Heroes of Food Safety: Louis Pasteur and the Invention of Pasteurization

Wine and beer drinkers deserve hearty thanks for making our milk supply safe. If that sounds counterintuitive, then consider the story of Louis Pasteur and the development of pasteurization, or what the FDA defines as, a process that kills harmful bacteria by heating the substance to a specific temperature for a set period of time. Louis Pasteur's work in germ theory led to the invention of pasteurization. Pasteur, a chemist and microbiologist in France, discovered that bacteria came from the environment. While working to help the French wine industry in the 1850s, he proved that bacteria were responsible for souring wine and beer. After several experiments, he realized that harmful bacteria could be removed by boiling and then cooling the liquids. He later applied that concept to dairy products, and today milk is the main recipient of the process he that named, pasteurization. Routine pasteurization of milk to reduce bacterial contamination and illness began in the United States in the 1920s. The milk is heated just long enough to destroy germs but not the important nutrients. Before pasteurization, untold numbers of people died from ingesting milk that was more than a few hours old. Pasteurization and refrigeration greatly extended the product's shelf life. Some critics believe that Pasteur created an obsession with eliminating bacteria, even though 90% of the human body contains trillions of bacteria. But especially on today's large-scale dairy farms, pasteurization ensures food safety. Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist whose work changed medicine. He proved that germs cause disease, he developed vaccines for anthrax and rabies, and he created the process of pasteurization.