A method of accurately controlling and optimizing any foodstuff heating and cooling process, by means of monitoring and quantifying foodstuff product performance, comprising the steps: - measuring the composition of the foodstuff product, in particular comprising the principle physical, chemical and biochemical properties of the foodstuff product, and calculating the heating and cooling performance properties and requirements of said foodstuff product; - identifying a product container, measuring the principle physical and chemical properties of said product container, and calculating the heating and cooling performance and requirements of said container; - analyzing data to define process conditions necessary to achieve, maintain and control required thermal processing conditions to generate an optimum level of product quality while attaining a required processed state; - modifying a calculated process control program to incorporate any additional physical and/or chemical steps identified so as to optimize the process; - monitoring a necessary processing performance for each said container and foodstuff product combination by applying an identifier to each product container prior to entering the processing system and simultaneously measuring actual essential product and container properties and process conditions associated with said processing steps through tracking and tracing of the product and their containers through the processing steps; and - on completion of the process control program, calculating and comparing predicted processing requirements with actual product and processing performance achieved; - identifying product containers that have been under- or over-processed; and - ejecting the identified product containers that have been under- or over-processed from the process. - measuring the composition of the foodstuff product, in particular comprising the principle physical, chemical and biochemical properties of the foodstuff product, and calculating the heating and cooling performance properties and requirements of said foodstuff product; - identifying a product container, measuring the principle physical and chemical properties of said product container, and calculating the heating and cooling performance and requirements of said container; - analyzing data to define process conditions necessary to achieve, maintain and control required thermal processing conditions to generate an optimum level of product quality while attaining a required processed state; - modifying a calculated process control program to incorporate any additional physical and/or chemical steps identified so as to optimize the process; - monitoring a necessary processing performance for each said container and foodstuff product combination by applying an identifier to each product container prior to entering the processing system and simultaneously measuring actual essential product and container properties and process conditions associated with said processing steps through tracking and tracing of the product and their containers through the processing steps; and - on completion of the process control program, calculating and comparing predicted processing requirements with actual product and processing performance achieved; - identifying product containers that have been under- or over-processed; and - ejecting the identified product containers that have been under- or over-processed from the process.