The shelf life of heat-treated dairy products

Abstract Almost all dairy products undergo heat treatment to make them safe for consumption and to prolong their shelf life. The shelf life span of heat-treated dairy products is vast, ranging from few days at refrigerated temperatures to several years at ambient temperatures. The resulting shelf life of a product is dependent on a variety of factors relating to the raw material quality, processing and packaging solutions as well as storage conditions. This review discusses microbiological and physical-chemical shelf life influencing factors and their mechanisms with a focus on liquid milk that can be applied to a broader range of dairy products. Therefore powder products and stabilised products will not be covered in this article. Shelf life influencing factors are further categorised in systematic factors that are controllable in general, and occasional factors that require further studies.