Scalding water system for treating scalding water in a slaughterhouse for processing slaughtered animals, for example, hens, chickens, broilers, ducks and geese, wherein the scalding water system has: - a scalding container, in particular a scalding vessel or scalding tub, having scalding water for scalding slaughtered animals, in particular poultry, - a scalding water treatment system which is suitable for removing scalding water at a first scalding water temperature from the scalding container, for pasteurising the removed scalding water and for returning the scalding water into the scalding container after the pasteurisation, wherein the scalding container and the scalding water treatment system form a closed scalding water circuit which has a heat exchanger, characterised in that the heat exchanger - comprises a first heat exchange element which is suitable for heating scalding water from the scalding container at a first scalding water temperature to a second scalding water temperature, and - a second heat exchange element which is suitable for heating scalding water from the first heat exchange element to a third scalding water temperature, wherein the third scalding water temperature is suitable for pasteurising scalding water, wherein - the first heat exchange element is suitable for cooling the scalding water from the second heat exchange element to the first scalding water temperature, wherein the first scalding water temperature is suitable for scalding slaughtered animals, in particular poultry. wherein the scalding water system has: - a scalding container, in particular a scalding vessel or scalding tub, having scalding water for scalding slaughtered animals, in particular poultry, - a scalding water treatment system which is suitable for removing scalding water at a first scalding water temperature from the scalding container, for pasteurising the removed scalding water and for returning the scalding water into the scalding container after the pasteurisation, - a scalding container, in particular a scalding vessel or scalding tub, having scalding water for scalding slaughtered animals, in particular poultry, - a scalding water treatment system which is suitable for removing scalding water at a first scalding water temperature from the scalding container, for pasteurising the removed scalding water and for returning the scalding water into the scalding container after the pasteurisation, wherein the scalding container and the scalding water treatment system form a closed scalding water circuit which has a heat exchanger, characterised in that the heat exchanger - comprises a first heat exchange element which is suitable for heating scalding water from the scalding container at a first scalding water temperature to a second scalding water temperature, and - a second heat exchange element which is suitable for heating scalding water from the first heat exchange element to a third scalding water temperature, wherein the third scalding water temperature is suitable for pasteurising scalding water, wherein - the first heat exchange element is suitable for cooling the scalding water from the second heat exchange element to the first scalding water temperature, wherein the first scalding water temperature is suitable for scalding slaughtered animals, in particular poultry. - comprises a first heat exchange element which is suitable for heating scalding water from the scalding container at a first scalding water temperature to a second scalding water temperature, and - a second heat exchange element which is suitable for heating scalding water from the first heat exchange element to a third scalding water temperature, wherein the third scalding water temperature is suitable for pasteurising scalding water, wherein - the first heat exchange element is suitable for cooling the scalding water from the second heat exchange element to the first scalding water temperature, wherein the first scalding water temperature is suitable for scalding slaughtered animals, in particular poultry.