Why does Milk Go Bad?

Milk goes bad because bacteria grow rapidly in milk using the sugar as their foo d. As the sugar is consumed the milk becomes sour but is still edible (yogurt) b ut it doesn't stay like that for long.

Spoilage and fermented milk products Brazilian Yakult is a probiotic milk-like product made by fermenting a mixture o f skimmed milk with a special strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus casei Shirot a. When raw milk is left standing for a while, it turns "sour". This is the result of fermentation, where lactic acid bacteria ferment the lactose in the milk into lactic acid. Prolonged fermentation may render the milk unpleasant to consume. This fermentation process is exploited by the introduction of bacterial cultures (e.g. Lactobacilli sp., Streptococcus sp., Leuconostoc sp., etc.) to produce a variety of fermented milk products. The reduced pH from lactic acid accumulation denatures proteins and causes the milk to undergo a variety of different transf ormations in appearance and texture, ranging from an aggregate to smooth consist ency. Some of these products include sour cream, yogurt, cheese, buttermilk, vii li, kefir, and kumis. See Dairy product for more information. Pasteurization of cow's milk initially destroys any potential pathogens and incr eases the shelf life,[citation needed] but eventually results in spoilage that m akes it unsuitable for consumption. This causes it to assume an unpleasant odor, and the milk is deemed non-consumable due to unpleasant taste and an increased risk of food poisoning. In raw milk, the presence of lactic acid-producing bacte ria, under suitable conditions, ferments the lactose present to lactic acid. The increasing acidity in turn prevents the growth of other organisms, or slows the ir growth significantly. During pasteurization, however, these lactic acid bacte ria are mostly destroyed. 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 briefl y 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) tr eatment. Milk so treated can be stored unrefrigerated for several months until o pened but has a characteristic "cooked" taste. Condensed milk, made by removing most of the water, can be stored in cans for many years, unrefrigerated, as can evaporated milk. The most durable form of milk is powdered milk, which is produc ed from milk by removing almost all water. The moisture content is usually less than 5% in both drum- and spray-dried powdered milk.

**Temperature Label one cup "boiled," one "cold," one "room temperature" and one "warm." Boil fresh whole milk in a stovetop saucepan for 1 minute, then pour it into the "boi led" cup. Fill the other three cups with fresh whole milk, then cover all four c ups with plastic wrap, held in place by rubber bands. Put the "cold" cup in the refrigerator, the "warm" cup near a constant heat source, such as a lamp, and se t aside the other two cups at room temperature. After five days, remove the plas tic wrap. Examine the milk for formation of curds and whey, indicating bacteria growth. Test the milk for changes in acidity using pH paper. Record your results .

**Milk spoils more quickly on hotter days because the bacteria grow faster at wa rmer temperatures. How Milk Begins to Spoil Milk will spoil if the temperature of milk adjusts too much in varied temperatur es. When an increase and then a rapid decrease in heat occurs, bacteria such as lactococci and lactobacilli can form. If the milk gets too warm, it can spoil an d actually curdle toward the bottom of the jug; this is typically due to the lac tose content in the milk. **** Materials Needed whole milk refrigerator heat lamp, such as one used for plants four tall heat-resistant glasses plastic wrap four rubber bands pot spoon hot plate or stove measuring cup acid/base indicator strips masking tape marking pen Approximate Budget $3 (not including lamp). Timetable 20 minutes setup; about 10 minutes daily for 4 to 5 days. How to Experiment Safely When conducting experiments with microorganisms, treat them all as if they could cause disease. Do not touch the milk and, if you do, wash your hands thoroughly . Do not taste or ingest any of the milk. Be careful when working at the stove. Step-by-Step Instructions 1.Label each of the cups: "Cold," "Warm," "Room Temp/Control," and "Boiled." 2.Measure out 1 cup of milk and pour it in the glass labeled "Cold." Pour anothe r cup in the glass labeled "Warm," and another cup in the "Room Temp/Control." 3.Pour 1 cup in the pot and bring the milk to a low boil. 4.Stir continuously while letting the milk boil for 1 minute. 5.Pour the hot milk in the glass labeled "Boiled." 6.Immediately, place plastic wrap over each of the glasses. 7.Wrap a rubber band around the plastic wrap to secure it to the glass. 8.Set the "Cold" glass in the refrigerator; the "Warm" glass near the heat lamp; and the remaining two glasses in an undisturbed area at room temperature. 9.Describe how each glass of milk appears each day for 4 to 5 days. Do not remov e the plastic wrap or shake the glass. 10.At the end of the experiment, when at least one of the milks has separated, p lace an indicator strip in each glass and note the results acid, base, or neutra l by comparing the color of the wet strips with the chart provided with the indi cator strips.

Summary of Results Examine your results and note the acidity level of the milk(s) that spoiled at t he fastest rate. How did the control milk compare to the boiled milk? Compare th e appearance of the milk at the warm environment to the cool environment. How di d the spoiled milk's appearance change daily? When acid causes milk to curdle it forms solids called curds, and a liquid, called whey. Which of the test milks f ormed curds and whey? In an analysis of this experiment summarize what conclusio ns you can draw about the environment(s) that promote bacterial spoilage. After you keep the milk clot for a while, the clot shrinks and a yellow fluid (w hey) is released. You can make this happen more quickly by squeezing a little le mon juice (acid) into a small amount of milk. The curds are the white caseins, o r milk proteins, and they are sticky (people once used them as glue). If you tou ch them, remember to wash your hands immediately. Troubleshooter's Guide Problem: After several days, the milk at room temperature appeared to have the s ame amount of spoilage as the milk in the refrigerator. Possible cause: The room may be at a cool temperature and the bacteria could nee d longer to grow. Continue the experiment for several more days. ******