Method for the thermal treatment of a liquid or semi-liquid product and application of this method to the preparation of a concentrated and sterilised or pasteurized product

摘要

The method according to the invention relates to a method for the thermal treatment, such as pasteurization or sterilisation, of a liquid or semi-liquid product, such as a milk product, which comprises the preheating, at at least one stage, of this product, followed by the heating, to the temperature desired for the thermal treatment, of the product thus preheated, the preheating comprising a stage of indirect thermal exchange between the liquid or semi-liquid product to be thermally treated and the liquid or semi-liquid product which has undergone the said thermal treatment. It is characterised in that, before putting it to use in the said indirect thermal exchange, the liquid or semi-liquid product which has undergone the thermal treatment is subjected to a cooling to an intermediate temperature between the initial temperature of the product to be thermally treated and the temperature of the thermal treatment; this cooling may, in particular, be produced by expansion of the liquid or semi-liquid product which has undergone the thermal treatment. IMAGE