A sterilizing effect achieved when heating a food product at 60ºC for one minute (see Fig. 34). It is used in the pasteurization of foods such as dairy products, beer, and fruit juices in which harmful bacteria can be reduced ten-fold by an increase in temperature of 7ºC and is calculated from:
where T is the temperature and t is the holding time. The number of pasteurization units required for a particular product depends on the product, specific type of bacteria, packaging, and expected shelf-life.