacedtexan Dec 2021 #32
I, too, buy organic... IcyPeas Dec 2021 #33
I just learned there's emergency milk that lasts a year Sympthsical Dec 2021 #34
I just can't believe that...I would prefer powdered questionseverything Dec 2021 #42
Parmalat? Celerity Dec 2021 #43
Alpura Sympthsical Dec 2021 #51
yes, it is the Mexican version of Parmalat, I have seen it when I lived in LA Celerity Dec 2021 #52
Depends. The Costco one seems to last a long time. nt Carlitos Brigante Dec 2021 #35
No, but my Natures Made Honey Wheat bread now last a month SYFROYH Dec 2021 #36
I buy at Safeway and (a regional chain) Giant. Safeway milks spoils fast. Giant's . . . . . Stinky The Clown Dec 2021 #39
Must be the influence of social media n/t Silent3 Dec 2021 #40
Kroger milk in Michigan lasts the best for me. roamer65 Dec 2021 #47
I think they changed the dating system on milk from a "use by" date to a "sell by" date. nt Wounded Bear Dec 2021 #48
Oh wow. Ourd did too. :-( Maru Kitteh Dec 2021 #49
Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2021 #50
I noticed 2% milk expires faster than whole milk Wanderlust988 Dec 2021 #53

a kennedy

(29,669 posts)
2. Oh my, noticed it as well........how far is our milk coming from....I live
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:15 PM
Dec 2021

across the Mississippi from “America’s Dairyland”. 😳 😳 😳

jimfields33

(15,808 posts)
3. Yep. I'd have to pour a bunch out very soon after expiration
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:15 PM
Dec 2021

Now I buy organic which is more expensive but NEVER goes bad.

Pobeka

(4,999 posts)
18. Agree 100%. Organic has very long fridge life and tastes much better too.
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:27 PM
Dec 2021

Literally have never thrown out any organic milk.

druidity33

(6,446 posts)
37. That's because Organic milk
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 08:58 PM
Dec 2021

is Ultra-pasteurized. You can't make yogurt or cheese with it (not easily) because it's basically been completely sterilized. Same goes for most commercial half & half. I get my milk mostly from a regional cooperative of dairy farmers. It always goes bad on or near the date of expiration. I prefer the "local" milk, but if i know i won't be drinking a lot, i buy a smaller quantity. Also i work in a grocery store and can attest to the fact that the organic milk "never goes bad"... its expiration date is often 2 months from when we receive it.

womanofthehills

(8,712 posts)
45. I make kefir everyday with organic milk - no problem
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 09:57 PM
Dec 2021

Organic milk just tastes so much better. My friend makes kefir with regular milk and mine with organic has a sweater taste.

druidity33

(6,446 posts)
46. well, not all brands
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 10:02 PM
Dec 2021

are ultra-pasteurized. Check the carton. But most of the National dairy brands are. Not sure about the sweater taste though...

KentuckyWoman

(6,679 posts)
13. Oh you just brought back a memory
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:23 PM
Dec 2021

In the 80's milk got really expensive. No kids but my husband could easily down more than a gallon a day.

I told him 1 gallon had to last 2 days and you'd have thought I was taking away his football ...

ForgedCrank

(1,782 posts)
38. No kidding.
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 09:03 PM
Dec 2021

We currently go through 6-7 gallons a week. I honestly don't know where these boys put the stuff. We had to buy a second fridge for the garage to store stuff to get through an entire week. I keep expecting one day to notice they gained 50 pounds but it never happens. It's like food just evaporates around here.

questionseverything

(9,655 posts)
41. Food evaporates and all the sudden their pants are too short!
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 09:27 PM
Dec 2021

My hubby teases, “you keep feeding them, they will never leave “

Lol

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)
5. I think the Mayans were right, the world ended in 2012 and we've been coasting to a stop since then.
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:17 PM
Dec 2021

Things no longer work as they used to.

flying_wahini

(6,600 posts)
6. I switched to Organic milk because it doesn't spoil quickly. In fact it rarely spoils at all.
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:19 PM
Dec 2021

I buy it by the half gallon because we don’t use it up fast enough, but a half gallon will go 2 weeks or more.
Yes, it does costs a bit more but I never have to pour it out either.

KentuckyWoman

(6,679 posts)
7. The quality is not as good
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:19 PM
Dec 2021

I use skim milk and notice the same brand same store is not lasting as long and also seems to be more watery. I moved up to 1% but did notice any better.

2% is my ticket. To me it tastes like my old skim did. My taste buds? Don't know but I have heard similar from friends.

WarGamer

(12,445 posts)
8. Years ago I started buying ONLY "micro-filtered" Milk...
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:20 PM
Dec 2021

Like Fairlife Brand...

Long 6-8 week expiration windows. Tastes great.

bucolic_frolic

(43,173 posts)
9. Yes suspect the supply system
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:21 PM
Dec 2021

I had a problem once, the milk was half bad from one store, but when I bought from another 25 miles away in another state it was fine. Called the company. They thought it might have been sitting outside for a period of time. Now you have supply chains ... maybe it's being trucked in non-refrigerated trucks?

iemanja

(53,034 posts)
11. ultra pasteurized milk lasts longer
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:21 PM
Dec 2021

I think many of the organic brands are ultra pasteurized. They aren't local so have to be shipped from long distances.

KT2000

(20,581 posts)
12. Darigold lasts a long time
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:21 PM
Dec 2021

and I don't know why. The carton says - use within 15 days after opening. When I get the store brand it is maybe one week.

musette_sf

(10,202 posts)
14. What I noticed is that my favorite organic milk
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:23 PM
Dec 2021

tasted strange, from a purchase at Safeway a few weeks ago. It tasted like the crummy milk I am limited to from hotel convenience kiosks, when I'm traveling. I checked the expiration date and it was in *late January*, two months after my purchase. I checked the container, and lo and behold, it was marked "ultra-pasteurized".

I wrote to the milk company, and found that they have ultra-pasteurized organic milk product specifically packaged for Safeway. My local organic market still carries the regular, non-ultra-pasteurized organic milk. I no longer buy milk at Safeway.

So the "fix" to your problem is, evidently, ultra-pasteurization. Not a great solution IMHO.

SKKY

(11,810 posts)
19. If I buy milk from Meijer, that almost always happens...
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:28 PM
Dec 2021

...however, Walmart or Costco usually lasts longer by 5 - 7 days than the expiration date.

happybird

(4,608 posts)
20. Yes, for the past year or so
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:34 PM
Dec 2021

I used to be able to use a whole gallon, then I ended up tossing out half when it went bad. Now, I will put half in a jug and take it to work so we can use it in coffee.

Nothing is worse than putting milk in your first groggy cup of coffee and seeing chunks rise to the top. Well… worse is when you don’t notice the chunks and take a big chug.

Bayard

(22,075 posts)
22. I was told once
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:52 PM
Dec 2021

By a former employee of a convenience store, that they turned their freezers/refrigeration units off at night to save power (money). I can't imagine any of he big chains doing that though.

I buy 2 gallons at a time of 2%. Mr. Bayard drinks a lot of milk, I put it in the dogs' scrambled eggs for breakfast, and I use it in my fruit smoothies.

CentralMass

(15,265 posts)
23. I use extra creamy oatmilk. I think the brand is Planet Oat.
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:53 PM
Dec 2021

Last edited Mon Dec 6, 2021, 11:34 AM - Edit history (2)

It's good on cereal and not bad in coffee.

Kaleva

(36,307 posts)
27. Ancient Egyptians would combine sour milk with Crocodile shit and use that a spermicide.
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 08:02 PM
Dec 2021

So don't toss it out.

I learn so much from watching YouTube.

Tetrachloride

(7,847 posts)
29. My milk in the Middle East has been reliable.
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 08:04 PM
Dec 2021

Milk even in Wisconsin can be bad. Improper open refrigerators and monitoring of temperatures was my unscientific conclusion.

I don’t know enough on other factors to comment.

totodeinhere

(13,058 posts)
30. I have not noticed that myself. But when I buy milk I always reach to the back of the case to
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 08:05 PM
Dec 2021

try to find the product with the most distant expiration date. And even then I check the expiration date and if it's only a few days in the future I do not buy it.

LuvLoogie

(7,009 posts)
31. We buy organic by the half gallon in the wax paper carton.
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 08:07 PM
Dec 2021

And just pick some up as we need/use it. If the organic goes on sale, I'll buy two half gallons. Since organic milk seems to keep longer, the second half gallon is still fresh, even if it takes over a week to go through the first.

displacedtexan

(15,696 posts)
32. Yes! And Crisco is weird now.
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 08:11 PM
Dec 2021

My Oberweis milk was bad when I got it home from the store and opened it two weeks in a row. And Crisco packaging smells slightly like burning rubber.
Anyone else notice that a stick of butter now weighs 3 7/8 ounces? It's not earth shattering, but it just pisses me off.

IcyPeas

(21,884 posts)
33. I, too, buy organic...
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 08:18 PM
Dec 2021

I buy the expensive stuff, Horizon milk. It lasts to the last drop, I usually buy 1/2 gallon once a week.

However...

I have also bought the organic store brand, Simple Truth by Ralphs/Kroger and that one doesn't seem to smell fresh after 4 days or so.

So I stick with Horizon.

Sympthsical

(9,074 posts)
34. I just learned there's emergency milk that lasts a year
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 08:38 PM
Dec 2021

A buddy got bored or something - I have no idea - so he made up earthquake kits for friends. In it are two containers of milk. Like, milk milk. Not soy or almond or anything. It expires in a year.

Apparently it's processed at a super high temperature then sealed up.

I keep staring at it whenever I go into the pantry.

Kind of frightens me.

Sympthsical

(9,074 posts)
51. Alpura
Sat Dec 4, 2021, 01:58 AM
Dec 2021

Never heard of it before. Not even sure where he got it from.

It’s apparently from Mexico, where the ultra high temp pasteurization makes it last a long time at room temperature if it stays sealed.

Celerity

(43,399 posts)
52. yes, it is the Mexican version of Parmalat, I have seen it when I lived in LA
Sat Dec 4, 2021, 04:50 AM
Dec 2021

If you ever visit Sweden, we have some of the best milk on the planet.

For old school taste try this

Arla (our biggest dairy coop) ekologisk (organic) färsk (fresh) lantmjölk (country milk)💙


It is non-homogenized and has a natural fat content that varies throughout the year. When the milk has not been homogenized, the fat can float to the surface, so shake it before use. At 3.8-4.5% fat content (standard milk is 3%) it has a wonderful, creamy taste.

It has a christmas labelling scheme now

god jul means merry christmas

SYFROYH

(34,170 posts)
36. No, but my Natures Made Honey Wheat bread now last a month
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 08:49 PM
Dec 2021

I buy organic ultra pasteurized milk and it lasts forever, too.

Stinky The Clown

(67,807 posts)
39. I buy at Safeway and (a regional chain) Giant. Safeway milks spoils fast. Giant's . . . . .
Fri Dec 3, 2021, 09:14 PM
Dec 2021

. . . . Maola brand does not. In fact, its expiration date is nearly two months later. Yes, two months. It is super pasteurized and that's the difference.

Response to raccoon (Original post)

Wanderlust988

(509 posts)
53. I noticed 2% milk expires faster than whole milk
Sat Dec 4, 2021, 05:26 AM
Dec 2021

So I switched over to whole milk and now it lasts like it's supposed to. I hadn't drank whole milk in years, but the 2% was going bad way too fast. Now with whole milk, it's much better.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Anyone else noticing milk...