Pasteurization temperature/times in milk regulation are keyed into destroying which organism?

• A. Coxiella burnetii
• B. Foot and Mouth Disease
• C. Clostridium botulinum
• D. Toxoplasma gondii

Answer: (A)

The regulatory pasteurization standards for milk are built around reliably destroying Coxiella burnetii, the organism that causes Q fever and is unusually hardy in milk. Because this bacterium is more heat resistant than many others that might be present, the approved time–temperature combinations are chosen to achieve a substantial reduction of it (often described as a high-log reduction). If those conditions kill Coxiella burnetii, they also inactivate most other common milkborne pathogens, providing a strong safety margin.

The other organisms listed aren’t used as the regulatory indicator for pasteurization in milk. Foot-and-mouth disease is a virus affecting animals, not a human milk pathogen and not the standard reference for pasteurization effectiveness. Clostridium botulinum is a concern in some foods due to its spores, but the milk pasteurization standards target Coxiella burnetii because of its heat resistance. Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that can be a milk risk, but it is not the organism that defines pasteurization validation.