In Germany the milk in plastic tastes fine, although the plastic is more like a ziplock bag with some rigidity to it so it stands up straight and pours well.

I wasn't trying to say the plastic is the cause of the taste difference. I emphasized the plastic in the US because thats been my observation. However if you check the expiration dates in the US, milk in plastic tends to expire much more quickly than the milk in paper cartons. So there is more going on than it simply being different containers.

> However if you check the expiration dates in the US, milk in plastic tends to expire much more quickly than the milk in paper cartons. So there is more going on than it simply being different containers.

Without further details, I'm guessing that "milk in paper cartons" has been UHT-treated, which means it could last even longer than the published expiry date.

It'll still go bad in a few days or weeks once it has been opened, depending on how it has been stored.

UHT milk is just not common in the US. It's not rare, but you won't see it in very many homes. The milk in paper cartons that we in the US speak of is almost always pasteurized whole or skim (2% or 1%) refrigerated milk that is good for about a week max after opening, and not a whole lot longer if refrigerated unopened. I kind of like the convenience of UHT milk (the kind you can store at room temp for a good while if unopened) and to me, it tastes less "cowy". I don't like a "cowy" taste, but then I'm not a milk drinker. Milk in plastic cartons is most common, but there's plenty milk in paper cartons alongside those plastic containers in the refrigerated section most US markets.

Google cone-shaped milk cartons. Interesting bit of historical trivia.

Yeah, I was going to comment the same thing. There should be little difference between the taste from LDPE lining in paper cartons vs. HDPE plastic containers.

Plastic jugs let in lots of light, while paper cartons are opaque, which could have an effect.

FWIW, I do have a preference, I think milk is best drunk straight from a paper carton (in single servings, milk from the plastic "milk chugs" has always tasted worse to me).

True, but stores generally don't get any natural light in their fridge sections.

Over here (NL), most milk is only on shelves for a day, they cart in new batches daily. We err, go through a lot of milk.

Some store fluorescent bulbs produce enough UV, 24/7, to make printed boxes fade away, and turn plastics brittle and yellow. It's not as strong as full sunlight, but it's still there nonetheless.

Even visible wavelengths, especially from fluorescent/LED lighting, can skunk beer. So it's not impossible that this could happen to milk, for whatever that's worth.

Milk is a sacred part of Dutch diet to the point that vegans had to find ways to create plant based milk.

Too bad. It seems like paper cartons were wax-coated when I was a kid.