It is estimated that a statistical Slovak drinks and eats more than 220 liters of milk in the form of dairy products annually.However, as it turns out – the freshness and taste of this product may be affected by the packaging in which it is placed.So which milk is the best? In plastic, in cardboard or perhaps in glass?.
Can the milk in the carton have a different taste?
A few decades ago, milk was mainly sold in glass bottles , but milk was also offered in plastic bags.Currently, milk in plastic bottles or cartons is by far the most common choice for consumers.
Scientists from North Carolina State University say that the way milk is stored can affect its taste and freshness , and they presented the results of their study in 2022 in the international scientific journal Journal of Dairy Science.
«Milk, because of its delicate, delicate taste, is more susceptible to infiltration of any odors, including packaging odors than most other beverages.In addition to slight oxidation, its flavor can be altered by absorption of compounds in the packaging and by the penetration, even through the carton, of food aromas from the surrounding cooling environment,» – introduced by Dr.MaryAnne Drake, who led the team of researchers, in the Journal of Dairy Science.
In which packaging will the milk retain the best taste and freshness?
In order to answer the question in which packaging milk retains the best freshness and taste , scientists decided to conduct a study using milk enclosed in a cardboard box , in plastic bottles made of different types of plastics, in a plastic bag and in glass bottle.
Each of the said packages contained pasteurized whole milk and skimmed milk.The milk was then placed in a totally darkened room at 4°C to control the oxidation process.
The entire study lasted 15 days, and the researchers, starting on the first day, every five days tested the milk for sensory properties and analyzed volatile compounds, paying attention to the effect of the packaging on the contained milk.
On the tenth day of the experiment, a group of selected consumers tasted milk from different types of packaging, without knowing whether the milk they tasted came from a carton, a plastic bag, a plastic bottle or a glass bottle.
Tasters in the study reported that milk in a glass bottle had the greatest freshness and best taste.On the contrary, when tasting the milk from the carton, consumers stated that they felt a distinct, characteristic carton aftertaste.
The study proves that milk enclosed in cardboard packaging does not retain adequate taste and freshness as well as milk in glass and plastic bottles.
In addition, the researchers believe that due to the type of packaging, skimmed milk is more susceptible to taste change, unlike whole milk.
