The heat transfer film coefficient of orange juice (OJ) during pasteurization using a plate heat exchanger with intermating 316 SS plates was studied. Mathematical models to predict OJ heat transfer film coefficient are presented. The OJ density was measured using an in-line density sensor at pasteurization temperature and also measured off-line by hygrometer at different temperatures. The OJ viscosity was measured by an off-line instrument, in the temperature range from 5-90 degrees C. The mean values of OJ density and OJ viscosity at 20 degrees C were 1046.0 +/- 3.6 kg/m(3) and 14.17 +/- 4.75 mPa s, respectively. The values of heat transfer film coefficient for OJ varied from 983 to 6500 W/m(2) degrees C, whereas the water heat transfer film coefficient varied from 8387 to 24245 W/m(2) degrees C. This study has provided a suitable heat transfer correlation to predict the OJ heat transfer film coefficient as a function of its viscosity and the channel velocity, that is, this correlation is independent of the plate geometry, for varied conditions of OJ pasteurization process.