Does Pulling an Espresso Shot Effectively Pasteurize It?
- Bryan Le
- May 12
- 2 min read
Updated: May 16
Subreddit: r/FoodScience
User: u/Fuzzy_Barnacle_4796
Original Post:
Hey food science folks — I’m working on bottling espresso and trying to figure out the safest, most effective way to handle shelf life.
Since espresso is brewed with near-boiling water (~195–205°F), does that technically act as a form of pasteurization (like flash pasteurization or hot-fill)? Or would I still need to run the espresso through a separate pasteurization step before bottling, even if I’m planning to sell it as a refrigerated product?
Flavor is important, so I’m trying to avoid over-processing — but I also want to make sure I’m not skipping a critical safety step. Curious if anyone here has experience with bottling espresso or cold brew at scale and can share any insights.
Thanks!
My Response:
Along with the previous comment, you also potentially run the risk of having Bacillus cereus spores transfer into the bottle that can germinate, especially if it's a psychrotrophic strain or if you have imperfect temperature control. You need retort temperatures to destroy them.
When we were designing a product using cold brew coffee using a vendor, it was important to evaluate the microbiological hazards that could proliferate during cold storage, so we sent several of their cold brew products to the lab.
Dr. Bryan Quoc Le is the Founder and Principal Food Consultant of Mendocino Food Consulting. He earned his Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and his B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine. He currently lives in Mendocino, California with his wife and two dogs.
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