Written By John Bradley
Pasteurization is a process where certain foods are quickly heated for a short time to kill bacteria that can make you sick. Pasteurization keeps foods safe and does not affect the nutrients found in foods.
Eating unpasteurized foods can lead to fever, vomiting and diarrhea. In some cases it can lead to conditions like kidney failure, miscarriage and even death. Children, pregnant women, older adults and people with a weakened immune system are most at risk.
In Canada, milk must be pasteurized. This includes milk that is used for yogurt and cheese. According to Health Canada, consuming unpasteurized (raw) milk is not safe. Any possible benefits of drinking unpasteurized milk do not outweigh the possible risk of illness. Although unpasteurized milk is not allowed to be sold, it may be available at a farm or a farmer’s market. Make sure you ask whether the milk has been pasteurized. If you can’t be sure, avoid it.
Some unpasteurized cheeses are legal to sell in Canada. They are made from unpasteurized (raw) milk and aged. The way these cheeses are manufactured helps to get rid of bacteria that can make you sick.
Honey is pasteurized to help it last longer. Pasteurization does not make honey safer to eat. However, it is recommended that children under one year of age avoid honey whether it is pasteurized or not. This is because of the possible risk of infant botulism.
Cider and fruit juices are not required by law to be pasteurized. However, these drinks may become contaminated during handling, processing and transportation. Pasteurization helps to get rid of bacteria, viruses or parasites that may be in cider and fruit juices if they have not been handled properly.
If you would like to use raw or lightly cooked eggs in a recipe like eggnog, mayonnaise, salad dressing or homemade ice cream, use a pasteurized egg product instead of raw eggs. Pasteurization kills harmful Salmonella bacteria.
The term “pasteurization” of course is derived from Louis Pasteur’s pioneering work on the destruction of microbes through heat treatment, but Pasteur’s area of interest was wine and beer, not milk.
