A method is provided for heat treating a food product contained in a package. The package is made of a packaging material comprising a carton layer. The method comprises exposing the package to hot water to thereby transfer heat from the hot water to the food product, drying the package, such that a water content in the carton layer of the packaging material is reduced, and exposing the package to cold water to thereby transfer heat from the food product to the cold water.

A method is provided for heat treating a food product contained in a package. The package is made of a packaging material comprising a carton layer. The method comprises exposing the package to hot water to thereby transfer heat from the hot water to the food product, drying the package, such that a water content in the carton layer of the packaging material is reduced, and exposing the package to cold water to thereby transfer heat from the food product to the cold water.

Apparatus and methods for bulk processing items on a conveyor belt using an angled axial fan that extends obliquely into a processing chamber that performs a pasteurization or other process on the conveyed items. The angled axial fan enhances air flow around a product being processed on the conveyor belt.

Apparatus and method for treating a product with steam. The apparatus includes a treatment tunnel having an entrance opening and an exit opening for introducing and discharging the product, respectively. The apparatus includes a transport unit for transporting the product from the entrance opening to the exit opening and a steam feed unit for feeding steam into the treatment tunnel. The apparatus includes one or more nozzles in communication with the steam feed unit arranged for directing a jet of steam at the product.

A method operates a pasteurizing device and a pasteurizing device pasteurizes foodstuff in sealed containers. The pasteurizing device includes a treatment area configured for temperature treatment of the foodstuff in the containers with at least one heating zone, a conveying system for conveying the sealed containers filled with foodstuff through the treatment area and an irrigation device configured for dispensing a temperature-controlled process liquid into the at least one heating zone. The pasteurizing device further includes at least one feed device configured for introducing at least one treatment chemical for container-treatment in gaseous or aerosolized state into the treatment area.

The present disclosure provides a combined refrigeration and heating device for food industry and a use method thereof. The combined device comprises a refrigeration device and a heating device connected through a waste heat recovery and utilization system. The heating device includes a heating cavity and a heating plate. A first conveyor belt is disposed in the heating cavity. A left end and a right end of the heating cavity are provided with a slanting cavity, respectively. The slanting cavity disposed at the right end of the heating device is provided with a second conveyor belt. A left end of the refrigeration device is provided with a slanting cavity. More than two blocking devices are disposed in the slanting cavity disposed at the left end and the right end of the heating device and the slanting cavity disposed at the left end of the refrigeration device.

Induction heating systems for metal food cans configured to deliver sufficient heat into the can to sterilize the food within the can are provided. The heating system includes an induction coil and a control system. The control system is configured to monitor and control heating of sealed food cans during induction heating and to control and/or confirm various aspects of can heating during induction heating.

Induction heating systems for metal food cans configured to deliver sufficient heat into the can to sterilize the food within the can are provided. The heating system includes an induction coil and a control system. The control system is configured to monitor and control heating of sealed food cans during induction heating and to control and/or confirm various aspects of can heating during induction heating.

Embodiments herein include processing systems for food products and related methods. In an embodiment, the processing system includes a housing and a product conveyor. The housing defines a processing channel that includes an electromagnetic wave heating chamber. The electromagnetic wave heating chamber is at least partially filled with a fluid, such as a fluid. The conveyor mechanism can convey food products continuously along a conveyance path including a serpentine pathway that includes a plurality of hairpin corners where a direction of the conveyance path is reversed and a depth of the conveyance path is increased. The electromagnetic wave emitting apparatus emits electromagnetic energy into the pathway. The average pressure in the electromagnetic wave heating chamber changes along the conveyor mechanism. The orientation of products along the conveyance path varies minimally along at least portions of the conveyance path. Other embodiments are also included herein.

A process is disclosed for controlling a plurality of magnetrons of a thermal processing tunnel in accordance with a preconfigured magnetron actuation scheme. In some implementations, the process can include the steps of: receiving an identifier indicating a predefined packaged food product configuration; based on the identifier, obtaining a preconfigured magnetron actuation scheme that is preconfigured based on at least one characteristic of the predefined packaged food product configuration, wherein the preconfigured magnetron actuation scheme is preconfigured to cause at least one of the plurality of magnetrons to have a different execution characteristic than at least one other magnetron of the plurality of magnetrons; and transmitting at least one instruction in accordance with the preconfigured magnetron actuation scheme to a signal controller that drives the plurality of magnetrons, thereby causing the plurality of magnetrons to execute in accordance with the preconfigured magnetron actuation scheme.