PERFORMANCE, PACKAGED

Allpax Demonstrates Productivity and Quality Advantages of Shaka Retort Agitation at Pack Expo 2011

Sep 14, 2011

Covington, LA - Using its innovative 2402 multimode R&D retort, Allpax Products, powered by ProMach, will demonstrate at Pack Expo 2011 in Las Vegas, September 26-28, how Shaka(R) agitation improves the taste, texture, appearance, and nutritional quality of shelf-stable food. See the new 2402 R&D retort featuring Shaka technology at the Allpax Booth #C-1416.

This summer Allpax shipped the first production Shaka retort licensed in the United States to a major food manufacturer. The Shaka process applies back and forth agitation during the retort process to sterilize food faster through improved thermal transfer - up to 90 percent faster depending on the package and food. Faster processing through the Shaka process has a profoundly positive impact on the final product. Allpax is one of only two retort manufacturers in the world and the only one in the U.S. licensed from UK-based Zinetec to manufacture and sell Shaka technology

Any type of food thin enough to move within the container when agitated will sterilize 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 sterilize cans, pouches, cartons, glass jars and bottles, small food service containers, and plastic cups, trays, and bottles

"Since we shipped the first production Shaka retort, we've seen a marked increase in customers wanting to know more about it," said Greg Jacob, vice president and general manager, Allpax. "Using the 2402 R & D retort for demonstration at Pack Expo, we will be able to show and discuss why the Shaka agitation process is so revolutionary in terms of quality and productivity.

The unique Allpax 2402 multimode R&D retort comes in a wide variety of combinations that can include: Saturated steam, steam air overpressure, water immersion, water spray, and water cascade processes in combination with seven easily changeable modular agitation modes - still, end-over-end, swinging, Gentle Motion shaking (low-speed), the Shaka process shaking (high-speed), hydrostatic simulation, and axial rotation. The unit can handle cans, bottles, pouches, cups, trays, metals, glass, plastics, and double seam film and foil closures

This R and D retort is equipped with the production version of the Allpax control software, which is 21 CFR Part 11 compliant for recipe editing, batch logs, and security functions. The Allen-Bradley PLC-based HMI makes switching between sterilization processes fast and easy, creating an almost infinite number of processing possibilities as manufacturers look for optimum efficiency, quality, and taste.

Last Spring The National Food Lab (The NFL) installed the most advanced 2402 laboratory retort ever built by Allpax. The high capacity stretch unit offered every heat and agitation mode available in one flexible unit. Speaking about the advantages of this lab retort, Terry Berman, division manager of commercialization at The NFL, said, "The NFL's new retort capability means faster time-to-market for new products and potentially better sterilization solutions for products already on the market."

Talk with Allpax at Pack Expo 2011 Booth #1416 about Shaka, the 2402 multimode R&D retort, the company's new waste-heat energy recovery system, high speed automation for small footprint retort rooms, production retorts, Shaka and Gentle motion agitation, control systems, refurbished retorts, and products and services for older canneries relying on vertical retorts. For information now on Allpax products and services for retort rooms, call 1-888-893-9277 and visit www.Allpax.com.

About ProMach

ProMach is a family of best-in-class packaging and processing solution brands serving manufacturers of all sizes and geographies in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, and household and industrial goods industries. ProMach brands operate across the entire production line: processing, filling, bottling and capping, decorative labeling, flexibles and trays, pharma, handling and sterilizing, labeling and coding, and robotics and end of line. ProMach also provides systems and integration including turnkey solutions, design/build, engineering services, and productivity software to optimize production line design and deliver maximum uptime.

ProMach designs, manufactures, integrates, and supports the most sophisticated and advanced packaging and processing solutions in the global marketplace. Its diverse customer base, from Fortune 500 companies to smaller, privately-held businesses worldwide, depends on reliable, flexible, technologically advanced equipment and integrated solutions. ProMach is headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio, with manufacturing facilities and offices throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. For more information about ProMach, visit www.ProMachBuilt.com and for more information on ProMach Careers, visit www.ProMachCareers.com.