What is the history of pasteurization?
The concept has been around for quite a while, since the 1860’s, in fact, when it was discovered that milk could be preserved by boiling, adding sugar and canning. The result was “sweetened condensed milk,” and was the only way milk could be preserved for long periods of time. Also in the 1800’s, Louis Pasteur was trying to figure out why certain wines fermented more readily than others. That work led Pasteur to discover the germ theory. Ultimately his work led to the process we know as Pasteurization. But pasteurization was not applied to the dairy industry until early in the 20th century, when a1920’s experiment determined that the pasteurization of milk reduced infant mortality rate by incredible percentages. Milk is wonderful food, but it is perishable. Unlike water, or soda, milk has protein and fat – an ideal combination of foods for people, not to mention bacteria. Bacteria can survive in water or soda, but in milk, they thrive. That is why it is necessary to minimize bacteria p
