Now that summer has officially started and temperatures started to soar, a glass of fresh, cold milkshake or a bowl of cereal with fresh milk both sound like a great idea to start off one’s day.

Fresh milk is an excellent thirst-quenching beverage, full of beneficial properties. However, if not kept in the right conditions, it can go bad rather quickly. By applying some basic principles, one can ensure that the milk doesn’t spoil and retains all its goodness and nutritional properties. Here are some handy tips one can follow:

• Pick up the milk right before you check out of the grocery store, so it doesn’t warm up in the trolley whilst you are cruising around for other products.

• Keep the milk refrigerated at a temperature lower than 8˚C as soon as possible after purchase.

• If you have a long way home, place the milk in a small cooler bag to keep it cool. Store the milk in the coolest part of your fridge, ideally in the bottom shelf. Do not store the milk in the fridge door as it will be exposed to drastic temperature changes every time the fridge is opened and closed.

• Take the milk out of the fridge right before use, and place it back in right after. Don’t let it sit outside unneccesarily for long periods of time.

• Avoid exposing the milk to light as it destroys certain vitamins, such as Vitamin D and Riboflavin.

• When you have more than one carton of milk in the fridge, the one with the shortest shelf-life should be consumed first.

• Try to keep the milk in its original packaging instead of pouring it into a jug, as the milk carton is specifically designed to protect it from light, odour and other external elements.