Method and device for treating foods and/or containers by means of a process liquid

28:

• Method according to claim 27, wherein the temperatures of the particular liquid streams (5) of the process liquid (3) are set separately for each treatment zone (4) in a controlled way before feeding into a treatment zone (4) and the foods being pasteurized in at least one treatment zone (4).

29:

• Method according to claim 28, wherein the foods being treated are heated successively in at least one treatment zone (4), are pasteurized in at least one treatment zone (4), and are cooled in at least one treatment zone (4).

30:

• Method according to claim 29, wherein a liquid stream (5) of the process liquid (3) is fed into at least one treatment zone (4) for heating the foods and/or containers (2) at a temperature between 40° C. and 50° C.

31:

• Method according to claim 27, wherein at least one stream (46) of the process liquid (3) filtered by a membrane filtration system is fed into a UV irradiation apparatus (47) and irradiated immediately after the filtration process and a filtered and irradiated stream (49) of the process liquid (3) is fed back into at least one conduction element (8) holding and/or conducting the process liquid and/or at least one treatment zone (4).

32:

• Method according to claim 29, wherein process liquid (3) with a temperature between 40° C. and 50° C. is used to form at least one stream (2) of the process liquid to be filtered.

33:

• Method according to claim 32, wherein the at least one stream (20) is formed by removing process liquid (3) from a tempering-capable flow container (50) for the process liquid (3).

34:

• Method according to claim 27, wherein the process liquid quantity used to form at least one stream (20) of the process liquid (3) out of at least one conduction element (8) holding and/or conducting the process liquid during continuous treatment per unit of time is chosen in such a way that the irradiation and/or filtration of the stream (20) or streams (20) allow a removal rate for micro-organisms to be achieved that is larger than the growth rate of the micro-organisms in the process liquid (3) in the same unit of time.

35:

• Method according to claim 27, wherein an irradiated and/or filtered stream (46, 48, 49) of the process liquid (3) is fed back into at least one conduction element (8) holding and/or conducting the process liquid and/or into at least one treatment zone (4) under at least approximately ambient pressure in free fall.

36:

• Method according to claim 27, wherein an irradiated and/or filtered stream (46, 48, 49) of the process liquid (3) is at least partially fed into a treatment zone (4) for rinsing the outside (6) of closed containers filled with food (2) placed at the end of the process in the method for treating foods and or containers (2) for holding the foods.

37:

• Method according to claim 27, wherein the degree of contamination of the process liquid (3) is continuously monitored, especially by measurements of the turbidity of the process liquid using sensors (41) placed in conduction elements (8) and/or in treatment zones (4).

38:

• Methods according to claim 32, wherein a stream (20) of the process liquid (3) to be irradiated and/or filtered is formed as needed out of different conduction elements (8) containing or conducting process liquid, is filtered by at least one membrane filtration system (19), and after the membrane filtration process a filtered stream (46) is fed into at least one conduction element (8) containing or conducting process liquid and/or at least one treatment zone (4) and/or at least one UV irradiation apparatus (47).

40:

• Device according to claim 39, wherein is arranged at least one treatment zone (4) for heating the foods and/or containers (2), at least one treatment zone (4) for pasteurizing the foods, and at least one treatment zone (4) for cooling the foods and/or containers in succession along the direction of transport (26) of the foods or containers (2).

41:

• Device according to claim 39, wherein at least one UV irradiation apparatus (47) is operatively arranged immediately after a membrane filtration system (19) such that a filtered stream (46) of the process liquid can be irradiated by a UV irradiation apparatus (47) immediately after filtration.

42:

• Device according to claim 39, wherein a feeding element (22) of a membrane filtration system (19) is connected to a tempering-capable flow container (50) for the process liquid (3).

43:

• Device according to claim 39, wherein the number and irradiation power of the UV irradiation apparatus(es) (47) and the number and filtration capacity of the membrane filtration system(s) (19) are fixed such that the total process liquid drawn out of at least one conduction element (8) containing and/or conducting the process liquid per unit of time for forming at least one stream (20) of the process liquid during continuous treatment can be chosen such that the filtration and irradiation of the stream (20) or the streams (20) can achieve a removal rate of micro-organisms that is greater than the growth rate of the micro-organisms in the process liquid in the same unit of time.

44:

• Device according to claim 39, wherein in order to recirculate an irradiated and/or filtered stream (46, 48, 49) of the process liquid, draining elements (24) out of at least one UV irradiation apparatus (47) and/or out of at least one membrane filtration system (19) being connected to at least one conduction element (8) and/or at least one treatment zone (4) in such a way that an irradiated and/or filtered stream (46, 48, 49) of the process liquid can be fed into the conduction element(s) (8) and/or the treatment zone(s) (4) under the influence of gravity in free fall.

45:

• Device according to claim 39, wherein is arranged at least one treatment zone (4) for rinsing the outside (6) of closed containers filled with foodstuffs, which is placed at the end of the treatment zone line in the transport direction (26) of the containers (2) through the treatment zones (4) and which treatment zone (4) is connected to at least one draining element (24) of a UV irradiation apparatus (47) and/or a draining element (24) of a membrane filtration system (19) in order to rinse the containers by feeding in an irradiated and/or filtered stream (46, 48, 49) of the process liquid.

46:

• Device according to claim 39, wherein sensors (41) are placed in conduction elements (8) and/or in treatment zones (4) to continuously monitor the degree of contamination of the process liquid (3), especially by measuring the turbidity of the process liquid (3).

47:

• Device according to claim 39, wherein at least one switching means (42) is assigned to a feeding element (22) of a membrane filtration system (19) that is operatively connected to at least two different conduction elements (8) holding the process fluid in such a way that the stream (20) of process liquid to be filtered can be formed as needed either from one of the liquid streams (5) or multiple liquid streams (5) of the process liquid (3) in the conduction elements (8) or from multiple liquid streams (5).

48:

• Device according to claim 39, wherein at least one mixing element (43) is assigned to a feeding element (22) of a membrane filtration system (19) that is operatively connected to at least two different conduction elements (8) holding the process fluid in such a way that the stream (20) of process liquid to be filtered can be formed as desired either from one of the liquid streams (5) or multiple liquid streams (5) of the process liquid in the conduction elements (8) or a stream (20) of the process liquid to be filtered by the membrane filtration system (19) can be formed by removing and mixing specifiable partial quantities from multiple liquid streams (5) of the process liquid.

49:

• Use of a membrane filtration system (19) and a UV irradiation apparatus (47) for continuous cleaning and sterilization of a process liquid (3) in a device (1) for pasteurizing foods in containers (2), according to claim 39.