Concept:
Milk is highly susceptible to microbial contamination. To ensure safety and extend shelf life, specific heat treatments are applied to destroy harmful microorganisms without significantly affecting nutritional quality.
Step 1: Understanding Pasteurization.
Pasteurization is a controlled heat treatment process in which milk is heated to a specific temperature for a defined time and then rapidly cooled.
Step 2: Purpose of Pasteurization.
- Destroys pathogenic (disease-causing) microorganisms
- Reduces total microbial load
- Preserves taste and nutritional value
Step 3: Types of Pasteurization.
- LTLT (Low Temperature Long Time): 63°C for 30 minutes
- HTST (High Temperature Short Time): 72°C for 15 seconds
Step 4: Eliminating other options.
- Sterilization: Destroys all microorganisms but affects taste and nutrients
- Homogenization: Breaks fat globules, not related to microbes
- Fermentation: Uses microbes intentionally (e.g., curd)
Step 5: Conclusion.
Thus, pasteurization is the treatment used to remove undesirable microbes from milk.