Pasteurization is best described as which process?

• A. Freezing at -18°C
• B. Fermenting dairy products
• C. Heating to mild temperature and quickly cooling it down
• D. Boiling water for canning

Answer: (C)

Pasteurization is a heat treatment that lowers the number of harmful microorganisms in foods by heating them to a moderate temperature for a short time and then cooling quickly. This approach reduces pathogens while preserving most of the product’s flavor, nutrients, and overall quality. It’s not freezing, which stops microbial growth by turning water to ice; it’s not fermentation, which uses microbes to transform the product; and it’s not boiling for canning, which aims to sterilize by destroying almost all microbes. The short, mild heat used in pasteurization (such as 72°C for 15 seconds or 63°C for 30 minutes in common forms) is specifically chosen to make the product safer without fully sterilizing it.