A self-chilling food or beverage container having a heat exchange unit (HEU) using liquid carbon dioxide comprising: an outer container for receiving a food or beverage; a heat exchange unit (HEU) including an inner container having an opening therein secured to said outer container and extending into said outer container so that an outer surface thereof is in contact with a food or beverage received within said outer container; an attachment adapter having an upper and lower surface and defining a first bore therethrough and a circumferential protrusion adjacent the upper surface thereof secured to said heat exchange unit (HEU) at said opening therein; a valve member having first and second ends seated in said first bore in said attachment adapter , said valve member having a first continuous surface adjacent the first end thereof spaced from said bore by an amount between 2 and 28 microns and a second surface spaced from said bore by an amount to provide a flow path to permit liquid carbon dioxide under pressure to be substantially unrestrictedly inserted into said inner container; a seal between said valve member and said attachment adapter so that liquid carbon dioxide in said inner container is retained at a pressure and temperature to remain at equilibrium in said liquid state; said first continuous surface, when said seal is removed, providing a restricted orifice to generate disequilibrium to cause said liquid carbon dioxide to pass directly from the liquid state into the gaseous state and exhaust to the atmosphere through said restricted orifice thereby chilling the food or beverage while retaining any residual carbon dioxide in said inner container in the liquid state; and an actuator to position said valve member between a first position to provide said restricted orifice and a second position so that said second surface is in position to provide said unrestricted flow path. an outer container for receiving a food or beverage; a heat exchange unit (HEU) including an inner container having an opening therein secured to said outer container and extending into said outer container so that an outer surface thereof is in contact with a food or beverage received within said outer container; an attachment adapter having an upper and lower surface and defining a first bore therethrough and a circumferential protrusion adjacent the upper surface thereof secured to said heat exchange unit (HEU) at said opening therein; a valve member having first and second ends seated in said first bore in said attachment adapter , said valve member having a first continuous surface adjacent the first end thereof spaced from said bore by an amount between 2 and 28 microns and a second surface spaced from said bore by an amount to provide a flow path to permit liquid carbon dioxide under pressure to be substantially unrestrictedly inserted into said inner container; a seal between said valve member and said attachment adapter so that liquid carbon dioxide in said inner container is retained at a pressure and temperature to remain at equilibrium in said liquid state; said first continuous surface, when said seal is removed, providing a restricted orifice to generate disequilibrium to cause said liquid carbon dioxide to pass directly from the liquid state into the gaseous state and exhaust to the atmosphere through said restricted orifice thereby chilling the food or beverage while retaining any residual carbon dioxide in said inner container in the liquid state; and an actuator to position said valve member between a first position to provide said restricted orifice and a second position so that said second surface is in position to provide said unrestricted flow path. <EOS>