Processes to heat treat food products are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,532, for instance, describes a method and apparatus for even and rapid heating, pasteurization or sterilization of products contained in a package, such as, for example, pharmaceutical products or food, which are conveyed through a microwave treatment chamber on a continuous conveyor belt. In order to heat components of the products having different heat absorption for the purpose of reaching the pasteurization temperature rapidly and evenly, the temperature of the components is recorded by a temperature sensor, and on the basis of this the computer calculates the respective ΔT, taking into account given product parameters and the desired temperature to be reached. When the product passes under the following input aperture, a given microwave energy level is coupled into each specific component, as a result of which an even temperature of all products in the package is achieved very rapidly without overheating of the product.
Further, WO2011062499 describes for instance a device for pasteurizing a mass of foodstuff which comprises: a feed; a first tube of an electrically and magnetically inert material suitable for contact with foodstuff; an arrangement of electrodes added to the first tube and connected to an RF power generator so that the mass present in the first tube can be heated in this first tube. Co-acting electrodes are disposed with a substantial mutual axial interspace.