Retort pouch
Encyclopedia
A retort pouch is a type of food packaging
created by aseptic processing
, made from multiple layers of flexible laminate
, allowing for the sterile packaging of a wide variety of food and drink
, ranging from water
to fully cooked, thermo-stabilized (heat-treated) high-caloric (1,300 on average) meal
s such as Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) which can be eaten cold, warmed by submersing in hot water, or through the use of a flameless ration heater, a meal component introduced by the military in 1992. Retort pouches are used in field rations, space food
, camping food
, and brands such as Capri Sun
, Tasty Bite
, etc.
A retort pouch is a plastic and metal foil laminate pouch that is used as an alternative to traditional industrial canning
methods. A pouch is a bag with 3 or 4 wide seals, which can store liquid within. Some varieties have a bottom gusset and are known as Stand-Up Pouches.
for its invention in 1978. Retortable pouches are extensively used by the U.S. military
for field rations (called Meal, Ready-to-Eat, or MREs).
. The food is first prepared, even raw or semicooked, and then sealed into the retort pouch. The pouch is then heated to 240-250°F (116-121°C) for several minutes under high pressure, inside retort or autoclave machines. The food inside is cooked, similar to pressure cooking. This process reliably kills all commonly occurring microorganisms (particularly Clostridium botulinum
), preventing it from spoiling. The packaging process is very similar to canning
, except that the package itself is flexible. The lamination structure doesn't allow permeation of gases from outside into the pouch. The particular retort pouches used for several products consist of four layers bonded in a lamination machine. Starting from outside, the layers are:
This layering method renders the packaging unrecyclable; after use, it must either be incinerated or disposed of in a landfill. The weight of a pouch is lighter than regular cans or bottles, and the energy required to convert is less than that of metals, paper and glass.
market, retort pouches have gained great popularity outside of the United States, particularly in the Pacific Rim
region. However, American consumers have evidently demonstrated confusion or reluctance regarding the packaging technology, and its adoption has been slow. As a result, many retort packages sold in the United States are packaged in carton
s to give them an appearance more familiar to consumers. Tasty Bite
products are an example of a retort pouch product packaged in a carton. Recently, several American food distributors have begun manufacturing foods in retort pouches without cartons, notably tuna
canning companies Star-Kist, Chicken of the Sea
, and Bumble Bee
.
Food packaging
Food packaging is packaging for food. It requires protection, tampering resistance, and special physical, chemical, or biological needs. It also shows the product that is labeled to show any nutrition information on the food being consumed....
created by aseptic processing
Aseptic processing
Aseptic processing is the process by which a sterile product is packaged in a sterile container in a way that maintains sterility...
, made from multiple layers of flexible laminate
Laminate
A laminate is a material that can be constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which in common parlance refers to the placing of something between layers of plastic and gluing them with heat and/or pressure, usually with an...
, allowing for the sterile packaging of a wide variety of food and drink
Food and Drink
Food and Drink was a long-running British television series on BBC Two between 1982 and 2001. It was the first national television programme in the UK to cover the subject of food and drink without cookery and recipe demonstrations....
, ranging from water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
to fully cooked, thermo-stabilized (heat-treated) high-caloric (1,300 on average) meal
Meal
A meal is an instance of eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes specific, prepared food.Meals occur primarily at homes, restaurants, and cafeterias, but may occur anywhere. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day...
s such as Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) which can be eaten cold, warmed by submersing in hot water, or through the use of a flameless ration heater, a meal component introduced by the military in 1992. Retort pouches are used in field rations, space food
Space food
Space food is food products, specially created and processed for consumption by astronauts in outer space. The food has specific requirements of providing balanced nutrition for the health of individuals working in space, while being easy and safe to store, prepare and consume in the machinery...
, camping food
Camping food
Backcountry camping food includes ingredients used to prepare food suitable for backcountry camping and backpacking. The foods differ substantially from the ingredients found in a typical home kitchen...
, and brands such as Capri Sun
Capri Sun
Capri Sun is a brand of juice concentrate drink owned by the German Company WILD and sold in silver pouches. It was developed by Rudolf Wild in 1966 in Germany, where Capri Sonne has been a registered trademark since 1952. Capri Sun has been distributed in the United States since 1981. Kraft Foods...
, Tasty Bite
Tasty Bite
Tasty Bite is a brand of shelf-stable Indian and Thai foods, as well as foods for special dietary needs .-The company:...
, etc.
A retort pouch is a plastic and metal foil laminate pouch that is used as an alternative to traditional industrial canning
Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...
methods. A pouch is a bag with 3 or 4 wide seals, which can store liquid within. Some varieties have a bottom gusset and are known as Stand-Up Pouches.
Origin
The retort pouch was invented by the United States Army Natick R&D Command, Reynolds Metals Company, and Continental Flexible Packaging, who jointly received the Food Technology Industrial Achievement AwardFood Technology Industrial Achievement Award
The Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award has been awarded by the Institute of Food Technologists since 1959. It is awarded for development of an outstanding food process or product that represents a significant advance in the application of food technology to food production...
for its invention in 1978. Retortable pouches are extensively used by the U.S. military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
for field rations (called Meal, Ready-to-Eat, or MREs).
Construction
A retort pouch is constructed from a flexible metal-plastic laminate which is able to withstand thermal processing via sterilisationSterilization (microbiology)
Sterilization is a term referring to any process that eliminates or kills all forms of microbial life, including transmissible agents present on a surface, contained in a fluid, in medication, or in a compound such as biological culture media...
. The food is first prepared, even raw or semicooked, and then sealed into the retort pouch. The pouch is then heated to 240-250°F (116-121°C) for several minutes under high pressure, inside retort or autoclave machines. The food inside is cooked, similar to pressure cooking. This process reliably kills all commonly occurring microorganisms (particularly Clostridium botulinum
Clostridium botulinum
Clostridium botulinum is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that produces several toxins. The best known are its neurotoxins, subdivided in types A-G, that cause the flaccid muscular paralysis seen in botulism. It is also the main paralytic agent in botox. C. botulinum is an anaerobic...
), preventing it from spoiling. The packaging process is very similar to canning
Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...
, except that the package itself is flexible. The lamination structure doesn't allow permeation of gases from outside into the pouch. The particular retort pouches used for several products consist of four layers bonded in a lamination machine. Starting from outside, the layers are:
- polyesterPolyesterPolyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
PET Provides a gloss and rigid layer, may be printed inside. - nylonNylonNylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
Bi-Oriented Polyamide, provides puncture resistance. - aluminum Al Provides a very thin but effective gas barrier.
- food-grade cast polypropylenePolypropylenePolypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
or CPP is used as the sealing layer.
This layering method renders the packaging unrecyclable; after use, it must either be incinerated or disposed of in a landfill. The weight of a pouch is lighter than regular cans or bottles, and the energy required to convert is less than that of metals, paper and glass.
Reception
In the consumerConsumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
market, retort pouches have gained great popularity outside of the United States, particularly in the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
region. However, American consumers have evidently demonstrated confusion or reluctance regarding the packaging technology, and its adoption has been slow. As a result, many retort packages sold in the United States are packaged in carton
Carton
Carton is the name of certain types of containers typically made from paperboard which is also sometimes known as cardboard. Many types of cartons are used in packaging. Sometimes a carton is also called a box.-Folding cartons:...
s to give them an appearance more familiar to consumers. Tasty Bite
Tasty Bite
Tasty Bite is a brand of shelf-stable Indian and Thai foods, as well as foods for special dietary needs .-The company:...
products are an example of a retort pouch product packaged in a carton. Recently, several American food distributors have begun manufacturing foods in retort pouches without cartons, notably tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
canning companies Star-Kist, Chicken of the Sea
Chicken of the Sea
Chicken of the Sea is a brand of canned tuna produced by a company owned by Thai Union Group.-Company:Based in San Diego, California, the company markets a variety of other seafood items under the Chicken of the Sea brand name, including clam, crab, mackerel, salmon, sardines and tuna...
, and Bumble Bee
Bumble Bee (brand)
Bumble Bee Foods, LLC is a formerly American-owned company that produces canned tuna, salmon, other seafoods, and chicken. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California, United States. The brand is marketed as Clover Leaf in Canada...
.