Patent ID: 7186430

Claim:
Process for ultrahigh temperature pasteurization of a liquid food product using a pasteurization arrangement having a first product-to-product regenerative heat exchanger, a first heater stage, a second product-to-product heat exchanger, and a UHT heater stage; comprising the steps of supplying said liquid food product through a raw-product side of said first regenerative heat exchanger to pre-heat same; heating said preheated liquid food product exiting the first heat exchanger to a predetermined intermediate temperature suitable for denaturizing proteins in the liquid food product; flowing the liquid food product at said intermediate temperature through a timing tube to hold the product at said intermediate temperature for a predetermined time sufficient for denaturing said proteins therein, wherein said predetermined intermediate temperature at which said denaturing occurs is substantially 175 degrees F., and wherein said predetermined time that said timing tube holds the product at said intermediate temperature is at least sixty seconds; flowing said liquid food product from said timing tube through a raw-product side of said second regenerative heat exchanger to preheat the same from said intermediate temperature to a temperature near a UHT pasteurizing temperature; flowing the liquid food product exiting said second heat exchanger into a liquid medium-to-product 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 heated liquid medium in counterflow to said product through said liquid medium-to-product heater; holding the liquid food product exiting said medium-to-product heater at said UHT temperature for a predetermined length of time; flowing the liquid food product through a pasteurized side of said second 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; flowing the liquid food product exiting the pasteurized side of the second regenerative heat exchanger through a pasteurized side of the first 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 same for packaging; wherein a temperature differential in the medium-to-product heater between the liquid food product and said heating medium at every point of reference in the heater is less than 20 degrees F.