Method and device for treating foods and/or containers for holding foods

Method for treating food in at least one treatment zone (4), wherein the food to be treated is filled into containers (2) before the treatment, the containers (2) are closed, and the containers (2) are introduced into a treatment zone (4) and/or transported through a treatment zone (4), and wherein the treatment zone (4) or the treatment zones (4) are each fed at least one liquid stream (5) of a process liquid (3) to act on the containers (2), wherein the process liquid (3) flows around an outside (6) of the containers (2), and wherein the process liquid (3) is tempered and the treatment of the food is executed in a treatment zone (4) by heat transfer via the process liquid (3) and the food is pasteurized by a heated process liquid (3) in at least one treatment zone (4), and wherein the process liquid (3) is drained again after completed treatment of the foods out of the treatment zone (4), and wherein the process liquid (3) for treating the food is at least partially recirculated into the treatment zone (4) or the treatment zones (4) for re-use in the method, wherein during continuous treatment at least a partial quantity of the process liquid (3) out of the total process liquid (3) conducted through all existing treatment zones (4) per time unit is used per time unit to form at least one stream (20) of the process liquid (3), and the at least one formed stream (20) of the process liquid (3) is filtered by at least one membrane filtration system (19) in order to clean the process liquid (3), and after the filtration process a filtered stream (46) is at least partially fed back into an element (8) containing and/or conducting the process liquid (3) and/or into a treatment zone (4), wherein at least one adjustable splitting means (21) or multiple splitting means (21) working together remove a specifiable quantity of the process liquid (3) out of at least one element (8) containing or conducting the process liquid (3) per time unit in a controlled manner in order to form the at least one stream (20) of the process liquid (3).

Device (1) for treating foods in closed containers (2) with a process liquid (3), comprising at least one treatment zone (4), which treatment zone (4) is designed to apply the process liquid (3) to the outside (6) of the closed containers (2) such that the process liquid (3) flows around the outside (6) of a closed container (2), means of transport (1) for transporting the containers (2) through the treatment zone(s) (4) and conduction elements (8) for feeding liquid streams (5) of the process liquid (3) into a treatment zone (4) and conduction elements (8) for discharging liquid streams (5) of the process liquid (3) from a treatment zone (4), additional conduction elements (8) for containing and/or conducting the process liquid (3) in the device (1) and at least one conveying means (11) for conveying liquid streams (5) of the process liquid (3) into the conduction elements (8), wherein the conduction elements (8) are designed and arranged such that the process liquid (3) for treating the food can be at least partially recirculated again into the treatment zone (4) or into the treatment zones (4), and wherein at least one heating means (12) for heating the process liquid (3) is arranged and wherein at least one cooling means (13) for cooling the process liquid (3) is arranged, wherein the device (1) comprises at least one membrane filtration system (19), which at least one membrane filtration system (19) is operatively connected to the conduction elements (8) and/or to the treatment zones (4) in such a way that at least some of the total process liquid (3) fed through all existing treatment zones (4) per time unit can be used to form at least one stream (20) of the process liquid (3), the formed stream (20) or the formed streams (20) can be filtered by the at least one membrane filtration system (19), and a filtered stream (46) of the process liquid can (3) at least partially be fed back into a conduction element (8) and/or a treatment zone (4), wherein at least one adjustable splitting means (21) or multiple co-operating splitting means (21) are arranged on an inlet side of the at least one membrane filtration system (19) for controlled removal of a specifiable process liquid quantity per time unit out of at least one conduction element (8) holding or conducting the process liquid (3) and for formation of the at least one stream (20) of the process liquid (3) to be filtered.