Australian scientists discover how to extend the life of milk by weeks
Australian scientists have found a way to make milk last longer.
The new method, which involves shooting argon gas into an electrical circuit submerged in milk, could replace the 150-year-old preservation method of pasteurisation.
If successful, milk will have less bacteria and will last at least six weeks in the fridge.
Australian researchers from Deakin University in Victoria have developed the new method of plasma treatment of milk, reported in a recent study published in Plasma Processes and Polymers.
The researchers developed a method of gas bubble discharge (plasma) in liquid that enables efficient and selective production of the required reactive species.
In this approach, highly selective production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitrate (NO3) were obtained by argon and air gas.
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Using this new method, the milk, stored at 4C, showed no significant changes in the bacterial count for six weeks whereas in pasteurised milk, the bacterial counts were significantly increased after two weeks.
The study concluded that the argon gas bubble discharge in milk significantly reduced the bacterial concentration compared to pasteurisation and increased the shelf-life of milk.
