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What is pasteurization?

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Pasteurizationorpasteurisationis a process that killsmicrobes(mainlybacteria) infoodanddrink, such asmilk,juice,canned food, and others. It was invented by French scientistLouis Pasteurduring the nineteenth century. In 1864 Pasteur discovered that heatingbeerandwinewas enough to kill most of the bacteria that causedspoilage, preventing these beverages from turning sour. The process achieves this by eliminatingpathogenicmicrobes and lowering microbial numbers to prolong the quality of the beverage. Today, pasteurization is used widely in thedairyindustry and otherfood processingindustries to achievefood preservationandfood safety. Unlikesterilization, pasteurization is not intended to kill all microorganisms in the food. Instead, it aims to reduce the number of viable pathogens so they are unlikely to cause disease (assuming the pasteurized product is stored as indicated and is consumed before itsexpiration date). Commercial-scale sterilization of food is not common because it adversely affects the taste and quality of the product. Certain foods, such as dairy products, may be superheated to ensure pathogenic microbes are destroyed


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