White Papers by T. Scott Williams, Vice President, Allpax Products
You’ve just been told that marketing has decided to launch a new product – in a pouch, or plastic bowl, or plastic bottle – and that the container must go through the rigors of the retorting process. Where do you begin?
Smaller finished goods inventories, rapid response times, and greater effective throughput are all phrases that have become real pressures on the managers of food processing companies. But how do you achieve manufacturing flexibility at the plant level?
There are many advantages to packaging food products in the retort pouch – processing times can be reduced by as much as 50%, shipping costs and storage costs are lower, and shelf appeal and consumer acceptance continues to grow. But are you familiar with the processing challenges in using the retortable pouch as compared to a metal can?
Retort Sterilization Processes should be evaluated the same way you shop for a car – what gets the best miles per gallon probably won’t tow your boat. So with retorts you must ask which process is best for the application? And, which process is best for a particular container?
Shelf stable food packaging has significantly evolved during the past 20 years, from the standard metal can and glass jar, to value-added polymeric and composite pouches, bowls, cups, and trays. Are you familiar with how retort technology has kept pace with these evolving containers?