Retort Pouch Research Articles

Applied properties and life cycle assessment of flexible packaging lamination processes: a comparative study

Environmental pollution is a growing problem in developing countries, including China. The packaging-printing industry is considered as one of the main contributors to air pollution in China. Film lamination represents a critical proportion of flexible packaging products. At present, traditional lamination technologies, e.g., dry lamination, consume considerable resources and generate massive pollution. Correspondingly, novel solventless lamination could effectively replace conventional lamination processes and reduce air pollution, particularly the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To promote cleaner packaging and printing production in China, we applied life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare solventless and dry film lamination processes in retort pouch packaging production and further validate the environmental advantages of the solventless approach. Our research model considered the entire LCA process with an emphasis on film composite processing. E-footprint software and databases were used to assess environmental impacts based on the ISO 14040 standards. In addition, the laminated films were further assessed for peel strength based on the GB standards. Six environmental indicators, including global warming potential (GWP), photochemical oxidant formation potential (POFP), primary energy demand (PED), water use (WU), acidification potential (AP), and respiratory inorganics (RI) were selected, with a particular focus on the first two indices. The LCA results showed that the environment impact of solventless lamination was markedly smaller than that of traditional dry lamination, with critical differences reflected in power consumption and adhesive type. Compared with dry lamination, solventless lamination reduced electrical energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 74.1% and 86.37%, respectively, and the unique adhesive reducing VOC emissions by more than 94.5%. Further estimation results confirmed the above findings, indicating that solventless production can reduce VOC and pollutant emissions from sources and thus promote cleaner production. In short, solventless lamination is an effective method, both in terms of performance and environmental friendliness.

Innovative Seafood Preservation Technologies: Recent Developments.

Simple SummaryThe present review summarizes the findings of recent studies on innovative seafood processing technologies including high hydrostatic pressure, natural preservatives, ozonation, irradiation, pulse light technology and retort pouch processing as well as referencing the legal aspects pertaining to these technologies.Fish and fishery products are among the food commodities of high commercial value, high-quality protein content, vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to health. However, seafood products are highly perishable and thus require proper processing to maintain their quality and safety. On the other hand, consumers, nowadays, demand fresh or fresh-like, minimally processed fishery products that do not alter their natural quality attributes. The present article reviews the results of studies published over the last 15 years in the literature on: (i) the main spoilage mechanisms of seafood including contamination with pathogens and (ii) innovative processing technologies applied for the preservation and shelf life extension of seafood products. These primarily include: high hydrostatic pressure, natural preservatives, ozonation, irradiation, pulse light technology and retort pouch processing.

Thermal Process Evaluation of Analogue Shrimp Product (ASP) from Lizard Fish (Saurida tumbil) in Retort Pouches

Background: Seafood analogue is a ready to make value added product prepared out of surimi. Thermal processing of restructured products in retort pouches such as fish ball in curry medium, surimi stew in white tripod, boneless rohu balls in curry. Also no work had done on thermal processing of shrimp analogue products in retort pouches. The main objective of this work was to develop the analogue shrimp product from lizardfish and to compare the heat penetration attributes of analogue shrimp curry and masala using retort pouches and different sterilization methods such as steam / air over pressure retort and water immersion retort.Methods: Analogue shrimp products were prepared and thermally processed in retortable pouches. About 125g of shrimp analogue product and 100g of curry (masala) were filled in retort pouches of size, 150x200mm. Air inside the pouch was exhausted by steam injection followed by heat sealing and processing at 121.1°C in a retort by steam/air over pressure retort and water immersion retort. The difference in the heat penetration characteristics of analogue shrimp products processed in retort by steam/air over pressure retort and water immersion retort were studied. Result: The results showed that minimum heating lag factor and minimum come up time led to faster heating rate which decreased total process time in imitated shrimp curry by steam/ air retort. At the same time the cook value was low in curry medium processed by steam air retort. So finally conclude that imitated shrimp curry processed by steam air retort was good.

Development of Purple Sweet Potato Porridge Product (Ipomea batatas) as an Alternative of Emergency Food Products

Emergency food is food that designed and produced for directly consumed, and supplying humans daily nutritional needs in emergency conditions. Purple sweet potato porridge is an alternative for emergency food product that can directly consumed and also as effort for food diversification because it use purple sweet potato as carbohydrate source. Emergency food must easy to distribute, so one of the method is by using retort pouch as the packaging. The aims of this study is to analyze changes of critical parameters (colour, pH, and microbiological contamination) during storage period and to determine the shelf life of purple sweet potato porridge products. This study shows that the most preferred formulation of purple sweet potato porridge is Formulation F2 with 250 grams of purple sweet potato, 150 grams of sweetened condensed milk, and 500 ml of water. Shelf life of purple sweet potato porridge product based from colour changes parameter is 30 days, however based from microbiological contamination parameters the product didn’t meet national standard of Indonesia (SNI) requirements after two weeks of storage.

Estimation of Sterilization Value using General Method and Ball Formula for Beef Rendang in Retort Pouch

The existence of a ready-to-eat meal with a long shelf life is essential, particularly for emergency food and military diet, as well as for alternative food for modern society. Rendang is a well-known Indonesian traditional food which may be packaged in a retort bag by employing a sterilization process. The sterilization value of Rendang is presently still limited. This study aimed to estimate sterilization value or heat sufficiency (F0) using the General Method and the Ball Formula Method. The estimated value was then compared with the value obtained from the experiment. It was further used to predict process time (Pt) to minimize the need for trial optimization on the product. The thermal sterilization process was carried out using a horizontal retort with a pressure of 1.3 bar for 40 minutes. The results showed that the F0 values predicted were in a close agreement with the observed (experimental) values. F0 values were 5.88, 5.17, and 5.91 minutes for the General Method, Formula Method, and the observation, respectively. The Pt values of Beef Rendang in a retort bag with F0 values of 4, 5, 8, 10, and 12 minutes were 25, 27, 31, 34, and 36 minutes for retort temperature of 123°C, respectively. Whereas for a retort temperature of 121°C, the Pt values were 28, 30, 36, 39, and 42 minutes, respectively. In conclusion, both the General Method and Ball Formula are accurate to estimate the sterilization value of Beef Rendang packaged in Retort Pouch.

STANDARDIZATION AND NUTRITIONAL CONTENT DETERMINATION OF READY-TO-EAT BAMBOO SHOOT DISHES

Perceived health-related benefits encouraged more people around the globe to consume organically-produced foods nowadays. As a result , demand for and production of organic food, including bamboo sprouts or shoots, has increased significantly. Bamboo shoot is being investigated as a source of man's rich delights. Bamboo shoot contains nutritional substances like carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins and many other inorganic substances. Four dishes out of bamboo shoot were enhanced using the original recipes from five local natives, four restaurants and cookery books. The standardized dishes include Bamboo Shoot Adobo, Pickled Bamboo Shoot, Bamboo shoot in Coconut Extract, and Bamboo Shoot Adobo with coconut Extract. These standardized recipes were prepared using different cooking method. Water Retort Machine was used to thermally process the standardized recipes and packed in sealed retortable pouches to destroy microbes in the food to prolong shelf-life. Consumer acceptability tests were conducted using the 9-point hedonic scale utilizing 100 panelists to include 60 students and 40 members of the faculty and staff of Quirino State University. On other hand, the nutritional content of each dish was examined by experts using Menu Eval Plus Software. The four dishes received outstanding approval from the panelists in terms of color, colour , texture, aroma, presentation and taste. The findings of the nutritional study indicated that these dishes are low in calories, high in dietary fiber and abundant in different nutrients such as proteins , carbohydrates, amino acids , minerals, fats , sugar, fiber and inorganic salts. The goal of this study was to standardize and determine the nutritional content of four bamboo shoot dishes.

Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of High-Pressure-Processed Ready-to-Eat Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) Curry

Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) is a commercially significant fish, which is popular as seafood. Although it has a high market value, salted hilsa is usually spoiled by various microorganisms and their metabolic activities that lead to the deterioration of fish quality. Therefore, it is necessary to control the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of high-quality hilsa products by standardizing the process parameters during their production. Hilsa filets were heat-treated at 75 °C for 5 min and compared with high-pressure-processed samples at different temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C), pressures (300, 400, and 500 MPa), and hold duration (5, 10, and 15 min). The physical, chemical, and microbiological analyses of high-pressure-processed (500 MPa/5 min/50 °C) hilsa fish curry in retort pouch were found to be the most suitable treatment to retain the physicochemical parameters and reduce the microbial load. Moreover, the high-pressure-processed product also received higher sensory scores for texture and color (8.3 and 7.3 out of 10, respectively) compared with the heat-processed curry. All the high-pressure treatments showed retention of quality attributes in terms of physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of ready-to-eat hilsa curry. This study presents an effective high-pressure processing approach to produce the best quality ready-to-eat hilsa product.

Southern-style Pad Thai sauce: From traditional culinary treat to convenience food in retortable pouches.

Pad Thai, a Thai dish of stir-fried rice noodles and other ingredients, is one of the culinary heritages of Thailand. In the southern region of Thailand, Pad Thai has different characteristics from other areas because coconut milk and curry paste are used to produce a thick sauce prior to cooking. To commercially distribute this uniquely local culinary treat in a convenient form all over Thailand and other export markets, a shelf-stable sauce using heat sterilization should be developed. Retort processing technology with retort pouches can be used for this purpose. However, phase separation and lipid oxidation can occur and subsequently reduce the overall quality of retorted southern-style Pad Thai sauce. The application of an appropriate stabilizer and antioxidant can be used to prevent such problems. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of stabilizers and antioxidants on the stability of retorted southern-style Pad Thai sauce. Southern-style Pad Thai sauce was prepared according to the traditional recipe in the presence of different stabilizers (2.3% potato starch (PS) + 0.1% xanthan gum (XG), 0.5% soy lecithin (LT), and 4% whey protein isolate (WPI)) and antioxidants (500 mg/kg ascorbyl palmitate + 500 mg/kg α-tocopherol (As + Toc), 100 mg/kg ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 200 mg/kg butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and As+Toc+EDTA+BHT (mixed antioxidants)). Samples were packed in retort pouches and processed in a retort at 121°C with an F0 value of 3.57 min. Results showed that the retorted southern-style Pad Thai sauce can be stabilized by 2.3% PS plus 0.1% XG in combination with mixed antioxidants. PS and XG helped stabilize the sauce with a desirable viscosity, water holding capacity, and color without any creaming layer and negative effect on sensory properties. Mixed antioxidants improved the oxidative stability of the retorted sauce by retarding the changes in the peroxide value and color during retorting. Consequently, the processing of southern-style Pad Thai sauce in retortable pouches could increase the market demand for this traditional product due to its convenience and ready-to-use features.

Development of a Method for Estimating the Time Point of Hair Contamination in Retort Pouch Foods

DNA from hair that has undergone retort pouch sterilization shows considerably more fragmentation. Assessing the extent of DNA fragmentation using a PCR assay could therefore be applied to infer the sterilization history of a contaminated food sample. Such assessments could make it possible to determine whether a food sample had been contaminated by hair during the production process. To determine the extent of retort pouch sterilization, primers specific for the detection of human DNA were designed to give an amplification product of approx 500 bp. Hair was subjected to retort sterilization as a model of contamination, and PCR was performed using the extracted DNA as a template and the primer set for determining retort pouch sterilization. The results showed that no DNA amplification occurred in retort pouch samples, whereas amplification was observed in samples that were unheated, heated in hot water, or heated in a microwave oven. The present method was thus able to specifically detect thermal decomposition of DNA from hair that had undergone retort sterilization, and will be useful for determining whether hair discovered in a retort pouch was responsible for contamination.

The Amelioration of Nutritional Status and Phase Angle, Safety, and Satisfaction in Tube-Fed Patients With Ready-to-Use Blenderized Diet With Chicken and Pumpkin

Background: The requirement of a hospital-made, blenderized diet, as a generally used and complete polymeric formula, is increasing beyond supply availability and accessibility. A ready-to-use blenderized diet with chicken and pumpkin in a retort pouch was developed from regular use formula by nutritionists and dietitians to solve these problems. However, its clinical outcomes should be evaluated.
 Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of a ready-to-use blenderized diet, and to examine the satisfaction of patients and caregivers.
 Methods: Thirty adult patients in Ramathibodi Hospital with absolute tube feeding were included in a pre-post treatment comparative study and fed with the study formula for 14 days. Body composition measurements, nutritional status, clinical parameters, and biochemical tests were collected at baseline and day 14 after feeding. Complications were monitored daily. Satisfaction was evaluated at day 14.
 Results: This study reported statistically significant improvements in nutritional status (P < .001), albumin (P = .003), prealbumin (P = .007), total lymphocytic count (P = .004), and phase angle (P = .02) after 14-day feeding. No major complications were reported. Satisfaction of product use was evaluated in the level of satisfied (27%) and very satisfied (73%).
 Conclusions: The present study revealed that a ready-to-use blenderized diet with chicken and pumpkin was efficacious in ameliorating nutritional status, nutrition-related blood tests, and phase angle without any major complications.

Development of Ambient Stable Retort Pouch Processed Ramasseri Idli

Development retort pouch packaged Ramasseri idli was undertaken with specific objectives of standardisation of thermal process in retort pouch package, shelf life study and quality evaluation. The Ramasseri idli, an indigenous cereal- legume based food of south India, was procured and packaged in retort pouches with one idli in each pouch. The idlis were pasteurized at different time temperature combinations to achieve desired F0 values (110°C for F0=3 min, 110°C for F0=6 min 100°C for F0=3 min, 110°C for F0=6 min). After thermal processing the pouches were stored for shelf life studies under ambient storage (28°C) and refrigerated storage (7°C). The processed product was analysed for microbial and physico-chemical qualities viz; moisture content, pH, water activity, colour and texture using standard procedure at regular intervals. Based on physico-chemical characteristics and sensory evaluation, the thermal processed Ramasseri idli at 100°C for F0=6 min and stored under refrigeration showed best results up to three week of storage among the four treatments. The microbial analysis also showed that the product was safe up to 3 weeks of storage.

Textural Properties, Resistant Starch, and in Vitro Starch Digestibility as Affected by Parboiling of Brown Glutinous Rice in a Retort Pouch

The effects that two preparation methods (parboiling with different degrees of gelatinization and parboiling with enzymatic hydrolysis) have on the qualities of brown glutinous rice were investigated in order to optimize the pretreatment conditions of brown glutinous rice for the ready-to-eat product in retort pouch. The brown glutinous rice was parboiled at various temperatures (50, 70 and 90C) and steamed at atmospheric pressure until the gelatinize level of 60, 80 and 100%. For the parboiling with enzymatic hydrolysis, the brown glutinous rice was immersed in xylanase before steamed. Results showed that parboiling not only affected the nutritional composition, color, and texture of glutinous rice but also decreased the Glycemic index (GI) to 61.3 ± 0.03 and raised the Resistance starch (RS) to 2.9 ± 0.02. There was interaction among RS, GI, and the amylopectin content of brown glutinous rice during parboiling without enzymatic hydrolysis. Amylopectin is directly proportional to GI but inversely proportional to RS. Enzymatic hydrolysis improved both the texture and the physical and chemical properties. In addition, the GI value of enzyme treated samples decreased to 62.7 ± 0.24 and the RS increased to 2.9 ± 0.05. The highest overall preference score was attained by parboiled rice which was soaked in water at 90°C and then steamed until 100%gelatinization.

Packing black ripe olives in retortable pouches with different oxygen permeability

Abstract The types of retortable pouches with different O2 permeability and packing conditions (liquid, air or N2 atmosphere), and processed with and without iron addition, have been studied. In all cases, consumption of oxygen and production of CO2 were found during the first months of storage. Moreover, oxygen caused discoloration of the olives. Consequently, a loss of black color was observed during shelf-life of fruits packed under air atmosphere, particularly as the permeability of the pouch increased. Hence, the use of nitrogen atmosphere has been disclosed as a good method for packing ripe olives, especially in those pouches with high oxygen permeability. Likewise, the type of container and packing conditions did not influence the firmness of the olives but only the use of iron gave rise to firmer olives.

Physicochemical Properties and its Relations of Beef Rendang inside Retort Pouch Packaging in Various Temperature Storage Conditions

Physicochemical characterization for beef Rendang inside retort pouch packaging had been evaluated. The objective of this study was to know the effect of time, and temperature storage to the physical properties of beef Rendang includes interactions between them so it could be evaluated what properties were changed along storage. Commercially sterile beef Rendang products using sterilization process at a pressure of 1.3 bar for 40 minutes holding time with the lethality value (Fo) of 4.67-7.49 minutes were stored at three different temperatures (35, 45, and 55 °C). Moisture content, pH, and rancidity value (TBA) as physicochemical properties examined were observed for 6 weeks of storage. The results showed that the effects of three different temperatures and times storage had significant difference value of moisture content, pH, and TBA value. Moisture content, pH, and TBA value of beef Rendang were approximately in the amount of 38-42%; 5.15 – 5.38; and 0.12 – 0.27 mg malonaldehyde/kg sample respectively, along 6 weeks of storage.

Development and evaluation of retort pouch processed chhenapoda (cheese based baked sweet).

A study has been undertaken to optimize ingredient proportions for preparation of chhenapoda and the effect of retort processing on its quality and storability. Chhenapoda was prepared from cottage cheese with standard practices followed by confectioners using different levels of semolina (0, 50, 100, 150, 200g) and sugar (0, 100, 200, 300, 400g) per kg cheese and ingredient proportion was optimized based on sensory scores. Prepared chhenapoda sample of 200g were packed in pre-fabricated 3 side seal multilayer laminated retortable pouches, hermetically sealed and retort processed at different temperatures (100, 110 and 120°C) and time intervals (15, 30 and 45min). It was found from Response Surface Methodology (RSM) technique that addition of 18.5% sugar and 7.5% semolina with cottage cheese was optimum for chhenapoda preparation. Microbiological analysis showed that total plate count and yeast and mould count (YMC) decreased from 110 × 107 to 4 × 104 and YMC from 3 × 103 to 0 respectively during retort processing (30min thermal processing in laminated pouch at 120°C). From the storage study, it can be concluded that retort processing of chhenapoda in laminated pouch at 120°C for 30min resulted in microbiological safe and sensory acceptable product which could be stored up to 30days under refrigerated condition.

Indirect Measurement of Changes in Hardness of Enzyme-treated Beef in Retort Pouch Using an Electrical Impedance Method

Indirect Measurement of Changes in Hardness of Enzyme-treated Beef in Retort Pouch Using an Electrical Impedance Method

Which Is Better? High-Dose Metformin Alone or Combination of Low-Dose Metformin and Linagliptin on Glycemic Variability in Japanese Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Insufficient Glycemic Control with Low-Dose Metformin Alone—A Randomized, Crossover, Pilot Study

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of high dose metformin or combination of low dose metformin and linagliptin on glycemic variability (GV) in Japanese type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with insufficient glycemic control with low dose metformin alone in a cross-over study using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). This study was conducted in T2D outpatients (7%< HbA1c <10%) receiving low dose metformin (750-1000 mg) alone. All patients were assigned to metformin 1500 mg monotherapy (high dose metformin; HMET) or combination of metformin 750 mg and linagliptin 5 mg (low dose metformin and DPP-4; LMET+DPP-4) in a cross-over fashion and underwent CGM assessments more than 4 weeks after change of treatment. 24-hour data were collected for comparison after they had had the same retort pouch foods. Mean glucose level, standard deviations of glucose (SD), glucose coefficient of variation (%CV), mean amplitude of glucose excursions (MAGE), pre-meal glucose levels, and 3-hour postprandial glucose area under the curve (AUC, >160 mg/dL) were compared between HMET and LMET+DPP-4 groups by using t-test. The study enrolled a total of 11 patients with T2D (men/women, 8/3; age, 51.9 ± 9.8 years; BMI, 26.3 ± 3.0 kg/m2; HbA1c, 7.6 ± 0.4%; and metformin dose 750/1000 mg, 6/5). Of the CGM-derived GV metrics for the HMET vs. LMET+DPP-4, mean glucose level, SD, MAGE and %CV were not significantly different (p=0.946, 0.394, 0.865, 0.290). Again, while the pre-breakfast glucose level were not significantly different between the groups (p=0.432), the AUC after breakfast was significantly smaller in LMET+DPP-4 vs. HMET (5004 ± 3220 vs. 7712 ± 5177; p=0.047). A comparison of GV with HMET vs. LMET+DPP-4 suggested that LMET+DPP-4 may reduce post-breakfast GV to a greater degree than HMET in Japanese patients with T2D receiving low dose metformin monotherapy. Disclosure H. Takahashi: None. R. Nishimura: Speaker's Bureau; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Astellas Pharma US, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Abbott, Medtronic, MSD K.K., Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi, Takeda Development Center Asia, Pte. Ltd., Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.. K. Utsunomiya: None.

Multi-factor accelerated aging of neutral pudding packed in retort pouches determined by instrumental and fluorescence techniques.

AbstractBACKGROUNDAccelerated shelf life tests have been conducted on very few shelf‐stable products. The aim of this study was to reproduce quality changes occurring in neutral pudding packed in retort pouches over a one‐year storage period at room temperature in approximately 100 days. The influence of headspace volume, packaging permeability, combination of packaging permeability and light, iron and copper on the quality changes of pudding throughout storage was investigated at the molecular and macroscopic scales. Analyses were performed from day 15 to 368 for control samples and from day 15 to 99 for pudding samples where one or more accelerating factors were applied.RESULTSRetort pouches enriched with iron or copper showed similar trends to control pouches regarding changes in rheological, pH and color parameters during storage. These catalysts could be used as accelerating factors for the last‐mentioned parameters. Riboflavin and tryptophan fluorescence spectra recorded on samples supplemented with iron aged 99 days were the most similar to those of control pudding samples aged 368 days. Neither the headspace volume nor the packaging permeability was found to affect the aging of neutral pudding samples.CONCLUSIONSamples supplemented with iron were the most appropriate to accelerate the aging of neutral pudding. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

Nondestructive determination of the rheological properties of liquid food in sealed retort pouches

We investigated an external, nondestructive method to determine the viscosity of liquid food that is packaged in a retort pouch by dynamic viscoelastic measurement. Two thickening agents were used to model liquid foods. Various concentrations of these liquid foods were packaged into retort pouches. The dynamic viscoelasticity of the packaged liquid food was measured by a uniaxial compression vibration test by using a rheometer. The storage modulus E′ and loss modulus E″ increased with increasing concentrations of thickening agents. However, the measured values were affected by the rigidity of the retort pouch. We could correct E′ and E″ for the influence of pouch rigidity. The corrected E′ and the apparent viscosity had a strong positive correlation. These results indicate that, by using the proposed method, the apparent viscosity of liquid food in retort pouches can be evaluated by using the corrected storage modulus. Practical applications The physical properties (e.g., viscosity) evaluation of liquid food that is packaged in a retort pouch is extremely important in quality control. If the viscosity of the liquid food in the pouch can be measured without opening the pouch, an inspection of the liquid food product becomes possible. In this study, a simple method to evaluate the physical properties of liquid food from outside the pouch by using a dynamic viscoelastic measurement was examined. We obtained a good correlation between the storage modulus and the apparent viscosity. This result is effective for the quality control of liquid food products (e.g., juices, soups, and care foods) that are packaged in such pouches.

The Effects of Residual Air and Viscosity on the Rate of Heat Penetration of Retort Food Simulant in Pouch When Using Static and Oscillating Motions.

This research can be applied to food manufacturers that are retorting foods in pouches. Residual air in pouches has been studied previously; however, with the development of new retort motions, more research needs to be conducted about the effect of residual air in a pouch using the different motions. Food manufacturers can use this information to optimize their amount of residual air based on their product viscosity and retort motion. This could dramatically lower processing time which would save money and increase output as well as potentially increases product quality. This research is aimed at influencing food manufacturers, process authorities, and product developers.