Why are 16oz cartons of non-dairy milks generally unrefrigerated at stores, but the 32 oz ones are?

Question

Does the additional volume of product make them more likely to spoil while waiting on the shelves?

In: 15

Answer 1

For almost all products, this is simply because they sell better in the fridge. Customers associate refrigeration with “fresh” products and milk in particular. Also customers may be more likely to select an alternative product if it’s right there when they go looking for the milk (this second point is just a guess on my part). The ones sold off the shelf still need to be refrigerated after opening.

Note: If you buy something out of the refrigerator, make sure to check the packaging to verify it is also safe to store at room temp before being opened if you plan to do that because this doesn’t apply to ALL products.