Circumferential pasteurizers and related methods are disclosed. A circumferential pasteurizer includes a vessel having an inner guide surface, a thermal medium inlet disposed on a first side of the vessel, a thermal medium outlet disposed on a second side of the vessel, a food product inlet disposed on the second side of the vessel, a food outlet disposed on the first side of the vessel, and a rotating paddle wheel suspended for rotation in the vessel. The paddle wheel includes a hub and a plurality of paddles distributed around the hub and extending outwardly therefrom to adjacent the vessel inner guide surface to form food receiving pockets extending the length of the hub. The paddle wheel conveys the food product from the food product inlet to the food product outlet along the vessel inner guide surface and counter to the flow of the thermal medium.