In-container sterilisation saves energy

The Shaka in-container sterilisation process is claimed to produce better ambient preserved foods. It can reduce sterilisation cycle times by some 90% and energy consumption by up to 50%, compared to some conventional batch retort sterilisation processes. Other costs should be comparable with conventional batch processes.

The sterilisation process is completed in a few minutes to produce fresher tasting and fresher looking long shelf life ambient foods. Food quality is comparable with pasteurised foods and aseptically processed foods over a wide range of products. The fast process avoids virtually all the over-cooked notes and flavour loss, discolouration and ‘dullness’ found in many conventionally sterilised ambient foods.

The patented Shaka process is available under licence from Zinetec Ltd. Pilot plants are available for trials at Campden BRI (formerly Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association, CCFRA) laboratories in the UK and at the licenced French and US manufacturers of Shaka process retorts, Steriflow SAS and Allpax Products Inc.

Allpax Products, a division of Pro Mach, has shipped its first Shaka retort, licensed in the US, to a major food manufacturer. The Shaka process applies back and forth agitation during the retort process to sterilise food faster through improved thermal transfer - claimed to be up to 90% faster, depending on the package and food. Faster processing through Shaka technology improves the taste, texture, appearance and nutritional quality of shelf-stable food.

Allpax is one of only two retort manufacturers in the world and the only one in the US licensed from UK-based Zinetec to manufacture and sell Shaka technology. While Allpax has sold multiple laboratory retorts with Shaka capabilities, the present unit is the first production model sold in the US.

Laboratory work (Allpax and others) showed that rapid agitation during sterilisation reduces the thermal burden on a number of different types of shelf-stable food and results in higher overall quality and greater productivity through shorter cycle time. In many instances, the food is indistinguishable in terms of colour and taste from that prepared either on a stove as a home cooked meal or aseptically.

Any type of food thin enough to move within the container when agitated will sterilise quickly under the Shaka process. Soups, sauces, ready meals, dips, spreads, baby food, pet foods, and more are all candidates. A Shaka overpressure retort equipped with a suitable retort basket for the package will sterilise cans, pouches, cartons, glass jars and bottles, small foodservice containers and plastic cups, trays and bottles.

The Allpax 1300 production Shaka retort has a 52″ diameter and holds a single basket. Because processing times can be reduced so much, the relatively small Shaka retort can potentially match or exceed the capacity of multi-basket retorts and baskets can be loaded and unloaded by one operator. Furthermore, shorter cycle times mean lower energy consumption as compared to larger retorts.

Pro Mach

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