[seb314]

Milk with a multi-month shelf live can't be fresh, I believe. The fresh (mildly processed) milk I know turns bad within about a week, the "extended shelf life" stuff that was introduced a couple of years ago (in Germany) lasts for a few weeks. There is also "H Milch" which tastes very differend and can be stored at room temperature for several months.

[CamperBob2]

Well, it can be fresh if you buy it soon after production, obviously. I assume the cow-to-cereal bowl pipeline is just a lot shorter for the cardboard cartons for whatever reason. Makes no sense, but the date discrepancy has existed for years.