pasteurization

noun pas·teur·i·za·tion \ ˌpas-chə-rə-ˈzā-shən , ˌpas-tyə- , -tə- \

Updated on: 30 Mar 2018

1 : partial sterilization of a substance and especially a liquid (such as milk) at a temperature and for a period of exposure that destroys objectionable organisms without major chemical alteration of the substance

2 : irradiation of food products

See pasteurization defined for English-language learners

See pasteurization defined for kids

Recent Examples of pasteurization from the Web

But no standards or conditions short of requiring pasteurization of the herdshare milk could ensure its safety—which the department couldn’t do.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Raw milk is trending for some reason—so are nasty, drug-resistant infections," 11 Feb. 2018
There are, for instance, semi-professorial studies in the history and uses of pasteurization, pre-made vs. homemade ice cream base, and dry milk powder.

— adam ried, WSJ, "The Scoop on Ice Cream," 25 Aug. 2017
Most milk in the U.S. is fortified, homogenized, and pasteurized, and that’s a good thing, as pasteurization greatly reduces the risk of foodborne illness.

— jenny splitter, The Cut, "‘Processed Food’ Gets an Unfair Bad Rap," 10 Oct. 2017
Cloverleaf held the distinction of being the first of the dairies in Northwest Indiana to build a modern pasteurization plant.

— philip potempa, Post-Tribune, "Memories of Gary's home delivery dairies remain," 22 Sep. 2017
There is no threat to human health, because pasteurization kills the bacteria in milk.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "U.K. expands kill zone for badgers in fight against bovine TB, sparking controversy," 12 Sep. 2017
But like cooking, the pasteurization process could cause your raw eggs to have slightly lower levels of some vitamins and minerals, Rumsey says.

— marygrace taylor, Fox News, "Are raw eggs safe to eat — and do they have more nutrients?," 12 July 2017
Sour beers have come into vogue in recent years, but the tradition is centuries-old — prior to pasteurization, all beers had some element of sour to them, Pellino said.

— leeanne griffin, courant.com, "OEC Brewing: Creating Sour and Wild Ales For Adventurous Tastebuds," 19 June 2017
Among them was the introduction of flash pasteurization, to kill any unwanted bacteria.

— josh noel, chicagotribune.com, "Goose Island releasing 7 Bourbon County beers in 2017, the most ever, as brewery regains confidence," 11 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pasteurization.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of pasteurization

1886

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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PASTEURIZATION Defined for English Language Learners

pasteurization

noun

: a process in which a liquid (such as milk or cream) is heated to a temperature that kills harmful germs and then cooled quickly

PASTEURIZATION Defined for Kids

pasteurization

noun pas·teur·i·za·tion \ ˌpas-chə-rə-ˈzā-shən , ˌpa-stə- \

: the process of heating a liquid to a temperature to kill germs and then rapidly cooling it

Medical Dictionary

pasteurization

noun pas·teur·iza·tion

variants: also British pasteurisation play \ˌpas-chə-rə-ˈzā-shən, ˌpas-tə-\

1 : partial sterilization of a substance and especially a liquid (as milk) at a temperature and for a period of exposure that destroys pathogenic microorganisms

2 : partial sterilization of perishable food products (as fruit or poultry) with radiation (as gamma rays emitted by cobalt 60)