Prove it in the retort before you pay for a commercial run.
Pilot-scale retort trials for shelf-stable foods. We develop your process, run it on 6 kg batches and hand you a validated thermal process file.
Request a pilot quote
A food technologist reviews your product and replies within 4 hours with next steps and a quote.
The retort is where products fail.
A recipe that works in the kitchen often changes at 121 °C. Finding that out on a commercial line is expensive. Finding it out on a 6 kg pilot cycle is not.
Texture collapse
Vegetables soften, rice turns mushy, meat toughens.
Colour change
Browning and darkening during long holds.
Flavour loss
Fresh aromatics cook out; “retort” notes appear.
Separation
Oil, emulsions or proteins split.
Pack failure
Weak seals, delamination, swelling.
The wrong process
Under-processing is a safety risk; over-processing kills quality.
Built for teams taking a product to shelf
Startups & D2C brands
Test a recipe before you invest in a co-packer run.
Retail & private label
Approved samples for buyer sign-off and listings.
Exporters
A validated process and the documents your market asks for.
Founders & investors
Professionally packed, shelf-stable demo samples.
Packaging converters
Real retort-cycle data on your pouch, tray or laminate.
From feasibility to a validated batch in five steps
One team formulates your product, runs the retort trials and prepares the documentation. Every step ends with a deliverable.
Feasibility
We review your product, pH, water activity, pack and target market.
Recipe & pack review
We adjust the formulation for retort stability and select the pack.
Process development
Retort trials to set the time–temperature schedule.
Pilot batches
Production for sensory evaluation, customer trials and market testing.
Validation & scale-up
Validation studies and guidance for commercial manufacture.
Typical timeline: 3–8 weeks, depending on product and pack. Already have a recipe? We start at step 2.
Start with step 1There is no standard retort time for your product.
Commercial sterility depends on your product’s pH, viscosity, particle size, fill weight and pack. Low-acid foods (pH above 4.6) need a process that reliably destroys Clostridium botulinum spores. We set the target lethality (F0) for your product, pack and market, and prove it with data.
- 1Temperature distributionMaps the retort so every position reaches process temperature.
- 2Heat penetrationMeasures the slowest-heating point in your pack to calculate lethality.
- 3Incubation testingHolds processed packs at elevated temperature to check for spoilage.
- 4Challenge testingConfirms the process controls target organisms, where required.
- 5Process deviation evaluationAssesses product safety if a cycle runs off schedule.
A pilot retort, with a lab around it.
Formulation, sensory evaluation, shelf-life studies and packaging development sit next to the retort, so the whole pilot runs in one place.
- Type
- Horizontal retort, SS304
- Capacity
- ~6 kg per cycle (≈20 × 300 g pouches)
- Chamber
- 350 mm ID × 650 mm length
- Maximum process
- 121 °C at 25 PSI
- Steam
- Inbuilt SS304 generator, 9 kW
- Cooling
- Centrifugal pump, coolant water injection
- Control
- Panel control of temperature and pressure, low-level cut-off
- Pack formats we run
- Retort pouches (flat, stand-up, spouted, steam-valve, foil-free, bulk), semi-rigid trays and bowls, aluminium containers, metal cans, glass jars and bottles, retortable cups and paperboard cartons
Every category fails differently.
We design the trial around the failure point of your category.
Ready-to-eat meals
Incl. millet-based: grain integrity, heat penetration in dense packs.
Sauces, gravies, condiments
Viscosity drift, oil separation, colour darkening.
Soups and broths
Heat penetration through particulates, flavour loss.
RTD and herbal beverages
Sedimentation, protein heat stability.
Wet pet food
Chunk integrity, gravy consistency, palatability.
Seafood and meat
Texture toughening, process severity.
Nutraceutical & functional
Protecting heat-sensitive actives.
Dairy-based savoury
Browning, curdling, emulsion stability.
Clinical nutrition
Nutrient retention, regulatory scope.
Built for the market you’re selling into.
The process file you need changes with the destination. We plan validation around it from step 1.
United States
FDA rules for low-acid and acidified foods; processor registration and a process filing per product and container.
United Kingdom
No statutory low-acid registration; retailers usually work to Campden BRI guidance.
United Arab Emirates
GCC-aligned code for low-acid canned foods; shelf-life justification and recognised halal certification.
Malaysia
Ministry of Health import controls; JAKIM-recognised halal certification.
Singapore
SFA import permits; establishment accreditation for meat products.
Australia
Food standards, import inspection and import-entry conditions.
What to send us
- A short product description, or your current recipe
- pH and water activity, if known
- Pack format and fill weight
- Target shelf life
- Target market(s)
- Expected launch volume
Questions buyers ask
How much does a pilot cost?
It depends on the product, the pack and how many steps you need. Send the details on the left and we quote for your product.
Do you do bulk or contract manufacturing?
This service is pilot scale: about 6 kg per cycle, for trials, samples and validation. For commercial volumes we hand the validated process to your co-manufacturer, or help you plan your own retort line.
How long does it take?
Typically 3–8 weeks to a validated pilot batch, depending on the product, the pack and where you start.
Can you work from my existing recipe?
Yes. If your recipe is ready, we start at the recipe and pack review and adapt it for retort stability.
Start your pilot. Ship with confidence.
Send us your product and target market. We’ll tell you what it takes to get it shelf-stable.