Radio frequency heating system

A process for sterilizing one or more packaged foodstuffs, said process comprising:

• (a) pre-heating said one or more packaged foodstuffs to a substantially uniform preheat temperature, thereby providing one or more pre-heated packaged foodstuffs;
• (b) transmitting radio frequency (RF) energy through a liquid medium and toward an RF heating zone, wherein said RF energy has a frequency greater than 300 kHz and less than 300 MHz;
• (c) heating said one or more pre-heated packaged foodstuffs in said RF heating zone to a heating temperature above a minimum threshold temperature, thereby providing one or more RF heated packaged foodstuffs, wherein at least a portion of the RF heating is provided by the RF energy transmitted through said liquid medium, wherein the minimum threshold temperature is a minimum sterilization threshold temperature of at least 120° C.;
• (d) holding the temperature of said one or more RF heated packaged foodstuffs at a relatively constant hold temperature, thereby providing one or more sterilized packaged foodstuffs;
• and
• (e) cooling said sterilized packaged foodstuffs to a handling temperature, thereby providing one or more cooled and sterilized packaged foodstuffs.