ABSTRACT
Milk is a complex mixture of water, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Due to its specifi c composition and a pH close to neutral, it is a highly perishable product with high spoilage potential that can result in rapid deterioration of quality and safety. Quality deterioration may be related to (a) the effect of light and oxygen (O2) causing light-induced oxidation and autoxidation of milk fat, (b) psychrotrophic bacterial activity/enzymic activity resulting in considerable fl avor changes in the product, and (c) pick-up of odorous compounds at any stage of production and processing or interaction with the packaging material resulting in product fl avor deterioration. In turn, product safety may be affected either by incomplete destruction of pathogenic microorganisms transferred to milk through the animal or by cross-contamination with a particular pathogen at any stage after collection. Packaging, as an integral part of milk processing operations, can offer effective protection to the product from such hazards (Skibsted, 2000; Papachristou et al., 2006a, 2000b).
