The process of pasteurisation is a centuries-old method of preparing food, giving it a longer life in larders and today on supermarket shelves. Since the 11th century, people have been using heat to battle against microorganisms to preserve their food. Ancient Chinese wine makers used hot clay jars to heat wine before burying them in cool soil to preserve them. However, it wasn’t until the late-19th century that a name was attributed to this process.
Pasteurisation is used to combat the harmful pathogens that reside within can be found in raw milk, and when ingested can cause serious health issues. To destroy and remove harmful pathogens from certain foods, such as milk, it’s heated to high temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius. The heat denatures and breaks down the proteins and enzymes within the pathogens, killing them and allowing humans to consume it without the risk to their health. Once a food has been heated, it’s then cooled down and stored. Storing pasteurised products in cold conditions like a fridge creates an environment where microorganisms are unable to reproduce and grow, which would effectively undo the job of pasteurisation.
