The invention relates to a method and to a device for treating foods and/or containers for holding foods. The foods and/or containers (2) are treated with a process liquid (3) in at least one treatment zone (4), wherein the process liquid (3) is at least partially recirculated into the treatment zone (4) or the treatment zones (4) after the foods and/or the containers (2) have been treated. According to the invention, at least a partial amount or the entire amount of the process liquid (3) is used to form at least one flow (20) of the process liquid (3) per unit of time during the continuous treatment operation, the formed flow (20) is filtered by means of at least one membrane filtration system (19), and a filtered flow (46) is at least partially fed back to an element (8) containing and/or conducting the process liquid (3) and/or to a treatment zone (4). The invention further relates to an adsorption stage.