JBT Marel scales food packaging sustainability through Efficient Agitation Retort

UK – JBT Marel, a leading technology solutions provider for the food and beverage (F&B) industry, has launched its patented Efficient Agitation (EA) Retort, designed to revolutionize static processing and agitation, offering flexible preservation solutions for various food products.

This innovation addresses the evolving needs of food packagers while enhancing operational efficiency.

According to JBT Marel, the EA Retort was designed for packagers specialising in preservation applications involving pouches, tubs, cups, glass, and other containers, as well as retortable foods that benefit from the shortened cooking times provided by linear agitation.

Contrary to the trademarked conventional steam water spray (SWS) static retort, the new system employs a unique trapezoidal agitation motion that allows for faster cook times, increased energy efficiency and uniform heating.

Through enhancements to the sterilisation process, the EA Retort significantly reduces brine consumption and accelerates cycle times, delivering fresher products with improved quality.

The EA Retort is engineered with a suite of advanced features that enhance processing efficiency, product quality, and space utilisation.

Its linear product agitation ensures that all products receive the same agitation profile, promoting consistent quality and uniform processing across every batch.

With customisable agitation profiles, operators can tailor settings to suit delicate products or specific processing stages, ensuring optimal results for a wide range of applications.

The system also offers significantly reduced cycle time compared to traditional static methods, which can help streamline operations and reduce the number of machines required.

The SuperStatic capability further boosts efficiency by reducing come-up and cooling times by up to 30% and 34%, respectively, while maintaining robust thermal processing performance.

Finally, the vertical door design minimises the equipment’s footprint, allowing for more flexible facility layouts and maximising available production space.

“At JBT, we are transforming the food packaging industry by evolving our products to meet the needs of food and beverage packagers and the environment,” said Breno Dos Santos, Product Line Manager.

“The EA Retort offers an unparalleled combination of benefits that decrease production time and shipping costs, significantly reduce production times and increase sustainability to ensure food products reach consumers faster and fresher with better quality and efficiency.”

JBT Marel’s EA Retort is designed to enhance operational efficiency and lower production costs, all while ensuring the delivery of fresher, high-quality products.

Additionally, JBT Marel provides laboratory testing and expert technical consultations to support producers in thoroughly assessing the EA Retort’s capabilities and performance potential.

JBT Marel’s latest technology is designed to help producers bring innovative, high-quality food products to the market, addressing growing consumer demand for healthier, more nutritious choices.

The launch of the EA Retort supports the industry’s shift toward clean labels and sustainable food production, offering manufacturers a solution that strengthens both product quality and operational performance.

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