The popularity of ready-to-drink (RTD) products is growing worldwide, leading to an increased demand for robust, dependable quality retort equipment. Efficient retort solutions help companies maintain high productivity while minimizing waste and unplanned downtime.
The market for ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages has seen exponential growth across the globe over the last few years — a trend that market researchers agree will continue. Busy lifestyles and hectic working schedules have resulted in less time for people to prepare their morning coffee or afternoon tea; convenient solutions are the alternative. To keep up with the increasing demand, RTD manufacturers have been investing in reliable, robust retort machines that ensure maximum productivity levels.
Retorts are crucial for RTD manufacturing. Before hitting the grocery shelves, coffee, juices, energy drinks and other beverages must be sterilized to remain unrefrigerated and shelf stable. Retorts perform in-package sterilization, meaning they heat beverages in their individually sealed containers to high temperatures for a specific amount of time that varies according to the type of product. This process eliminates microorganisms, prevents spoilage and ensures safe consumption. In the end, beverages have a longer shelf-life expectancy, allowing manufacturers to expand their distribution channels and reach consumers in new markets.
The retort sterilization process even enables the production of RTD beverages with more natural and organic ingredients, which would otherwise have a shorter shelf life due to their susceptibility to spoilage. As a result, companies can offer a wider range of healthier RTD beverage options to a growing number of health-conscious consumers.
Julian Stauffer, CEO of Surdry North America (SNA), explains that there are alternative options to retort sterilization, such as aseptic and high-pressure pasteurization (HPP). These solutions support the growth of RTD beverages while reducing food waste, but tend to be more challenging and costly than retort processes. Therefore, robust retort machines play a critical role in this increasing demand, allowing manufacturers to deliver safe, high-quality products at higher production rates.
“More than ever, RTD manufacturers are looking for reliable retort solutions that can provide high throughput and require minimal maintenance. At the end of the day, these beverage manufacturers need to fulfill their orders. Any unplanned downtime causes high costs and lost revenue, so it is extremely important to make an educated choice when it comes to purchasing the right equipment,” Stauffer said. “Our retorts have a reputation for being reliable, operating efficiently and requiring minimal maintenance. That’s why they have been frequently deployed in the growing RTD industry.”
To learn more about SNA’s complimentary preventative maintenance program for customers in North America, click here.