Pasteurization

What It Means

Pasteurization is a heat treatment process named after French scientist Louis Pasteur that destroys harmful microorganisms in food and beverages by heating them to a specific temperature for a set period of time. The most common application of pasteurization is in dairy products, where milk is heated to 161 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds (high-temperature short-time, or HTST pasteurization) or 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes (low-temperature long-time, or LTLT pasteurization). Ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurization heats milk to 280 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 seconds, producing shelf-stable milk that does not require refrigeration. Pasteurization is also required by federal law for juice products sold in interstate commerce, following several outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella linked to unpasteurized apple juice and orange juice in the 1990s. The process effectively eliminates dangerous pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, and Brucella while preserving the nutritional value and taste of the product. Products that have not been pasteurized when they should have been, or that have undergone inadequate pasteurization, may be subject to FDA recalls. The sale of raw (unpasteurized) milk is regulated at the state level, with some states allowing retail sales and others prohibiting them. The FDA prohibits the interstate sale of raw milk and has issued numerous warnings about the health risks of consuming unpasteurized dairy products.