The disclosure relates to a process for roasting and surface pasteurization of particulate food products. The roasting and surface pasteurization can be combined and united to form one process wherein a treatment is carried out in a moist atmosphere at temperatures <100° C., that the pasteurization treatment is carried out in a roasting system during the roasting operation, that during the pasteurization phase the temperature of the product surface is held a few degrees below the dew point temperature of the atmosphere which is established, that the pasteurization is performed for 1-30 min, and that with advancing or continued roasting the water of condensation on the surface of the food products is removed and the water uptake of the same is minimized.
