We Indians are an interesting lot. And when it comes to us Indian Moms, well, we certainly are unique!!!

We are a happy mix of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern. We enjoy our Starbucks, but can’t resist the charm of a filter kaapi in a steel tumbler. We get our babies the latest play gym, but we can’t do without his daily maalish!

While we find a way to work both the old and the new in our lives, sometimes, we have to choose. But when it comes to important things like nutrition, I will never compromise on the health of my family.

I only buy Milk in a Tetra Pak and why you should too?

More than a few years ago, I made a decision that I never dreamed would result in Miss P becoming very, very sick.

We were on a south India trip – Kanyakumari, Poovar, Kochi & back to Bangalore.

Miss P was all excited about the beach, the seashells, and the trip.  We all were.

We had a stopover at a relative’s farmhouse in a small village with bendy roads, greenery, and the beach at a walkable distance from their home. It was beautiful.

They grew their own vegetables, did rainwater harvesting and they milked their own cows.

We all drank that milk.

It was fresh.

It was yummy.

It was unpasteurized. 

2 days later, she was violently sick – nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains, diarrhoea and a fever that wouldn’t subside. We found out in the hospital later that it was because of the raw milk that we let her drink that day.

Stuck in a different state, with no family or our regular paediatrician nearby, it was a nightmare I wouldn’t wish upon any parent.

This is exactly why I have made my choice in one of the most fundamental parts of my child’s diet, milk, by opting for UHT milk packed in Tetra Pak cartons.

Why is UHT milk in Tetra Paks the safest?

UHT refers to Ultra High Temperature processing.

UHT refers to Ultra High Temperature processing.

It’s a process of sterilizing food products by heating them above 135 degrees Celsius for a couple of seconds. At this temperature, the bacterial spores in milk are destroyed, making it safe for human consumption. While UHT is used to sterilize cream, juices, honey and other food products, it’s most common application is in milk.

Why Tetra Pak?

Tetra Pak packaging is a kind of aseptic packaging technology, in which sterile food products are packed in equally sterile containers under sterile conditions. It is the perfect way to package UHT milk, in order to retain its safety and nutritive value.

Tetra Pak cartons are made of six different layers, which keep the milk inside untouched and away from air, sunlight, adulterants and all kinds of germs. This ensures 100% safe milk, with absolutely no preservatives needed.

How is this milk different from regular milk?

Regular pasteurization requires heating the milk to 74 degrees Celsius and even after that may contain low levels of non-pathogenic bacteria, which can result in spoilage.

Due to this, while pasteurized milk requires refrigeration, UHT milk can be stored unrefrigerated for six to nine months.

But isn’t the nutrition lost?

Is the milk nutritious? Is it hygienic?Can I give it to young children? Does the milk need to be boiled? Does the milk remain fresh? Something that stays fresh for months WILL have preservatives & chemicals?

I’m sure these are the thoughts that are running through your mind too..

Contrary to popular belief, there is hardly any difference in the nutritive value of UHT milk and milk pasteurized by other means. It contains the same amount of calories, calcium, and protein, with the additional benefit of being a lot safer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drinking unpasteurized milk makes us 150 times more likely to catch a food borne illness.

My personal experience after using UHT milk from a Tetra Pak

Will I ever drink raw milk? I might. I grew up drinking it and I love it.

Will I give raw milk to my young child? No! Definitely not after what she had to go through.

I only buy milk in Tetra Pak now. I don’t have to worry about spoilage, I don’t have to worry about heating it before drinking it straight out of a pack when traveling and I don’t ever have to worry about her falling sick because of contaminated milk.

This also means that I never run out of milk – I always stock up in advance! Have unexpected guests? Do you need extra tea? Bring it on! I can rest assured that I am providing the best for those I care.

There’s this funny quote floating around on the Internet that says,

[clickToTweet tweet=”Worried Moms do better research than the FBI – Switch to #UHTmilk #tetrapak for the added safety” quote=”Worried Moms do better research than the FBI.”]

I think they should change that to ‘Indian Moms’! We generally don’t tend to accept something blindly; we usually ask around and do a fair share of research before making any parenting decision. If you’re considering adding raw milk to your family’s diet, do ALL your research. Just, please don’t ignore the risks.

I did my research too, and that’s how I decided that as far as my child’s nutrition & safety was concerned, the Tetra Pak 6-layer protection & UHT treatment was the best way to go.