System for controlling the pasteurization heat treatment, in particular of packaged food products, in tunnel-type pasteurizers

A system for controlling the pasteurization heat treatment of a packaged food product in tunnel-type pasteurizers, comprising:

• a pasteurization tunnel having a conveyor for feeding of the product;
• the pasteurization tunnel being subdivided into three zones including a first zone for subheating, a second zone for heat treatment and a third zone for cooling of the product, said first, second and third zones each being subdivided along a length thereof into a plurality of thermally independent basic subzones;
• wherein data detection and processing means are provided for measuring and recording a temperature of the product in each of said zones or basic subzones so that when the product reaches a pasteurization temperature for a first time, the product is kept at the pasteurization temperature for a given period of time depending on a type of the product to be pasteurized;
• wherein the pasteurization temperature is thereafter lowered and remains low until the product has left the second zone of the pasteurization tunnel;
• and
• a graph for an entire pasteurization heat treatment has, along a length thereof, only one ascending heating zone followed by only one descending cooling zone.