What process of heating liquids to kill pathogens is named after Louis Pasteur?

The process of heating liquids to kill pathogens is called pasteurization.

Louis Pasteur developed the method in the nineteenth century while investigating why wine and beer spoiled. He found that gentle, controlled heating could reduce harmful microorganisms without subjecting the liquid to the much harsher treatment used for complete sterilization. The process was later applied widely to milk and other foods.

Pasteurization does not usually make a product completely sterile. Instead, it lowers the number of disease-causing and spoilage organisms to safer levels while preserving taste and quality. Modern methods vary by product; milk, for example, may be heated briefly at a high temperature or held longer at a lower temperature.

A frequent mix-up is confusing pasteurization with homogenization. Homogenization breaks fat into tiny droplets so cream does not separate from milk; it is not primarily a pathogen-killing process. Fermentation uses microorganisms to transform food, while sterilization aims to destroy all viable microorganisms, including resistant spores.