Is UHT Milk Right for Health?

Contents:

• Medical Video: Raw Milk: Is It Good or Bad?-Transformation TV-Episode #014
  
• Get to know the types of pasteurized milk products
  
• What is the effect of pasteurization on the components in milk?
  
• So, is pasteurized milk beneficial for health?
  

Medical Video: Raw Milk: Is It Good or Bad?-Transformation TV-Episode #014

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

Get to know the types of pasteurized milk products

Almost all milk products sold on 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 bovisbut also improves the quality of milk and destroys unwanted milk enzymes. There are several types of milk pasteurization processes that are divided based on the time and temperature used, namely:

1. High-Temperature-Short-Time Treatment (HTST)

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

2. Low-Temperature-Long-Time Treatment (LTLT)

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

3. Ultrapasteurization

The ultra pasteurization process is done by heating milk and cream to 138^oC for a minimum of two seconds. Ultra pasteurized milk must be stored in the refrigerator to last up to two or three months.

4. 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 temperatures of 138-150^oC for one or two seconds. Milk produced using this method, if packaged in a sterile airtight container, usually lasts up to 90 days without cooling.

What is the effect of pasteurization on the components in milk?

The temperature used in the pasteurization process is high for the size of the heating milk, especially the ultra and UHT types of pasteurization. High temperatures can cause changes in milk components in physical and chemical terms. The process of heating milk with high temperatures not only causes the death of milk enzymes and destroys bad microorganisms, but also changes the original characteristics of products such as taste. In fact, the pasteurization process with a very high temperature (ultra-pasteurization and UHT) will damage vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in milk which are actually important for the health of the body. The effects of pasteurization on changes in components in milk include:

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

Changes that occur in the components in milk are directly proportional to the increase in heating temperature and the length of the heating time.

So, is pasteurized milk beneficial for health?

Changes in the components of pasteurized milk can actually lead to several health effects when consumed. For example, because of changes in its molecules, pasteurized milk can cause an allergic reaction in people who consume it. This allergic reaction can also be triggered from 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 treatments, doctors often advise patients to replace pasteurized milk with fresh / raw milk (raw milk) In addition, the consumption of pasteurized milk can also reduce bone density due to reduced / loss of calcium during a high temperature heating process, which will continue to cause osteoporosis.

Apparently, 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 pasteurized milk in packs and start consuming fresh milk (raw milk) However, you still need to pay attention to consumption your raw milk, and always make sure there is no harmful bacteria in it.