What is pasteurization and does it change the nutritional profile of milk?
Pasteurization is an effective way to destroy microorganisms that can cause spoilage or disease. Milk is heated to 160-165F for about 20 seconds. While pasteurization has a powerful impact on microorganisms, it has a minimal effect on vitamins and nutrients found in milk. Pasteurization results in about a 10% reduction of thiamin and B12, but does not affect milk’s protein, calcium, riboflavin and other important nutrients. This process does inactivate some of the enzymes found in milk, but these enzymes are destroyed by the body’s stomach and do not contribute to the nutritional value of milk.
