Retort packaging is poised for a boom in North America. ìMany converters are working on packages, though we havenít seen many results on shelves yet,î notes John Norder, North American business manager, Packaging and Converting. ìThere is a lot of activity and interest, because so many see the graphic advantages and consumer appeal that existing pouch products have.î

Rohm and Haas is getting this message out to companies weighing retort packaging forays: our global business is the worldís market leader in retort adhesives. Rohm and Haas representatives carried this message to the April 2005 Converting Machinery/Materials (CMM) conference, where they educated attendees about the companyís advanced retort adhesives: Adcoteô 812-811B Solvent-based Laminating Adhesive and Mor-Freeô 1390+C33 Solventless Adhesive. ìWeíll be rolling out third and fourth generations of Adcote,î Norder reports. ìWe applied everything weíve learned about retort conditions to these new products.î The company is leveraging its experience globally ó for example, with experience drawn from support provided to the European retort market, where retort pouches and packs have been on the shelves for more than a decade.

Rohm and Haasí primary position in the business dates from the first military MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) packed in flexible packages ó in fact, Rohm and Haas was integrally involved in developing the testing protocol for the U.S. government MRE packaging regulations. The company continues to study the technology to thoroughly characterize the materials and conditions being used today in retort pouch manufacture. Rohm and Haas recently conducted a global analysis of retort films and adhesives so that it could better assist the U.S. converting industry in staying competitive.