How to Read a Milk and Dairy Label: UHT, Fat, Use By

How the milk was heated

Heat treatment kills harmful bacteria, and the type decides how long the milk keeps and where it is stored.

🥛 Pasteurized milk (Pasteurised)

Heated briefly, typically to about 72 °C for 15 seconds, then cooled. It tastes close to fresh milk, must stay in the fridge and usually keeps for about a week unopened.

🥛 UHT milk (UHT (ultra-high temperature))

Heated to about 135 to 150 °C for a few seconds and packed in sterile packaging. Unopened, it keeps for months at room temperature. Some regions call it "ultra-pasteurised".

🥛 Sterilized milk (Sterilised)

Heated inside the sealed bottle at about 110 to 120 °C for many minutes. It keeps even longer, but turns slightly brown and tastes "cooked".

🧀 Raw milk

Not heat-treated. It can carry harmful bacteria, so it must be kept cold and used within days. Many countries restrict its sale, and the label often advises boiling it before drinking.

🔄 Homogenization (Homogenised)

The fat droplets are broken into tiny pieces so that cream does not float to the top. It is a texture step, not a safety step.

Fat, protein and extras

🧪 Milk fat (Fat percentage)

The share of milk fat per 100 ml. Whole milk is usually about 3.5% or more (the EU minimum), semi-skimmed is 1.5 to 1.8%, and skimmed is 0.5% or less.

🥛 Whole milk

Milk with its natural fat kept in, usually 3.5% or more. It tastes fuller and has more calories than lower-fat types.

Semi-skimmed

Part of the fat has been removed, leaving 1.5 to 1.8%. A middle option for taste and calories.

🥛 Skimmed milk (Skimmed)

Almost all the fat is removed (0.5% or less). Lighter in taste and calories; it also carries less of the fat-soluble vitamins.

🧪 Casein (Protein)

Cow's milk has about 3.3 g of protein per 100 ml, mostly casein and some whey. Milk marked "high protein" has extra protein added.

🧪 Lactose (Lactose-free)

Lactase enzyme has split the milk sugar so people with lactose intolerance can drink it. It tastes slightly sweeter and still contains milk protein, so it is not safe for a milk allergy.

🥛 A2 milk

Milk from cows that produce only the A2 type of beta-casein. It is not lactose-free, and clear proof of extra health benefits is lacking.

🦴 Calcium

Milk contains about 120 mg of calcium per 100 ml. It helps bones and teeth, and the label may show it per 100 ml or per serving.

Milk or dairy product?

The name on the front is regulated. It tells you what is actually inside.

🥛 Cow's milk (Milk)

In the EU, plain "milk" legally means cow's milk with nothing added or taken out except fat adjustment. The ingredient list should be just "milk".

🥛 Goat's milk (Goat, sheep or buffalo milk)

Milk from other animals must say which animal it comes from; otherwise "milk" means cow's milk.

🧀 Dairy products (Dairy product or milk drink)

These names mean a product made from milk ingredients, which can include added powder, whey, sugar or even vegetable fat. Always check the ingredient list.

🧀 Milk powder (Reconstituted milk powder)

Some milk is made by mixing milk powder with water. The ingredient list shows "milk powder" or "reconstituted".

Plant-based drinks

In the EU, drinks made from oats, soy or almonds cannot be sold as "milk"; they are labelled "oat drink" and similar. They are not dairy.

Dates and storage

📅 Shelf life (Use by)

A safety date for perishable food, such as fresh pasteurised milk. After this date the milk may not be safe, even if it smells fine.

📅 Shelf life (Best before)

A quality date, common on UHT milk. After it the milk is usually still safe if the pack is intact, but taste and nutrients may decline.

❄️ Cold chain (Storage temperature)

Pasteurised milk should stay at about 0 to 6 °C, and warm kitchens or open shopping bags shorten its life. Unopened UHT can stay in a cool, dark cupboard.

After opening

Once opened, keep any milk in the fridge, close the cap and use it within about 3 to 4 days, even UHT.

🫙 Tetra Pak (Carton packaging)

Cartons are layers of paperboard, plastic and thin aluminium that block light and air. This is what lets unopened UHT milk last months.

Cheese and yogurt labels

🍷 Protected designation of origin (PDO)

Protected Designation of Origin: the milk and the making must both happen in the named area, following written rules. Examples are Parmigiano Reggiano, Roquefort and Greek Feta.

🍷 Protected geographical indication (PGI)

Protected Geographical Indication: at least one main production step happens in the named area. Gouda Holland is an example.

🧀 Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)

A PDO hard cheese made from raw cow's milk, aged at least 12 months. Its rules require calf rennet, so it is not vegetarian.

🧀 Roquefort

A blue cheese made from raw sheep's milk. Raw-milk cheeses carry small risks, and pregnancy advice often says to avoid them.

🧫 Rennet

An enzyme that curdles milk to make cheese. Traditionally it comes from calf stomachs (animal rennet), so those cheeses are not vegetarian.

Vegetarian rennet

Microbial or fermentation-produced rennet is made by moulds or bacteria, and some cheeses use plant extracts such as thistle. Labels may say "microbial rennet" or "suitable for vegetarians". The plain word "rennet" does not tell you the source.

🧫 Starter culture (Starter cultures)

Friendly bacteria added to milk to turn it into cheese or yogurt, shaping flavour and texture. The label may say "cultures".

🧫 Lactic acid bacteria (Live cultures)

Yogurt marked "live" or "with live cultures" has living bacteria because it was not heat-treated after fermenting.

❤️ Milk protein allergy (Milk allergen)

In the EU, milk is highlighted in the ingredient list. A milk allergy (a reaction to milk protein) is different from lactose intolerance, and "may contain milk" warns about traces.

Themes