Why you should never keep milk in the door of your fridge

Householders have been warned to avoid putting milk in the door of the fridge if they want to keep it fresher for longer.

This week, Marks & Spencer became the latest supermarket to remove use-by dates on their milk, to encourage people not to throw it away too soon.

Dairy farmer Ceri Cryer, of Brinkworth Dairy, in Wilts, warned that there were too much milk is being thrown away each year and advised shoppers to place their bottles in the back of the fridge to keep them fresher.

About 490 million pints of milk are wasted in the UK per year, according to the Sustainable Food Trust.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ms Cryer said: “You’ve got to make sure that when you’re taking it home after purchasing it that you’re keeping it cold, putting it with other cold produce.

“You need to put it in the main part of the fridge at the back and not in the front of the fridge, in the door of the fridge which is the warmest part of the fridge. And once you’ve used your milk, put the lid on straight away and get it back in the drive as quickly as possible and don’t drink from the bottle.”

Attitudes differ on whether milk should be kept in the fridge door.

Telegraph food writer Xanthe Clay recommends that cream, yoghurt and cream cheese, such as mascarpone, should be stored in the main compartment as they are usually kept for longer, but said that milk tends to be used quickly before it has time to spoil.

Manufacturers, meanwhile, said that while it was true older fridges tend to be cooler on the inner shelves, more modern fridges have temperature-controlled compartments which maintain more consistent cooling.

Sam O’Connor, head of product management for domestic appliances at Samsung UK, said: “It’s not a myth – in a lot of conventional fridges, temperatures can vary. This means some foods are at greater risk of perishing prematurely if they’re stored in the wrong place.

“People shouldn’t have to put up with that – especially given the rising cost of food.

“It’s why we’ve invested so heavily in research and development to solve these problems. The crucial thing to remember is that not all fridges are equal. The secret is to have a fridge that cools each compartment independently to maintain consistent and optimum temperature and humidity.”

However, if your milk has clotted, has a yellow hue to it, or fails a sniff and taste test all is not lost – as even sour milk could still be used in cooking.

“It will still make amazing American pancakes,” suggested Ms Cryer.