HTST pasteurization. It's one of the secrets of our milk's fresh, natural taste.

Take a closer look at that half-gallon milk carton. Does it say pasteurized? Absolutely it does. All retail milk in the U.S. is pasteurized to remove any harmful microbes. But how was that carton of milk pasteurized?

Wisconsin Organics uses a low temperature pasteurization process is called an "HTST" process, or "High Temperature, Short Time." This means we eliminate harmful bacteria by bringing the milk to a temperature of no more than 165° F.

Heating milk to an even higher temperature kills more than microbes. It also kills the milk's flavor. Potentially, it can even cause changes that reduce the milk's natural nutritional value and make it harder for some people to digest.

Other milk producers heat milk to 280° F. The process is called UHT, short for Ultra-High Temperature. (Sometimes this process is also called Ultra pasteurized.) This process renders the milk so sterile that it remains usable for 55 days!

People drinking ultra pasteurized milk have often complained of a burnt flavor. Sometimes they experience allergic reactions. This is often due to molecular changes that occur in the whey protein as it breaks down at high temperatures.

Then why does anyone use UHT pasteurization? Unfortunately, it's a matter of economics. Milk pasteurized with a UHT process - or, as we call it, burnt milk - can be stored for almost two months. That makes it easier to ship over long distances. This gives other companies' sales and marketing people more options about where-and also when-they sell their milk.

This pasteurization process buys time, but it renders the milk lifeless. The shelf life can be extended to 40-45 days, vs. our 18-20 days!

Our HTST-pasteurized milk is different. And it's a difference you can taste.

The "sell-by" date on a carton of Wisconsin Organics milk is only a week from today. The date on a carton of UHT-processed Brand X milk is over a month from today. Clearly, Brand X is fresher, right?

False.

When it comes to fresh, organic, grass-fed milk, nothing could be further from the truth.

And now you know the truth about HTST vs. UHT pasteurization.