3. INTRODUCTION
The processing industry is always looking for way to increase shelf life
and preserve food as well as diversify the ways in which these goals are
accomplished.
Consumer like to see new products and will buy things if they are more
convenient.
The retort pouch is the perfect answer for the consumer and the
producer.
In a 'heat and eat' society retort pouch places a great deal of
importance.
4. What is retort ?
A retort pouch as “a flexible package in which prepared food is
hermetically sealed for long term unrefrigerated storage.”
Retort is a process that uses heat and pressure to cook food in
a strong, sealed package.
It is the most acceptable form of food preservation in rigid,
semi rigid and flexible packaging system.
5. history
The U.S army promoted the concept flexible retort able pouches for use
in combat rations, or MRE (meals ready to eat) in the 1950
Concept
Retort pouch is a flexible package made from multilayer plastic film
with or without aluminium foil as one of the layers.
The most important feature is that, unlike usual flexible pouches they
are made from heat resistant plastic, thus making them suitable for
processing in retorts at temperature of around 121 degree Celsius
normally encountered in thermal sterilization of food.
6. AIM OF THIS…….
To destroy microorganism by heating.
Thermal processing of food with
package itself.
To protect the food from chemical
enzyme.
To provide food commercially sterile.
To cook food ready for consumption.
11. ADVANTAGES
Reduced heating time.
Opens easily by tearing or cutting.
Labels can be printed into the laminate, making them permanent.
Easier to distribute.
Storage space for empty flexible pouches is also reduced.
Pouches easily flattened and contain no dangerous sharp edges.
Easy to handle, cook and open.
Self stable and require no refrigeration.
Reduced storage space.
Lighter and expensive to ship.
12. Less energy is required to manufacture pouches compared with cans.
Transport of empty containers is cheap.
Rapid heat penetration and faster process results in better nutrition/flavor.
Contents are ambient shelf stable.
Non-corrosive.
Easier for costumer to open, heat and use product.
Flexible pouches are easier to distribute and less logistic cost.
13. POUCH MATERIAL
CHARACTERISTICS
Low gas permeability.
Low moisture permeability.
Low hydrophilic properties.
Heat sealable and sterilisable.
Resistant to penetration by fats, oils.
14. Physical strength to resist physical abuse during packing, retorting,
storage and distribution.
Absence of solvent residues.
Bonding materials for the laminates must not migrate into the foods.
High light barrier.
15.
16. CONCLUSION
The entry of retort packaging has enhanced the acceptance of ready-to-
serve meals
These pack now putting tough competition to the canned food because of
their flexibility and easy storage
Editor's Notes
and therefore have lower transportation costs and require less disposal space
not just in homes but for the armed forces located in the remote and inaccessible regions in the country.
Retort pouches are used in field rations, space food, camping food, etc. Each layer of the lamination performs different function for the retort pouch.