Pasteurized milk, good or bad for health?

One of the familiar ready-made milk products on the market is pasteurized milk. The main purpose of pasteurized milk processing is to destroy the disease-causing microorganisms in raw milk by heating the milk to high temperatures. The pasteurization process in food helps reduce the spread of several types of diseases, such as typhoid fever, tuberculosis (TB), scarlet fever, polio, and dysentery. But, is pasteurized milk actually good for health or is it even bad, huh?

Know the types of pasteurized milk products

Almost all dairy products sold in the market have passed the pasteurization process using gamma irradiation. In the process, pasteurization is not only expected to destroy pathogenic microorganisms contained in raw milk, such as Coxiella burnetii or Mycobacterium bovis, but also improve the quality of milk and destroy unwanted enzymes in milk. There are several types of milk pasteurization processes which are divided based on the time and temperature used, namely:

High-Temperature-Short-Time Treatment (HTST)

As the name implies, this process aims to kill pathogenic bacteria through heating with high temperatures and a short period. If milk is pasteurized using this method, it is usually heated to 72^oC for 15 seconds.

Low-Temperature-Long-Time Treatment (LTLT)

The LTLT milk pasteurization method uses a lower heating temperature but with a much longer duration than the HTST method. If milk is pasteurized using this method, it is usually heated to a temperature of 63^oC for 30 minutes.

Ultrapasteurization

The ultra pasteurization process is carried out by heating the milk and cream to a temperature of 138^oC for at least two seconds. Ultra pasteurized milk must be stored in the refrigerator so that it can last up to two or three months.

Ultra-High-Temperature (UHT) Pasteurization

UHT is the most familiar milk pasteurization method and is widely used in the production of packaged liquid milk. This type of pasteurization is done by heating cream or milk to a temperature of 138-150^oC for a second or two. Milk produced using this method, when packaged in a sterile airtight container, usually lasts up to 90 days without refrigeration.

What effect does pasteurization have on the components in milk?

The temperature used in the pasteurization process is relatively high for heating milk, especially the ultra and UHT type pasteurization processes. High temperatures can cause changes in the components of milk from a physical or chemical point of view. The process of heating milk to high temperatures not only causes the death of milk enzymes and destroys bad microorganisms, but also changes the original characteristics of the product such as taste. In fact, the pasteurization process with very high temperatures (ultra-pasteurization and UHT) will destroy vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in milk which are actually important for the health of the body. The effect of pasteurization on changes in the components in milk, among others:

Damage to the content of vitamins A, C, B6 and B12 in milk
the pasteurization process converts milk sugar (lactose) into beta-lactose
partial loss of calcium and phosphorus content in milk, and
destruction of 20% of the iodine content in milk

The changes that occur in the components in milk are directly proportional to the increase in heating temperature and heating time.

So, is pasteurized milk beneficial for health?

Changes in the components of pasteurized milk can actually cause several health effects when consumed. For example, due to changes in its molecules, pasteurized milk can cause allergic reactions in people who eat it. This allergic reaction can also be triggered by the content of dead bacteria in pasteurized milk which the body does not recognize as a waste product.

High temperature heating can also trigger a number of diseases, such as asthma. In some asthma-related medications, doctors often advise their patients to replace pasteurized milk with fresh / raw milk (raw milk). In addition, consumption of pasteurized milk can also reduce bone density due to reduced / loss of calcium during the high temperature heating process, which if it continues will cause osteoporosis.

In fact, pasteurized milk has various side effects due to the process of heating the product at high temperatures. Therefore, it is better if we reduce the consumption of packaged pasteurized milk and start consuming fresh milk (raw milk). However, you still need to pay attention to consumption your raw milk, and always make sure that there are no harmful bacteria in them.