Juice pasteurization is a heat treatment applied to juice at a defined temperature and duration sufficient to inactivate spoilage microorganisms and enzymes while limiting damage to flavour, colour and nutritional value.
In trade practice
Processors validate time-temperature combinations per product type and record them as critical control points under their HACCP plan. Buyers typically request the pasteurisation log or a process validation summary as part of supplier approval. A frequent gap is the absence of records showing that the coldest point of the product reached the target temperature, not just the heat exchanger outlet. For NFC juice destined for aseptic packaging, pasteurisation parameters must also account for the subsequent filling environment.
In a specification
A specification or quality agreement should reference the validated minimum temperature and hold time, the monitoring frequency, and the corrective action if a deviation is recorded during production.