In a method for the inactivation of microorganisms in liquid foods, a liquid food is mixed with a pressurized, liquefied gas at a pressure which is sufficient to maintain the liquefied gas in the liquid state. The mixture of food and gas is then depressurized to a pressure at which the liquefied gas is vaporized. According to the invention, before or during the depressurization to the second pressure, the mixture is guided through a pipeline and brought up to a flow speed in the pipeline which is sufficient to form cavitations in the liquid food.

The process includes a treatment step during which a liquid containing a biocidal and/or plant-protection product or a mixture of biocidal and/or plant-protection products is evaporated and injected into the internal atmosphere of premises, the liquid being evaporates at a temperature of less than 50° C., the product vapour concentration in the internal atmosphere of the premises being kept at greater than 10% of a saturation concentration of the vapour of said product in said atmosphere at said temperature for a saturation duration of greater than 12 hours.

A method and apparatus for reducing pathogens in successive pre-measured units of a flowable food product without substantially increasing the head height requirement of a feed production system. A plurality of containers are moved about a path within a housing. The path has a plurality of stations, such as a receiving station, one or more sanitizing stations, and a dispensing station, and a container cleaning station. A pre-measured unit of the flowable food product is received at the receiving station into a container. The pre-measured unit of the flowable food product is exposed to one or more sanitizing agents at one or more sanitizing stations. The pre-measured unit of the flowable food product is dispensed into the packaging device at the dispensing station. The containers are then cleaned at the container cleaning station to prepare each container to receive a subsequent pre-quantified unit of the flowable feed product.

The aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods for energy-efficient destruction of organic toxins on the surface of any material, in particular on the surface of organic material. The material contaminated with toxins is exposed to NH.sub.2 and H radicals. Said radicals react chemically with toxins causing their transformation to less poisonous or less carcinogenic substances, or destruction to hydrocarbons and nitrogen-containing benign molecules. Exemplary usage for treatment of seeds, grains, beans, food, feedstock.

A system for treating food, the system including: a direct barrier discharge system including a pair of electrodes separated by a gap of at least 0.5 cm, wherein the direct barrier discharge system is configured to provide a feed gas between the electrodes, wherein the feed gas includes nitrogen and water, wherein a content of nitrogen in the feed gas is at least 75 vol % based on a total volume of the feed gas, and a relative humidity of the feed gas is at least 50% RH, wherein a content of oxygen in the feed gas is less than 1.5 vol % based on a total volume of the feed gas, and wherein the direct barrier discharge system is configured to provide an electric potential between the electrodes to generate a working gas having an ozone content of less than 20 ppm, based on a total volume of the working gas.

A recirculation circuit for a processing vessel is configured to process a load with a process fluid. The recirculation circuit includes a first circuit portion configured to recirculate a first portion of the process fluid through the vessel. The first circuit portion includes a first pump having a first flow rate and a first output pressure and a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first pump. A second circuit portion is configured to recirculate a second portion of the process fluid through the vessel. The second circuit portion includes a second pump having a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate and a second output pressure lower than the first output pressure.

An air composition adjusting device includes: a carbon dioxide separator that separates carbon dioxide from air-to-be-treated to be supplied to a target space; a gas supply path including a high concentration gas supply path through which the carbon dioxide separator communicates with the target space; and a controller that performs a carbon dioxide concentration raising operation of supplying a high carbon dioxide concentration gas, which has a higher carbon dioxide concentration than air-to-be-treated before being treated, to the target space through the high concentration gas supply path.

The treatment unit includes an evaporation device including a gas circulation pipe, and a material with a large specific surface filling an evaporation section of the circulation pipe; a device for circulating the gas through the circulation pipe; a liquid impregnating the material with a large specific surface, the liquid containing at least one product or a mixture of volatile biocide and/or phytoprotective products, with a boiling temperature between 130 and 280° C., the material with a large specific surface having a liquid retention capacity greater than 50 L/m.sup.3 of material with a large specific surface at 20° C.; a recharging device, arranged to re-impregnate the material with a large specific surface with liquid or to replace the spent material with a large specific surface with a new material with a large specific surface impregnated with liquid.

An air composition adjusting device includes: an oxygen separator that separates oxygen from external air to be supplied to a target space; a gas supply path including a high concentration gas supply path for oxygen through which the oxygen separator communicates with the target space; and a controller that performs an oxygen concentration raising operation of supplying a high oxygen concentration gas, which has a higher oxygen concentration than external air before being treated by the oxygen separator, to the target space through the high concentration gas supply path for oxygen.

A hybrid nitrogen gas generation system includes a membrane nitrogen gas generator and a pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator. A gas comprising nitrogen is purified to a first nitrogen purity using one of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator. The gas is either bypassed around the other of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator to provide the gas having the first nitrogen purity or the gas is purified to a second nitrogen purity using the other of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator.