Patent ID: 8096138

Claim:
A method for pasteurizing filled food containers having contents to be pasteurized, comprising: conveying containers down a direction of a conveyor, the containers having contents to be pasteurized; spraying a heat transfer fluid onto the containers having contents to be pasteurized using a plurality of nozzles spaced along the conveyor, the nozzles forming generally a row parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyor, the row receiving the heat transfer fluid from a pipe, the pipe being generally parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyor, the contents of the containers having an initial average temperature, and the heat transfer fluid being at least about 20° F. hotter than the initial average temperature, to heat the contents of the containers; and decreasing the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid as the average temperature of the contents increases, the spacing of the spray nozzles selected so that the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid decreases in the direction of movement of the conveyor.