Flash pasteurization is a short-duration, high-temperature heat treatment applied to juice or puree, followed by rapid cooling, that inactivates microorganisms and enzymes while better preserving fresh flavour and heat-sensitive compounds than prolonged heating.
In trade practice
The process typically runs through a plate or tubular heat exchanger where the product reaches the target temperature for a matter of seconds before immediate cooling. Suppliers record the temperature, flow rate and hold-tube length as part of their HACCP critical control point documentation. Flash pasteurisation is the standard pre-treatment before aseptic filling, because the product must be sterile before entering the aseptic zone. Buyers auditing a supplier should verify that the hold-tube dimensions have been validated for the slowest-flowing particle in the product.
In a specification
A specification referencing flash pasteurisation should state that the process must be validated and documented, and that records are to be retained and available on request for each production batch.