How Emphasizing Retort Packaging Can Propel Your Business with New Prospects?

Highlights:

• History behind retort packages
• Retort pouches and the food industry
• Key features of retort packaging making it popular
• Industry growth with sustainability

Nowadays, the food manufacturing industry emphasizes the effective packaging of food items to promote their shelf-life and allow individuals to deal with their daily chores with greater convenience. With continuous research, retort packaging has come out as efficient packaging that can preserve food for a longer period. Retort packages are flexible plastic packages that store cooked or semi-cooked food and seal them against oxygen and bacteria. These packages can increase the shelf-life of food items by up to 18 months with no preservatives and zero refrigeration.

The origin of the retort pouch:

For the first time, the US Army invented the idea of this innovative packaging in 1950. Then after prolonged research, retort pouch packaging was first introduced by the United States Army in coordination with two renowned packaging companies - Reynolds Metals Company, and Continental Flexible Packaging. In 1978, these two companies were awarded the Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award for this invention. The companies offer thin, lightweight, and laminated plastic packages that can hold processed meals for a longer span. Additionally, they also used traditional techniques to preserve food by providing an aluminum can and glass jar as an alternative to storing foods.

How is retort packaging favorable for the food industry?

In today’s fast-paced world, this beneficial packaging option has helped individuals save valuable time in cooking and provided them with instant food options. Along with individuals, this packaging is highly beneficial for the food industry because of its numerous benefits. By providing an ideal alternative to store food in a flexible plastic pouch, these packages can save material costs significantly compared to can and glass jar packaging. Furthermore, the packages need zero refrigeration, which can help the industry save its operational costs by a greater margin.

Furthermore, these pouches are compact and lightweight which allows food manufacturers to pack different types of food products in a convenient way that can offer remarkable cost reductions in transportation and shipment. Moreover, these pouches require less storage space before filling as they lay flat while empty, decreasing warehousing expenses. On the other hand, when it comes to sterilizing operations, this lightweight packaging also saves expenses and improves productivity. The retort sterilization method includes the filling of pouches and subjecting the sealed packages to ultra-high heat. As these packages are thin and lightweight, they transmit heat quickly and allow the sterilization process to take place 40% faster than with jars and cans. This promotes cost-effective sterilization as the packages consume less energy.

What features of retort packaging make it extraordinarily demanding?

This innovative packaging has gained huge popularity because of its convenient cooking methods. Individuals can prepare food within minutes by simply immersing the food pouches in boiling water or a microwave oven directly. This is mainly because the pouches are made up of high-barrier plastic films that use EVOH (Ethylene vinyl alcohol) or PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride) coatings. It takes hardly 3-5 minutes to prepare food using this method. Furthermore, these pouches are safer to open compared to cans and glass jars. They also offer other features along with easy open configuration which includes resealable and customized options for individuals to use according to their needs. Because of their enhanced surface area, these lightweight pouches have gained traction among customers and retailers as they can be used for front-facing marketing materials and can be used to maintain the showcase easily.

Along with providing extended shelf-life for products, these lightweight pouches or containers also protect the food from corrosion and rust when exposed to moist environments. Moreover, they require less heat to sterilize, improving the taste, color, and flavor of the food and minimizing nutrient losses.   

How is the retort packaging sector growing with sustainability solutions?

The retort packaging industry is observing remarkable growth and is predicted to rise at a healthy CAGR of 5.6% from 2023 to 2032. As the world is inclining toward adopting sustainable practices, many players in this domain have come up with beneficial product launches. For instance, in November 2023, ProAmpac, the global leader in flexible packaging and material science announced the launch of its new product, namely, ProActive PCR® Retort pouches that are designed with post-consumer recycled material. With this launch, the company aimed to expand its sustainability platform by offering retailers and food brands looking for innovative solutions to achieve their circular economy goals.

To conclude, the increasing demand for packaged food among individuals because of their changing lifestyles will drive the sector to achieve new peaks. Moreover, the rapid growth in e-commerce sectors and innovations in packaging materials and technology will create immense opportunities for the domain in the coming years.

To identify emerging trends in the retort packaging industry and develop new strategies to gain a competitive advantage, talk to our industry experts today! They can also help you identify potential investment opportunities across various regions.  

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