heoretic sterilization value (F0) of 3 min is adequate in commercial processing of low acid foods to ensure inactivation of C. botulinum for consumer safety ( Frazier and Westhoff, 1988). But most food companies use a sterilization value of at least 5.0 min in order to add safety margins or to reduce chances of spoilage caused by nonpathogenic bacterial spores that are more heat resistant than C. botulinum spores ( Teixeira, 1992). The RF sterilization process for the 6-lb capacity trays with meat lasagna was designed based on the temperature history measured by fiber optic sensors at the cold spots (the least thermally processed part of the food within a package) to reach a sterilization value (F0) of ∼5.0 min.