CONTINUOUS TREATMENT OF LIQUID SUBSTANCE, APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS TREATMENT AND LIQUID FOOD OR DRINK TREATED THEREWITH

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process for the continuous treatment of a liquid substance having high sterilization and enzyme deactivation efficiency and enabling the reduction of the apparatus size and provide a treating apparatus therefor. SOLUTION: A liquid raw material is introduced into a dissolution tank 11 through an inlet port 12 at the bottom of the tank and liquid carbon dioxide is introduced into the tank through a filter 13 in the form of small bubbles to effect the dissolution of a large amount of liquid carbon dioxide into the liquid raw material. The liquid raw material taken out through a liquid outlet port 18 is introduced into a heated pipe 20 and converted into a supercritical fluid under prescribed temperature and pressure conditions. The liquid is introduced into a pressure reducing tank 24 through a pressure-regulating valve 22 to release the supercritical state and the evaporated carbon dioxide is removed. Since the carbon dioxide dissolution step and the heating and pressurizing step are operated under respectively optimum conditions, the process can be carried out by using a dissolution tank 11 having small volume and dispensing with the step to preheat the liquid raw material.