RETORT FLEXIBLE PACKAGING: The Revolution Has Begun Already big in Asia and Europe, retort flexible packaging is poised to penetrate deep into lucrative North American markets still dominated by metal cans and glass bottles. by Andrew Mykytiuk, Editor-in-Chief Cover art courtesy of Rohm and Haas FLEXIBLE PACKAGING / OCTOBER 2002 19 COVERSTORY etort systems use steam or super- mon compliments heard heated water to cook food in its from focus groups during Rown package, extending shelf life consumer testing of retort- and ensuring food safety. Retort flexible packaged tuna was that its packaging is not new. In fact, it has been texture and appearance was around since the late 1960s when the US superior to a hockey-puck- Army began looking to replace its unpop- shaped chunk of canned ular canned C-rations. That project led tuna. “Not only does it directly to Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) look better, but it offers packaging, which the Army uses to this better nutrition, too, day. Since then, retort packaging has because of the reduced evolved from a mostly aluminum foil cooking time,” adds Gary structure to a sophisticated multilayer, Bell, president and CEO of high barrier laminate package. Kapak Corp. The military, like most entrenched Today’s retort offers the latest in consumer-requested fea- bureaucracies, is resistant to change. Yes, but is it strong? tures such as perforation and press-to-close zippers. But there was virtually no resistance to Strength of the pouch has the rapid adoption of the MRE. Why? always been an issue. Most people rated ready-to-fill-pouch. The packager Because food packaged in the retort associate metal cans with strength and fills the pouch and then seals the package pouch tastes much better than canned can’t believe plastic can be as strong as before it’s retorted. Once again, this issue rations. steel—even people in the packaging has been addressed and has been success- industry. fully dealt with. It tastes better “I had one client take a #10 pouch and “The critical seal is the one made at Food packaged in a conventional can throw it across the factory floor to see if the top of the pouch after filling. The must be cooked approximately twice as the seal would hold,” says Hoss. “Another films used on the inner sealing layer long as food contained in a retort pouch. drove one wheel of a forklift up onto the were developed specifically to survive To sterilize the food contained in either corner of a filled pouch. The next day he the rigors of the retort chamber. form of packaging, it must be brought up backed the forklift off the pouch, checked “Today’s filling equipment can not only to approximately 245° F and kept there it, took out a marker and wrote on it seal, but also perform preheating, and for a specified period of time. ‘Passed the forklift test.’ I still have that inject steam into the headspace. If you “Retort packages have a thin profile and pouch in my office.” wish, they can draw a vacuum or inject a high ratio of surface area to volume,” Bell says that barrier and strength are nitrogen to minimize the amount of air says Dr. Rani Stern, chief technical offi- two of the most critical aspects of a retort in the pouch and ultimately increase cer, CLP Packaging Solutions. “Heat pouch and both have been mastered. Continued on Page 20 penetrates the food much more quickly “For more than 20 years, Kapak has when it only has to reach the inside of a produced flexible retort packaging in var- half-inch-thick mass rather than a much ious pouch configurations and lamina- larger mass in a round can.” tions, including foil and clear Dean Hoss, president of flexible pack- structures. We have solved all aging converter Pyramid Group, says challenges regarding this pack- the product nearer the can wall is over- age such as pouch integrity, cooked. “Retort time is reduced 30% to product compatibility, and 50% and by as much as 57% in a flexible durability,” asserts Bell. pouch. You don’t overcook and soften Another consideration, the food into mush. If it’s packaged in perhaps the key con- retort flexible packaging, no matter what sideration, is the it is, it tastes better, and the consumer strength of the seal. absolutely loves that,” explains Hoss. Retort packaging In addition to better taste, the prod- is provided to uct looks better. One of the most com- the packager as a Food contained in a retort pouch tastes better. Consumers pre- fer the taste, texture, and nutritional benefits of foods pack- pre- aged in flexible packaging. deco- www.flexpackmag.com 20 FLEXIBLE PACKAGING / OCTOBER 2002 COVERSTORY Continued from page 19 Shelf appeal shelf life,” explains Dennis Calamusa, The tin can only offers one look, a cylin- president of Allied Flex Technologies. der of varying heights and diameters. The He says that the heated seal bar is one retort pouch, on the other hand, offers of the impediments to faster line speeds marketers a virtually unlimited pallet of and predicts that ultrasonic sealing will possibilities. Everybody in the packaging be a major advance in high-speed business knows that more than the con- pouch filling. sumer makes 70% of all purchase deci- “Retort technology has been developed sions in the store as they scan products and perfected for high-speed commer- on the shelf. For this reason it’s obvious cial application,” says Mike Greeley, that a compelling presentation is critical. Totani product manager at Amplas. “I have much more gloss, and I can “And so have all of the related compo- print a very high graphic image that nents such as ink, adhesives, and film.” shows my product. I can’t do that with a Greeley says that even though the retort can. And because of the curve, a can’s concept was developed in the US at the label offers very little in terms of facing behest of the government, there were no on a shelf. With a standup pouch, I can The retort pouch gives the consumer more. commercial applications. “The Japanese put a beautiful, eye-catching, attention- The back of this tuna package is loaded with took the retort concept and ran with it. grabbing image on the side that faces information, including a recipe. They have spent the past 20 years per- the consumer during that critical buy- fecting this technology. In the US, just a decision moment. On the back panel I uct differentiation, there is no compari- few foods are sold in retort pouches. In can put nutritional information, a recipe, son between a pouch and a can. Japan, you’d be amazed at what the con- a picture of the finished cooked product, “Once again, a can is a can, but when sumer can get in a retort pouch and in a and a barcode,” says Hoss. the customer asks for a retort pouch wide variety of sizes and shapes.” In terms of consumer appeal and prod- they have a lot to choose from. We can provide our customers with a flat three- side seal pouch, a standing pouch, or a Pouch Vs. Can Advantages standing pouch with a bottom gusset and a hanger hole. We now offer a quad- FEATURES BENEFITS pack style pouch. It has four print pan- Reduced cooking time Improved taste/nutritional els, two side gussets and a front and a value, faster cycle time back. And we offer a clear retort pouch as well,” explains Hoss. “Add to this the No sharp edges Eliminates cuts and promotes latest in easy-open and reclosability fea- employee safety tures and you can clearly see why con- Takes up less space Increased utilization of sumers in Asia and Europe love the warehouse/storage space retort pouch.” Package differentiation Increased sales Cans: A logistical nightmare Environmentally friendly Source/energy reduction Consider for a moment the logistics of truckload after truckload of empty cans Weighs less Reduced transportation costs pulling up to a loading dock. Larger package facing Better shelf appeal “This is not a one shot deal either; this is day in and day out,” explains Rotogravure printing Improved graphics capabilities Calamusa. “Now, multiply that over the Package durability No dented cans course of a month, a year, five years, and Complete product Improved yield it’s amazing what we have learned to evacuation adapt to and accept as normal. Shipping empty cans from point A to point B and Conforms to all FDA Market ready then warehousing them until needed is guidelines sheer lunacy. Consider the cost of the warehousing space. What about the cost Source: Kapak Corp. Continued on Page 22 www.flexpackmag.com 22 FLEXIBLE PACKAGING / OCTOBER 2002 COVERSTORY Continued from page 20 to fuel those trucks and pay the drivers? What money are we making off of that as opposed to bringing in a single truckload of pouches. We take this huge can-based infrastructure for granted. It’s no longer a matter of comparing the cost of a can versus pouch. You have to look at the total cost of the entire process including the logistical aspects.” Hoss says that he can load 28 pallets of pre-decorated ready- to-fill retort pouches into a 40-foot trailer. “That’s probably the equivalent of 25 trailers filled with cans. Wouldn’t you rather have one semi pull up to your plant instead of 25?” Calamusa wonders why a glass bottle or a metal can makes perfect sense as a pre-made, yet we frown on the concept of a pre-made pouch? “It’s ridiculous, yet when it comes to the debate between cans and flexible this is what we get hung up on, instead of realistically looking at the total benefit of the package as it relates to the entire infrastructure,” says Calamusa.