Tag: Heat treatment

While most people associate yogurt with its signature tangy flavor, not all yogurts have lactic acid in the same way. The presence and viability of the lactic acid-producing bacteria are dictated by manufacturing processes, especially heat treatment after fermentation.

According to the FDA, pasteurization is a process that kills harmful bacteria and has been used for decades to make many foods safer. This heat treatment is what makes orange juice pasteurized, ensuring it is safe to drink and giving it a significantly longer shelf life than its raw counterpart.

While often viewed as a simple heat process, pasteurization can trigger complex protein changes that food scientists study closely. These alterations are crucial for ensuring food safety and extending shelf life, but raise questions for consumers wondering, 'does pasteurization affect protein?' and its nutritional value.

Heating milk, a common practice for ensuring safety and extending shelf life, profoundly alters its protein structure. This process, known as denaturation, impacts the two main milk protein groups—casein and whey—in distinct ways, influencing everything from digestibility to flavor and texture.

A common misconception exists that lactulose is a naturally occurring sugar, but the reality is more complex. Lactulose, a synthetic disaccharide, is not found in nature in any significant quantity, though very small amounts can be created as a byproduct of heat-treating milk.

According to a 2016 study, boiling non-processed milk for 10 minutes was found to reduce its calcium content by 10-14%. This raises a common question: does heating up milk destroy calcium entirely? The answer is more complex than a simple yes or no, involving the mineral's chemical form and its reaction to heat.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), outbreaks linked to raw milk consumption are significantly more frequent and severe than those associated with pasteurized dairy products. The practice of pasteurization, named after its inventor Louis Pasteur, has been a cornerstone of public health for over a century by eliminating dangerous pathogens from food products.

Milk is typically subjected to heat treatment for safety reasons, but this process causes profound changes to its molecular structure. Understanding what happens to milk proteins when they are heated is key to explaining everything from the formation of milk skin to changes in flavor and texture.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, both ultra-high temperature (UHT) and pasteurized milk are safe to drink, with minimal nutritional difference in key nutrients like protein and calcium. This article will delve into whether UHT milk is more healthy than its chilled counterpart, exploring the minor differences and separating fact from common misconceptions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food irradiation uses energy to kill harmful germs, similar in outcome to how pasteurization uses heat. But how does irradiation compare to pasteurization, and what are the specific mechanisms, applications, and consumer perceptions surrounding these two critical food safety technologies?