Question

Pasteurization involves the:
(a)Exposure of food to high temperatures for short periods to destroy harmful microorganisms.
(b)Exposure of food to heat to inactivate enzymes that cause undesirable effects in foods during storage
(c)Fortification of foods with vitamins A and D
(d)Use of irradiation to destroy certain pathogens in foods

Answer 1

Hint: Louis Pasteur, a French scientist invented a method that involves the application of heat to food items to destroy unwanted matter present in it after his research on thermal processing. The method is called Pasteurization.

Complete answer:
Louis Pasteur’s research showed that the growth of microorganisms spoiled beverages such as wine, beer, milk, etc. He invented a process in which these liquids are subjected to high temperatures between 60 and 100o C for short periods. Then the liquid is cooled. This kills most of the microorganisms present in the liquid.
Pasteurization increases the shelf life of the product. It does not affect the quality of the product. It is a safe method to kill microorganisms which ultimately reduces the risk of diseases.
Various canned and non canned food items can be pasteurized.

Additional Information:
Pasteurization along with pathogens destroys organisms and enzymes that might spoil the food item or can cause diseases. It also kills vegetative bacteria but not bacterial spores as these spores are heat resistant. Double pasteurization will enhance the quality by killing the spores that might have germinated.

So, the correct answer is ‘Exposure of food to high temperatures for short periods to destroy harmful microorganisms’.

Note: Pasteurization should not be confused with Pasteur’s effect which is an inhibiting effect on the fermentation process by oxygen. It is a sudden change to the aerobic process from the anaerobic process. Louis Pasteur was one of the fathers of the germ theory and was famous for or developing the pasteurization process by stating that microbes were responsible for souring alcohol. He developed vaccines for rabies and saved the silk industry.