# milk goes bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2001, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-goes-bad/51381 "2001-01-23T10:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madd1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@madd1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madd1)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-goes-bad/51381/1 "2001-01-23T10:31:00Z")
How in the world does milk know to expire on the date printed on the carton? Honestly, without fail, it usualy does go bad on the expiration date or the following day. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-goes-bad/51381/2 "2001-01-23T10:34:47Z")
It went to the same school where the Thermos learned how to keep the hot stuff hot and the cold stuff cold. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-goes-bad/51381/3 "2001-01-23T10:47:02Z")
You may not have to worry too much longer. Thanks to ‘beer technology’, there is now a way to filter off the stuff in milk that causes it to sour (i.e. the bacteria) while leaving all the nutritional stuff. Ain’t going to change the world but udder then that it sounds like it might stop you loosing sleep. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid\_1126000/1126162.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1126000/1126162.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-goes-bad/51381/4 "2001-01-23T13:24:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > Ain’t going to change the world but **udder** then that it sounds like it might stop you loosing sleep. UGH!!! BTW, **London** I bought the HTML book you suggested. (They actually have a 4th edition out already - anything for a buck.) Thanks so much for you suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-goes-bad/51381/5 "2001-01-23T15:01:59Z")
Turn your fridge temp down! My milk is always good _at least_ a week after the **sell by** date. ---
**Author:** ![diamud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@diamud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diamud)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-goes-bad/51381/6 "2001-01-23T16:26:14Z")
I can’t wait for the supermilk. Here is St. Petersburg, FL, the milk I get, regardless of brand or location, goes bad within 2-3 of purchase. My fridge temp. is on lowest setting, and is very cold. The only time I get milk that actually lasts to the expiration date is when I go to a specialty dairy store. I think they don’t refrigerate the milk adequately during transport here. I would be thrilled if the milk lasted until the expiration date. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milk-goes-bad/51381/7 "2001-01-23T16:50:06Z")
> [@](#): > > How in the world does milk know to expire on the date printed on the carton? Unless the milk you purchase is different from the milk I purchase (which very well may be the case, I buy Lactaid milk), the date on the carton is the _sell by_ date, not the expiration date. According to most sources, your milk should be good for at least seven days past that date. One way to get the most life out of your milk is to purchase the cartons towards the back of the refrigerated case. Most supermarkets fill the milk sections from the back, making the most recently acquired cartons in the back of the case. As others already mentioned, turn down your 'fridge. Store your milk on the top shelf near the back instead of in the door. Also be sure your 'fridge isn’t too full. My 'fridge doesn’t keep stuff as cold when it’s packed to the gills.