1
Scope

This guideline covers the open-date marking of milk products that are relatively stable under ambient conditions.

1.1 Evaporated milk

a. recombined/reconstituted

b. filled

1.2 Sweetened condensed milk

1.3 UHT sterilized milk

2
Definitions

For the purpose of this guidelines the following definitions shall apply:

2.1 Evaporated milk - a liquid product obtained by the partial removal of water from milk.

2.2 Evaporated recombined/reconstituted milk - a liquid product obtained by the addition of water to milk solids non-fact and milk fat in amounts necessary to re-establish the specific water to solids ratio of evaporated milk.

2.3 Evaporated filled milk - a liquid product obtained by recombining non-fat or skim milk constituents with a blend of vegetable oils in amounts necessary to re-establish the specific water to solid so that the resulting product is nutritionally equivalent to evaporated milk.

2.4 Sweetened condensed milk - liquid milk to which sucrose has been added and whose water has been partially removed.

2.5 UHT sterilized milk - liquid milk rendered sterile by ultra-high temperature treatment and packaged under aseptic conditions.

3
Requirements

All products covered by this guideline shall prominently indicate in their labels a "Best before" date, at which time any of the specified limits for a particular product is expected to be reached.

3.1 Evaporated milk

3.1.1 Minimum Vitamin A - 95% of label claim but, in no case, lower than 2,000 IU/liter of the reconstituted milk beverage.

3.1.2 Maximum viscosity

3.1.3 Maximum browning index

3.1.4 Fat separation

3.2 Sweetened condensed milk

3.2.1 Minimum Vitamin A

3.2.2 Maximum viscosity

3.2.3 Maximum browning index

3.3 UHT sterilized milk (plain)

3.3.1 Maximum titratable acidity - 0.16% as lactic acid

3.3.2 Fat separation

4
Date of Effectivity

For products covered by this guideline, full compliance to the open-date marking regulations shall be on January 1983.

Adopted: 30 Aug. 1982

(SGD.) CATALINA C. SANCHEZ Acting Administrator

(SGD.) J. C. AZURIN Minister of Health

Re-issued: 7 Oct. 1991

(SGD.) QUINTIN L. KINTANAR, M.D., PH.D..
Director
Assistant Secretary for Standards and Regulation