Food Engineering logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • MEDIA
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Latest Headlines
  • Manufacturing News
  • People & Industry News
  • Plant Openings
  • Recalls
  • Regulatory Watch
  • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
  • New Plant Products
  • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
  • Alternative Protein
  • Automation
  • Cannabis
  • Cleaning | Sanitation
  • Fabulous Food Plants
  • Food Safety
  • Maintenance Strategies
  • OEE
  • Packaging
  • Sustainability
  • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Plant Construction Survey
  • Plant of the Year
  • Sustainable Plant of the Year
  • State of Food Manufacturing
  • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White Papers
  • EVENTS
  • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
  • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
  • eNewsletter
  • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • FE Store
  • Government Links
  • Industry Associations
  • Market Research
  • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issue
  • Advertise
Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Case Studies & Field Reports

Field Reports

Cooking with steam and getting hot water in return

Allpax steam recovery system

Mounted above the retorts, the Allpax steam recovery system provides savings in water and steam. Source: Hormel.

May 30, 2016

Hormel Foods is well known for its variety of meat products in microwaveable, refrigerated and canned formats. It makes a variety of canned poultry, pork and beef products including Hormel chili products, Dinty Moore hearty meals, Hormel chicken breasts and, of course, its legendary SPAM family of products.

The processor is also an industry leader in sustainability efforts. For instance, in 2010, the Hormel Foods Progressive Processing facility in Dubuque, IA became the first USDA-inspected refrigerated foods production plant to earn LEED gold certification.

The company’s canned, shelf-stable products are sterilized in their containers via a saturated steam retort process. “The typical saturated steam process includes a validated retort vent schedule in which steam rids the vessel of air. The steam is vented to the atmosphere through roof penetrations,” says Terry Miller, supervising staff engineer for Hormel Foods. But, what if that energy could be recovered and put to a better use rather than sending it “up the chimney?”

In 2010, Allpax, a Pro Mach business, developed a steam recovery system that captures the vented steam while complying with FDA/USDA requirements prohibiting back pressure on the vent discharge line. (Steam recovery units are currently supplied on new Allpax retort installations or can be added to existing retort lines.)

The recovery system utilizes the steam energy (that is normally vented into the atmosphere) to create 180°F hot water, which is subsequently used in plant operations. The system not only saves water, it saves the steam that would normally be required to heat ambient water for use in a plant.

The system installed at the Progressive Processing facility in Dubuque creates 60 to 70 gallons per minute of hot water at 180°F when the retorts are in the vent phase of the cycle. “The retort line accumulates a maximum of 480 minutes of venting time daily. This equates to a maximum of 33,600 gallons of hot water from the heat recovery system delivered by Allpax Products,” says Miller.

The steam recovery system uses a recapture tank outfitted with an internal steam condenser to create hot water. Instrumentation and valves ensure the unit meets FDA/USDA requirements. The system also can maintain the level in the hot water capture tank and provide hot water for use elsewhere in the plant. The system operation is PLC controlled and features a 15-in. color touchscreen for operator interface. Once installed, the system does not require an operator and is virtually maintenance free.

“Based on the hot water the system generates, the savings in water and steam represent a viable return on investment,” Miller says.


For more information:

Greg Jacob, Allpax Products, a division of Pro Mach, 985-626-1668,
gregj@allpax.com, www.allpax.com.

KEYWORDS: energy retort steam water

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    People & Industry News
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Food Safety
    By: Richard F. Stier
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

More Videos

Popular Stories

FMTE Formed by Four Food Manufacturing Companies

Coalition Unites Europe’s Food Manufacturing Technologies and Equipment Sector

mechanical and chemical recycling

Clean Label Packaging Expands to Include Sustainability Considerations

Bottling machine

How Sensing Technologies Can Help Avoid Food and Water Waste

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 17, 2025

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ State of the Cold Chain

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

July 10, 2025

Smarter Innovation With Practical AI: How to Stay Agile in Uncertain Times

Regulatory updates, supply chain shifts and evolving consumer demands keep the food and beverage industry in a state of constant change.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • Field Reports: Marzetti ‘steam-lines’ its hot water needs

    See More
  • cooking equipment and technology

    Helping the Bottom Line with the Latest in Cooking Line Technology

    See More
  • Now you're cooking with gas!

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • cleaning-in-place

    Cleaning-in-Place: Dairy, Food and Beverage Operations, 3rd Edition

  • Rice-Engineering-Website-Cover-439x600.jpg

    Advances in Science & Engineering of Rice

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!