Directly heating a protein-enriched milk product occurs by introducing steam, the direct heating taking the form of an infusion or injection method. The described technique significantly extends service time, ensuring a content of non-denatured whey proteins in the treated protein-enriched milk product greater than that obtained in the prior art. The milk product, which is preheated and kept at temperature is indirectly cooled before direct heating by a recuperative cooling step from the preheating temperature to a cool-down temperature with a temperature difference ranging from 5 K to 10 K. The direct heating from the cool-down temperature to the high pasteurization temperature is controlled by direct heating setting parameters which are known per se. Finally, the milk product is cooled by flash cooling from the high pasteurization temperature to a necessarily required exit temperature.

A measuring system for automatically determining and/or monitoring the quality of a liquid or viscous foodstuff, including a housing with an interior space for a product container for the foodstuff, the product container has a product space for the foodstuff and a lid provided with a probe with a thermometer, a heating and cooling device for the interior space, a sensor device for determining a non-temperature quality-related parameter value of the foodstuff, and a control unit designed to control the measuring system, measure, store, process and/or export the measured parameter values, and to control the heating and/or the cooling system according to a desired time-temperature program. The cooling system includes a cold buffer, a cooler for the cold buffer, and a separate refrigerant circuit. The cold buffer includes a buffer holder with a phase-transition material, wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a cooling circuit with a pump.

A food processing vat is provided with a zoned heat transfer system that provides zoned temperature control to the vat. The zoned heat transfer system selectively transmits heat to or removes heat from different portions of a bottom wall and/or side walks) of the vat. A heat transfer fluid may be directed through the zoned heat transfer system along a flow path that is selected based on a target size and/or a target temperature of a batch of food product being processed in the vat.

The method of the invention is characterized in that in the first phase the device installation is filled with processed liquid product, yielding a low pressure zone and then the processed liquid product is introduced under high pressure into the cavitation process, where moving at a rate of not less than 3 m/s and under pressure of not less than 20 bar is introduced to the cavitation and rotation location of the separated streams of the processed liquid product, which rotating in the further part, in the longitudinal axis of the cavitator, move in the opposite directions, resulting in differential pressure leading to cavitation process with effects characteristic for sterilization and homogenization with heterogeneous parameters, wherein in the next phase a separation takes place into a liquid product, which has a particle size larger than 600 nm and a liquid product which has a particle size smaller than 600 nm, wherein the liquid product of larger particle size is directed to cooling and complementary cavitation reprocessing, and the liquid product of smaller particle size is subjected to particle size analysis control, by which the liquid product, which meets the preset parameters, is directed to the finished product acceptance, and the liquid product which does not meet the acceptance criteria is sent to the next reprocessing. The device of the invention is characterized in that it comprises a low pressure pump (2), which is used to fill the device installation with processed liquid product, wherein in a subsequent operation the particle size analyzer (7) switches the high pressure pump (1) on, introducing at a pressure not less than 20 bar the processed liquid product into the cavitator (3), where the cavitation process takes place, the resulting liquid product having a heterogeneous structure is introduced into the separator centrifuge (4), in which takes place, depending on parameters, the separation of the flow into the heat exchanger (5) and the cavitation reprocessing, and the flow through the valve (6) to the particle size analyzer (7), which directs the liquid product to the reception point.

The method of the invention is characterized in that in the first phase the device installation is filled with processed liquid product, yielding a low pressure zone and then the processed liquid product is introduced under high pressure into the cavitation process, where moving at a rate of not less than 3 m/s and under pressure of not less than 20 bar is introduced to the cavitation and rotation location of the separated streams of the processed liquid product, which rotating in the further part, in the longitudinal axis of the cavitator, move in the opposite directions, resulting in differential pressure leading to cavitation process with effects characteristic for sterilization and homogenization with heterogeneous parameters, wherein in the next phase a separation takes place into a liquid product, which has a particle size larger than 600 nm and a liquid product which has a particle size smaller than 600 nm, wherein the liquid product of larger particle size is directed to cooling and complementary cavitation reprocessing, and the liquid product of smaller particle size is subjected to particle size analysis control, by which the liquid product, which meets the preset parameters, is directed to the finished product acceptance, and the liquid product which does not meet the acceptance criteria is sent to the next reprocessing. The device of the invention is characterized in that it comprises a low pressure pump (2), which is used to fill the device installation with processed liquid product, wherein in a subsequent operation the particle size analyzer (7) switches the high pressure pump (1) on, introducing at a pressure not less than 20 bar the processed liquid product into the cavitator (3), where the cavitation process takes place, the resulting liquid product having a heterogeneous structure is introduced into the separator centrifuge (4), in which takes place, depending on parameters, the separation of the flow into the heat exchanger (5) and the cavitation reprocessing, and the flow through the valve (6) to the particle size analyzer (7), which directs the liquid product to the reception point.

A method for treating liquid food products after direct heating comprises a first cooling of the liquid food product occurring on a floor of the infuser vessel up to an outlet opening. A second cooling of the liquid food product occurs in a tubular section connecting directly to the outlet opening. A third cooling of the liquid food product occurs in a housing cover of a pump housing of a centrifugal pump. At least one flushing operation of the pump housing and of an impeller via a rear impeller gap is performed, wherein the at least flushing operation occurs via a front impeller gap located between the housing cover and the impeller. Volume flows of the at least one flushing operation are greater than equalization flows within the pump housing.

A method for treating liquid food products after direct heating comprises a first cooling of the liquid food product occurring on a floor of the infuser vessel up to an outlet opening. A second cooling of the liquid food product occurs in a tubular section connecting directly to the outlet opening. A third cooling of the liquid food product occurs in a housing cover of a pump housing of a centrifugal pump. At least one flushing operation of the pump housing and of an impeller via a rear impeller gap is performed, wherein the at least flushing operation occurs via a front impeller gap located between the housing cover and the impeller. Volume flows of the at least one flushing operation are greater than equalization flows within the pump housing.

A novel method for freeze-related separations, involving the combination of water with a selected concentration of biogenic ice nucleation proteins, freezing the combination, and separating the ice, potentially via centrifugation or sublimation. In some instances, the freezing conditions and the concentration of the at least one biogenic ice nucleation protein are selected such that the aqueous solution, upon freezing, forms a lamellar ice crystal structure having at least one property selected from the group consisting of a solute inclusion volume at least 30% smaller than in the first material alone, a hydraulic diameter at least 30% larger than in the first material alone, an inclusion width that is less than 10% of a crystal dimension, a hydraulic diameter that is less more than 1.5 times that of an inclusion width, a deviation of crystal orientation angle in the transverse direction of less than 45 degrees, an ice crystal length in the transverse direction that is at least 10% larger than in the first material alone, and a length of the ice crystal structure in the longitudinal direction that is at least 10% larger than in the first material alone. The use of these structures result in a significant efficiency improvement and energy savings.

A novel method for freeze-related separations, involving the combination of water with a selected concentration of biogenic ice nucleation proteins, freezing the combination, and separating the ice, potentially via centrifugation or sublimation. In some instances, the freezing conditions and the concentration of the at least one biogenic ice nucleation protein are selected such that the aqueous solution, upon freezing, forms a lamellar ice crystal structure having at least one property selected from the group consisting of a solute inclusion volume at least 30% smaller than in the first material alone, a hydraulic diameter at least 30% larger than in the first material alone, an inclusion width that is less than 10% of a crystal dimension, a hydraulic diameter that is less more than 1.5 times that of an inclusion width, a deviation of crystal orientation angle in the transverse direction of less than 45 degrees, an ice crystal length in the transverse direction that is at least 10% larger than in the first material alone, and a length of the ice crystal structure in the longitudinal direction that is at least 10% larger than in the first material alone. The use of these structures result in a significant efficiency improvement and energy savings.

The invention relates to an apparatus for cooling high-heat-treated food products with a flash-cooler, having a container for a pre-product to be cooled with an inlet for the pre-product to be cooled and an outlet for the cooled end product of the food product as well as cooling equipment, the cooling equipment having a cooling jacket associated to the container, through which at least one part of the wall of the container is cooled. The invention also relates to a heat-treatment line for food products, having one such apparatus. The invention also relates to a method for cooling high-heat-treated, particularly ultra-high-heat-treated food products, using a flash cooler having a container for a pre-product to be cooled, with an inlet for the pre-product to be cooled and an outlet for the cooled end product of the food product and cooling equipment.