ABSTRACT
Thermal processing methods used in the kitchen, like pasteurization, sterilization and blanching, are of crucial importance for food safety and the sensory quality of food. Pasteurization is a form of thermal processing that is widely used worldwide in order to reduce spoilage organisms and eliminate vegetative bacteria but not bacterial spores. The practice of pasteurization became popular in order to improve the quality and shelf-life of foods and ensure consumer safety. The goals of pasteurization, besides food decontamination, are also to extend the food shelf-life, promote food safety, and allow the reduction and elimination of chemical preservatives added to foods. Several types of pasteurization are used in the food industry, including low-temperature, short-time, high-temperature, short-time, higher-heat, shorter-time and steam pasteurization. Pasteurization has the objective of inactivating pathogenic vegetative microorganisms of public health significance. Listeria monocytogenes has become the target microorganism for pasteurization of meats, seafood and vegetables, instead of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which was the most feared in the past.
