Retort Processing

Retort is a thermal processing method using heat and pressure to sterilize food, making it shelf-stable. It’s one of the most widely used food preservation methods globally.

The use of heat to preserve food dates back to the Napoleonic Wars. British troops used canned rations as early as Waterloo, thanks to innovations by Nicholas Appert (1804) and Pierre Durand (1810). Later, Louis Pasteur (1854) scientifically explained microbial spoilage, validating the importance of thermal processing.

Types of Retort Processes:

1. The steam process
2. The falling water process
3. The full water immersion