Controller and method for administering and providing on-line handling of deviations in a hydrostatic sterilization process

A controller for administering a sterilization process performed by a hydrostatic sterilizer on a continues line of carriers of containers that contain a food product, the controller comprising:

• control circuitry configured to control the hydrostatic sterilizer;
• a memory configured to store a process control program and a deviation program, the process control program being programmed to cause the control circuitry to control the hydrostatic sterilizer in performing the sterilization process according to scheduled parameters, the deviation program being programmed to (a) determine when a deviaion in a specific one of the scheduled parameters occurs, and (b) identify, when the deviation occurs, those of the carriers that will in response have a total lethality predicted to be delivered to them during the sterilization process that is less than a predefined target lethality;
• and
• a microprocessor coupled to the memory and the control circuitry and configured to execute the process control and temperature deviation programs.

A hydrostatic sterilization system comprising:

• a hydrostatic sterilizer configured to perform a sterilization process on a continues line of carriers that contain a food product;
• a controller configured to:
• control the hydrostatic sterilizer in performing the hydrostatic sterilization process according to scheduled parameters;
• determine when a deviation in a specific one of the scheduled parameters occurs;
• and
• when a deviation occurs, identify those of the carriers that will in response have a total lethality predicted to be delivered to them during the sterilization process that is less than a predefined target lethality.