Life Span of Skim Milk

My family and I love milk, be it skim, 2% milk or whole milk. We use it very often when we bake, eat, and prepare dishes. So, we have them in handy. Sometimes we can't really tell when emergency strikes. We need to have foods stored and that includes milk. Here is a study done that can help us and needs to consider when storing dehydrated milk/skim milk.

A study was performed at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. The quality of dehydrated non-fat milk was tested at different storage conditions. Here are some of the results.

• Nonfat dry milk stored at 90 degrees F began to develop "off flavors" by 6 months and considered unacceptable (oxidized and stale) after 2 years.
• Nonfat dry milk stored at 70 degrees F was considered unacceptable (oxidation and stale) after 4 years.
• Nonfat dry milk stored at 50 degrees F resulted in minimal flavor changes after 52 months (4 1/3 years).

This study is just one example of the effects that time have on food storage items. Every food is different and the shelf life can vary depending on storage conditions. We suggest marking the date on your food before putting it in storage, incorporate it into your diet, keep it cool, dark and dry and remember, "food is best if used within 5 years."