Milk tastes better when it is displayed under LED lights, according to science

It may sound like an unsubstantiated myth – but scientists have revealed that the taste of supermarket milk is dramatically affected by the lights of the chiller cabinet.

According to research by scientists at Virginia Tech University, the taste of milk is improved when conventional fluorescent lights are replaced with LEDs.

They analysed both nutrients and consumer feedback, and found that the milk was described as being ‘stale’ and likened to ‘cardboard’ when displayed under normal lights – in contrast to a much more positive reaction under LEDs.

After putting the milk under the microscope, they also found that milk nutrient riboflavin is oxidised under normal lighting in a matter of hours – decreasing both the taste and nutritional content of the milk.

Describing the findings, study co-author and food professor Susan Duncan said that lighting was an important step in improving the taste of milk.

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She said: ‘The research that is being done around this new lighting gives us momentum to explore other ways that we can preserve the natural taste of milk. More work still needs to be done on packaging to protect flavour profiles even further.

‘We want to help figure out ways to return to the fresh taste of milk that our grandparents experienced when it came straight from the dairy.’