What is the difference between Flash Sterilization and Pasteurization?
A. Wine juice is sterilized at high temperatures for a short contact time (meaning seconds – for this reason it is referred to as flash). Sterilization kills any micro-organisms present (including cells and spores) and the product, once sterile will be sterile forever up to the point of the opening of the juice package. Flash sterilization preserves the flavour, taste and aroma of grape juice. Furthermore sterilization brings to zero any risk of fermentations in the bag, and allows a better and safer fermentation, when needed, because any eventual wild yeast has been killed. This means it improves indefinitely the shelf life. Pasteurisation is a process where the temperatures are usually lower but the product is under heating for a long time (not seconds like the flash sterilization). Pasteurisation REDUCES THE MICRO-ORGANISM BUT DOESNT KILL ALL OF THEM. So a product that is pasteurised in not sterile at all and can have micro-organisms that can develop a second time. Further to this,
