Running Head: ULTRA-HIGH TEMPERATURE MILK

CAFI Final Paper: Ultra-High Temperature Milk and its Impact on Canada

Shahd Abu-Alhaija
AGR 1110 – Section 0101

University of Guelph
27 November 2018
ULTRA-HIGH TEMPERATURE MILK

Ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk, or ultra-pasteurized milk, is the name given to milk

that undergoes a specific process in order to prolong its shelf life without refrigeration. The milk

sample is exposed to higher temperatures than normal and can be heated anywhere between

140℃ to 150℃ for a maximum of 5 seconds (Government of Canada 2017). According to

Burton (1994), this process is done to help eliminate any bacteria that pasteurized milk had

missed. The progression of the procedure occurs when raw milk is heated to get as close to

sterilizing it as possible and then being transferred into air tight aseptic packages to be sold in

stores (Burton 1994). All these steps then aid in prolonging the milk’s shelf life anywhere

between 12-18 months and also means that until opening the packaging, the milk does not need

to be refrigerated (D’incecco et al. 2018).

The 12-18-month storage period is a significant pro to the innovation as the usual storage

period is 45-60 days in supermarkets (Henyon 2007). This information is valuable in aiding

communities across Canada, as later shown in the report. To clarify, the difference between

ultra-pasteurized milk and pasteurized milk is the temperatures that each sample of milk is

heated at. Some examples of everyday Canadian UHT products include Gay Lea and President’s

Choice. Although President’s Choice gives a more expressive description on their website about

their milk that ensures that the consumer understands what they are purchasing, UHT milk

products cost approximately the same as regular pasteurized milk would cost and the nutritional

values are the same. Like most everyday items, the price varies based on the packaging as well

as the brand.

Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that since transporting and producing food in Northern

Canada is limited and significantly more challenging, hence the reason why the cost of food up

North is more expensive (Lambden et al. 2012). This report will go into further detail over the

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importance of UHT milk and how it can benefit Canada as a whole as well as Canadians in more

disadvantaged communities.

Benefits to Canada

Educating individuals across Canada about UHT milk and its benefits would greatly

impact the country. To reiterate, UHT milk can be stored for months on end prior to opening and

approximately costs the same as it would for regular milk. Due to the minimal infrastructure in

Northern Canada, supermarket and food variety is inaccessible for many and thus causes the cost

of living to skyrocket (Gombay 2006). The disposable income of an individual residing in

Nunavut was calculated to be around $4850, whereas in other parts of Canada, the disposable

income was approximately $15100 (Gombay 2006). According to the Government of Canada

(2017), the overall consumption of milk has decreased each year since 1998. These numbers are

illustrated in Figures One and Two.

Consumption Data Canadian Milk Consumption per Capita

80
2015 70.82 70
2014 71.61 60
2013 73.96 50
40
2012 75.20
30
2011 76.50 20
2010 78.18 10
2009 81.51 0
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2016
2008 82.11
2007 83.13 Year
2006 83.56
2005 83.97
Figure Two: Canadian Milk Consumption per Capita Graph
2004 85.60
2003 85.28
2002 85.57
2001 87.20
2000 88.22
1999 87.73

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1998 88.77

Figure One: Canadian Milk Consumption

challenging to determine the consumption of milk in these parts of Canada. Using the

information given previously, it is fair to infer that the milk consumption rates in Northern

Canada are significantly lower than other parts of the country. This creates a trend of market

prices increasing and market variety decreasing (Lambden 2012). The importance of publicizing

UHT milk is that since it can remain stored for over a year without refrigeration prior to opening,

extra money can be spent on buying in bulk and storing for longer. This means that individuals

do not have to worry about their milk expiring shortly after purchasing it due to the time wasted

between shipping and processing the product, as it would for regular pasteurized milk. As a

common example, it often is challenging for university students to purchase groceries due to lack

of money as well as how quickly food expires. Not only does the cost to buy small UHT milk

boxes in bulk vary from anywhere between $5 to $25, but the long storage period proves to be

useful in situations such as this.

Upon searching AliBaba.com for UHT milk that originates from cattle specifically, it was

found that there is a huge demand in UHT milk all around the world. Suppliers come from places

such as Taiwan, Malaysia, France, Argentina, etc. This therefore allows one to understand that

there is a demand for this milk and that it could help bring money into Canada as it has for places

such as Australia, which has already seen that UHT milk brings in 6.1% of their milk sales

(Zadow 1998).

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Advantages and Disadvantages

Throughout this entire report are a variety of reasons as to why UHT milk should be

easily accessible throughout all of Canada. Some of the other benefits that have not been touched

on is that there is about $27 billion worth of food wasted yearly by Canadians and by having

longer shelf lives, UHT milk products can serve as an inspiration to help Canadians innovate

new ways to reduce their waste (Gooch et al. 2010). Although not entirely sterile in itself, UHT

products must be in a sterile environment for processing and packaging, which therefore means

that the milk is completely safe for consumption and storage (Henyon 2007). This is appealing to

consumers as well as manufacturers because humans have always been trying to find a way to

help extend the shelf life of food products. This, as previously mentioned, reduces waste and

makes it more likely that consumers will choose that specific item. Producing more UHT milk

and milk products allows opens up more job opportunities for individuals as more plants are

built.

On the contrary, many consumers have reported that the taste and smell of the UHT milk

was strange, some describing the taste as “burnt.” Compared to the benefits of the milk, this

issue is very small and can be easily overlooked after allowing one’s taste buds to adjust. There

are not many problems when it comes to UHT milk as the process is very similar to the general

process of regular pasteurized milk. After some research online, it was clear that a lot of

individuals found UHT milk unnatural due to the long storage period. The people who agree with

that are often uneducated about UHT milk and what the procedure is, otherwise they would not

think that.

Target

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As previously mentioned, the target market for UHT milk truly can be anyone in North

America and around the world. This milk product benefits not only individuals searching for

products they can purchase in bulk and safely store for long periods of time, but also Canadian

companies looking to sell their products internationally and nationally. This then allows for more

money being brought into Canada as well as the milk market increasing as the targeted

consumers find the products more easily accessible. To expand on the point about job

opportunities mentioned previously, this product also targets those in search of jobs as it can help

create more job openings.

Health

It is clear that the variety of foods present in Northern Canadian supermarkets are limited

(Lambden et al. 2012). Canadians with easier access to fresh produce and variety within

supermarkets have the opportunity to substitute any lack of vitamins and nutrients in their diet

with other alternatives. This is obviously more challenging in Northern Canada, but by making

UHT milk more easily accessible in these parts of the country, it is certain that these Canadians

citizens can keep themselves healthy by consuming Vitamin D and Calcium (Socha et al. 2011).

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The two images provided below were taken from the Gay Lea and Organic Meadow

website where the nutritional information for a 250 mL cup of 2% partly skimmed milk were

recorded. In the images, it is evident that just a small amount of each UHT milk contains a large

amount of Vitamin A, Calcium, and proteins. The importance of these vitamins is that Vitamin A

aids in eyesight health while Vitamin D helps with Calcium absorption which reduces one’s

chances of developing osteoporosis (HealthLink 2016).

https://www.gaylea.com/products/milk/2-partly-skimmed-milk organicmeadow.com/products/organic-milk/Partly-Skimmed-2-Milk.htm
Unknown

Upon searching for further information regarding UHT milk and things such as the cost

of production and transportation, there was limited information. When it came to information

about the statistics regarding individuals living up in Northern Canada, there also was limited

information. This may have to do with the unfortunate disconnection to the rest of North

America which therefore makes it more challenging to understand many things about milk

consumption.

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By referencing Australia’s milk market and how 6.1% of their milk sales come from

UHT milk (Zadow 1998), it is fair to assume that UHT milk sales already bring in a lot of money

regarding milk sales and this could increase once spread across Canadian markets. There is not

much reliable information regarding how much money is being brought into Canada specifically

from UHT milk sales, but it is fair to assume that after some more scientific research into how

Canadians can improve their UHT milk and make it stand out against competitors, that the

revenue would escalate.

Market

Bulks of UHT boxed milk can include anywhere from 5-12 cartons and this alone would

count as one unit. Selling several units that can be stored for months will appeal to consumer and

thus allow for the increase in revenue. That being said, the market for UHT is highly competitive

considering how many manufacturers all over the world are looking to sell their product. By

finding a way to improve Canada’s UHT milk and milk products, the country has a better chance

in succeeding in the competitive market and appeal to a larger target audience from websites

such as Alibaba.com and Amazon.com for instance. With that in mind, Canada’s UHT milk and

milk products are significantly more expensive than the cost of products from other parts of the

world. By lowering the cost of Canada’s UHT milk, not only will it appeal more internationally,

but it aids in benefiting the lives of Canadians, especially those in Northern Canada, considering

how the UHT milk shipped up North would already be made more expensive than what the cost

would be in Southern Canada. Considering what goes into the UHT milk aseptic packaging, it is

understandable as to why the products are priced the way that they are. This does not mean that

there is not any room for improvement. Rather, it is possible to look into ways to create more

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environmentally friendly packaging and ones that cost less to produce. This would help in

lowering the cost of the product as the transportation costs are already expensive as is.

Regarding the rising numbers of vegans and vegetarians in Canada as well as the

environmentally aware individuals, it is important that the sustainability of UHT milk processing

is well known. Many people believe that the dairy industry is hurting the atmosphere and that

purchasing milk and milk products is contributing to hurting the environment. UHT milk,

although not the most sustainable, has a variety of different attributes that contribute to

environmental sustainability.

Contact Information

In order to write this report, a lot of the information found within regarded real-world

applications such as companies like Gay Lea and Organic Meadow. Both companies were

contacted in regard to gathering research and piecing together the information needed for this

report. Gay Lea, founded in 1958, can be reached at (905)283-5300 or through an email on their

website. Organic Meadow, founded in 1989, can be reached at (866)767-9694 or also by email

from their website.

Conclusion

In conclusion, UHT milk benefits Canada and Canadians in a variety of different ways. It

makes the lives of those in Northern Canada significantly easier especially considering how they

do not have easy access to supermarkets, and when they do, a great variety is not present. Due to

the minimal infrastructure in Northern Canada, transporting fresh produce is challenging and

when it is brought to supermarkets, it does not take long for the food to expire and oftentimes, it

does. With UHT milk being transported to Northern Canada, it would be fresh for months after

and there are no chances of it expiring a few weeks of it being in the supermarket.

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References

Burton, H. 1994. Ultra-High-Temperature Processing of Milk and Milk Products. New York:

Springer Science + Business Media. 336 pp. [online]. Available from:

https://www.springer.com/us/book/9781461359012

Gombay, N. 2006. From subsistence to commercial fishing in northern Canada: the experience

of an inuk entrepreneur. British Food Journal, Vol. 108, issue: 7, pg. 502-521. [online].

Available from: https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/00070700610676343

Gooch, M., Felfel, A., Marenick, N. 2010. Food Waste in Canada. [online]. Available from:

http://vcm-international.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Food-Waste-in-Canada-

November-2010.pdf

Government of Canada. 2017. Consumption of Dairy Products. [online]. Available from:

http://www.dairyinfo.gc.ca/index_e.php?s1=dff-

fcil&s2=cons&s3=conscdn&s4=consmclc&page=consmclc

HealthLink BC. 2016. Pasteurized and Raw Milk. [online]. Available from:

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/pasteurized-and-raw-milk

Henyon, D. 2007. Extended Shelf-Life Milks in North-America: A Perspective. Vol. 52, issue: 3.

[online]. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1471-

0307.1999.tb02080.x

Lambden, J., Receveur, O., Marshall, J., Kuhnlein, H. 2012. Traditional and Market Food

Access in Arctic Canada is Affected by Economic Factors. [online]. Available from:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3402/ijch.v65i4.18117

Socha, T., Chambers, L., Zahaf, M., Abraham, R., Fiddler, T. 2011. Food Availability, Food

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Store Management, and Food Pricing in a Northern Community First Nation

Community. International journal of Humanities and Social Science. Vol. 1, Issue: 11.

[online]. Available form:

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.462.6540&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Zadow, J. 1998. The development of UHT processing in Australia. [online]. Available from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293528766_The_development_of_UHT_proces

sing_in_Australia

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