Milking your milk: How you can stop it from becoming waste

Perishable foods like milk can also be perishable for our wallets and environment if we’re not careful.

Most of us love milk, there are so many things that it can be used for; tea, coffee, cereals, puddings and much more. However, almost 360,000 tonnes of milk is wasted in the UK alone.

But it’s not the only country that is part of the food waste problem. Globally, we waste about 1.3billion tons of food. Respect Food aims to encourage reducing that number so that we can create a cleaner and healthier planet to live on. We’re all about making the world a better place, and with food waste numbers so high, it’s best to tackle the problem sooner rather than later. Our Respect Food innovations help with the fight against food waste. For example, the CustomFresh+ fridge allows you to keep your milk fresh for up to 3 times longer by especially maintaining temperature and airflow. Find out more about our Respect Food technologies here.

We can all tackle the problem. Have a look at these 4 points to help milk your milk for all its worth.

1. Portion sizes
When buying milk at the supermarket, try to think about how much you’ll need and how long you’ll need it for. Often, we end up buying large cartons and only use a fraction of them, and this isn’t helped by supermarket promotions encouraging buying pairs of cartons. When in doubt, buy a small carton; you can always buy more if you need it and less milk is wasted as a result.

2. Don’t move it around
When it comes to milk, a good rule of thumb is to never pour it into another container. This can affect its quality and cause it to deteriorate quickly, so always keep it in its original packaging.

3. Refrigerate properly
Refrigerating milk is one thing, but did you know that how you refrigerate it is just as important? Make sure that your fridge is kept below 4°C, otherwise, your milk (and a host of other foodstuffs, like yoghurt) will go bad quicker than expected. Even small changes in the temperature of your fridge can reduce the shelf life of your milk by 80%. Don’t put it by the fridge door, otherwise, low-temperature bacteria will begin to grow in the container too. Be sure not to keep your milk by odorous foods such as broccoli and celery either, because milk can be quick to pick up their flavour and odour.

4. Freeze it

If you’re want to go further to save your milk, why not freeze it? Milk changes texture when it is frozen and may seem like it is separated when thawed. A quick stir or shake will solve this problem and make it usable in no time. Alternatively, the milk’s new texture can be perfect for adding to cakes or even making your own ice cream. To freeze it properly, make sure you use a large container which will give enough space for the milk to expand. Use Grundig’s DuoCooling NoFrost freezer technology to keep your precious food free of freezer burn.

Keep milk fresher for longer with Grundig’s CustomFresh+, Fullfresh+0°C, and SuperFresh technologies, which carefully control elements such as airflow and temperature to keep milk fresh for up to 3 times longer. Milk your milk for its money’s worth and for its planet’s worth by following these simple tips.

Sources:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/uk-s-360-000-tonnes-of-wasted-milk-as-harmful-as-20-000-exhaust-fumes-1-2292789
https://bcdairy.ca/milk/articles/take-care-of-your-milk-three-easy-steps
https://www.thekitchn.com/got-too-much-milk-freeze-it-for-later-184693