Pasteurization vs. Sterilization
Main DifferenceThe main difference between Pasteurization and Sterilization is that Pasteurization is the method of cooking food, particularly liquids, to heat at a particular temperature to stop the growth of microbes in the food, whereas sterilization is the method of killing all the microbes and bacteria from any item.

Difference Between Pasteurization and Sterilization
Pasteurization vs. Sterilization
Pasteurization is the heating of food, especially liquids, to cook at specific temperatures to control the development of germs in the food, whereas sterilization is known as the homicide of all the microorganisms and bacteria from any food product.
Pasteurization vs. Sterilization
The shelf-life is smaller in pasteurization in comparison to sanitized items, while the shelf life is prolonged in sterilization as compare to sanitization items.
Pasteurization vs. Sterilization
Louis Pasteur (a French scientist in the nineteenth century) was the first person who established the process of pasteurization, whereas Nicolas Appert first developed the process of sterilization.
Pasteurization vs. Sterilization
Pasteurized products should be saved in cool situations because pasteurization only assists in eliminating microorganisms from the food products; on the other hand, sterilization removes all microbial reproductive structures that may infect food and also remove all the types of microbes.
Pasteurization vs. Sterilization
Pasteurization can be disinfected into three diverse stages that are ‘a low-temp long time (LTLT), high-temp short time (HTST), and ultra-high temp (UHT); on the contrary, sterilization can be achieved with various mixtures of irradiation, chemicals, heat, high pressure, and filtration.
Pasteurization vs. Sterilization
Pasteurization is mainly used in food items and industries; on the flip side, sterilization is mainly used in medical surgeries, packaging industry, food industry, microbiology, etc.
Pasteurizationnoun
partial sterilization of foods at a temperature that destroys harmful microorganisms without major changes in the chemistry of the food
Sterilizationnoun
(uncountable) The process of treating something to kill or inactivate microorganisms.
Heat sterilization is used during canning so the food can be safely stored for long periods.Sterilizationnoun
(uncountable) A procedure to permanently prevent an organism from reproducing.
Spaying a cat is a form of sterilization to limit the population growth.Sterilizationnoun
(countable) an instance of a sterilization procedure
The vet performed several sterilizations this week.Sterilizationnoun
(uncountable) A monetary policy operation used to offset a foreign exchange intervention.
The Federal Reserve is responsible for foreign exchange sterilization.Sterilizationnoun
the act of making an organism barren or infertile (unable to reproduce)
Sterilizationnoun
the procedure of making some object free of live bacteria or other microorganisms (usually by heat or chemical means)
Comparison Chart
Pasteurization | Sterilization |
Pasteurization is the method of killing all the pathogenic bacteria in food, mainly liquid. | Sterilization could consider as any method that eliminates all microbial life and its forms that are present in a volume of fluid, food, some packaging material, or in medical instruments. |
Shelf-Life | |
Shelf-life is shorter related to sterilized products. | Shelf life is extended to pasteurization products. |
History | |
First established by Louis Pasteur, a French scientist in the nineteenth century. | It was first developed by Nicolas Appert, who discovered that canned foods greatly help to eliminate foodborne diseases. |
Destruction of Microorganisms | |
It only helps to remove microbes from the food, so pasteurized should be kept in cool conditions, or if the food is out to the microbes required growth medium, then pasteurized food may get contaminated. | Removes all the types of microbes and their spores that may contaminate food. |
Forms of Pasteurization/Sterilization and Classification Based on Heat Treatment | |
It can be fulfilled with heat such as milk can be decontaminated into three different levels that are a low-temp long time (LTLT), high-temp short time (HTST), and ultra-high temp (UHT). | It can be fulfilled with many combinations of irradiation, chemicals, heat, high pressure, and filtration. |
Applications | |
Greatly used in food products and industries. | They are greatly used in medical surgeries, packaging industry, food industry, microbiology, etc. |
Pasteurization vs. Sterilization
In pasteurization, the shelf-life is shorter related to sterilized products, while in sterilization, the shelf life extended than pasteurization products. Pasteurization first established by Louis Pasteur, a French scientist in the nineteenth century. In contrast, sterilization was first developed by Nicolas Appert, who discovered that canned foods greatly help to eliminate foodborne diseases.
Pasteurization only helps to remove microbes from the food, so pasteurized should be kept in cool conditions, or if the food is out to the microbes required growth medium, then pasteurized food may get contaminated. On the other hand, sterilization removes all the types of microbes and their spores that may contaminate food. Pasteurization can fulfill with heat such as milk can be decontaminated into three different levels that are low-temp long time (LTLT), high-temp short time (HTST), and ultra-high temp (UHT). On the contrary, sterilization can fulfill many combinations of irradiation, chemicals, heat, high pressure, and filtration.
Pasteurization greatly used in food products and industries; on the flip side, sterilization greatly used in medical surgeries, packaging industry, food industry, microbiology, etc. The widely used method for sterilization is autoclave in which time-temp combines with 121degree centigrade at 100 kph for almost 3 to 15 minutes for sterilization.
What is Pasteurization?
Pasteurization is the method of killing all the pathogenic bacteria in food, mainly liquid, by the process of heating at a particular temperature for some time. For instance, the main example of pasteurized food is pasteurized milk, which is heated and boiled at high temperatures to remove all the harmful microbes present in the raw milk. This pasteurized milk is then packed into sterilized containers in many disease-free conditions like glass-bottled milk and tetra packaged milk.
Pasteurization was first established by Louis Pasteur, a French scientist in the nineteenth century. Pasteurized food is safe for human ingesting and to recover its shelf-life. In pasteurization, the shelf-life is shorter related to sterilized products.
Pasteurization is the main method to form long-life milk and juice, but pasteurized should be kept in cool conditions, or if the food is out to the microbes required growth medium, then pasteurized food may get contaminated. Three different levels of pasteurization are Low-Temp Long Time (LTLT), High-Temp Short Time (HTST), Ultra-High Temp (UHT).
What is Sterilization?
Sterilization is the process that could be considered as any method that eliminates all microbial life, it’s all spores, and its forms that are present in a volume of fluid, food, some packaging material, in medical instruments, and biological culture medium. Sterilization can be fulfilled with many combinations of irradiation, chemicals, heat, high pressure, and filtration.
Sterilization could be changed from sanitization, disinfection, and pasteurization. The widely used method for sterilization is autoclave in which time-temp combines with 121degree centigrade at 100 kph for almost 3 to 15 minutes for sterilization. Sterilization is greatly used in medical surgeries, packaging industry, food industry, microbiology, etc.
ConclusionThe above discussion concludes that pasteurization is the method to stop the growth of microbes in the food by heating, whereas sterilization is the method of killing all the microbes and bacteria from any item.