Ultra-high temperature processing (UHT), ultra-heat treatment, or ultra-pasteurization

Ultra-high temperature processing (UHT), ultra-heat treatment, or ultra-pasteurization[1] is a food processing technology that sterilizes liquid food by heating it above 140 °C (284 °F) – the temperature required to kill bacterial endospores – for two to five seconds.[2] UHT is most commonly used in milk production, but the process is also used for fruit juices, cream, soy milk, yogurt, wine, soups, honey, and stews.[3] UHT milk was first developed in the 1960s and became generally available for consumption in the 1970s.[4] The heat used during the UHT process can cause Maillard browning and change the taste and smell of dairy products.[5] An alternative process is flash pasteurization, in which the milk is heated to 72 °C (162 °F) for at least fifteen seconds.

UHT milk packaged in a sterile container has a typical unrefrigerated shelf life of six to nine months. In contrast, flash-pasteurized milk has a shelf life of about two weeks from processing, or about one week from being put on sale