1881, with -ize, after Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), French chemist and bacteriologist, who invented the process of heating food, milk, wine, etc., to kill most of the micro-organisms in it; distinguished from sterilization, which involves killing all of them. The surname is literally "Pastor."

路易·巴斯德（Louis Pasteur），法国微生物学家，微生物学的奠基者，巴氏灭菌法的创始人。以个人名字衍生出英文动词Pasteurize as in "You don't boil it, you pasteurize it!"。巴斯德基于对牛奶风味和营养的考量，摸索出一种无需沸腾就能最大程度灭菌的处理方法，即将牛奶加热至75度再冷却至5度，依此反复可以延长牛奶保质期。虽然没有完全灭菌，但已经是创举。