The document discusses retort pouches, which are flexible laminated plastic pouches used for food packaging. Retort pouches have a 3-ply laminate structure consisting of PE film laminated to aluminum foil and PP film. The aluminum foil acts as an oxygen, carbon dioxide, and moisture barrier to extend shelf life. Retort pouches offer advantages like good shelf life without refrigeration and easy storage and disposal. However, they also have disadvantages like lower filling rates and more complex thermal processing compared to other packaging. The document provides examples of fruits, vegetables, and meat/fish/poultry products that can be packaged in retort pouches.

1. Presented by
Miss Purnima Panchal
College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Godhra
Anand Agricultural university

2. Introduction
 Rectangular, flexible, laminated plastic and four side
hermetically sealed pouch.
 Light weight, high quality, durable, convenient, shelf
stable packs.
 Pouch structure: PET/nylon/foil/PP and PET/nylon/
EVOH or PVDC/PP.
 Uses: hotels, restaurants and other institutions.
 It must be inert, heat sealable, dimensionally stable, and heat resistant to at least 121ºC.

3. Structure of Retort Pouch
• Retort pouch is a 3-ply laminate consisting of PE film laminated to aluminum foil and PP
film with adhesive material

4. Function of Each Film
1) Polyester film: withstand to high processing temperature, resistance to transportation
and storage, good printing property.
2) Aluminum foil: barrier to 𝑂2, C𝑂2, and water vapor, extend the shelf life of product.
3) Polypropylene: heat sealing integrity, flexibility and strength, odourless and withstand
to high temperature.

5. Advantages of Retort Pouch
 Offer good shelf life
 Doesn’t require freezing or refrigeration for storage
 Easy to open
 Require less storage space
 Easy to dispose
 Reconstitution of products in pouch can be done quickly by dipping in hot water
for 5 minutes.

6. Disadvantages of Retort Pouch
 Filling rate is low 30-60 pouch/min as compared to other
 Thermal processing is more complicated and requires special provision of
overhead pressure
 Require overwrapping of paper cartoon, which increase the cost
 High initial capital investment.

7. Product packed in Retort Pouch
1) Fruits products:
 Peach slice(at 37°C, 4 month) pH = 4
 Mango pulp (at 20-25° C, 4 month)
 Pouches are made from laminate of PE/ AL
Foil EVA.

8. 2) Vegetables Products:
 High rate of ascorbic acid degradation
In pouches. e.g. green bean
 Retention of thiamine and riboflavin in
Sweet potato, pure packed in retort
Pouches is better.
 Leaching of vitamin-c and calcium can
be avoided in food product by controlling
The fluid content.

9. 3) Meat /Fish/Poultry Products:
 It has been suitable for the
Packaging of fish based product.
 Best suitable for meat product.
 Not suitable where high degree of
Oxygen permeability required.