A cool ready meal solution
meals market, has been launched in the UK by Danish packaging firm
Hartmann. The
unique selling point of the product is that it remains cool to
touch from the time it is taken from the freezer to the time it is
removed from either an oven or microwave.
This, says the manufacturer, sets the product apart from trays made from CPET plastic or aluminium. Made from moulded fibre paper pulp with a thin PET coating on the inside, dualpack ovenware is designed for maximum efficiency in both conventional and microwave ovens up to +220°c.
Unlike CPET plastic trays, it does not shatter when frozen or transported, and can be frozen down to -40°c.
The product also includes even flanges and no corner creases, making it easy to seal. The moulded fibre structure also allows the product to retain its rigidity and strength during cooking.
dualpack ovenware carries both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 quality certification, and has been awarded the technical standard certification (BRC/IOP) for food products packaging set up by the British Retail Consortium and the Institute of Packaging. In addition, life cycle assessment has shown that dualpack ovenware has significantly less environmental impact compared with similar CPET trays. The high content of paper raw material means that the product also commands a low eco tax.
The launch of this product illustrates the high degree of innovation at present in the ready meals packaging sector. Yesterday we reported that a new thermoplastic alloy, designed for use in large retort packaging sterilisation trays, has been developed to improve the strength and flexibility of ready meal packaging.
Manufacturer GE says that the new material offers good surface appearance, a wide processing window and fast cycle times. The firm believes that the resin has the potential to revolutionise retort sterilisation, a complex process that has become increasingly important in food production following the growth of ready to eat meals.
"We're doing some groundbreaking work with this amazingly rugged and versatile alloy that we expect will continue to offer great benefits to the packaging, food processing, and materials handing industries worldwide," said Thomas Hammoor, GE Advanced Materials' general manager for engineered styrenics.
