Patent ID: 6843037

Claim:
A method of preparing and packaging a food product, wherein the product comprises a plurality of food components including at least one susceptible component subject to heat degradation from thermal processing, the method comprising the steps of: providing a food preparation and packaging system having a food component preparation line comprising at least one controlled travel food processing line configured to heat process at least one of the plurality of food components to a precise degree of cooking and controlled temperature as the at least one food component travels along the preparation line, a pressurized aseptic packaging station, including a package handling, filling and sealing assembly for placing the food component in a package and sealing the package, and a holding stage operative to controllably cool the sealed package and pass it out of the system; thermally processing at least one food component of the food product using the food component preparation line until essentially all cooking treatment of the at least one food component is performed, and so that the food product is a sterile food product that has attained a sterile temperature and condition; delivering the sterile food product including the at least one thermally processed food component to the pressurized aseptic packaging station; and packaging and sealing the sterile food product in a sterile package without thermal degradation of the at least one susceptible component contained therein such that no additional heat is added to the sterile food product.