Retort - Autoclavable Pouches

What is a Retort Pouch?

A retort pouch is a sterilizable flexible pouch constructed of a thin, bonded film that can withstand processing a product inside at 250°F (120°C) for a minimum of 50 – 55 minutes. It is probably most familiar to the public for tuna fish in a pouch, one of the industry’s earlier adopters. IMPAK has retort pouch customers with standing orders of sufficient volume that we maintain inventory on these products on a regular basis. This includes flat pouches, stand up pouches, drum liners, and spout pouches.

Custom Pouches: Many pouches are produced to customer specifications with a choice of sizes, styles, and colors (including clear materials), printed and unprinted. For more information, provide the size, application, and quantity required to: requests@sorbentsystems.com

Why is the Retort Pouch Revolutionary?

Many consumers may not be aware that some foods are uncooked when packaged and then cooked right in the sealed pouch. This revolutionary packaging process is called retorting and is the same process as autoclaving, which is the ability to heat and sterilize the packaging and contents. These methods are used in the food and non-food manufacturing industry to commercially sterilize instruments and components, or to cook product after it has been placed into its package. The retort pouch is filled with the product to be heated, is then hermetically sealed (airtight), and processed according to industry guidelines for time and temperature. Usually, this is a minimum of 50 minutes at 250°F. Retort bags are constructed from laminated plastics and thin metal foils, taking the place of traditional cylindrical metal cans or glass jars, and the flexible retort pouches are then processed in a heated pressure vessel.

Commercial vs Home Retorting

There are many regulations spelled out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration pertaining to safe retort packaging practices for commercial food producers. Much of this guidance is about choosing the proper materials (pouches) and to correct usage of commercial-grade retort equipment, including maintaining a precise 1 atmosphere pressure environment in the retort. IMPAK is confident in the quality of our retort rated pouches for use in these applications. When employing the proper methods for commercial retort packaging, our pouches help to make shelf-stable food products that can be enjoyed years after they are first pouched and poached.

There are many people who practice “canning” with flexible retort pouches at home, often including a chamber vacuum sealer and a pressure cooker in the process to replicate the commercial retort environment. While e are aware that people have been sharing instructions on how they have been using retort pouches at home for years, there are several reasons why IMPAK Corporation CANNOT recommend this practice. Given that the retort process frequently involves raw oods that are cooked inside the pouch, the likelihood that our pouches will burst if not properly pressurized in a commercial-grade retort, and the fact that home users are not bound to abide by the regulations for commercial producers, the risk of food safety issues is too great. The canning technique this is based around for home preservation was originally backed up with a government study to find the most reliable methods for canning - using cans and mason jars specifically. No such wide ranging study has been made for this process using a retort ready pouch.

Retort Pouch Production

The key to retort pouch production is high-quality lamination. The layers of plastic and thin foils create a barrier impervious to gases and moisture entering or exiting the packaging. IMPAK understands the technology and methodology required to bond the layers of a retort pouch together with a secure seal and a polished look. Our machines can produce retortable and autoclavable flexible packaging from small sizes to larger options. Retort pouches can include other design considerations such as having tooling available to create a dispenser tip, 55-gallon drum liners with integrated round bottoms, stand up pouches, and other custom shapes and fitments.

Standard Sizes, Custom Sizes, and Printing Available

IMPAK can create customer-specified retort pouch designs using our specially-engineered raw materials. We can produce retortable pouches from 1” x 3” to 30” x 68” and more, in styles that include stand up pouches, drum liners, spouted pouches, and unique shapes. Full custom printing is also available. Call now for more information about your product requirements.

RETORT TO THE RESCUE!

How is retorting and asceptic processing different than traditional industrial canning methods?

Retorting differs from traditional canning methods using metal cans or glass jars as it takes considerably less time to heat the contents to temperature. Retort pouches allow more surface area and even distribution of heat, rather than waiting for the contents to heat from the outside walls to the center through a cylinder.

Retorting technology’s goal is to produce ambient-temperature, shelf-stable, high-water activity, low-acid foods with higher quality than traditionally canned contents.

What can Retort Pouches be used for commercially?

• • Packaged foods
• • Re-packaging foods for shelf-stable long-term storage
• • Fully cooked ready-to-eat meals (MRE’s)
• • Field Rations
• • Camping, boating, hiking or backpacking rations
• • Space program rations
• • Fish products
• • Pet foods or snacks
• • Beverages
• • Condiments
• • Emergency Preparedness - Using flexible packaging for your emergency supplies

Need more information? Call us now! We have a technical representative available on stand-by to answer your questions!