Sterilization is a key stage in the production of milk and beverages. The heat exchanger is an important equipment in the sterilization section, including plate heat exchangers, shell and tube heat exchangers, and tube-in-tube heat exchangers.
Pasteurization is a relatively mild sterilization method. Its basic principle is to heat the raw milk to 72-80 degrees Celsius and keep it for 3-15 minutes. This temperature range can effectively kill harmful microorganisms in milk while retaining the taste and nutritional value of milk to a greater extent. Since the temperature of pasteurization is relatively low, it will cause less damage to the nutrients such as protein, fat and vitamins in milk, so pasteurized milk is usually better in taste and nutritional value.
However, due to its relatively low sterilization temperature, it may not be able to completely kill some heat-resistant microorganisms, such as spores.
Ultra-high temperature sterilization is a more thorough sterilization method. Its basic principle is to use special equipment to heat the raw milk to 135-140 degrees Celsius and keep it for 1-3 seconds. This high temperature can completely eliminate all microorganisms in raw milk, including heat-resistant spores.
Due to high temperature treatment, the protein and other nutrients in milk may be destroyed to a greater extent, thus affecting the taste and nutritional value of milk. In addition, ultra-high temperature sterilization may produce some unpleasant flavors.