What is Retortable packaging?
3 Retort packaging. The term ‘retort pouch’ is used to describe a flexible or semi-rigid package made from heat-resistant laminated plastic, into which food products are placed, sealed and sterilized at temperatures up to 121°C. The resulting product is then sterile and shelf-stable.
What is Retortable plastic?
A retort pouch or retortable pouch is a type of food packaging made from a laminate of flexible plastic and metal foils. It allows the sterile packaging of a wide variety of food and drink handled by aseptic processing, and is used as an alternative to traditional industrial canning methods.
What is a retorted product?
Definition: Retorted Products. Retorted products are heated in an unopened, hermetically sealed container for a time, and to a temperature beyond 100 °C, sufficient to render the contents commercially sterile.
How is retorting done in bottling?
The retort sterilization process involves first filling the pouch and then exposing the sealed package to ultra-high heat. The thin packaging quickly transmits heat, permitting content sterilization to occur up to 40% faster than with jars and cans.
Can you microwave a retort pouch?
The retort pouch product can be consumed as such without heating or it can either be heated quickly by keeping the pouch in boiling water for about 3 minutes or by opening the pouch, removing and heating the food product directly in the bowl in microwave oven for a minute.
What food is suitable for retort?
Retort technology can be applied to process ready meals, sauces, marinades, vegetables curry, soups, and rice.
Are retort pouches recyclable?
The new mono-material retort packaging is fully recyclable, offering a solution that protects the product, provides exceptional shelf life for a mono-material solution and reduces potential food waste.
What are food pouches made of?
The most common material used for stand up pouches is (LLDPE) linear low-density polyethylene. This material is used widely throughout the packaging industry because it is FDA approved and is safe for direct contact with food.
How do retorts work?
In retort packaging, food is filled into a pouch or metal can, sealed, and then heated to extremely high temperatures, rendering the product commercially sterile.
What is retorting of ready to eat food?
Retort is a processing method that uses heat and pressure to sterilize food. It is one of the most commonly used methods of thermal food processing and is popular with food producers across the world. The sealed pouch can also be re-heated in hot water or in a microwave before consumption.
What is aseptic drink?
Aseptic processing is a processing technique wherein commercially thermally sterilized liquid products (typically food or pharmaceutical) are packaged into previously sterilized containers under sterile conditions to produce shelf-stable products that do not need refrigeration.
What are microwaveable pouches made of?
Made from laminated PET and LLDPE food grade materials, our microwaveable pouches are produced to withstand extreme temperatures and high pressures without compromising the look of your products.
Why do you need a racking system for retortable containers?
Because retortable plastic bottles, bowls and pouches are often considered to be fragile containers, special racking systems are needed to support the container, and to support the layers of containers on top of the bottom layers in the basket or cube. Design of the racking system is critical from a couple of perspectives.
What is the value of your containers?
The most standard container in our industry is plastic container 45 x 48 x 34 and weighs approximately 130 lbs. Currently with scrap HDPE trading at $.20/lb these containers are worth (at least) $26.00 each!
What are the benefits of using returnable containers?
Returnables come with many benefits, including tear-resistance, easily foldable, drillable, and stitchable, fits right where non-returnables have previously been used, and a higher level of resiliency demonstrated against impacts and breakages. Depending on care and use, some reusable containers can last as many as 100 uses and potentially more!
Why are my retorts not sterilizing?
The real issue is the type of process that your current retorts deliver and the amount of control that the operator has over the process. Pouches and most retortable plastic containers require what is known as an overpressure sterilization process.