Retort packaging bags are indeed the preferred solution at present for pickles, which are high-acid or high-salt products with high requirements for packaging barrier properties. With its excellent barrier protection, corrosion resistance, convenience and cost-effectiveness, retort packaging pouch provides an ideal modern and industrial packaging solution for these traditional foods.
It not only can better preserve the unique flavor, texture and quality of pickles, extend the shelf life, and reduce the use of preservatives, but also enhance the product value through exquisite packaging design and convenient user experience, meeting the modern consumers' demands for convenience, safety and diversity.
Ready-to-eat side dishes: This is the most direct application. Just open the bag and eat directly or heat slightly for convenience and speed, suitable for family meals, office workers bringing lunch, and pairing with porridge, noodles, and other dishes.
Catering and pre-prepared food ingredients: The catering industry (especially Chinese restaurants, fast food restaurants, and canteens) may purchase in large quantities as cooking ingredients to make various dishes, which can standardize the flavor and reduce the pre-processing steps.
Special channels for supply: Due to its portability, stability, and ease of large-scale storage and transportation, it is also often used in airline catering, train dining, outdoor leisure foods, etc.
Specialty and gift market: The exquisite packaging can enhance the grade of traditional foods like pickles, and they can be sold as local specialties or healthy gifts.
The application prospects of retort packaging bags in pickled vegetable and other pickled food categories are promising, and the following trends can be observed:
Continuous innovation in material technology: The research focus is on higher-performance barrier materials (such as thinner nano-coatings, highly barrier transparent materials), recyclable composite materials (such as reducing reliance on aluminum foil layers), and the application of fully biodegradable materials, in response to global environmental protection requirements.
Intelligence and functional integration: In the future, packaging may incorporate intelligent labels, such as traceability QR codes, freshness indicators (although pickled products have a long shelf life, they may be used to indicate the state after opening), to enhance consumer trust and experience.
Health and clean labels: Consumers are increasingly concerned about additives in food. The reliable sterilization and preservation capabilities of retort bags can reduce reliance on preservatives, catering to the clean label trend.
Expanding application areas: With the development of the pre-prepared food market and the leisure food market, as well as the growth in demand for the convenience of traditional foods, the application of retort bags in pickled vegetables, kimchi, and other fields will be further deepened.
