Machine for making and dispensing liquid, semi-liquid and/or semi-solid food products

A machine for making and dispensing at least one chosen from liquid, semi-liquid and semi-solid food products comprising an operating unit comprising:

• a processing cylinder for processing a mixture of a basic product and air,
• a transit chamber for the transit of a heat exchange fluid, the chamber being located around the cylinder,
• a dispensing tap,
• a check and control unit, and
• a mechanism for treating the heat exchange fluid and supplying the heat exchange fluid to the transit chamber;
• comprising:
• a flexible container for containing the basic product,
• a rigid container housing the flexible container;
• a feed duct for feeding the basic product to the processing cylinder,
• a mechanism for generating a flow of pressurized air, the mechanism constructed and arranged to send pressurized air into the rigid container to act on the flexible container to cause transfer of the basic product from the flexible container to the processing cylinder;
• a sensor, mounted along the feed duct, constructed and arranged to define and send a signal indicating a mixture flow rate to the check and control unit;
• the check and control unit acting on the mechanism for generating the flow of pressurized air according to the mixture flow rate measured by the sensor to adjust a pressure of the flow of pressurized air acting on the flexible container to regulate a flow rate of the basic product through the feed duct.