pasteurization

noun

pas·​teur·​i·​za·​tion ˌpas-chə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌpas-tyə-,

-tə-

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

Examples of pasteurization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Raw milk can contain high levels of bacteria, including listeria and a strain of E. coli that can cause kidney failure and death, while milk sold in stores goes through the pasteurization process to kill pathogens that cause disease. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025

Then there is pasteurization, a heating process that kills bacteria. —Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2025

Invented in 1864 by Louis Pasteur, pasteurization heats milk and other dairy products to a certain temperature for a certain amount of time to eliminate harmful pathogens that can be transmitted from animals. —Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 9 Dec. 2024

Research so far has shown that virus particles end up in the milk of infected cows but that pasteurization will inactivate the virus. —Kerry E. Kaylegian, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pasteurization

noun

pas·​teur·​i·​za·​tion ˌpas-chə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌpas-tə-

: the process of heating a liquid (as milk) to a temperature high enough and keeping it at that temperature long enough to kill many objectionable germs and then cooling it rapidly without causing a major change in its chemical composition

Medical Definition

pasteurization

noun

pas·​teur·​iza·​tion

variants also British pasteurisation

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)