Effect of cold chain interruptions on the shelf-life of fluid pasteurised skim milk at the consumer stage

Milk Spoilage Model Predicts that Share Tables Would Not Meaningfully Increase Spoilage and Improved Storage Systems Can Reduce Spoilage

School share tables offer opportunities for food recovery and increased access to healthy foods by allowing students to donate or consume unopened items, such as cartons of milk. However, stakeholders have concerns about temperature abuse potentially causing premature milk spoilage. While previous research showed short ambient temperature abuse of milk (under conditions representing share tables) does not meaningfully impact microbial milk quality, differences across school cafeterias (e.g., ambient temperatures, storage systems, bell schedules, refrigeration temperature) may limit the generalizability of this conclusion. To address this, the overnight refrigeration temperature and the milk's initial contamination were predicted to be the main drivers for milk spoilage. Share tables were predicted to only cause inconsequential microbial quality changes (4 spoiled milk per million served, which would be ≤2 milk cartons spoiled per school year) under short and medium bell schedules (≤125 min of total service), even without temperature control during the lunch period. Under long (221 min) and very long (266 min) bell schedules, share tables with ambient temperature storage were predicted to have higher milk spoilage (19 and 42 spoiled milk cartons per million served, respectively), and adding storage systems was predicted to reduce the decline in milk quality (12 and 24 spoiled milk cartons per million served, respectively). These results provide a resource to support science-based decision-making for the inclusion of milk in school cafeteria share tables, ultimately working to reduce food waste and address food insecurity.

Protein beverages made of a mixture of egg white and chocolate milk: Microbiology, nutritional and sensory properties

Egg white protein and chocolate milk were used for making protein beverage. Microbiological count, sensory attributes, and pH changes were investigated during 10 days of refrigerated storage. At the tenth day, the total numbers of bacteria were between 4.05 and 5.77 (Log CFU/ml). It was concluded that when the amount of egg white increases, the number of bacteria significantly decreases. No coliforms, E. coli, salmonella, mold, and yeast were observed. Also, pH levels were increased from 8.3 to 8.7 and acidic spoilage was reduced. The chocolate milk containing 14% egg white was the most preferred by the panelists in all of the evaluated items except texture. Protein, Ca, Na, and energy contents were increased, and fat, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, total sugar, lactose, carbohydrate, Mg, Fe, and P contents of the treated samples were decreased.