A thermo-rheological (TR) model based on dynamic rheological data was used to study numerically broken heating curve during natural convection heating of a 3.5% starch dispersion (STD) in a can. Heat penetration parameters were found to be associated with the TR behavior The heat penetration parameters obtained at low retort temperatures (101 degrees C and 111 degrees C) were influenced mostly by magnitude of the apparent viscosity (eta(a)) during the gelatinization and early post-gelatinization phases, while those obtained at high retort temperatures (121 degrees C and 131 degrees C) by eta(a) during the late stage of post-gelatinization phase. Several observations with respect to extrapolation of the heat penetration parameters to other process conditions were in good agreement with experimental observations of Berry and Bush (1987) (J. Food Sci., 52 958-961).