Pasteurization technology continues to advance, but the process dates back to the early 1800s. Back then, food and drink-borne illnesses accounted for a significant number of outbreaks and deaths. Typhoid fever, diphtheria, and scarlet fever were common illnesses caused by food and drinks fraught with harmful bacteria.
In 1864, French scientist Louis Pasteur invented the pasteurization process after experimenting with heated wine. Pasteur realized that wine treated with heat killed off many of the dangerous bacteria previously present in un-heated wine. He also noticed that the heat-treated wine remained safe to consume for a longer period of time. While Pasteur pasteurized wine, German chemist Franz von Soxhlet experimented with milk. News traveled to America fast, where low-temperature pasteurization standards were quickly established for public health.
Today, many of the foods and beverages you consume on a regular basis are low-risk for causing illness or death - thanks to pasteurization. Pasteurization innovated the food industry and public health because both consumers and manufacturers benefited from the process: foods and beverages contained fewer harmful pathogens and products witnessed extended shelf lifes.
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