Tag Archives: snacks packaging

Retort pouches

Retort Pouches – The Trend Setter In Packaging Industry

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Flexible Packaging Material

The fast-changing consumer preferences are paving the way for shelf-stable products. For working professionals who often struggle with time crunches the availability of Ready- to-Eat packs is no less than a blessing. Now, these processed meals or snacks need foolproof packaging to ensure no compromise is made with the hygiene or nutrition of the food.

Over the years the food and beverage packaging has undergone a sea change. As per the latest trend, retort packaging is gaining ground. Revolutionizing the concept of food packaging, retort pouches are hogging the limelight owing to the convenience and quality assurance they offer.

Diving Deeper To Understand Retort Packaging 

Retort pouches were initially introduced by US Army for storing military rations in the 1970s and have since transformed food & beverage packaging in the Ready-to-Eat packaged food segment. These are flexible plastic pouches packed with already cooked or semi-cooked food which are sealed and subsequently sterilized. The finally prepared food packs enjoy a shelf life of up to 18 months without any preservatives and refrigeration.

One of the major highlights of retorting ready-meal packages is that both food & package are thermally processed together, which allows the filled packages to be commercially sterile. This means the food can be eaten directly without further cooking. Additionally, they are environmentally-friendly packing options as they require less energy to manufacture, process, transport and store than other kinds of packs like cans or jars. This contributes in minimizing the carbon footprint.

Similar to frozen food packaging, retort packaging is making remarkable in-roads in India, finding application not only in homes and canteens but also in fast-food joints and restaurants. They are emerging as handy meal options for armed forces and paramilitary forces deployed in remote places. Easy to carry and convenient to consume, retort packs can be used for a wide range of products like vegetarian items, non-vegetarian items, sauces, delectable deserts and more.

Tracking Popularity of Retort Packaging

With growing customer acceptance of processed food, the scope for retort packaging looks bright. The foolproof multilayer-barrier packs/pouches promise higher safety and hygiene standards to the food processing industry.

Benefits for Consumers

  • Maximum nutritional value is retained.
  • Taste, flavour and texture (chewiness, firmness and hardness) do not alter.
  • Flexible container is easy to open, handle and store.
  • No injury risks from can lids or broken glass
  • Quick to prepare and consume.

Benefits for Manufacturers/Retailers

  • Greater shelf stability without the need for adding preservatives.
  • Easy to store as no freezing or refrigeration is required by packers, retailers and consumers.
  • Pouches and containers do not corrode externally and there is a minimum of product–container interaction.
  • large surface area and roto A gravure printed graphics are plus points for branding.
  • Smallest amount of packaging material is required to pack same volume of product.
  • Reduced weight, storage space and logistics cost are added benefits.

 

Retort pouches are being viewed as a packaging solution that can enhance the commercial viability of the product. The process and technology involved boost the acceptability of the product both in terms of physicochemical and sensory properties leading to increased value addition, product diversification and better export promotion. Be it ready-to-eat meals or snacks packaging, retort pouches are certainly here to stay!  For more details contact us!

Snacks packaging

Choose Package Pouches for Prolonged Shelf Life of Your Snacks

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Flexible Packaging Material

When it comes to food & beverage industry, maintaining an extended shelf life of the product without impacting the quality is an important factor to consider. Be it the freshness, aroma, flavour or chemical properties of the product, right packaging is critical to retain it all.

Talking of snacks in specific, top-grade snacks packaging is the key to improved shelf life and reduced inventory spoilage, ensuring fresh products to the end customers and better returns on sales.

Factors That Pose Risk Of Quality Deterioration

Food spoilage is one of the major concerns that most food and beverage brands wish to conquer. It’s a natural process that can occur at any phase of production and distribution resulting in changes in the colour, odour and even flavour. Right handling and storage can play a crucial role in cutting down on the risks of food spoilage.

So, what are various factors that snack industry needs to be cautious about to prevent their products from witnessing quality deterioration?

Rounded up here are some of the main factors that contribute to food spoilage over a period of time:
  • Air
  • Light
  • Infestation
  • Temperature
  • Physical damage

 

Companies often resort to different methods like temperature control, using oxygen absorbers, freezing and vacuum packaging etc to boost the quality shelf life of the product.

Snacks today occupy a major share of the food industry market. Premium quality packaging in the form of spout pouch, zipper packs, stand up pouch are taking over the market. However, there are challenges in designing fool-proof snack packs.

The presence of oil or fats in the snacks needs to be controlled or else it could lead to unsightly staining of the package, rancidity, smudging of the printing and not to forget the greasy package feel. The crispiness is another important property that needs special care. When snacks come in contact with moisture or humidity, they tend to lose crispiness. To counter this issue many brands opt for sealed or stand up pouch with zipper

Machinability is an essential component considering the packaging techniques used today. As snack packaging has switched from manual filling into preformed bags to automatic form-fill-seal machines running at fairly high speeds packaging materials must be of a quality that can work efficiently on these machines.

How Pouch Packaging Is Linked To Shelf Life

Pouch packaging extends shelf life by lowering the possibility of food spoilage caused due to different agents. Listed below are some of the ways packaging contributes to improved shelf life:

  • To avoid oxygen interaction with the snack content modified atmosphere packaging can be done. This replaces the oxygen inside the pack with another gas mixture to prevent oxidation and maintain the ideal condition for extended shelf life.
  • Vacuum packaging is another way of prolonging the life of snack items. In this type of packaging, most of the air is pumped off the pack, and then it is sealed to have low oxygen permeability. This is the most suitable option for items that do not need air to stay fresh.
  • For products that need air to remain fresh, a different type of packaging that enables some ventilation is used. For instance, it could be a pack with tiny holes or material that facilitates optimal gas permeability.
  • Many a time snacks or food products get physically damaged during storage. But with good packaging, the spoilage and wastage risks can be kept under check.

 

Emerging trends in the snack food & ready-to-eat food market industry are paving the way for a variety of innovative packaging solutions. However, depending upon the required shelf life and properties of the snack content you need to take your pick!