Pastörointia

Pastörointia is the heat treatment applied to liquids and other foods to inactivate pathogenic microorganisms and thereby reduce the risk of illness and extend shelf life. In international usage, the term corresponds to pasteurization. The process is named after Louis Pasteur, who in the 1860s demonstrated that heating could prevent spoilage and disease in wine and beer.

Common methods include low-temperature long-time (LTLT) at about 63°C for 30 minutes; high-temperature short-time (HTST) at about 72°C for 15 seconds; and ultra-high-temperature (UHT) processing at 135–150°C for 1–4 seconds. Some products use batch or vat pasteurization, while others use continuous flow systems. The goal is to destroy disease-causing bacteria such as listeria, salmonella, and other pathogens in dairy and beverages, while largely preserving taste and nutritional value.

The process can affect heat-sensitive nutrients (notably certain vitamins) and flavors, but many modern methods minimize nutritional loss. Packaging and post-pasteurization handling are important to prevent recontamination, as pasteurized products are not sterile. Regulatory standards specify tested time-temperature profiles and microbial criteria; agencies include the U.S. FDA, the European Food Safety Authority, and national health authorities.

Pastörointia is widely used in dairy, juice, beer, wine, and canned foods. It is distinct from sterilization, which aims to kill all microorganisms, including spores, and from pasteurization’s cousin, aseptic processing, which combines sterilization with sterile packaging.