Among the many packaged foods such as canned foods and bottled foods, Retort foods (Ready-to-eat meals) sealed with aluminum pouches are now in the spotlight. Retort foods were first developed by the US Army in the late 1950s as lightweight substitutes for canned field rations. In 1969, these foods were carried by the Apollo 11 moon mission, and were dubbed the “food of the future.” The US consumer market was slow to embrace the concept, however, and it was in Japan that the development of packaged foods evolved. The first product to be made commercially available was a Japanese-made retort curry. Japan’s rapid economic growth at the time was transforming daily lifestyles and spurring demand for quick, easy-to-prepare meals. In response, the single-serving curry involved simply warming the pouch in hot water. This curry became widely popular and paved the way for a wave of other retort foods, including pasta sauces and soups.
Retort foods have long been embraced by Japanese consumers who appreciate their freshness and convenience. These are produced by placing pre-cooked food in a pouch or container. This is hermetically sealed and heated under high pressure at around 120°C (250°F), a sterilization process that permits storage at room temperature for about three months to one year without preservatives. The thermal treatment and multi-layered construction of the pouch maintain food’s fresh flavor and nutrient value.
Foods such as meat, processed marine products, gravy sauces, curries, soups, cooked rice are now often packed in retort packages to extend shelf life in many Asian countries, not just Japan. Especially those that can be ready-to-eat after opening a pouch offer great opportunities in the retort market.
As the lifestyles of younger generations in cities change, there is a growing demand for Retort foods that can be preserved and ready to eat. Furthermore, the outbreak of COVID-19 has damaged restaurant businesses around the world and forcing a shift to small food manufacturing. According to Food Navigator USA, the COVID-19 situation will reduce food consumption away from home by 20%. Therefore, increasing demand for food from the home will support the growth of this market.
Even after the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for pouched meat and seafood products is expected to grow due to the advantages of Retort foods such as sustainability, transparency, food safety, and food waste reduction. The retort packaging market is expected to reach USD 1.76 billion by 2023, according to data from the Statistics Bureau of Japan.
Our sterilizers support new distribution forms and packaging of various dishes in Asian countries.
I am using ALP Retort Autoclave RKZ-40Ⅱto perform small-batch production of local meals, selected from my restaurant menu, sealed with retort pouches and distribute them domestically and overseas.
I believe this retort machine is very ideal for small-batch producers for Ready-To-Eat Meals and strongly recommendable.
We are using ALP Retort Autoclave model RK-3030 to develop dysphagia diets for elderly people.
It has various functions to quite assist us for the development. We plan to install another model RKZ-40Ⅱ to start to perform small-batch production.
We had sought a retort machine for R&D of our new foods and fortunately stumble across ALP Retort Autoclave model RKZ-40Ⅱ and decided to purchased the unit to succeed in business. Now, we are quite satisfied with the RKZ-40Ⅱ. It is recommendable for those who look for an affordable retort R&D machine.
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