Pasteurization

Pasteurization is named in honor of French chemist Louis Pasteur. In

1864, Pasteur developed a technique to heat wine to 50–60 °C (122–140 °F)
before aging it to kill microbes and reduce acidity.

However, the technique had been in use since at least 1117 AD in China
to preserve wine. In 1768, Italian scientist Lazzaro Spallanzani demonstrated
heating meat broth to boiling and immediately sealing the container kept the
broth from spoiling. In 1795, French chef Nicolas Appert sealed foods in glass
jars and immersed them in boiling water to preserve them (canning). In 1810,
Peter Durand applied a similar method to preserve foods in tin cans. While
Pasteur applied his process to wine and beer, it wasn't until 1886 that Franz
von Soxhlet suggested pasteurization of milk.

The basic premise behind pasteurization is that heat kills most

pathogens and inactivates some proteins, including enzymes responsible for
food spoilage. The exact process depends on the nature of the product.

Early pasteurization of wine and beer was intended to improve flavor.

Canning and present-day pasteurization of food primarily target food safety.
Pasteurization kills yeast, mold, and most spoilage and pathogenic bacteria.
The effect on food safety has been dramatic, particularly regarding milk.
Pasteurization greatly reduces the risk of food poisoning and extends shelf life
by days or weeks.

In the modern era, pasteurization refers to any process used to disinfect

food and inactivate spoilage enzymes without significantly diminishing nutrient
levels. These include non-thermal as well as thermal processes. Examples of
newer commercial pasteurization processes include high-pressure processing
(HPP or pascalization), microwave volumetric heating (MVH), and pulsed
electric field (PEF) pasteurization.

Guide Questions:
1. What is pasteurization?

2. The term “pasteurization” was named after?

3. Why would someone benefit from consuming pasteurized foods?

4. How did the following use the pasteurization technique?

a. Chinese people
b. Lazzaro Spallanzani
c. Nicolas Appert
d. Peter Durand

5. Give 3 examples of newer commercial pasteurization processes