Expert: Paul Wagner - 7/7/2005

Question
Hi paul,
is it good to drink cold milk..or it contains germs that we should boil it..? thank u :)

Answer
Most milk has been pasteurized, which means that it has been treated to kill any bacteria or germs in it.  It is pretty safe to drink.  But milk is an excellent medium in which to grow bacteria.  If it gets warm, it can quickly go bad, and grow lots of odd things in it.  

Boiling milk is basically like pasteurization.  IT will kill the bacteria--but pasteurization only requires that you heat the milk to about 150 degrees F...far below boiling.  When you boil milk you change some of the physical characteristics of the milk, and it will both taste and act differently.

Paul Wagner