Economic Comparison of Canning and Retort Pouch Systems

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Abstract
The economic feasibility of using the retort pouch for processing, packaging and distributing processed fruit and vegetable products during a period of rising energy prices was examined. A retort pouch packaging system was found to be the overall minimum cost packaging system among three packaging systems considered—an existing canning line, a new canning line, and a retort pouch line. Although the costs associated with acquiring and maintaining the durable machinery for retort pouch processing are significantly higher than for a new canning system or an existing canning system, other operating expenditures considered in the packaging systems are considerably lower. Lower freight costs, attributed to the lighter weight and smaller volume of pouches and the comparatively lower purchase price of retort pouches than cans, are the major contributors to the cost effectiveness of the retort pouch packaging system. Energy savings in processing the pouch versus the can are of little significance, but the comparatively lower amount of energy used in transportation and container manufacture has an important role in the cost effectiveness of the retort pouch packaging system.

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