- Processing Food -

Pasteurization

The main pasteurized foods that contribute significant nutrients are milk and some fruit juices. Pasteurization involves heating food for a short time to kill harmful micro-organisms that are present in the food. Not ail micro-organisms are destroyed, and spoilage of the food may still occur on storage, but this can be delayed by refrigeration.

Nutrient losses during pasteurization of milk and fruit juices are generally small, and in the case of fruit juices they must contain not less than a specified minimum amount of vitamin C. This generally means that vitamin C is added by the processor to make up for any losses that occurred during processing. To minimize further nutrient losses, milk and fruit juices should be stored away from light and in a cool place.