Milk, Special Types

Everyone has heard of pasteurization, the life-saving process used to heat milk (and many other products) to a temperature high enough to kill harmful microorganisms.  But have you ever heard of ultra-pasteurization?  That’s a newer process involving higher temperatures than  standard pasteurization, developed for the purpose of keeping milk fresh longer.  You’ve probably drunk ultra-pasteurized milk since it’s often put into single-serve milk cartons as well as flavored and lactose-free larger cartons. 

When ultra-pasteurized milk is processed in sterile equipment and put into sterile containers, an unopened carton can last as long as a year--without refrigeration!