Everything There Is To Know About Retort Pouches

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Since the beginning, Portland Pet Food Company has looked for sustainable ways to benefit our dogs, community, and Earth — and one of the ways that we do that is by packaging our meals in something called a retort pouch.

What Is A Retort Pouch?

Retort pouches are a food-safe, structured pouch made with layers of laminate, paper products, and/or recycled materials. The concept of a retort pouch was invented in the 1950s to make it easier for troops bringing their food on long missions or into battle. Today, they are used for all sorts of things, from meals that you can heat in the microwave to our delicious, homestyle pet meals. In addition to the eco-friendly benefits that retort pouches provide (which we dive into below!), retort pouches allow us to store our dog meal toppers in a way that keeps them fresh for two years without any refrigeration, preservatives or additives!

How Are Retort Pouches Sustainable?

A 45 ft. truck can typically carry 200,000 8 oz. cans in one trip. The same truckload can carry 2.3 million retort pouches, saving shipping costs and lowering the impact on the environment. Additionally, the process of manufacturing retort pouches uses 75% less energy and 1/10th of the CO2 used when making pet food!

Why Does Any Of This Matter?

At Portland Pet Food Company, pouches for our dog food toppers and cat food toppers are made with Earth-friendly, BPA-free materials and have everything pet owners need to know printed directly on the pouch -- avoiding the use of extra labels! More than 60% of the world's households own a pet, leading to a lot of pet food packaging waste. In fact, we've found stats that claim nearly 95% of pet food packaging is not recyclable. We've chosen to package our meals in retort pouches to help reduce our environmental impact -- just one of the ways we're working to become a more eco-friendly company. We invite you to take a step with us in the right direction by looking into your pet's food and see if it's time to transition to a more environmentally-friendly brand. Your pup, and the Earth, will thank you!

At Portland Pet Food Company, our sustainability initiatives don't stop with packaging — read more below learn all of the different ways we are working to be a sustainable pet food manufacturer. After that, head on over to our subscription service for 10% off every order.

Sustainability Efforts