Knowing the Retort Method, Ready-to-Eat Food to Meet the Nutrition of Disaster Survivors

JAKARTA - The availability of nutritious food is the most needed by disaster victims, including ecological disasters in Sumatra.

The ecological disasters that occurred in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh left many sad stories. In addition to swallowing hundreds of victims, flash floods and landslides in Sumatra also triggered the threat of a food crisis because it was difficult to distribute food aid.

The absence of electricity supply and the lack of clean water make food storage and processing in disaster areas dysfunctional. In fact, adequate nutritional intake is the key to maintaining the body's resistance to disaster survivors and volunteers.

For this reason, ready-to-eat food designed specifically for emergency situations is the most feasible option for disaster handling.

One of the innovations in the production of emergency food is the retort technology. However, perhaps not many people know about the retort food technology, a practical dish but ensures that the product is safe to consume.

Retort food is currently being widely discussed by people lately, especially since the ecological disaster hit the Sumatra region. Retort food is considered one of the most needed assistance for survivors.

Retort food is a breakthrough that changes the face of the ready-to-eat food industry. Unlike ready-to-eat foods that get a negative label from the public, retort foods not only emphasize practicality, but are also more qualified in terms of taste and nutrition.

In simple terms, retort food is a food product that has undergone a sterilization process in a tightly sealed package, such as a bag, can, or tray. This process uses very high temperatures and pressures in a special machine called a "retort".

The main purpose is to kill all microorganisms, including putrefactive bacteria and pathogens so that the food inside it becomes sterile and safe to consume for a very long time.

For survivors of the Sumatra disaster, especially isolated areas, it is not possible to make a communal kitchen because there are no food ingredients, electricity, water, and no cooking equipment. Therefore, ready-to-eat food can be a solution containing complete food, such as rice, lontong, vegetables, plant and animal proteins, so that the basic needs of survivors are met.

"That is why, in the food industry, retort is an effective method to ensure a product remains fresh and safe to consume. This is an effective method to ensure that we send food products that remain fresh and safe to consume even if stored for a long time," said local food activist Britania Sari.

"For survivors of the Sumatra disaster, especially isolated areas, it is not possible to make a communal kitchen because there are no food ingredients, electricity, water, and no cooking equipment. so ready-to-eat meals can be a solution containing complete meals, such as rice, lontong, vegetables, plant and animal proteins, so that the basic needs of survivors are met," he said.

The superiority of retort technology ready-to-eat food is long-lasting even without preservatives, practical to carry, can be stored at room temperature, ready to eat, and nutrients are maintained.

Nutritional fulfillment is one of the things that must be kept in mind during disasters. Survivors and volunteers must consume healthy foods so that immunity remains maintained.

Various foods can be packaged with this retort method, ranging from rice, chicken curry, tempe orek, rendang, and so on.

One of the retort UMKM entrepreneurs, Novia Tri Kusumawati, explained that retort food was originally cooked like ordinary food. After that, the food was divided into portions and put into a retort plastic to be sealed. The food was then sterilized at a certain temperature and pressure.

"If the food is heated above 121 degrees Celsius for a certain period of time, the germs will die down to the spores," said Novia.

As long as the packaging is not leaking or bubbling, said Novia, then the food is safe for more than a year and safe to eat. "If it's in a can, the can is dented, then it's not safe to eat. This food can also be checked through the five senses, if it smells bad then it can't be consumed anymore," he explained.

Japan and China, retort food is not new and can be consumed daily because it is more practical. Many Japanese residents are also believed to store a lot of retort food, as preparation in case of disaster.

When disasters occur, they are more prepared and quickly recover, because when volunteers and the government enter, they immediately focus on recovery rather than opening a communal kitchen to survive.