Glossary
What is Retort?
Also called: retort sterilisation
A retort is a pressure vessel that heats sealed cans, jars or retort pouches above 100 °C to sterilise the food inside so it keeps without refrigeration.
Food is first sealed into a container that can withstand heat and pressure. The container goes into the retort, where steam or hot water under pressure raises the temperature above the boiling point. It is held there long enough to destroy spoilage organisms and Clostridium botulinum, and then cooled. A retort pouch, for example, is typically processed at about 116–121 °C (240–250 °F) for several minutes.
The retort pouch is a flexible laminate of plastic and metal foil used as an alternative to the can. In the United States, low-acid foods processed this way fall under 21 CFR Part 113. That regulation covers the equipment, process controls and records that thermal processing needs.