Why is the milk man's milk different to the supermarket?

[Shinylikeglass]

Supermarket milk always lasts at least a week, often longer and well past its date.

Milk from the milkman has a much shorter date and turns exactly on its date, I find?

Why is this? I used to out it down to it sitting on the doorstep but I've been bringing it in at 6:30 am lately and it's practically as cold as the fridge out there. Often I don't put supermarket shopping away for several hours, it doesn't seem to affect the milk.

I like having the milk delivered and I like the glass bottles but I don't like throwing away their very expensive milk. I'm thinking I won't be able to continue into the summer

What's different?

I suspect... slower supply chain. All put into sterilised bottles that shift too slowly out of the sterilisation centre (Nottingham?) before getting shipped to milkman in your area.

I’ve noticed this, too. It’s been better since I bought the insulated milk holder, but it still turns faster than supermarket milk. It does save me room in the fridge, though, so it’s still worth it.

I found this too. Tried two local companies but sadly had to give up after 3rd bottle of off milk (and I mean rancid) was delivered. Told down to supply chain especially as organic. Looking for another as really want to reduce waste and support local.

Our milklady offers glass pint bottles or 1l or 2l plastic cartons. She works for a local dairy. I like the idea of having traditional bottles, but cartons are easier for the amount we get through - and modern family-sized fridge doors are designed with the expectation that you'll have cartons.

The date is indeed a little bit shorter than the supermarket - although she comes three times a week, so if you know how much you use every two or three days, it's not a problem, and you don't need it to last a whole week. I always assumed that supermarket milk gets industrially processed in some way to lengthen the shelf life - the same as packaged pre-sliced bread lasts and tastes OK for several days, whereas fresh bread from a bakery tastes amazing on the day it's made, alright the next day and then barely usable (except for toast) after that. Our milk definitely tastes noticeably better and creamier than the supermarket equivalents.

Have also found this. We now put our bottles on the middle shelf rather than the door and they last better. We also get lactose free milk in a carton and that lasts beyond the use by date

It probably also makes a big difference when it's delivered too. Ages ago, when we both worked full-time away from home, we used to have milk delivered, but it came about 10 minutes after we'd left for work, so it was sitting outside for hours in the daytime heat. Now, they come at about 2am, which is ideal. For folk without proper milk boxes to leave it in, they also carefully place it where it will be out of the early sun on hot days - e.g. behind the car bumper.

My parents still get milk delivered and complain about it being off constantly. They also complain that their milkman gets their order wrong all the time. I don't know why they still bother with milk deliveries at all.

I get milk delivered in glass bottles and it always lasts well.

I found ours was going off fast, but have now switched to three times a week. This is perfect for our consumption and means we use the last of the bottle the night before the next delivery.

My parents still get milk delivered and complain about it being off constantly.

We rented for six months in a particularly 'challenging' area and we had to stop getting milk delivered, as it was always off.... in the hands of the 'delightful' local kids....

I must say I've found it the opposite way - milkman milk seems to last longer, full fat too. I get it three times a week also.

Yes, I've noticed this too. In fact my skimmed milk was often off before its date.

I’ve not noticed this - 3 times a week delivery of local milk from a family run farm a couple of miles away, and we’ve always used it up before it turns.

The butter is vastly better quality, too - up there with high end French butter.

TD Goodall, for any Leeds types.

I think it might be less homogenised or something. The full fat stuff separates with a thick layer at the top. Supermarket milk doesn’t do that I don’t think?

We get milk man milk and top up with normal Tesco milk.
I find the milk man milk doesn't last as long but it's never a problem in our house and the dc much prefer the taste and polish it off pdq!

We have a local farm with a vending machine, we fill the litre or 2 litre bottle with milk straight from the machine, the milk has come from the cows I can see in the field and been pasteurised but not homogenised. I think the last thing is what makes it turn within 3 or so days rather than last the week.

Tbh I do get maybe ¾ of our milk from the supermarket but this resource was a godsend a few months ago because its always there, stocked every morning, no need for any shop to be open.

I think supermarket milk is processed more. I live in Germany and even the fresh milk here has a way longer shelf life than the UK and I have kept it two weeks past the date before without it going sour. I'm not accidentally buying UHT either! It's apparently due to how the milk is treated before being sold.

Maybe it’s the milkman himself that makes the difference 😉

m.youtube.com/watch?v=LEipG31iAC4

It's the homogenising process that reduces the fat globules and makes supermarket milk smoother and less fatty.

We buy milk from a local farm dairy and I much prefer it to processed supermarket stuff, but it doesn't last as long. I just plan accordingly.

I used to have a milkman but cancelles him when cream delivered on Christmas eve was off when I went to use it on Christmas day.

We have all our milk from the milkman. I have noticed that it doesn't last as long as supermarket milk but it's fine. I just make sure I don't order too much so we don't have it hanging around too long. It works if you freeze some when you have too much. It's slightly more worrying imo that supermarket milk lasts so long. It's also much better for the environment to use the milkman too. Glass bottles and more locally sourced milk. We get eggs and yoghurt delivered too. Both locally produced.

Ours goes off bang on the date as well, we get it delivered three times a week but unfortunately our usage is quite erratic and we sometimes end up with a bit of a backlog if I don't remember to change the order in time. Still easier and nicer than getting it from the supermarket though.