Method and system for determining a specific mass flow rate of a highly viscous food product (1) having a viscosity of greater than 100 cP, which during processing in a continuous delivery flow is supplied to or removed from a buffer container (2) by means of a delivery pump (4),wherein a weighing device (7) is used to determine the change in the mass of the food product (1) in the buffer container (2) over a defined time period, which is in particular in the range of one or several minutes (Δ；m/Δ；t),wherein, in the same time period a pump parameter of the delivery pump (4) that is proportional to the expected delivery rate is registered, changes in the pump parameter over the time period are averaged to form an average pump parameter,wherein the current specific mass flow rate is calculated as a quotient from the change over time of the mass Δ；m/Δ；t and the averaged pump parameter and is output.
