🥛 UHT milk
Also known as: ultra-high temperature milk, long-life milk
Heated to 135–150 °C for a few seconds and packed aseptically: months without a fridge.
UHT milk (ultra-high temperature) is milk that is heated very strongly and very briefly in a continuous flow and then filled into sterile packaging with no access for microbes (aseptic filling). As defined by the FAO and WHO, UHT treatment is usually carried out at 135–150 °C with a holding time sufficient for “commercial sterility”; a typical duration is 2 to 10 seconds.
Together with aseptic multilayer packaging, this allows unopened milk to be kept for months without refrigeration. Once opened, it must be kept cold like ordinary milk and drunk within a few days. Heating can be direct (steam is mixed with the milk) or indirect (through the wall of a heat exchanger).
According to the FAO, losses of most nutrients during UHT treatment are small, although whey protein denaturation and flavour changes are more pronounced than with pasteurisation: the milk acquires a slight “cooked” taste. Originally UHT milk was almost exclusively cow’s milk, but according to the FAO, UHT goat and buffalo milk is now sold in a number of countries.
How it connects to milk
🥛 UHT milk → made from → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Packed in
- 🫙 Tetra Pak
- How it is made
- 🌡️ UHT processing
- Made from
- 🥛 Milk
- Part of
- 🥛 Drinking milk by processing
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn’t UHT milk go off for months?
It is sterilised by brief heating to 135–150 °C and filled into sterile sealed packaging that microbes cannot enter.
Does UHT milk lose nutrients?
According to the FAO, the losses are small; certain vitamins and whey proteins are affected most, while protein, fat and calcium are retained.
What is the difference between UHT and sterilised milk?
UHT milk is heated in a continuous flow for a few seconds and filled aseptically, while sterilised milk is usually heated longer and already in its container, so it has a more “boiled” taste.
Comparisons
History
What to read next
- 🌡️ UHT processing — 135–150 °C for a few seconds (usually 2–10 s): keeps for months without refrigeration.
- 🫙 Tetra Pak — A multilayer aseptic carton for long shelf life without refrigeration.
Similar
🥛 Whole milk · 🥛 Sterilized milk · 🥛 A2 milk · 🥛 Skimmed milk · 🥛 Pasteurized milk · 🥛 Mithun milk
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.