Method and apparatus for treating heat-sensitive products

USRE30310E · kind E · reissue

Assignee

• ALFA LAVAL CORPORATE AB · SE

Inventor

• Lennart Stenstrom · Ludvika, SE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 31, 1978
• Grant date: Jun 17, 1980
• Expiry date: Jul 31, 1998

Classification

• Technology area (CPC —): General

Abstract

Each unit of a heat-sensitive product is contacted directly or indirectly with a cooling medium so that the unit acquires a condition in which a surface layer thereof has a lower temperature than its inner portions. The product unit is then heated, by electromagnetic energy of at least microwave frequency, from this condition to substantially the desired sterilizing or pasteurizing temperature in a medium having a temperature which will permit such heating. In this way, a substantially uniform heat treatment effect is obtained in the product units.