How long can milk be unrefrigerated and still be safe to drink?

Question

Just regular 2% that you buy at a grocery store.

Answer 1

Depends on the size of the container and the ambient temperature.

What you don't want is for it to get warm for any length of time whether in the fridge or not. Room temp for half an hour would be my limit for store-bought milk.

We used to keep fresh milk on the counter in a bowl for a couple of hours to cool after milking, but git it in the cooler as soon as we could. That was whole, unprocessed.

Answer 2

Unrefrigerated Milk

Answer 3

I've heard on a very regular basis over the years that, at least whole milk, is safe out of the fridge for 3 hours or so, provided it's not spent that amount of time in a hot car in the middle of summer. BUT, always use both your nose to smell it, pour some in a clear glass and LOOK at it, and lastly taste it. If anything seems "off", don't drink it, but otherwise I think you'd be fine. I've also cooked for a living and many times milk was left out because it was used so much during lunch and dinner and there was never an issue, but we also threw away whatever was left after each set of serving hours and put fresh cold milk out. Use your senses mentioned above, and always with ANY food.....when in doubt, throw it out. It's cheaper to replace it than to get sick or make somebody else sick. I hope that helps anybody with this topic.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How long can milk be unrefrigerated and still be safe to drink?
Just regular 2% that you buy at a grocery store.

Answer 5

Milk may also be further heated to extend its shelf life through ultra-high temperature treatment (UHT), which allows it to be stored unrefrigerated, or even longer lasting sterilization.

Milk preserved by the UHT process is sold in cartons often called a "brick" that lack the peak of the traditional milk carton. Milk preserved in this fashion does not need to be refrigerated before opening and has a longer shelf life than milk in ordinary packaging. It is more typically sold unrefrigerated on the shelves in Europe than in America.

When raw milk is left standing for a while, it turns "sour". This is the result of fermentation: lactic acid bacteria turning the sugar inside the milk into lactic acid.

In order to prevent spoilage, milk can be kept refrigerated and stored between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius in bulk tanks. Most milk is pasteurized by heating briefly and then refrigerated to allow transport from factory farms to local markets. The spoilage of milk can be forestalled by using ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment; milk so treated can be stored unrefrigerated for several months until opened. Sterilized milk, which is heated for a much longer period of time, will last even longer, but also lose more nutrients and assume a still different taste.

what's the temperatue in your city?

under 4 degrees Celsius

Answer 6

30 min to an hour depending on how warm the room is. Bacteria start to grow in mayonaise in 30 min if left out. Usually not enough to make you sick until 2-3 but on the safe side toss it if its been more than an hour or so. Its only a couple of dollars down the drain.

Answer 7

A 1/2 gallon of 2% fat milk could stay on the counter at home for a day if it was fresh from the store and the expiration date on it was not near. That is if it was not contaminated by someone drinking out of the carton.Taste it, it will not hurt you, or smell of it. Use it for cooking if you have a question.

Answer 8

About 2 hours, on a 25 decre celcious day, less on warmer days

Answer 9

I lost power for days and forgot to toss out the mayo and proceeded to use it and never got sick!!!

Answer 10

5 mins lol lol about an hour???