A method for the production of a stabilized, full moisture, ready-to-heat packaged food product comprising the steps of: filling a tray with a predetermined quantity of a dry starchy food starting material comprising whole food grains selected from rice and wheat grains, wherein the food grains are fully milled or have part or all of the bran layer still attached, the food starting material having a moisture content of less than 30wt.%, characterised in that the filling step is followed by performing the following steps in sequence while maintaining the tray in a sterile environment and conveying the tray through a pressure vessel: (a) treating the food starting material with high-temperature pressurized steam at a temperature of from 125°C to 150°C in the pressure vessel to sterilize the material; (b) dosing the sterile food material inside said tray with a predetermined amount of sterile water; (c) applying a lid to the tray to seal the food product inside the tray; followed by removing the tray from the sterile environment, wherein the duration of the process from the start of step (a) to the completion of step (c) is less than 10 minutes and wherein the packaged food product is not subjected to a cooking step following step (b), wherein "cooking step" is defined as heat treatment of the product by exposure of the product to an environmental temperature above 80°C for a period greater than 10 minutes; and wherein directly after the sealing step, the product is cooled to a temperature less than 100°C, transferred to atmospheric pressure and stored in an environment at 25°C-80°C and tempered at this temperature for a period of from 20 minutes to 4 hours. filling a tray with a predetermined quantity of a dry starchy food starting material comprising whole food grains selected from rice and wheat grains, wherein the food grains are fully milled or have part or all of the bran layer still attached, the food starting material having a moisture content of less than 30wt.%, characterised in that the filling step is followed by performing the following steps in sequence while maintaining the tray in a sterile environment and conveying the tray through a pressure vessel: (a) treating the food starting material with high-temperature pressurized steam at a temperature of from 125°C to 150°C in the pressure vessel to sterilize the material; (b) dosing the sterile food material inside said tray with a predetermined amount of sterile water; (c) applying a lid to the tray to seal the food product inside the tray; (a) treating the food starting material with high-temperature pressurized steam at a temperature of from 125°C to 150°C in the pressure vessel to sterilize the material; (b) dosing the sterile food material inside said tray with a predetermined amount of sterile water; (c) applying a lid to the tray to seal the food product inside the tray; followed by removing the tray from the sterile environment, wherein the duration of the process from the start of step (a) to the completion of step (c) is less than 10 minutes and wherein the packaged food product is not subjected to a cooking step following step (b), wherein "cooking step" is defined as heat treatment of the product by exposure of the product to an environmental temperature above 80°C for a period greater than 10 minutes; and wherein directly after the sealing step, the product is cooled to a temperature less than 100°C, transferred to atmospheric pressure and stored in an environment at 25°C-80°C and tempered at this temperature for a period of from 20 minutes to 4 hours.