Heat Treatments and Pasteurization

This page describes the Purpose of Pasteurization and Pasteurization Conditions used in milk processing. The History of Pasteurization provides background on the implementation and benefits of pasteurization and the rationale for the conditions used.

The Purpose of Pasteurization

1. To increase milk safety for the consumer by destroying disease causing microorganisms (pathogens) that may be present in milk.
2. To increase keeping the quality of milk products by destroying spoilage microorganisms and enzymes that contribute to the reduced quality and shelf life of milk.

Pasteurization Conditions

Minimum pasteurization requirements for milk products are shown in Table 1 below, and are based on regulations outlined in the Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). These conditions were determined to be the minimum processing conditions needed to kill Coxiella burnetii, the organism that causes Q fever in humans, which is the most heat resistant pathogen currently recognized in milk. Milk can be pasteurized using processing times and temperatures greater than the required minimums.

Pasteurization can be done as a batch or a continuous process. A vat pasteurizer consists of a temperature-controlled, closed vat. The milk is pumped into the vat, the milk is heated to the appropriate temperature and held at that temperature for the appropriate time and then cooled. The cooled milk is then pumped out of the vat to the rest of the processing line, for example to the bottling station or cheese vat. Batch pasteurization is still used in some smaller processing plants. The most common process used for fluid milk is the continuous process. The milk is pumped from the raw milk silo to a holding tank that feeds into the continous pasteurization system. The milk continuously flows from the tank through a series of thin plates that heat up the milk to the appropriate temperature. The milk flow system is set up to make sure that the milk stays at the pasteurization temperature for the appropriate time before it flows through the cooling area of the pasteurizer. The cooled milk then flows to the rest of the processing line, for example to the bottling station. There are several options for temperatures and times available for continuous processing of refrigerated fluid milk. Although processing conditions are defined for temperatures above 200°F, they are rarely used because they can impart an undesirable cooked flavor to milk.

Table 1. Pasteurization conditions used for milk products.

History of Pasteurization

The process of heating or boiling milk for health benefits has been recognized since the early 1800s and was used to reduce milkborne illness and mortality in infants in the late 1800s. As society industrialized around the turn of the 20th century, increased milk production and distribution led to outbreaks of milkborne diseases. Common milkborne illnesses during that time were typhoid fever, scarlet fever, septic sore throat, diptheria, and diarrheal diseases. Some of these diseases have received a cheap medicines relatively recently. These illnesses were virtually eliminated with the commercial implementation of pasteurization, in combination with improved management practices on dairy farms. In 1938, milk products were the source of 25% of all food and waterborne illnesses that were traced to sources, but now they account for far less than 1% of all food and waterborne illnesses.

Pasteurization is the process of heating a liquid to below the boiling point to destroy microorganisms. It was developed by Louis Pasteur in 1864 to improve the keeping qualities of wine. Commercial pasteurization of milk began in the late 1800s in Europe and in the early 1900s in the United States. Pasteurization became mandatory for all milk sold within the city of Chicago in 1908, and in 1947 Michigan became the first state to require that all milk for sale within the state be pasteurized. In 1924 the U.S. Public Health Service developed the Standard Milk Ordinance to assist states with voluntary pasteurization programs. The Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), as it is now called, is administered by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Public Health, and the Food and Drug Administration and defines practices relating to milk parlor and processing plant design, milking practices, milk handling, sanitation, and standards for the pasteurization of Grade A milk products. Each state still regulates milk processing within their own state but dairy products must meet the regulations stated in the PMO for products that will enter interstate commerce.

Initial pasteurization conditions, known as flash pasteurization, were to heat the milk to 155 to 178°F (68.3 to 81°C) for an instant followed by cooling. Pasteurization conditions were adjusted to 143°F (61.7°C) for 30 minutes or 160°F (71.1°C) for 15 seconds to inactivate Mycobacterium bovis, the organism responsible for tuberculosis. However, in 1957 these conditions were shown to be inadequate for the inactivation of Coxiella burnetii which causes Q fever in humans (Enright et al., 1957). New pasteurization conditions of 145°F (62.8°C) for 30 minutes for a batch process, or 161°F (71.7°C) for 15 sec for a continuous process, were adopted in order to inactivate Coxiella burnetii, and these conditions are still in use today.

Milk Processing

• Heat Treatments & Pasteurization
• Fluid Milk Production
• Ice Cream Production
• Yogurt Production
• Cheese Production
• Cheese Refrigeration Guidelines
• Standards of Identity
• Literature