Why milk needs reassessing. Author : Amor D. Source : Food Industry News, (August), 10 (0 ref.), 1998 Abstract : A study of the occurrence of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, a presumed cause of Crohn's disease, in milk is to be carried out. M. paratuberculosis exists in bacillary and spheroplast form. The bacillary form is easy to detect and many would be required to cause the disease. The spheroplast form is more difficult to detect and very few are required to cause the illness. Pasteurization of milk may not destroy the organisms, and some have increased pasteurization time from 15 to 25 seconds. UHT does destroy M. paratuberculosis, as well as other pathogens.