pasteurize
To subject a liquid to elevated temperatures for a specific period to destroy harmful microorganisms without majorly altering the liquid's flavor or nutritional value.
Pasteurization does not make a liquid completely sterile; it merely reduces the pathogen count to safe levels, which is why pasteurized milk still spoils eventually.
Word relationships
- heat-treat: 'Heat-treat' is a broad industrial term, while 'pasteurize' specifically targets food pathogens using precise temperature-time ratios.
Commonly confused with
- sterilize: 'Sterilize' kills 100% of microbes and spores, making the product shelf-stable indefinitely, whereas 'pasteurize' only kills pathogens, requiring refrigeration.
Word family
- pasteurization (noun): The process of heating a liquid to destroy pathogens.
- pasteurized (adjective): Having undergone pasteurization.
Collocations
- pasteurize milk
- flash pasteurize
- pasteurized juice
Example sentences
- "Dairies pasteurize raw milk by heating it to 161 degrees Fahrenheit for fifteen seconds before cooling it rapidly." An explanation of modern dairy safety standards.
- "Some purists prefer raw cider, but commercial producers must pasteurize their product to prevent E. coli outbreaks." A discussion on artisanal cider making.
Memory hook
Think of Louis Pasteur saving the 'pasture' (pasteur-ize) by making the cows' milk safe to drink. Pasteurize with heat to make the milk safe to treat.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'sterilize', which kills all microbial life, including spores.
Fun facts
- Pasteur actually invented pasteurization to save the French wine and beer industries from spoilage, not the milk industry, which only adopted the process decades later.
Explore more words
sterile, preserve, infuse, sous-vide, incinerate, deteriorate
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