Is it just me or does Coles home brand Milk go off well before best before? Today my milk was off, with an expiry in 5 days time. Checked the other stuff in fridge shelf and it's all cold (as was the off milk)… Happened the last couple times we've bought. Milk doesn't smell off, but is lumpy (not semi frozen either)…
Fridge on 6 degrees. And yes home brand
6?! Should be 2-4. The part b wasn't a question, it was a statement.
Thanks for tip. Adjusted to 3.
@Ozbargainasaurus: Check it with a thermometer to confirm. How would you drink beer at 6 degrees, good lord.
Never ever had problem with homebrand milk. But we are a family of four so it it never gets near the use by date.
What’s home brand? Do u mean coles brand?
Home brand means any supermarket-branded products
There's your problem, 6c is gnarly for milk.
Damn 6? That's high.
Mine is set to 2 and I don't think that's cold enough lol.
Agreed, cold enough is that point just before freezing… but it's such a fine line.
Fridge on 6 degrees
Well there is your problem…..
B) don't buy home brand milk
Any specific information or just a general sentiment?
Would rather support a co op like norco.
A) Clearly identified the OPs problem.
B) I guess this must have caused the downvotes?? (I wouldn't know.)
That’s concerning. Which brand was it?
Coles home brand
Never had this with any home brand milk. I can usually even drink a day or two after expiry without issue.
You either were very unlucky or your fridge is off/you're leaving your milk out too long.
I don't buy the home brands. They go off early or you can start smelling a tinge a few days early. They are also watery af which is noticeable when steaming/frothing that milk.
I'd rather pay extra for Norco. Aus owned, thicker, frothes well and last until it's use by date if not beyond.
Really?
The majority of the supermarket branded milk is identical to the brand named milk in every way except for the label and price.
Coles has some processing facilities but they still get the milk from farmers. These farmers don’t have Coles branded cows. The cows produce the same milk for Coles and many other brands
What a load of crap. Coles/Woolies milk is equal or better than the Norco stuff
Aus owned - Coles is Aus owned, the farmers it sources fromm are Aussie
Aus owned - Coles is Aus owned, the farmers it sources fromm are Aussie
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/quote/COL.AX/holders/
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/quote/WOW.AX/holders/
Owners of Pauls & other brands (formerly Parmalat now Lactalis)
https://www.ibisworld.com/au/company/lactalis-australia-pty-…
Aldi is private, various Albrecht family foundations own it.
Brands like Norco, despite massive pressure from the corporate cabal that owns most of the world, is still a co-operative.
Are you storing it in the door?
Always keep milk in the fridge
I buy Devondale. Seems to have worked so far
Coles and Devondale is produced in the sames factories. Coles bought the Devondale factories last year…
Ohh.. Interesting
6 degrees? You're not drinking milk, you're eating yoghurt.
And factor in the crap treatment of the milk between A and B.(Time/temp/delay) In hot WA the truck and pallets of milk probs parked up in 35+C heat outside the supermarket, before unloading.
Not to mention, I have seen supermarkets just leave pallets of dairy sitting in the back area.
Or wheeling around cages full of cold stock and leaving them sit for an hour.
My local the other day had a pallet of meat just sitting on the shop floor while they slowly filled the fridges.
Im pretty sure thats not compliant with regulations.
Thanks all. I think problem solved. Temp too high in fridge.
How do people not know that a fridge should be between 1C and 4C
I thought that was just common knowledge.🤔
It's odd that fridges even allow them to be set higher.
Relax.. some people are new to ozbargain
Seems common knowledge went out the window, especially with gen z. Imagine my surprise when the gen z's at work didn't know the F1 key is the defacto hotkey for help.
F1 is too sophisticated knowledge for them as they cannot add up 6 and 5 without calculator. Btw, there is also a unique gunslingers' country uses Fahrenheit only. Really amazing galaxy.
There might be an issue with what is taught. It’s not really common knowledge if it’s never passed on
Perhaps OP was trying to save money on power by having a warmer fridge
Soured milk can be used to make irish soda bread. https://www.abelandcole.co.uk/recipes/sour-milk-soda-bread
If you're game.
Pro Tip: Also the fridge operates better with the door in the closed position, when you aren't accessing it.
What do you learn from ozbargain? Wow
….also, it pays not to turn it off overnight to save on power bills.
🤣. Thought did cross my mind
Expiry on milk is only valid if the lid remains factory sealed. Once open it should be consumed within 3-4 days - no matter what the expiry date says. Oh yeah, and your fridge is too warm…
Yet more BS…if the fridge is cool enough the milk should be fine well after the use by date
Do you have any evidence for this? That seems like the sort of thing they would print on the label next to where it says store below 4°C
In another century, I was a milk retailer. The "use by" date is a warranty from the dairy company that the milk will be usable up to and including that date. I would suggest that you return the unused portion of the milk to retailer for replacement. I would also suggest that you lower your fridge temperature to 4 degrees C ( as others have suggested)
I don't think a dairy can/would warrant milk regardless of how it is stored. Just the last part is the correct answer.
What a coincidence. I think I agree with the OP. I had an exact same experience with Coles milk about 1 to 2 weeks ago. I have been buying Coles milk for many many years and never saw this problem but about one to 2 weeks ago I had a batch of Four or five, 3L containers that showed this exact problem, small little lumpy bits on the side of the container and when you pour it into a glass.
We buy our milk in bulk but freeze them immediately and then just thaw out each 3 L container when needed. We have been doing this for about 30 years and have never had a problem.
Our current batch of Coles milk does not have this problem. It was just a patch a couple of weeks ago so yes, I noticed this also.
A) what temp is your fridge?
Brought to you by @BrendanM in the first, and ought to have been last, comment
Pretty cold, can’t give you a number, but it is probably colder than it should be because some tomatoes are near frozen!
Anyway the small lumpy bits that have been mentioned appeared immediately upon my milk thawing from freezing, so it cannot have anything to do with storage temperature since the milk has not been stored for any significant amount of time!
Sorry you caught me - I clearly didn't read all of your post.
I think your problem is very different from OPs.
Our old fridge was faulty. Going hot and back to cold. We had a month of complaining about the milk before I put a smart thermometer in there and plotted the temps. New fridge and all back to normal. Cheesy milk no more!
Parmalat supplys Woolworths homebrand as well as other brands that include:
Pauls, Trim, Rev, PhysiCAL, Zymil, Oak, Breaka, Ice Break, Rush, and Rachel's.
Coles is supplied by Saputo that also does Devondale,
Liddell, Great Ocean road, and Sungold
Coles is supplied by Coles as of last year.
I guess the corporates have leveraged themselves so that they now can own the production, distribution & retailing of their own products. Once upon a time that would of been illegal, for good reason.
A) what temp is your fridge?
B) don't buy home brand milk