A form of heat treatment that kills vegetative pathogens and most but not all spoilage microorganisms in foods. Typically, a fish product is heat-treated in water at 70 to 90°C for 5 to 10 minutes, so that a high proportion of spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms is destroyed, thus extending chilled storage life. Pasteurisation can be used in combination with acid foods to reduce the severity of the heat process and minimise its effects on taste and texture.