Making Pasteurization 'Cool'

摘要

Milk processors for decades have relied on heat pasteurization to kill pathogens and prevent foodborne illness. But increasing numbers of people seem to be saying they don't want to settle for the product degradation of high-temperature conventional pasteurization. "Probably for its superior taste, raw milk has continued to be consumed by significant numbers of people in rural areas across Europe and Eastern Europe," notes literature from a Spanish advanced engineering and research provider, Iris (www.iris.cat). The company is coordinating a "Smartmilk" (www.smartmilk.eu) consortium backed by the European Commission and joined by engineering, consulting and dairy firms. In addition to small and mid-sized companies, multinational Arla Foods (www.arla.com) has joined the effort. The two-year Smartmilk project, officially launched in October 2010, seeks to better preserve the taste and nutrition of milk while retaining the safety and shelf-life of pasteurized milk.