Novel apparatus, thermal processing medium and method for accelerated, optimized thermal processing of product, preferably foodstuffs, to a user selected processing state using a thermal processing medium that is essentially neither water nor steam, wherein said thermal processing medium does not result in nor methodology require any change of state at any point during any processing step, and wherein said thermal processing medium comprises a different composition for each of the heating, holding and cooling stages but is additionally regulatory approved for direct or indirect contact with foodstuffs, is described. It further relates to the elimination of any requirement for significant additional pressurization of either the thermal processing apparatus or the medium. It also relates to eliminating expensive, anti-corrosion additives. Finally, it relates to the flexible and modular structure of the apparatus, wherein, in conjunction with the novel methodology, the independently controlled and optimized processing of product to any user-selected processing state can, simultaneously within the same processing structures, without further modification and irrespective of product/container composition or configuration, be accomplished.