How to Identify Your Retort Seal Bar (100-15R, 110-15R, 310-15R, 410-15R): VacSeries
“a plan of action…”
Did you order a retort seal bar for retort packaging and are now having trouble telling it apart from the standard seal bar? Don’t panic! Today, we will go over a plan of action to distinguish your retort bar from the standard seal bar assembly.
New to Retort Packaging?
You may own a Food Saver brand vacuum sealer and don’t know what retort packaging or retort canning is. Let’s take a look. Retort canning is a sustainable option used as an alternative to the traditional packaging method using glass jars that tend to take up a lot of space. It combines the benefits of sterilization and vacuum packaging into one, effective food storage procedure.
Retort canning utilizes retortable pouches to vacuum seal the food but can also withstand the extremely high temperatures and high pressure necessary to undergo sterilization. A select few of our VacSeries chamber sealers are equipped to function with a retort bar to withstand the heat necessary for sealing the high mil bags.
Use this process for poultry, fish, pet food, meal prep, snacks, and more!
Why Consider the VacSeries Units for Retort Canning
First of all, many chamber vacuum sealer brands do not offer the tools to seal retort pouches. Second, our units hold to a high standard by pulling up to 99.8% of air from any flexible packaging bag type, including retort pouches. The retort seal bars are specifically constructed with a concave seal bar to withstand the concentrated heat required to seal these heavy-mil retort pouches.
Learn about our most popular VacSeries countertop chamber vacuum sealer, capable of sealing retort bags – the Vac100.
Learn about retort packaging using the VacSeries powerhouse unit – the Vac110 chamber vacuum sealer.
3 Easy Ways to Identify Your Retort Bar
Now let’s get into the reason why you are all here. Here are 3 simple steps to check if you are putting the right seal bar in your unit to seal the retort pouches. These are not ranked in any particular order.
Label
We always make sure to label our retort seal bar assembly with “RETORT” along the front and center! The standard seal bar assembly is not labeled.
Heat Strip Concavity
In the event that the label has fallen off, you can run your fingers side to side or perpendicularly to the heat strip over the seal bar tape. The retort bar will have a slight lump or hill. This is due to the concavity that these heat strips require. The standard seal bar will feel flat through the seal bar tape.
Heat Strip Width
Look at either end of the seal bar. You will notice the heat strip curving around the edge. The standard seal bar heat strip is wider with a width of 6mm while the retort bar heat strip is thinner at 3.5mm to concentrate the heat for thicker pouches. You will also observe a slight concavity of the retort heat strip.
Additional Information
JVR Industries does not carry retort bags; only the tools to seal heavy mil pouches with you VacSeries chamber vacuum sealer! The retort pouch brand we recommend is Pleasant Grove Farms at topmylar.com. We can guarantee top quality features including abrasion resistance, BPA free approved for food contact, highly durable, and perfect to undergo thermal processing!
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us. The team here at JVR Industries is proud to hold over 52 years of vacuum packaging experience behind them and would love to discuss anything and everything with you regarding this topic. So give us a call or email us any time at JVR@jvrinc.com.
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