New microfiltration technology which extends the life of milk has been introduced in Victoria by Fonterra's New Zealand brand Anchor Milk.
As a result, Anchor is now selling fresh milk that will last for up to 40 per cent longer in the fridge.
While all milk is pasteurised, Anchor uses microfiltration to reduce the naturally occurring bacteria in pasteurised milk that causes spoilage.
The milk is pushed through a special ceramic filter which results in an extended shelf life of 21 days.
Normally, pasteurised milk has a shelf life of 15 days.
No additives or preservatives are added to achieve the longer shelf life of the fresh, filered milk.
“We saw the opportunity to raise the bar of milk with Anchor and believe microfiltration will be a game-changer, with Victoria our first market,” said Fonterra’s marketing director Kiril Simonovski.
“We know consumers shop by used-by-date because they want the freshest product.
“We think Anchor will appeal to discerning households looking for a premium product with a recommended retail price of only slightly more than regular milk.”
Food manufacturing specialist at CSIRO, Darren Gardiner, said microfiltration had been well received in other parts of the world.
“While we’re all familiar with the concept of filtration when it comes to water and coffee, the additional step of filtering out the unwanted bacteria in milk before pasteurisation is a major development in fresh milk,” he said.
“We congratulate Anchor on making this investment and bringing this innovation to milk in Australia.”
