Clean-in-place automated food or beverage dispenser

A method for configuring a food or beverage dispenser for automatic cleaning of a product flow path that receives at least one microbiologically sensitive fluid, comprising the steps of:

• providing in the dispenser a microbiologically sensitive fluid reservoir and an interface connection configured to establish a supply of the microbiologically sensitive fluid from the microbiologically sensitive fluid reservoir to the product flow path, wherein the interface connection comprises a flexible hose and an external valve;
• preparing a rinsing, cleaning or sanitizing fluid within the dispenser;
• selectively blocking a flow of the microbiologically sensitive fluid at a closing point in the flexible hose, with the external valve externally engaging the flexible hose;
• circulating the rinsing, cleaning or sanitizing fluid within the dispenser at a certain velocity through the interface connection and up to the closing point in the flexible hose while the microbiologically sensitive fluid is blocked at the closing point to isolate the microbiologically sensitive reservoir from the interface connection, and then the rinsing, cleaning or sanitizing fluid is circulated to or though the product flow path of the dispenser to clean the product flow path;
• and
• recirculating in a loop the rinsing, cleaning or sanitizing fluid to at least a portion of the product flowpath;
• wherein the rinsing, cleaning or sanitizing fluid is recirculated in a loop from the product flowpath back to a buffer reservoir that receives a buffer volume of the rinsing, cleaning or sanitizing fluid.