Why Choose Food Research Lab's FRL as Your Food Product Development (FPD) Consultant and Partner?

There are several options in almost every product area in today’s market, and the difficulty is in coming up with unique items that stand out and connect with customers. Food Research Lab's Food Research Lab (FRL) takes a holistic approach to creating food and beverage products. We define, demographically target, and build effective goods through a sequential process for category selection and comprehension. The client can visit the lab to learn the process. We offer unlimited rounds of revisions to ensure customer satisfaction. The final product prototype, along with the documentation process, including the video (through email), will be shipped to the client, and in case the client is not satisfied with the video, a food technology consultant will visit the place for the product demo at the client’s costs.

What are the different forms that you deliver the Food Product Formulations?

The food industry is witnessing a new form of consumption. Keeping that in mind, we can formulate the products in the form of ready-to-eat, ready-to-drink, ready-to-mix, ready-to-serve, and ready-to-cook food products. We use ingredients that offer an added value to the development and improve its indulgence and sustainability in terms of its functional ingredients, plant-based food dyes, and natural preservatives with a clean label.

What are the sectors Food Research Lab cover?

We cover a wide range of sectors such as soups, sauces and dips, chips, tortillas, dry beverage powder, plant-based products, masalas, puddings, instant mixes and many more.

How is sensory testing been carried out?

Our sensory examination leads to the precise formulation and recipe recommendations. We develop data-driven design models based on sensory research and customer insights. The fact-based design methodology used by Food Research Lab reduces risk and gives our clients market confidence while cutting development time in half. With our dedicated sensory lab facility, our team takes satisfaction in creating and optimizing successful products in the marketplace, generating a favourable return on investment, and developing brand advocates.

Retort Processing

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Retort Processing

INTRODUCTION  

The demand for ready-to-eat processed food is skyrocketing in emerging nations like India due to changing lifestyles, rising job demands, and nuclear families.
Thermal processing is one of the most important methods for producing packaged, shelf-stable food goods.
Food preservation through canning has advanced to include the retort processing of foods in semi-rigid, flexible laminates. It is a thermal procedure that gives products a longer shelf life while maintaining appropriate nutritional and sensory properties [1].

Types of Retort  

The three fundamental retort processes are

Steam
Total Immersion.
Falling Water
Each category has further subcategories for steam/air, steam spray, water spray, and partial immersion.
When choosing a particular packaging medium, it is evident that some principles of heat transmission to sealed containers have benefits over others [2].

Steam Retort  

The first technique for in-container sterilisation is the saturated steam process.
The technique requires the retort vessel to be saturated with steam since air is considered an insulating medium.
It is necessary for the procedure that all air be let out of the retort by filling the vessel with steam and opening vent valves.
Since air is not allowed to enter the vessel at any point during any sterilisation stage, there is no overpressure during the sterilisation steps of this procedure.
Air overpressure may be supplied throughout the cooling process to avoid container deformation [3].

Saturated steam retorts

Water Immersion Retort  

The water immersion technology is the overpressure technology most frequently used to sterilise products.
The product is completely shielded from any impact of cooling air during the water immersion process, similar to a saturated steam process in which the product is completely submerged in water.
In contrast to saturated steam, air can be injected into the vessel during sterilisation, adding air (or steam) on top of the water creates overpressure.
In some cases, the steam is heated by the addition of air; the hot air pressurises the processing load and stirs the water as it rises to the surface [4].

Water-immersion-retort

Water Spray Retort    

Like water immersion, the water spray method likewise uses overpressure, but the product is subjected to the effects of overpressure air.
In water spray retorts, steam is the driving force for getting to the centre of the load, and it is comparable to the saturated steam process.
Air can enter the vessel during sterilisation with the Water Spray method, unlike saturated steam, which cannot.
By injecting air (or steam) into the retort, overpressure is created. The spray nozzles vaporise the steam and combine it with the air to overcome the insulating properties of the air [5].

Water-spray-retorts

Retort Pouches    

The Reynolds Metals Company, Continental Flexible Packaging, and the United States Army Natick R&D Command developed the retort pouch.
A retort pouch is made of laminated plastic and metal foil with three or four wide seals typically produced through aseptic processing. This makes it possible to package a wide range of beverages in a sterile manner, including everything from water to fully prepared, thermostabilised meals like ready-to-eat meals.
Using this method, cooked or raw food is first prepared and then sealed in a retort pouch.
The pouch is heated inside retort or autoclave machines to 240–250°F (116–121°C) for several minutes under high pressure. This method reliably eliminates all typically present microorganisms, especially Clostridium botulinum, preventing spoilage [6].
Propylene, the first layer, is a heat-seal surface and offers strength and flexibility.
The nylon layer, which is the following layer, provides abrasion protection.
The aluminium coating enhances the product’s shelf life and shields it from light, gases, and odour.
Excellent strength is provided by the last polyester layer, which is also extremely simple to print on. In addition, FDA-approved materials are used for packaging retort pouches, and sterilisation procedures boost the packaging’s tensile strength [7].

Schematic diagram of a retort pouch

Advantages    

Different sizes and shapes
Improved graphics capabilities;
85% reduction in empty weight and space; lower cost per pouch;
Easy, safe, and less expensive transportation;
Shelf life equal to or better than cans;
No refrigeration or freezing;
Easy opening facility;
Environmental safety;
Destruction by incineration;
Easy reheating before consumption;
No refrigeration or freezing

Disadvantages 

Not as durable as cans,
Higher packing costs lower processing line speed;
Higher investment cost;
The possibility of rodent and insect assault and challenging leakage detection [7].