Revolutionising Food and Drink Sterilisation

 

 

Continuous Retorts Ltd is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of ground-breaking retort technology. CRL has developed a new patented system of continuously sterilising or pasteurising food and drinks that delivers significant benefits over current retort technology through its fast and even heating and cooling processes coupled to low unit costs only possible with continuous retorts.

The CRL Continuous Retort will also offer the highest energy and water saving of any retort system available in the world today when it goes on sale in early 2021.

Part of CRL Ltd, the firm also offers bespoke food and drink processing solutions to its international customers through its sister company CRL Foods Ltd, where the novel thermal processing can be demonstrated in full production on smaller batch retorts in its BRC v8 Accredited factory in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Benefits

CRL Foods currently offers two batch retort types:

  • The Torpedo Batch Retort uses full immersion water heating and cooling which originates from the core of its torpedo processing chamber and is pushed radially through 360 degrees through the unique symmetrical and cylindrical configuration of products.
  • The Static Nitro RTD Batch Retort is a mini batch retort specifically designed to sterilise Nitro Cold Brew with the cans inverted to maximise the nitrogen fountain effect when opening the can and pouring the Cold Brew or Espresso Martini.
  • These pioneering rotary and static processes result in the following key benefits:

ROTARY TORPEDO

  • Precise and even heating & cooling distribution
  • High product to water ratio
  • Rapid processing  – times as short as 23 minutes to sterilise RTD coffee to Fo5
  • No over-processing of food or drink
  • Significantly improved product quality and nutrition retention
  • Accurate over-pressure management throughout the thermal cycle
  • Eradication of isolated hot or cold spots
  • Reduced energy costs
  • Reduced water consumption
  • Reduced floor space
  • Total process and product flexibility
  • End over end or axial rotational agitation

 

 

STATIC NITRO

  • Maximum speed from mini batch retort overall dimensions despite static processing
  • Maximum retention of gaseous nitrogen in the Nitro device
  • Minimised cycle times by short heat transfer paths

Food & Drink Thermal Processing

At CRL Foods, our objective is to work closely with our customers to provide bespoke sterilisation or pasteurisation solutions for RTD cans, retort pouches, pots and plastic bottles. When compared with current state of the art batch retorts, our unique technology enables us to process products in a third of the time, producing shelf-stable, ambient products with significantly better retention of flavour, texture and nutritional properties.

By way of example, we can sterilise RTD Nitro Cold Brew Coffee in 23 minutes, compared to over 90 minutes in our competitors retorts, retaining the critical flavour profile of cold brew coffee without any burnt tones produced during the lengthy over processing they cannot avoid.

Various packaging formats can be processed including the following fully recycleable aluminium cans in 500ml, 330ml stubby and slim, 250ml skinny and 200ml widget sizes, as well as single cavity and dual cavity stand up retort pouches, plastic pots, trays and bottles.

If you wish to learn more or to arrange a free consultation please contact the CRL Team and we will be happy to help.

Contact

david.lambert@continuousretorts.com