Food product heat treatment apparatus and method for heat treating food products

A food product heat treatment apparatus that performs heat treatment of heat-sensitive fluid food products, such as whey protein concentrate, baby food and cheese milk, the food product heat treatment apparatus comprising:

• an inlet;
• an outlet;
• a heat infusion device in fluid communication with the inlet;
• a lobe pump provided downstream of the heat infusion device and in fluid communication with at least the heat infusion device and the inlet;
• a back pressure device provided downstream of at least a portion of the lobe pump and in fluid communication with at least the lobe pump and the outlet, and
• a cooling device attached to the back pressure device,
• wherein the inlet receives the heat-sensitive fluid food products and the heat infusion device heats the heat-sensitive fluid flood products upstream of the lobe pump,
• wherein the lobe pump receives the heat-sensitive fluid food products from the heat infusion device, the lobe pump operates, and the lobe pump holds the heat-sensitive fluid food products for a time corresponding to an operation of the lobe pump,
• wherein the operation of the lobe pump includes the lobe pump moving the heat-sensitive fluid food products to the back pressure device and thereby cleaning the heat-sensitive fluid food products from the lobe pump,
• wherein the lobe pump comprises a heat exchanger, and
• wherein the back pressure device comprises a displacement pump device.