A method for preparation of human milk to be stored includes the steps of subjecting the human milk (M) to a treatment for inactivating or reducing an amount of biological contaminants in the human milk, freezing the human milk and forming flakes of the human milk, and collecting the frozen human milk flakes (F) in a container. This method and an according apparatus enable storing human milk for later use in a very small dose, i.e. in the form of pasteurized frozen milk flakes.

Heat exchange devices, including aseptic cooler devices, and systems including same are provided. Methods of using heat exchange device are also provided. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides heat exchangers having an open chamber configuration and including a first section containing a cooling or heating media and a second section containing a food product. The first section includes a level detecting device that is configured to maintain a level of cooling or heating media in the first section, while preventing the cooling or heating media from pressurizing the first section. The open chamber configuration provides an air break at a top portion of the first section that ensures that the cooling or heating media entering the first section is at, or close to, atmospheric pressure.

The invention relates to a continuous process for freezing a flow of aqueous material in liquid form and moving the aqueous material through at least one tube from an inlet of the tube to an outlet of the tube so as to form a breakable or cuttable frozen extrusion without bursting the tube. The process creates an extruded material that comprises liquid aqueous material entrapped between frozen aqueous material to self-lubricate the extrusion as it moves through the tube. An apparatus for carrying out the process of the invention is also provided.