Pasteurization - Definition

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8904

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Pasteurization: A method of treating food by heating it to a certain point to kill pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms but not harm the flavor or quality of the food. Milk is pasteurized by heating it to about 145°F (63°C) for 30 minutes or, using the "flash" method, by heating it to 160°F (71°C) for 15 seconds, followed by rapid cooling to below 50°F (10°C), at which temperature it is stored. Pasteurization is also used with beer, wine, fruit juices, cheese and egg products. Fresh-squeezed unpasteurized fruit juices are a potential hazard, as some E. coli outbreaks have sadly shown.

Named for the French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) who invented pasteurization, developed the germ theory, founded the field of bacteriology and created the first vaccines against anthrax and rabies. Pasteur's impact upon medicine was so profound that his name remains attached, not only to pasteurization but also to many other matters (the Pasteur effect; pasteurella; pasteurellaceae; pasteurellaceae infections; pasteurella haemolytica; pasteurella infections; pasteurella multocida; pasteurellosis, pneumonic; pasteurism; etc)


The term is very specific and requires a temperature increase unlike sterilization - perhaps partial sterilization would be a better term for what you described.

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The only difference between the photons in the UV sun rays and the photons in the gamma rays from a chunk of cobalt 60 is the wavelength.


UV sterilization (as in using a Steripen, not a Pasteurpen) is generally regarded as a non-ionizing radiation i.e. has less energy per photon to generate a electron directly from an inner atomic shell or even be absorbed by an atomic nucleus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-ionizing_radiation

UV sterilization does contain enough energy in the UV photon to disrupt and breakdown DNA though as it is susceptible due to the weak inter molecule bonds which zip up the plastic.

Gamma radiation on the other hand will produce ionization even in heavy metal elements. i.e is much more penetrating.

The industry probably uses the term 'pasteurization' probably because of the context of the general public understanding of its use in milk production. The industry also would no doubt love to drop the term 'irradiated foods' from common parlance as well.







Edited by Am_Fear_Liath_Mor (06/30/11 04:26 PM)