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Pasteurization is a process that heats milk to kill pathogens, making it safer to drink than raw milk. Louis Pasteur developed the technique in 1862 to prevent disease from improperly handled milk. There are different pasteurization methods, but all aim to make milk safe without altering its flavor. Pasteurization does not eliminate all pathogens and does not guarantee safety if contamination occurs during the supply chain. While it makes milk safer, it also destroys some enzymes and alters the flavor. Some people still prefer raw milk despite its risks.
Pasteurized milk is milk that has been heat treated to kill disease-causing pathogens. Not all pathogens are removed during the pasteurization process, so pasteurized milk isn’t 100% sterile, but many people consider it safer to drink than raw milk that hasn’t been pasteurized at all. Most of the milk sold in commercial grocery stores is pasteurized, and much of it is also homogenized to keep the cream from separating.
The pasteurization process is named after Louis Pasteur, a well-known French microbiologist. Pasteur made a number of important discoveries in the field of microbiology, developing techniques that are still used today to reduce the risk of disease. In 1862 he carried out the first pasteurization tests, determined to make milk safe to drink, and the practice was adopted very quickly. Prior to pasteurization, improperly handled and stored milk caused widespread disease, especially in urban areas, where several days could go without refrigeration between the cow and the final consumer.
There are several pasteurization techniques that can be used to make pasteurized milk. The goal of pasteurization is to make milk safe to drink without curdling or coagulating and without substantially altering the flavor, although people who are used to drinking unpasteurized milk may find that the pasteurized type tastes “off.”
In high-temperature/short-time pasteurization (HTST), milk is heated to a temperature of 161 degrees Fahrenheit (71.7 degrees Celsius) and held there for 15 to 30 seconds before being rapidly cooled and packaged. Double pasteurization divides the process into two segments and is not recognized as a legal pasteurization method by some governments. Long-life milk (ESL) is pasteurized at a slightly lower temperature and passed through a special filter to remove microbes. Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) pasteurization involves heating milk to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (138 degrees Celsius) for less than a second, while batch pasteurization is done at a very low temperature, with the milk held at temperature for 30 minutes beforehand. to be chilled.
Even after pasteurization, milk is not totally stable. It will go bad within two to three weeks in the refrigerator, with the exception of UHT milk, which can be stored at room temperature in aseptic packaging for up to three months. Pasteurization also does not eliminate the risk of contamination along the supply line, such as in the case of pasteurized milk that is pumped through contaminated pipes, and it does not eliminate heat resistant organisms, although it does eliminate many common pathogens.
The benefit of pasteurization is that it makes milk much safer to drink. However, it also destroys some of the enzymes found in milk, including enzymes that make milk easier to digest. It also alters the flavor of the milk, although people used to pasteurized milk may not be aware of the difference between fresh raw milk and pasteurized milk. Because of these drawbacks, some people prefer raw milk, despite its dangers.
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