HTST pasteurization means that the item being pasteurized is exposed to a “High Temperature” for a “Short Time”; thus, the “HTST” moniker. Generally, the item is exposed to heat of 160 to 165 F (71 to 74 C) for 10 to 20 seconds. HTST will give a milk product a shelf life of 18 to…
Pasteurization
Micro-Filtered Milk
Micro-Filtered Milk is milk that has been treated to a very fine filtration process. It removes more bacteria than pasteurization. Producers say it removes 99.5% of bacteria present in milk. It also gives milk a longer shelf life, of up to 30 to 45 days. The filters used have incredibly small pores in them, about…
Pasteurization
Pasteurization is a heat-treatment process designed to inactivate bacteria. It is not as thorough as sterilization: it is not intended to kill all micro-organisms, just to greatly reduce the number of ones that could cause illness and disease. It also extends the refrigerated shelf life of products. A pasteurization method known as “High Temperature Short…
Thermalize
Thermalization is a procedure of treating milk with heat that doesn’t quite qualify as pasteurization because it doesn’t reach the temperature required to kill Listeria. The milk is heated to between 40 and 72 C (104 and 162 F .) It reduces bacterial counts in the milk, but isn’t enough to inactivate all bacteria, and…
UHT Pasteurization
UHT stands for Ultra High Temperature. It is a non-chemical heat process that extends the shelf-life of milk up to 55 days. The milk is heated to about 137 C (280 F) for a minimum of 2 seconds to kill all traces of bacteria in the milk. The process is normally applied only to cream,…