Milk Pasteurization

Liquid milk can be delivered to the consumer after various heat treatments: none (raw milk),
pasteurized or sterilized, and either packaged or not (although sterilized milk is, of course,
always packaged). The properties of liquid milk that require the most attention are safety to the
consumer, shelf life, and flavor.

Pasteurization is a mild heat treatment that is used on a wide range of different types of food
products. The pasteurization process was developed by Louis Pasteur. It has been described as
the process of heating milk to such temperature and for such periods of time as are required to
destroy any pathogens which may be present, whilst causing minimum changes in the
composition, flavour and nutritive value. The two primary aims of pasteurization are to remove
pathogenic bacteria from foods, thereby preventing disease, and to remove spoilage (souring)
bacteria to improve its keeping quality.

Pasteurization ensures the safety and greatly enhances the shelf life of the product. This heat
treatment, kills all pathogens that may be present (especially Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, Salmonella spp., enter pathogenic E. coli, Campylobacter jejuni, and Listeria
monocytogenes) to such an extent that no health hazard is left. Such pasteurization inactivates
alkaline phosphatase to the extent as to be no longer detectable. Most of the spoilage
microorganisms in raw milk, such as coli forms, mesophilic lactic acid bacteria, and
psychrotrophs, are also killed by pasteurization.
FSSA definition

The term “Pasteurization”, “Pasteurized” and similar terms shall be taken to refer to the process
of heating every particle of milk of different classes to at least 630C (sixty three degree
centigrade) and holding at such temperature continuously for at least 30 minutes or heating it to
at least 71.50C (seventy one point five degree centigrade) and holding at such temperature
continuously for at least 15 seconds or an approved temperature time combination that will
serve to give a negative Phosphatase test.

All pasteurized milk of different classes shall be cooled immediately to a temperature of 100C,
or less. (less than 10 degree centigrade)

International Dairy Federation (IDF) definition

International Dairy Federation (IDF) definition of pasteurization is as follows: “pasteurization is a

process applied to a product with the objective of minimizing possible health hazards arising
from pathogenic microorganisms associated with the product (milk) which is consistent with
minimal chemical, physical, and organoleptic changes in the product.” This definition is also
applicable to products other than milk, including, creams, ice cream mix, eggs, fruit juices,
fermented products, soups, and other beverages.

Pasteurization does not inactivate all microorganisms; those that survive pasteurization are
termed thermodurics and those that survive a harsher treatment at 80-1000C for 30 min are
termed spore formers. Traditionally, pasteurization was carried out in a batch process- the
Holder process- at 630C for 30 min, but this was replaced by the introduction and acceptance of
continuous HTST processes.

Batch/ Holding Pasteurization

This process is also called the Low –Temperature-Long-Time (LTLT) method. This process is
not popular in the dairy industry any more after HTST system was introduced. The milk and milk
products is heated or cooled in batches in one, two, or three tanks. The process involves
heating the milk to a temperature between 62.8 and 65.60C, holding it at that temperature for 30
min, and rapidly cooling it to below 100C. Batch processing involves filling the vessel, heating,
holding, cooling, emptying the vessel and filling into containers, and cleaning the vessels (Lewis
and Jun, 2012).

The heating and cooling of the product is done through a metal wall. The milk is heated in open
vats by using steam or hot water. Then the product is heated or cooled, gentle agitation is done
for rapid heat transfer. The pasteurizers may be of three types:
High temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization

This was first developed by A. P. V. Co. in the United Kingdom in 1922. The HTST pasteurizer
gives a continuous flow of milk. The HTST process involves heating milk to 72-750C with a 15
second holding time before it is cooled.

One of the main advantages of continuous systems over batch systems is that energy can be
recovered in terms of regeneration. Regeneration efficiencies up to 95% can be obtained, which
means that a pasteurized product requiring heating to 720C would be heated up to more than
680C by regeneration when initial temperature of milk is 4 deg C. Although high regeneration
efficiencies result in considerable saving in energy, they necessitate the use of larger surface
areas because of the lower temperature driving force and there is a slightly higher capital cost
for the heat exchanger.

The following parts and functions are involved as milk passes through the HTST pasteurization
systems:

1. Float-Controlled Balance Tank (FCBT): Maintains a constant head of milk for feeding the
raw milk pump; also receives any sub-temperature milk diverted by flow diversion valve (FDV).

2. Pump: Either a rotary positive pump between the regenerator and heater, or a centrifugal
pump with a flow control device to ensure constant output, after FCBT is used.

3. Plates: The Plate Heat Exchanger is commonly used in the HTST system, especially for
heating to temperatures which are below the boiling point of milk. The plate heat exchanger is a
compact, simple, easily cleaned and inspected unit. Its plates may be used for heating, cooling,
regeneration and holding. A space of approximately 3 mm is maintained between the plates by
a non-absorbent rubber gasket or seal.

4. Regeneration (Heating): The raw cold incoming milk is partially and indirectly heated by
the hot outgoing milk (milk-to-milk regeneration). This adds to economy of the HTST process, as
the incoming milk requires less heating by hot water to raise its temperature for holding.

5. Filter: Variously shaped filter units to connect directly to the HTST system are placed after
the pre-heater or regenerative (heating) section. These units, using 40-90 mesh cloth, are
usually cylindrical in shape. Usually two filters are attached but they are used at a time.

6. Holding: The holding tube or plates ensures that milk is held for a specified time, not less
than 15 sec, at the pasteurization temperature of 720C or more

7. Flow diversion valve (FDV): This routes the milk after heat treatment. If the milk has been
properly pasteurized, it flows forward through the unit; that which is unpasteurized, it flows
forward through the unit; that which is unpasteurized is automatically diverted back to FCBT for
reprocessing. It is usually operated by air pressure working against a strong spring.
8. Regeneration (cooling): The pasteurized hot outgoing milk is partially and indirectly cooled
by the incoming cold milk. This again adds to the economy of the HTST process.

9. Control panel: Contains instruments, controls, FDV mechanism and holding system, all
centralized in one moisture proof panel.

10. Hot water set: Circulates hot water through the heating section of the machine to
maintain the correct milk temperature within very fine limits.

11. Automatic control devices: These include steam pressure controller and water
temperature controller.

Steam pressure controller: Maintains a constant hot water temperature for heating milk
accurately to the required pasteurization temperature.

Water temperature controller: Regulates the amount of milk leaving the holding tube/ plate.
This is an electric contact instrument that operates either a FDV or a milk pump, automatically
preventing milk from leaving the holding section at required temperature. Both the frequency
and duration of the flow diversion and the temperature of the milk leaving the holder are
recorded on the thermograph (recording chart) by means of two separate pens (De, 2001).

Advantages of HTST pasteurization

Ø Large volume of milk may be processed continuously.

Ø Automatic precision controls assure positive pasteurization.

Ø The equipment requires a relatively small amount of floor and plant space.

Ø The system adapts itself well to CIP cleaning.

Ø Filling operations may begin almost simultaneously.

Ø The HTST method is economical, as it uses regenerator.

Ø The entire system is simple, requiring little supervisory attention.

Ø The capacity may be increased by increasing the number of plates without sacrificing floor
space.

Ø It is well suited for regenerative heating and cooling.

Ø The closed unit keeps the processing losses to a minimum.

Tunnel (Spray) Pasteurizers

Tunnel (Spray) Pasteurizers are widely used in the beverage industry for continuous heating
and cooling of products in sealed containers. They are ideal for high-volume throughput.
Examples of such products are soft and carbonated drinks, juices, beers, and sauces. Using
this procedure, post-processing contamination should be very much reduced, the major cause
being defective seams on the container. There are three main stages in the tunnel: heating,
holding, and cooling. In each stage water at the appropriate temperature is sprayed onto the
container. Since heating rates are not as high as for plate or tubular heat exchangers, these
processes are more suited to longer time/ lower temperature processes. The total transit time
may be about 1 h, with holding temperatures between 60 and 700C for about 20 min (Brennan
and Grandison, 2008).

Alkaline Phosphatase Test for Checking Efficiency of Pasteurization in Liquid Milk

Alkaline Phosphatase is an indigenous milk enzyme. The enzyme activity is destroyed at

pasteurization temperature and has been adopted as an index of the efficiency of
pasteurization. Since milk is a proven vector for a number of pathogenic bacteria,
including Salmonella, Compylobactor and Listeria, the test is of very great significance to the
dairy industry as a means of policing the thoroughness of heat treatments. In the following
method, a solution of disodium p-nitrophenyl phosphate in a buffer of pH 10.2 is used as
substrate. This compound, colourless in solution, is hydrolysed by alkaline phosphate of milk to
liberate p-nitrophenol, which under alkaline condition gives an intense yellow colouration to the
solution. The liberated p-nitrophenol is measured by direct comparison with standard colour
discs in a Lovibond comparator. The test does not apply to sour milk and milk preserved with
chemical preservatives (FSSA, 2012).

Procedure

Into a test tube pipette 5 ml of buffer substrate solution, stopper and bring the temperature to
370C. Add 1 ml of test milk to it and shake and replace stopper, incubate at 370C for 2 hr.
Incubate one blank prepared from boiled milk of the same type as that undergoing the test with
each series of sample. Remove the tubes after 2 h and the content should be well mixed. Place
the boiled milk blank on left hand side of the Comparator stand and test sample on the right.
Take the reading in reflected light by revolving the disc until the test sample is matched. Record
the readings falling between two standards by affixing a plus or minus sign to the figure for the
nearest standard.

Interpretation

The test is considered satisfactory if it gives a reading of 10 µg or less of p-nitrophenyl per ml of

milk. Properly pasteurized milk gives no discernible colour.