About
UHT Milk
Why UHT milk keeps at room temperature without losing its nutritional value
140 °C
Treatment temperature
4 s
Treatment time
10 days
Keeps after opening
What is UHT milk?
UHT milk is milk that has been pasteurised at ultra-high temperature and packed in sterilised containers. Once produced, it can be stored at room temperature and keeps longer than milk that has undergone conventional pasteurisation. UHT pasteurisation barely alters the nutritional value of the milk.
How is it made?
Combining milk treated at ultra-high temperature — 140 °C for four seconds — with sterilised packaging produces ultra-high-temperature pasteurised milk, or UHT. This sterilisation process destroys all micro-organisms and their spores that may be present in the milk.
Sterile packaging
To make UHT milk, the milk is pasteurised at ultra-high temperature, then packed in a pathogen-free environment in sterilised containers which are then sealed. The milk can therefore be stored at room temperature until its use-by date.
UHT versus conventional pasteurisation
Compared with UHT treatment, conventional pasteurisation requires a lower temperature but a longer time: for example 63 °C for 30 minutes, or 72 °C for 15 seconds.
Keeping it after opening
Once opened, UHT milk must be kept refrigerated and consumed within 10 days, just like conventionally pasteurised milk.