PROCESS OF REDUCING FOULING DURING HEAT PROCESSING OF FOODS AND BEVERAGES

A pasteurization or sterilization process reduces fouling of a food or beverage composition containing protein during the heat treatment. An antifouling agent is added to the food or beverage composition that is selected from hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) with a hydroxypropyl molar substitution of greater than 3.0 and a weight average molecular weight (Mw) as measured by SEC of greater than 350,000 Dalton, methylhydroxypropylcellulose (MHPC) with a methoxyl content of greater than 17 % and a hydroxypropyl content of greater than 3 %, methylcellulose (MC) with a methoxyl content greater than 17 % and a viscosity in water at ambient temperatures and a concentration of 2 % of greater than 1,000 cps, or mixtures thereof, This fo od or beverage composition is then heated in a first heat exchanger at a temperature between 50 and 100~ C for a time of from about 2 seconds to 30 minutes for pasteurization or it is further heated to sterilization temperatures before being packaged out or further processed. The improvement s of this process is that the heat exchangers are fouled at least 10 % by weig ht less or run-time increased at least 10 % as compared to when heat-treating a similar food or beverage composition without the antifouling agent.