Pasteurization
ˌpæs.tʃər.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən
A heat-treatment process that destroys harmful bacteria and pathogens in food by briefly heating the food to a specific temperature
Full Explanation
Pasteurization is a food safety process that uses controlled heat to destroy harmful microorganisms such as Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli in foods and beverages without fully cooking them.
It's named after French scientist Louis Pasteur who discovered that heating wine and beer could stop them from spoiling. The process was later applied to milk and has since expanded to juices, eggs, honey, canned goods and more.
The food is heated to a precise temperature, for example, 72°C (161°F) for at least 15 seconds in the case of milk, then cooled quickly. This is enough to eliminate the pathogens while preserving most of the food's flavor, texture and nutritional value.
Pasteurization does not sterilize food entirely. It only reduces the amount of harmful microbial to a level that is safe for human consumption under normal storage conditions. It's one of the most important public health interventions in food history.
Why It Matters
Pasteurization has saved many lives since its widespread adoption. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that raw milk causes nearly three times more hospitalizations than any other food-borne illness source. For everyday consumers, understanding pasteurization helps cut through the noise of raw food trends and support genuinely informed food safety decisions, especially for more susceptible groups like children, pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems.
Example
Before pasteurization became standard practice in the early 20th century, raw milk was a leading cause of tuberculosis, scarlet fever and other serious illnesses in the United States. Today, pasteurized milk sits safely on grocery shelves posing virtually none of those same risks.
Common Misconceptions
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"Pasteurization destroys most of the nutrients in food". Research consistently shows that pasteurization causes only minor changes to nutritional content. The loss of some heat-sensitive vitamins like B12 and C is minimal and not nutritionally significant for most people.
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"Raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk." There is no strong scientific evidence that raw milk offers meaningful health benefits over pasteurized milk. But the risks of consuming it, including exposure to deadly pathogens, are well-documented.
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"Pasteurization and sterilization are the same thing". Sterilization removes all microorganisms including spores; pasteurization only reduces harmful ones to safe levels. It's a gentler, lower-heat process to preserve quality and ensure safety.
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"Only milk gets pasteurized". Pasteurization is widely applied to fruit juices, eggs, honey, beer, wine, canned goods, deli meats and even some nuts and seeds.