Evaluation of the effect of milk pasteurisation on Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) requires kinetic data on heat inactivation that reflect the conditions of the commercial process. Decontamination and antibiotic selection are essential for MAP isolation from raw milk. We examined whether these treatments affect the recovery of potentially heat-damaged bacteria in large-scale experiments. Bulked commercial supply raw milk was divided into two parts. The first was inoculated with ATCC 19698 at ~ 3x 10⁵ cfu/ml and processed in a pilot plant heat exchanger at 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, and 72°C for 15 sec. The second portion was sterilised by UHT treatment (140°C/4 sec.) and similarly inoculated and processed. MAP recovery was followed on HEYMM slopes and in BACTEC medium with and without decontamination and antibiotic selection. No survivors were detected from either raw or UHT milks after heating at 72°C /15 sec. The recovery from heated UHT milk on HEYMM was unexpectedly and consistently higher in runs with selection than without selection. The predicted kills (95% confidence) at 72°C/15 sec were ~7-log and ~10-log respectively. Statistical analysis of the BACTEC curves in the same comparison also predicted a higher recovery with selection. BACTEC, however, was the more sensitive recovery medium than HEYMM with 50% tubes showing survivors at 69°C and all at 68°C in each UHT treatment. No survivors were recovered on HEYMM at these two temperatures. BACTEC vials showing no initial growth were given an extended incubation without any evidence of growth. MAP was significantly more heat sensitive in UHT milk than in raw milk. The results confirm and extend our earlier work on MAP heat inactivation. Standard pasteurisation under commercial conditions gave effective inactivation of MAP independent of the milk type or recovery conditions.