Interfood is extending its range of equipment with the announcement of a new partnership with French company Steriflow to supply its range of retort machines to food processors in the UK and Eire.

The retorts, also known as autoclaves, are designed to both pasteurise and sterilise pre-packaged products. They employ a process in which heated water cascades over the products while the vessel is subjected to pressure. This means that products such as ready meals can be either pasteurised or sterilised without any adverse effects on the packaging.

Steve Naylor is manager of Interfood’s Cooking & Cooling/Pasteurisation division which will be responsible for the Steriflow range. He said: “We are always very careful in selecting new partnerships as we want to foster long-term relationships which really complement our existing product offering. Steriflow has been manufacturing autoclave/retort systems for over 40 years. Its excellent reputation, coupled with the industry knowledge and expertise of UK food processing that we bring from Interfood, we feel will be a winning formula.

“This new venture builds on solid foundations, with more than 100 Steriflow autoclaves already operating successfully in the UK. We look forward to introducing Steriflow as an option to many of our customers who have a need for pasteurisation and sterilisation in their food processing operations, supporting the sales and commissioning of the machines with the high service levels for which Interfood is renowned. We pride ourselves on our ability to match the equipment to the specific needs of our customers and with the flexibility afforded by the Steriflow range, including the potential for adaptations to meet special requests, we will be able to do that.”