The disclosure relates to a system for heating and/or cooling, in particular pasteurizing, closed containers filled with an in particular liquid filling material. The system comprises a transport device designed to transport the containers in a transport direction, a device designed to heat and/or cool the containers according to a temperature profile along the transport direction, and a control device designed to control a transport speed of the transport device and the temperature profile. The control device is designed to control the transport speed during the time change between a stop and a nominal transport speed and to control the temperature profile as a function of a predicted system parameter. The disclosure also relates to a method for heating and/or cooling the closed containers filled with an in particular liquid filling material by means of such a system.

An apparatus for thermally processing food products in sealed packages comprises heating/cooling chambers with an endless conveyor guided through them with product carriers connected thereto. Each product carrier 10 comprises insertion spaces 17 for packages 27 to be placed in. A side wall 11 of the carrier 10 comprises slits 20 which open out towards insertion openings of the respective insertion spaces 17. Operating members are provided which comprise load bearing organs 32 with operable holding means 33 for picking up and carrying packages 27. The load bearing organs 32 are movable in an insertion direction x while projecting through the slits 20 during placing of packages 27 into the insertion spaces 17.

A carrier for processing a container in a thermal processing system includes a carrier body having an exterior configured to roll in the thermal processing system. The container includes a container body extending between first and second container ends. The carrier body has a first end portion configured to receive the first container end and a second end portion opposite the first end portion. A retention system is disposed within the second end portion of the carrier body that is configured to engage the second container end and retain the container within the body.