The term pasteurization of food and beverages may be familiar to our ears. Because of its benefits, pasteurized products are even recommended for consumption by people with certain medical conditions. Come on, get to know more about pasteurization through this article.
Pasteurization is a technique for sterilizing food or beverage products by heating them to high temperatures for a certain period of time. The goal is to kill microorganisms that are in a food product.
The Benefits of the Pasteurization Process and the Risks
In fact, there are many concerns that the pasteurization process, which exposes food to high temperatures, can change its nutritional value. In fact, not many nutrients are lost when food or drink goes through the pasteurization process.
For example, protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals may indeed decrease slightly after being heated, but the decrease is not significant. So you don't need to worry too much.
In fact, as previously explained, the pasteurization process whose goal is to kill germs can actually make the product's shelf life longer compared to products that do not go through this process.
In addition, by killing germs, the risk of food poisoning due to contamination of certain germs, such as Listeria, Salmonella, or Brucella, can also decrease.
Infection with these germs can be more fatal if it occurs in pregnant women, children, and someone with a weakened immune system due to certain health conditions, such as cancer.
So, even though it has various benefits, pasteurization is still not without drawbacks. When exposed to heat, the taste, color, aroma, even the original shape of the food or drink can change.
In addition, even though initially the germs have disappeared, contamination with germs can still occur if the storage or further processing of the food or drink is not in accordance with the provisions.
Types of Food that Go Through the Pasteurization Process
Based on the temperature when heating, there are several types of food and beverage sterilization that can be done, namely:
- Ultra high temperature (UHT), which is when the temperature used reaches 138–150oC for 1–2 seconds
- High temperature short time treatment, that is when the temperature used is 72oC for 15 seconds
- Low temperature long time treatment, that is when the temperature used is 62.5oC for 30 minutes
The pasteurization procedure generally uses a type of high temperature short time treatment, which is when the temperature used is 72oC for 15 seconds. There are only a few types of food or drink that can go through this procedure, namely:
- Milk and its processed products, such as cheese, yogurt, ice cream, mayonnaise or cream
- Packaged juice
- Egg
- Meat
- Nuts, such as almonds and peanuts
- Flour and processed products, such as bread and cereals
Pasteurized foods and drinks usually have a "pasteurized" or "pasteurized" label on the package. Even though they have been pasteurized, packaged juices, milk, and processed products should be put in the refrigerator immediately because these products cannot last long at room temperature.
However, if the product goes through the UHT process and is immediately packed in airtight packaging, the shelf life at room temperature can usually be longer, up to 90 days before the packaging is opened. Packaged milk, also known as UHT milk, is the product that most often goes through the UHT process.
So, it's clear, yes, pasteurized food and drinks are safe for consumption. If you are still confused or unsure about the proper sterilization process for other types of food, ask your doctor directly