| Thermisation (57°C-68°C/5 s-30 min) | Extending shelf-life of raw milk prior to further processing manufacture of some cheeses. | Some non-spore-forming pathogens and psychrotrophic spoilage bacteria. | Little effect | Product may not be phosphatase-negative; not suitable for drinking milk as some pathogens may remain viable. |
| Pasteurisation (72°C-80°C/15-30 s) | Drinking milkCheese manufacture | Non-spore-forming pathogens and psychrotrophic spoilage bacteria; not spores or thermoduric vegetative bacteria. | Small effect on vitamins, ~5% whey protein denaturation, inactivation lipase. | Product must be phosphatase-negative; standard minimum conditions in most countries are usually 72°C/15 s.An alternative process is batch pasteurization at 63°C-65°C/15-30 min. |
| Pasteurised with Extended shelf life (ESL) processing (125°C-140°C/1-10 s) | Drinking milk with ESL at refrigeration temperature. | All non-spore-forming bacteria and most psychrotrophic and mesophilic spores. | Depends on actual heat treatment conditions. Significant but variable denaturation of whey proteins (25%-85% of β-lactoglobulin). | No standard heat processing conditions. Inactivates lactoperoxidase (sometimes used as a test for adequacy of ESL heat treatment).Slight alteration of flavor but minimal at higher temperatures for shorter times.ESL milk is also produced using microfiltration, usually combined with a final (thermal) pasteurisation step. |
| Ultra high temperature (UHT) processing (135°C-150°C/1-10 s) | Drinking milk with long shelf-life at ambient temperature | All non-spore-forming bacteria and all spores except highly heat-resistant spores; produces “commercially sterile” product | Smaller effects with direct than with indirect heating systems; high level of whey protein denaturation (70%-95% of β-lactoglobulin); epimerization of lactose to lactulose, lactosylation of lysine residues; formation of sulfhydryl compounds | Produces mild heated/ cooked/sulfurous flavour; further chemical changes occur during storage; market share varies between countries from <10% to >90% of drinking milk consumption. |
| In-container sterilisation (110°C-120°C/10-20 min or 125°C/5 min) | Evaporated /condensed milk, drinking milk with long shelf-life at ambient temperature | Destroys all non-spore-forming bacteria and all spores except highly heat-resistant ones | Complete denaturation of whey proteins, extensive Maillard reaction ; production of heated-flavour compounds. | Causes strong cooked flavour and light brown discolouration; now used for some flavoured mik products. |