Patent ID: 7435440

Claim:
Process for ultrahigh temperature pasteurization and homogenization of a liquid food product using a pasteurization arrangement having a product-to-product regenerative heat exchanger, a homogenization stage in which a pump pushes the product at high pressure through homogenization orifice means, and a UHT heater stage in which the milk is pasteurized at a UHT pasteurization temperature; comprising the steps of supplying the liquid food product through a lower raw-product side of said regenerative heat exchanger to pre-heat said liquid food product to a predetermined intermediate temperature of substantially 175° F.; denaturizing the preheated liquid food product in the regenerative heat exchanger at said predetermined intermediate temperature suitable for denaturizing proteins in the liquid food product, including holding the liquid food product at said intermediate temperature for at least sixty seconds; flowing said liquid food product through an upper raw-product side of said regenerative heat exchanger to preheat the liquid food product from said intermediate temperature to a near-UHT temperature near within substantially 20° F. of said UHT pasteurizing temperature; homogenizing the liquid food product exiting the upper raw product side of said regenerative heat exchanger at said near-UHT temperature; supplying said homogenized liquid food product to a UHT heater in said UHT heater stage to heat the liquid food product to a predetermined UHT temperature, the UHT heater stage including means supplying a heating medium in counterflow to said product through said medium to product heater; holding the liquid food product exiting said heater at said UHT temperature for a predetermined length of time; flowing the liquid food product through a pasteurized side of said regenerative heat exchanger in counterflow to the liquid food product flowing in the raw side thereof to transfer heat to the product flowing in the raw side thereof; and further processing the liquid food product leaving the pasteurized side of the first regenerative heat exchanger to prepare the product for packaging.