Why Don’t Europeans Refrigerate Their Milk? (2024)

FAQs

Why does European milk not need to be refrigerated? ›

In Europe and other parts of the world, another technique called ultra-heat-treated pasteurization, or UHT, is used. Milk is exposed to higher temperatures of 284°F for three seconds, decimating virtually all the bacteria and making it shelf-stable for about six months if left unopened.

Ask for a glass of milk in an American home, and your host will likely pull an ice-cold gallon out of the fridge. But if you do the same in a European country, you'll probably receive a room-temperature glass. What gives? Believe it or not, most of the world doesn't refrigerate milk.

“Milk is pasteurized through a process called ultra high temperature (UHT) in Europe, which kills the bacteria and can lead to a longer shelf life product without refrigeration,” explains Natalie Alibrandi, a UK-based food scientist and CEO of Nali Consulting.

UHT (ultra high temperature) milk doesn't require refrigeration. It's more common in Europe but not exclusively. “pasteurized" milk is heated to kill most bacteria and requires refrigeration. UHT kills virtually all bacteria and spores it is shelf stable for a year or so and doesn't require refrigeration.

In most European countries, Salmonella is kept under control with preventative measures like vaccination. Farms are usually not allowed to wash eggs, so the cuticles remain intact, precluding refrigeration.

The process for shelf-stable milk is called UHT pasteurization, or Ultra High Temperature. Milk is heated to a very high temperature for just a few seconds, which destroys bacteria for a longer shelf life.

Bacteria in milk will grow minimally below 45 °F. However, temperatures well below 40 °F are necessary to protect the milk's quality. It is critical that these temperatures be maintained through warehousing, distribution, delivery and storage.

So there you have it: the French have no need for refrigerator-dependent dairy products, because their UHT-processed milk will still be fresh at least six months after the apocalypse. It is, unlike their milk, chilling.

The different taste probably comes from the way milk is processed (pasteurized and hom*ogenized) in the different countries, the amount of fat we are accustomed to and that is added or taken away for full fat or skimmed milk. This is different in most countries. Just try it out when you travel.

The extended shelf life (seen in both organic and conventional milk) is because of the pasteurization process.

Why does France not have fresh milk? ›

For the most part however it seems to be down to preference and tradition. France after all isn't the only country on the continent to choose long-life milk over fresh.

The fact that it keeps without refrigeration is also practical in a warmer climate and it reduces distribution costs and waste. UHT milk in France is marked as keeping for three months unopened, although it is actually usable for six to nine months.

Why is milk not refrigerated in South America? It's all in the process. Milk in Costa Rica, Central and South America, like in Europe, uses ultra-high-temperature or ultra-heat-treated pasteurization (UHT), which heats the milk to an even higher temperature than HTST used in North America.

Most people will still put them in the fridge at home, but because in Germany and most of Europe eggs are not washed and sterilized, unlike in the US and Canada, whereby the protective layer on the outside can be damaged, eggs don't HAVE to be refrigerated so the store sells them on the shelf.

The answer has to do with bacteria: Salmonella. In the United States, it's more than a food safety recommendation that eggs be refrigerated – it's the law. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) determined that the best way to fight Salmonella contamination is by sanitizing the eggs before they reach the consumer.

Italian eggs are gently wiped clean from debris before they're packaged and ready for sale, but never washed. Because they have this protective outer layer they don't need to be refrigerated and can stay at room temperature for a week or two without any deleterious effect.

The Europeans, on the other hand, don't wash their eggs in order to rely on this natural “cuticle” to protect from contamination entering the egg. Many European countries, like the UK, vaccinate their hens to prevent the transmission of salmonella when the hens lay eggs.

If you've been to a country other than the USA, you might have! Most countries do not store their eggs in refrigerators. Instead, they leave them out at room temperature. This might seem like a food safety hazard, but both methods are safe.

In general, perishable foods like milk should not sit out of the refrigerator or cooler for longer than two hours. Cut that time down to an hour in the summer if the temperature reaches 90 degrees F. After that time frame, bacteria can start to grow.

If milk is left out of the fridge for an extended period of time it can become a food-safety issue. Bacteria start to grow and replicate when the temperature of your milk reaches 40°F, and those bacteria are how you end up with a gallon of nasty, rotten milk or, at worst, contract an illness.

Why does Kroger milk last so long? ›

One way Kroger assures freshness is by keeping the milk cold. It flows through cooling units that maintain temperatures between 34F and 35F.

In the United States, commercially produced dairy milk that's sold across state lines must be pasteurized. That does not always mean it's boiled, but it's heated to a high enough temperature — usually 161°F (71.7°C) for 15 seconds — to kill any harmful pathogens (2).

Just 5,000 years ago, even though it was a part of their diet, virtually no adult humans could properly digest milk. But in the blink of an evolutionary eye northern Europeans began inheriting a genetic mutation that enabled them to do so.

UHT vs.

Now, we said everyone pasteurized milk, for the most part. In Europe, however, they use UHT (ultra-high temperature) pasteurization. In the states and Canada, we use HTST (high temperature, short time.)

You may not have realized that Europeans actually buy and store their milk outside of the fridge. The reason is a simple one: Europeans rely on a completely different pasteurization method. Canadian and American milk manufacturers utilize high-temperature, short-time pasteurization.

Without the cuticle, eggs must be refrigerated to combat bacterial infection from inside. In Europe, it's illegal to wash eggs and instead, farms vaccinate chickens against salmonella. With the cuticle intact, refrigeration could cause mildew growth and contamination.

Refrigerate eggs to keep them fresher, longer

While plenty of Americans with small-scale farms or chicken coops at home leave their eggs out on their counter, the FDA recommends always keeping your eggs refrigerated.

The quality of the milk is underpinned by Europe's robust health and safety measures. Europe's milk is more than milk - it is a healthy and nourishing drink and a top-quality raw material from which Europe's dairy products are produced.

A typical milk bag contains approximately 1 L (1.8 imp pt) of milk in South America, Iran, Israel, and continental European countries, while in the United Kingdom they contain 2 imperial pints (1.1 L), in Canada 11⁄3 litres (2.3 imp pt), and in India, 0.5 L (0.9 imp pt).

Why does Walmart milk last so long? ›

The process that gives the milk a longer shelf life is called ultrahigh temperature (UHT) processing or treatment, in which milk is heated to 280 degrees Fahrenheit (138 degrees Celsius) for two to four seconds, killing any bacteria in it.

The top five milk production States in 2021 were California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Texas, and New York. Collectively, these 5 States produced more than 50 percent of U.S. annual milk supply. In terms of production, milk cows generally perform best in areas with dry, cool weather.

Ultra-Pasteurization

Shelf stable milk is ultra-high temperature pasteurized, which will be labeled on the package as “UHT” or “ultra-pasteurized” milk.

An intriguing little detail in all this frothy commerce is that many people in China, like much of Asia, are lactose intolerant. Human children produce an enzyme that allows them to digest milk, but in much of the world, its levels taper off as they grow up.

Milk must be pasteurized in order to be sold in Canada. Pasteurization is a process that uses heat to kill harmful bacteria while retaining the nutritional properties of milk. Pasteurization ensures the milk we drink is safe.

Nutritionally, there is less protein in breast milk than other milks like cow's milk. Chemical and environmental contaminants are known to make their way into breast milk, just like the food chain more broadly.

Long macchiato – whereas a macchiato is an espresso 'marked' by milk, the long version is a long black with a proportional amount of hot milk. Due to the increased volume, there usually isn't so much froth, which is undoubtedly a good thing.

Cheese should be served at room temperature. So French people usually take out the cheese from the fridge (and open the box) before starting their meal.

French people usually have milky coffee at breakfast, but you can also drink it throughout the day. The recipe is very simple – you make a double espresso in an Americano sized cup, then you add up to twice as much milk as there is coffee, according to your preference.

The boxed milk in Mexico is heated by way of the Ultra-High Temperature Pasteurization (UHT) method. This is why the milk is safe to keep at room temperature when it is in an airtight and light-sealed container.

Is milk refrigerated in Japan? ›

There may be countries where milk is sold at room temperature, but in Japan it must be sold and stored refrigerated, so please be careful.

Those products undergo Extended Shelf Life (ESL) processing, which extends the expiry date, compared to products who undergo regular pasteurization. In ESL processing, the conventional milk processing can be enlarged with further processing steps, such as microfiltration, bactofugation or high heat treatment.

Mexico is just one of many countries where eggs are not kept refrigerated.

Easter Eggs Traditions from Germany

This is a very old tradition dating back to the 16th century to exchange colored eggs as Easter presents. Later, it became a custom for young people who were in love with each other, to give the decorated eggs to their sweethearts.

In the US, to reduce the risk of salmonella infection, eggs are washed and sprayed with a chemical sanitiser before they are sold to the public. Clean eggs are kept at cooler temperatures to prevent the eggs from deteriorating as quickly and to keep the growth of bacteria in check.

An open jar of peanut butter stays fresh up to three months in the pantry. After that, it's recommended to store the peanut butter in the fridge (where it can maintain its quality for another 3-4 months). If you don't refrigerate, oil separation can occur.

It's not a natural trait of a fancy European breed of hen or a sign of overly pampered birds. The yolk color actually comes from what the hens eat: a diet rich in carotenoids, the natural yellow-orange pigment found in fruits (cantaloupe), vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, and kale), and flowers.

“Because of its natural acidity, Heinz Ketchup is shelf-stable. However, its stability after opening can be affected by storage conditions. We recommend that this product be refrigerated after opening to maintain the best product quality.”

While American milk is pasteurized too – to keep for a few weeks – in France, it's “ultra-high temperature” (UHT) pasteurized, heated to 275 degrees as opposed to the 60 to 100 to which American milk is. The resulting shelf-stable milk, which makes up 95.5 percent of all milk consumed in France, has a (frightening?)

So there you have it: the French have no need for refrigerator-dependent dairy products, because their UHT-processed milk will still be fresh at least six months after the apocalypse. It is, unlike their milk, chilling.

Why do Americans refrigerate eggs? ›

The answer has to do with bacteria: Salmonella. In the United States, it's more than a food safety recommendation that eggs be refrigerated – it's the law. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) determined that the best way to fight Salmonella contamination is by sanitizing the eggs before they reach the consumer.

UHT milk in France is marked as keeping for three months unopened, although it is actually usable for six to nine months. The process kills all the micro-organisms in the milk and deactivates most of the enzymes present, which slightly changes the taste.

Estimates for lactose intolerance vary by ethnicity. African American and Asian ethnicities see a 75% - 95% lactose intolerance rate, while northern Europeans have a lower rate at 18% - 26% lactose intolerance. For some people, drinking milk with their morning cereal is all the dairy they need for the day.

Lactose intolerance in adulthood is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, with 70 to 100 percent of people affected in these communities. Lactose intolerance is also very common in people of West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent.

According to the NIH, in adults lactose intolerance shows up most often in people of East Asian heritage, affecting 70 to 100% of the population. Encyclopaedia Britannica adds that the condition affects about 75 to 90% of Native Americans, Black people, Asians, Mediterraneans, and Jewish people.

You may not have realized that Europeans actually buy and store their milk outside of the fridge. The reason is a simple one: Europeans rely on a completely different pasteurization method. Canadian and American milk manufacturers utilize high-temperature, short-time pasteurization.

In general, perishable foods like milk should not sit out of the refrigerator or cooler for longer than two hours. Cut that time down to an hour in the summer if the temperature reaches 90 degrees F. After that time frame, bacteria can start to grow.