An Australian company called Naturo has revealed the development of a breakthrough milk processing technique that is heat-free, eliminates more pathogens than pasteurization, and leaves the milk with a refrigerated shelf life of up to 90 days, opening up the product to new markets, such as those that currently rely on UHT milk.
Until the broad implementation of milk pasteurization in the early 20th century, the commonly consumed food product was actually incredibly dangerous. Regularly packed with harmful microbes and bacteria, the process of pasteurization, involving slow heating at 60° C (140° F) for 20 minutes, was found to eliminate the majority of those life-threatening contaminants and increase the product's shelf life up to several weeks.
In the 1960s more aggressive milk processing techniques, such as ultra-heat treatment (UHT), were developed, and when combined with sterile packaging techniques, could result in unrefrigerated milk keeping for up to nine months. UHT milk, while convenient for many, undeniably tastes quite different from fresh milk and the more forceful pasteurization process has been found to alter the product's protein structure and reduce its nutritional content. There is still substantial debate over how significantly the common, more gentle, pasteurization process can alter the nutritional content of milk, however, the contaminated dangers of raw milk still persist.
Naturo's latest announcement almost seem too good to be true, with its new process claiming to be heat-free, yet able to eliminate more pathogens from the milk than pasteurization. It is also claimed the process retains higher levels of several vitamins and enzymes that are destroyed during a conventional pasteurization process. On top of all of that, Naturo says its milk has a minimum refrigerated shelf life of anywhere from 60 to 90 days. Regular pasteurization, on the other hand, only extends the life of milk to between two and three weeks.
Exactly what Naturo's process entails is unclear at this point. In an interview with Australia's public broadcaster, CEO Jeff Hastings says the process harnesses, "a series of existing technologies." Exactly what those existing technologies are hasn't been revealed, but may involve Naturo's previous major innovation, a machine that utilizes air pressure to prevent cut avocados from turning brown and eliminates any pathogens introduced through the process of cutting the fruit.
Another Australian company, Made by Cow, presented a cold-pressure approach to processing milk back in 2016. It was claimed the process was as safe as heat pasteurization, with a final product closer to the texture and nutritional content of raw milk. Made by Cow's product doesn't stay fresh for the many months that Naturo is claiming.
Despite the ambitious claims and the oblique process, Hastings says his company has worked for over two years with independent scientists and regulatory bodies in Australia to validate the process. Dairy Food Safety Victoria, a government authority that monitors safety standards, is reported to have validated Naturo's claims, saying, "it's equivalent to or actually better than pasteurization".
The company's first goal is to push Australian milk exports into new territories. The extended shelf life of Naturo milk allows for more cost-effective shipping of fresh milk to countries that otherwise would only have access to UHT products or expensive air-freighted milk.
Source: Naturo
I just hope this method doesn't involve irradiation. I don't trust it yet. Taste and nutritional content must be maintained. Of course, if the lovely cows got pumped up with hormones and antibiotics, you're on your own.
Sounds like the process used to make powdered milk, but without the vacuum that evaporates the water.
I spend a lot of time in the carribean and when you may not have electricity for great lengths of time(like PR after the double whammy hurricanes) powered milk allows for using smaller portions than if you open a box of the UHT to make a cup of coffee or even something else where you may not want to consume the whole thing
I grew up on illegal raw. It is drinkable after souring and makes great tasting pancakes. Pasteurized doesn't sour, it gets rotten and isn't drinkable.
I challenge the claim that raw milk is dangerous. Maybe it was before refrigeration a century ago. Not now. What studies have been done using modern refrigeration that compares milk safety? Any? I doubt it. Why? The dairy cartel wants to protect its ability to extend shelf life and most of all freeze out the small dairies. They don't give a damn about consumer safety or health. Their product may be safe or not, but the status quo maximizes profits. That's why they spent millions fighting raw milk for a half century.