by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Last week, Horizon Organics notified its Northeast organic milk suppliers that it would be dropping all of its eastern suppliers, including 27 dairies in Vermont. Horizon cows are hard workers. One big advantage of organic milk has over regular milk is its shelf life. How long does horizon shelf-stable milk last? Why does the organic milk I buy last so much longer than regular milk? According to the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, the milk needs to stay fresh longer because organic products often have to travel farther to reach store shelves since it is not produced throughout the country. Glad the organic 2% version comes in quarts. Cows milk actually freezes fairly well, but it may separate at some point. Horizon organic milk comes from nearly 600 certified organic family farms in approximately 23 states. The But have you ever thought about why this milk is so much better for your brain than the average half-gallon of organic milk? This unique preservation method is called ultrahigh temperature processing or UHT. That does not immediately mean its a bad thing, though. But, WATCH OUT!!!! If you decide to try UHT milk, whether organic or not, you might notice that it tastes a little bit different than milk thats undergone normal pasteurization. The average Horizon organic cow produces almost double the amount of milk of the national average. Which makes it even more difficult for these poor cows to step outside. Then there are the slaughter rates. A Longer Shelf Life. We always have some milk available - on the shelf. So what is it about organic milk that makes it stay fresh so long? Horizon's Farms. Pasteurization is the process we use to help eliminate bacteria in milk. Thats because some of the sugars in the milk caramelize during the UHT process, making the milk a bit sweeter. On vacation so I picked up some little chocolate horizon milk cartons - my daughter drank about half and my husband emptied the rest in the sink and noticed a bunch of chunks st the bottom - checked the expiration date and realized it was 3 months expired! 0 . Our family farmer partners supply 99% of our milk. Because regular pasteurized milk is heated to only 165 F or lower, it doesn't have the same long shelf life. Let us set the record straight: milk does not inherently last longer just because it's organic. And clearly, so do most of you. Why does Horizon milk last so long? Most brands of organic milk are sterilized at very high temperatures (around 280 F), so it can keep for up to two months. Sat, 08/28/2021 - 10:57am --. Antibiotics can only be used in cases of extreme urgency and the production is subject to a long withdrawal period. (NOFA-VT estimates they sell about 3 million gallons of milk per year to Horizon.) For Horizon Milk to remain productive and profitable, they must keep their cows hooked up to the milking machines. When my order arrived, the "EXP" date was less than 3 weeks, shorter than refrigerated organic milk in the grocery store. According to Scientific American, UHT is used on organic milk because it typically has to travel farther to reach grocery stores, and thus needs a longer shelf life. No bacteria means no spoilage, at least as long as the package is closed. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, refrigerated foods, including milk, should never be out of the fridge at room temperature for longer than two hours. Organic milk, at its simplest definition, is just milk that comes from a cow that has not been treated with antibiotics and is produced under certain conditions related to sustainability and use of pesticides. Youve probably heard the rumor about organic milk going bad within a day or two of purchase. Organic milk lasts longer because producers use a different process to preserve it. Answer: Shelf stable milk lasts up to 6 to 9 months, unopened in a cool, dark, dry storage pantry. tim. Our headquarters is now located just a few miles from Boulder in Broomfield, Colorado. Why does organic milk last so much longer than regular trend www.scientificamerican.com. UHT milk should have 6 to 9 months of "Use by" shelf life. Most of it does, however, last substantially longer than conventional milk -- roughly Regular milk can undergo the same process, but UHT changes the flavor a little. 07/03/2018 09:47. J.H., Holden, Mass. Why does organic milk last so much longer than regular milk? Great taste, and so convenient. Most organic milk is treated this way because it usually has to be warehoused and travel longer distances, so it needs a longer shelf life. The reason not all milk is UHT treated is because the process changes the flavor of milk. The high heat caramelizes some of the natural sugars found in milk, giving it a sweet flavor. Milk is heated to a very high temperature for just a few seconds, which destroys bacteria for a longer shelf life. How long can Horizon milk be left out? Horizons organic milk with DHA raked in about $250 million in sales, which accounts for 14% of all organic milk sold, according to The Washington Post. The truth is organic milk can last up to 6 days in refrigerated temperatures (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit) without getting sour and developing an off-flavor. The process for shelf-stable milk is called UHT pasteurization, or Ultra High Temperature. Anonymous. Freezing Horizon Organic Milk is totally fine. Because it's nearly sterile, as long as it is packaged in a container that's aseptic, it will last and last. The reason why organic milk lasts longer is due to the preservation process it undergoes, which must be done because it has to travel further to get to the supermarket shelves. The company got its start in Boulder, Colorado, in 1991. Most organic milk is treated this way because it usually has to be warehoused and travel longer distances, so it needs a longer shelf life. The reason not all milk is UHT treated is because the process changes the flavor of milk. Generally, you can freeze most types of milk. Our single-serve milk boxes are also shelf-stable, so you can store them in the pantry and take them anywherefor lunches, for travel, at sports practice or to the park. A Horizon milk box delivers 8 grams of protein and a good source of calcium, along with the goodness of real organic milk.