h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

... The ones they have at all night convient stores to put in your coffee or tea? I was looking closely at one the other day, and I noticed that although the listed ingrediants were milk and cream, the packet also said "needs no chill", and that indeed, all the packets were room temperature.

This worries me.

What the hell have they done to the stuff to keep milk from spoiling? And should I be drinking it in my coffee?

Perhaps "needs no chill" is simply a sad attempt by the marketing board of the milk product to sound hip and street, suggesting you don't have to be cool to use this stuff... but you do have to have lost all sense of taste to enjoy it.
It's a thought... Well, any opinion is a thought, I suppose, so ignore that last bit!
The Doctor

From the lab:

The contents of those creamers you mentioned have been pasteurized at ultra-high temperatures, and vacuum packed. The UHT pateurization method destroys any living bacteria and completely sterilizes the milk, which is normally a beehive of beneficials. Vacuum packing prevents contamination until the packet is opened.

So, it's completely inert, and safe. It just doesn't provide any of the nutrients or benefits of normal milk or cream. Truth in labeling laws in the United States, working on behalf of the very strong dairy lobby, require this product to be called "Coffee Whitener" rather than "Creamer", much like the powdered coffee creamers.

related to the same topic....

Why is the powdered creamer flammable?

Totally stumped.

KWDave... Thank you... I am no longer afraid of the creamers...

Powdered creamer is flammible? oohhhh.... I can't wait to get to work monday and set some on fire... (i dont have any at home) That'll show those decaf drinking powdered creamer using snobs who keep tleeing me how bad my coffee is for me... hehehehe...

Anorak alert:

Most powders are not just flammable, but actually explosive.

hmmmm....

*rubs hands and grins in unsettling manner*

hehehehe....

Unfortunately the UHT process removes the nice milky taste too ..