Q. Can you explain the process of pasteurization?

A. Pasteurization is the process of heating food or liquid to destroy pathogenic microorganisms. The process does not kill “all” pathogens, but achieves a logarithmic reduction in their viable number making food safer to eat. Different pasteurization processes and examples of commonly pasteurized foods are described at the FDA/CFSAN Food Safety A-Z Reference Guide.

For more resources, refer to the FSRIO Pasteurization Fact Sheet (PDF SIZE MB) and Resource List.

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