New process optimizes in-container quality.

Today's consumers demand more. They are looking for fresher, more nutritious and more natural tasting and looking foods, with better color, texture and mouth feel. Strong growth in premium categories indicates that consumers seek enhanced quality.

Now researchers at Steriflow, represented in the Americas by Packaging Technologies and Inspection, LLC, has developed the Shaka[TM] process that sterilizes food up to 20 times faster than conventional static retorting, yielding a significant improvement in quality. Soups, sauces, vegetables, baby foods, pasta-in-sauce, ready meals, pet foods and other categories have all shown significant quality improvements when sterilized using the Shaka[TM] process, we're told.

The process makes it possible, for the first time, to complete in-container sterilization in a few minutes to allow for the production of fresher, better-tasting, long-shelf life ambient foods. With appropriate recipes, it can be used to create superior products comparable in quality to good pasteurized and chilled products, at ambient sector costs.

In the Shaka[TM] process, a retort is loaded with baskets filled with packed food containers. A reciprocating actuator shakes the baskets and their contents back and forth vigorously. This thoroughly mixes the food and allows for very rapid heat transfer to occur throughout the contents. The process cycle times are very short. The process is suitable for most reasonably fluid food products, including those containing particulates.

For most retail cans and pouches of soups, sauces and similar food products, only about three minutes are needed for sterilization and about 10 minutes for overall cycle times, allowing about six batches per hour. Products containing particulates may take slightly longer. The process is not suitable for solid pack products, such as ham or tuna, or for products requiring extended cooking.

Products for the food service market are normally supplied in containers much larger than standard-size consumer food products. In conventional processes, these containers require extended sterilization times and, as a result, product quality can be compromised. The Shaka[TM] process, by contrast, is very fast, even for food in large containers. The process dramatically reduces times for the sterilization and cooling of conduction products, such as vegetable soups packed in large food service cans. The process can be used successfully for fluid foods packed in a variety of containers including metal cans, glass jars, pouches and suitable plastic containers.

With packaging, such as cans and pouches, which are highly heat-conductive, the Shaka[TM] process can save up to 95% of sterilization and overall cycle times compared to traditional static retorting processes. With less conductive glass jars, the process can save about 85% of sterilization and overall cycle times. Plastic packs also perform well, subject to precise temperature and pressure control.

Further information. Sanjeet Saxena, Packaging Technologies and Inspection, LLC, 145 Main St., Tuckahoe, NY 10707; phone: 914-337-2005; fax: 914-337-8519; email: s.saxena@ptiusa.com.