food potato particulates and starch the heterogeneous food is introduced into a first aseptic processing system at step 102 the heterogeneous food is heated to a predetermined temperature at step 104 the heated heterogeneous food is held for a predetermined residence time in a holding tube which results in the sterilization of the heterogeneous food at step 106 a carrier fluid is combined with the heterogeneous food subsequent to the predetermined residence time this may occur at any number of locations with the only true limitation being that the solid food particulate be subject to the predetermined temperature for the predetermined residence time thus the combination of the carrier fluid with the heterogeneous food may even occur during the predetermined residence time as long as the carrier fluid does not reduce the temperature of the particulate of the heterogeneous food below the predetermined temperature during the predetermined residence time for example if the carrier fluid is added in an amount and at a temperature which would not lower the temperature of the particulate of the heterogeneous food below the predetermined temperature then the combination may occur early on in the holding tube however if the carrier fluid is much cooler than the heterogeneous food then this combination should occur after the predetermined residence time the location of the.