Corsicana FFA Member Studies How Refrigerator Placement Affects Milk Spoilage
Friday, March 13, 2026 | Author: Texas FFA News
After becoming concerned about the amount of milk discarded in American households, Savanna Swanson began working to address the food waste issue through agriscience research. The Corsicana FFA member designed a two-year research project to study how refrigerator placement affects the rate at which milk spoils.
“One in six pints of milk is wasted,” Swanson said. “I wanted to research ways to reduce that waste, especially with the rising cost of food.”
During the first year of the project, she studied pasteurized milk using Braum’s A2 whole milk. The following year, the research expanded to examine raw, unpasteurized milk after partnering with the Dretel family, who operate a local dairy farm.
“I was able to experience the milking process firsthand,” the student said. “That helped me better understand where milk comes from and how it is handled before it reaches consumers.”
For both experiments, the Swanson divided milk into nine glass jars, each containing 400 milliliters. The jars were placed in three different refrigerator locations, including the front, the back and the door.
Previous research suggested that the back of the refrigerator provides the most stable temperature, while the door tends to be the warmest and least consistent location.
“I wanted to see if the front of the refrigerator might provide a middle ground between the two,” Swanson said.
Using a calibrated pH meter and thermometer, she recorded the pH and temperature of each jar every night for 20 days. These measurements helped determine the rate of milk spoilage in each location.
“Learning about milk safety helped me understand how important proper handling and storage are,” Swanson said.
Swanson’s successful SAE project was recognized at the 2025 Texas FFA State Convention as a Star Chapter Agriscience.
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