> They could in theory ship in UHT milk instead of fresh, and stock enough extra to last a few more months in winter.
From a prior post [1], the no-flight period for the South pole is ~8 months, which really stretches the shelf life of UHT milk.
From a prior post [1], the no-flight period for the South pole is ~8 months, which really stretches the shelf life of UHT milk.
But more practically, there are different types of containers for UHT milk hermetically sealed to different extents. The more expensive kinds can last years. The US Military says 10 months for "normal" UHT milk stored under "normal" conditions [0]. The more expensive kinds can go much longer.
[0]: https://www.dla.mil/Troop-Support/Subsistence/Operational-ra...
Best by dates for shelf stable/frozen food are often not safety related, so the antarctic program just charges forward with whatever they have.