Pasteurization is a relatively mild form of heat treatment, which is used to inactivate heat labile microorganisms, such as vegetative bacteria, yeasts, and molds, which may cause food spoilage or food poisoning if left unchecked.
Therefore, in this con- text it is applied to low-acid products to inactivate heat-labile bacterial pathogens and spoilage organisms. It is described as a mild process because the amount of chemical damage caused is small and the changes to the sensory characteristics are minimal.
It is also used with a range of other low-acid products (pH> 4.5), such as cream, ice cream formulations, and eggs for extending shelf life. In addition, temperatures below 100oC are used for a number of acidic products, such as fruit juices, fruit-based drinks, alcoholic beverages, and fermented drinks. In these acidic products, the main concern is inactivation of yeasts and molds, and in some cases heat-resistant enzymes. Generally, the shelf life of such refrigerated products is short, typically from 7 to 10 days, although this can be considerably extended if the for either reducing post processing contamination or employing aseptic processing conditions are taken