Pasteurisation (or pasteurization) is used in a range of liquid food and drink products to kill bacteria, making it less quick to spoil.

In milk this process is especially important – a recent study by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the USA showed that the risk of a disease outbreak was 150x greater from unpasteurized or “raw” milk than pasteurized milk.

Macherey Nagel offer a quick, simple test to check for correct pasteurization which gives results in just 1 hour.

The Phosphatesmo MI test strips by Macherey Nagel give a result in 1 hour to check if pasteurization was performed correctly. The test is quick and simple to perform, and only requires a small incubator.

Performing the test

1. Remove 1 test strip from the pack and dip into the milk sample for a few seconds
2. Shake off any excess liquid
3. Place the test strip into a plastic bag (included with the strips) – use a new bag for each test to prevent cross-contamination
4. Put the bag and strip into an incubator set at 36°C for 1 hour

Reading the results

If the strip turns yellow the milk was not sufficiently heated, pasteurization was not complete.

If the strip does not show any colour change, pasteurization was successful.

Equipment required

As well as an incubator that can hold 36°C, you need refrigerated storage to keep the test strips between +2 and +8°C.

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