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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, February 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 10, 2004 Since You Asked White jugs keep milk fresher longer What gives with the white plastic milk jugs that are showing up in stores? For years we got along fine with those semi-transparent jugs that made it easy to see how much milk was left. Now I have to unscrew the lid and peer inside. Why did the dairies do that? — Bo V., Eagle Point In a word, Bo, quality. Dairies such as Roseburg-based Umpqua have gone to the white opaque plastic to keep ultraviolet light from deteriorating the taste and vitamin content of their milk. Scientists have discovered that relatively brief exposure to the ultraviolet light produced by fluorescent bulbs commonly used in stores can reduce the vitamin content of milk and sometimes give it an "off" flavor, says Tamara Hamilton, Umpqua’s marketing director. Advertisement Hamilton assures us that they’re not making this up, citing studies done by Cornell University, Syracuse University and our own Oregon State University that vitamin content can be depleted by as much as 40 percent if milk is exposed to fluorescent light for 48 hours. Hamilton says the Umpqua folks decided it was worth the extra cost (17 cents for a white plastic jug versus 14 cents for clear) to preserve the milk’s taste and nutritional content. When it comes to deciding when to buy more, Hamilton suggests you learn to shake the jug to guesstimate how much is left. She notes that many orange juice producers have also shifted to opaque packaging to preserve the juice’s vitamin content. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times