The convenience factor

23 June 2011



Joanne Hunter rounds up developments that offer ready meal manufacturers the luxury of choice and opportunities to move into premium ranges and brand extensions.


Over recent years convenience food in its various guises has become an important market throughout Europe and moves to go up-market and to build on success with brand extensions have put packaging ingenuity to the test.

“Convenience is and will continue to be a driving force in the food sector, and while the tray format may not look markedly different to designs of five or 10 years ago, it has and will continue to develop to meet the ever-evolving needs of the sector. The future will see further enhancements and innovations based on intelligent packaging and nano-materials,” says Steve Pinhorne, Operations Director, Nicholl Food Packaging.

“What we have seen as the market has developed and expanded is an increasing focus on freshness and quality. In the early days, ready meals tended to be traditional recipes, frozen or ambient long life meals. Today, consumer tastes are more sophisticated and adventurous; and while we don’t want the hassle of preparing it, we still want to enjoy a freshly cooked meal.

“This has led to the huge growth in chilled ready meals with recipes and ingredients sourced from all over the world,” says Mr Pinhorne. He further observes that promotions by higher end retailers reflect the new positioning of ready meals as a ‘quality experience’.

“All these developments have had an effect on the packaging. The tray has always been a popular format – providing the ideal means for oven or microwave cooking and offering the flexibility in design, including multi-compartment versions, to meet the many different requirements of manufacturers – and it has been enhanced and developed to meet the needs of this fast growing market, particularly in terms of product quality and presentation.”

Mr Pinhorne observes that one of the most notable areas of development has been the choice of materials, which now includes foil, plastics and board: “This has enabled the tailoring of pack design to the needs of individual products.”

Further improvements have come thanks to enhancements to the different formats and innovation. “In aluminium trays, for example, our own SKINfoil design, featuring a special film that seals to all surfaces of the tray to tightly cover the entire contents, offers the convenience of an oven or grill tray combined with the extended shelf life of vacuum packaging.

“Board trays are becoming popular again – partly thanks to greater focus on healthy eating - and the introduction of special linings has widened their capabilities to include a greater variety of products including those with sauces. Some are not only leak proof, but can even have a modified atmosphere to extend the shelf life.

“Another convenience feature has been the introduction of board trays that remain rigid during the cooking process but are cool to the touch when taken out of the oven or microwave.

“Environmental considerations have also had a bearing on tray developments. In terms of recyclability, aluminium has always enjoyed a positive profile; and trays can be made from renewable resources and composted at home.

“The environmental debate has also focused on food waste and energy consumption. This has led to renewed interest in ambient packaging with products capable of extended shelf life outside the chill cabinet. Likewise, MAP technologies and new barrier materials have enabled the development of high quality meals for this sector. This is an area of growth in mainland Europe,” concludes Mr Pinhorne.

Premiumisation

To better control moisture content and improve taste and texture, new steam valve technology has been designed to allow the measured escape of steam from food packaging during microwave cooking.

Avery Dennison’s Flexis Steam valve is recommended for precooked foods that benefit from precise steam heating, including sauces, rice, dumplings and noodles. During the cooking process, the valve actuates at a predetermined temperature and allows a precise amount of steam to escape from the package. Depending on the baffle configuration designed into the valve, more or less steam will be permitted to escape.

For example, a floret baffle design might be specified for a rice, vegetable and protein meal because it retains an additional percentage of moisture inside the pack. An ‘X’ baffle design, which releases a bit more moisture and thereby thickens the meal’s sauce may be better suited for a chicken and pasta dish. Such precision allows food manufacturers to specify an exact time for cooking, rather than a range of time, which contributes to the meal’s desired moisture content, taste and texture.

The concept has been on the US market for the past year, Avery Dennison Manager Nick Greco told Packaging Today, and it is being introduced into the UK with collaborator LPF Flexible Packaging, a Clondalkin Group company. LPF applies the steam-release valve in register using a labelling machine. It then uses a high-precision laser engraver to make the cut or perforation, which minimises the risk of reel contamination.

The ‘SKU customisable’ approach of Flexis Steam lends itself to premium category ready meals, Mr Greco says: “You can use steam to advantage to bring to life your ingredients, and foods cook with greater consistency, more thoroughly and faster.”

Consumers need not cut packages or interact with a valve to release steam. It also guards against the entry of contaminants by remaining hermetically sealed until the food product is cooked. A same-way opening and venting away from the ‘grab area’ of the product is said to make it safer to remove hot ready meals from the microwave or oven.

To upgrade the quality of ready-prepared French stews or ‘cassoulets’ for French manufacturer La Belle Chaurienne, RPC supplied a PP/EVOH/PP barrier tray with oxygen scavengers that extend freshness by actively absorbing oxygen in the pack. It is fully sterilisable and La Belle Chaurienne can process the meal during filling, before it is sealed with plastics barrier lidding film.

A concept for chilled ready meals developed by MicVac and Sealpac has been launched in Sweden for premium meals by Lantmännen subsidiary Gooh! The in-pack microwave cooking and pasteurisation device is claimed to offer a shelf life of at least 30 days at 8°C, while maintaining taste, nutrients and texture.

First, the MicVac tray is filled with fresh food ingredients. A special valve is applied to the top film, which is sealed to the tray on a Sealpac A7 traysealer. The tray is transported to a microwave tunnel, where the contents are cooked at higher speeds than other pasteurisation methods. During the heating process, the valve opens due to pressure caused by the food releasing steam. As soon as the pasteurisation process stops and cooling in the spiral freezer begins, the valve will close again. During this process, the remaining steam condenses, causing an under-pressure in the tray.

The final product can be placed on the retail shelves horizontally or vertically. Consumers reheat the product in the microwave in about three minutes: a clear whistle sound marks that the meal is ready. Other target distribution channels are canteen vending machines, hotels and airline catering.

High pressure processing (HPP) of packaged food is considered a promising technology for the reduction of harmful bacteria in meat and poultry products and other foodstuffs. Multivac believes its success in integrating high-pressure treatment into automated packaging lines and applying the HPP treatment to MAP packs are breakthroughs in the sector.

The company says it will be a selling point for consumers who prefer foods that are as natural as possible with the fewest chemical preservatives. HPP deactivates micro-organisms such as Salmonella or Listeria, without the original nutritional value or the taste of the product being lost, it is claimed.

HPP and MAP

One of the developments has to do with the high-pressure treatment of foodstuffs in inert gas packaging. Previously there was an issue with packaging materials that were frequently damaged in the course of the traditional process. Consequently, the scope of this innovative treatment technology was largely limited to vacuum-packed foodstuffs, according to Multivac. However, jointly with Uhde High Pressure Technologies, HPP has been refined to be suitable for MAP applications.

“With the help of the so-called ‘holding torque’ we create short breaks, in which the polymer can regenerate. In this way, the packaging material is placed under much less stress and retains its functionality, even after the high-pressure treatment. At the same time, we continuously monitor and control the process parameters,” says Tobias Richter, Product Manager at Multivac.

This step forward means that modular HPP systems can now be integrated into automated packaging lines.

Clearly, ready meals is a fruitful sector for innovators, and it targets an audience of consumers always hungry to try something new, tasty and easy to prepare.

Tasty morsels

Range extension

Unilever’s Pot Noodle brand called on RPC to supply a bespoke pot for a ‘two-minute’ microwaveable meal, the first in the range to contain real meat. Pot Noodle GTi is a wet version of the usually dehydrated snack. RPC Barrier Containers’ 300ml plastics pot is thermoformed at RPC Bebo Plastik with a PP/EVOH/PP construction to give an ambient shelf life of up to 18 months.

When Symington’s extended its Golden Wonder: The Nation’s Noodle brand with the launch of The Nation’s Normous Noodle RPC supplied a custom-moulded 550ml Snack Pot that kept the overall shape of the standard 430ml version. Vertical flutes help disperse heat from the top of the container for safer handling.

Innovation and reward

Ready-made meals and sauces with high fat content and strong colours are liable to stain the packaging, a problem that Mondi has solved with a material that offers ‘excellent’ oxygen barrier and filling properties and a stainless appearance of colour intense products. The ‘sophisticated’ retortable Anti-Staining Pouch can be filled and processed in the same way as standard pouches. The ‘special’ laminate guarantees highest safety and mechanical resistance and ensures the straight and easy tear-away opening of the pouch.

Quality tray sealing

Bakkavor Cucina Sano in the UK is using the Proseal GT1 Tray Sealer to produce ready meals with an Italian theme for customers including Marks & Spencer, at a rate of 40 packs/min. Two GT1 machines have been complemented with Proseal’s OC Intelligent Filling conveyor.

Print perfect

Euromark has been targeting the UK ready meals sector with what is being dubbed ‘the world’s most affordable and compact printer’. The U2 is designed as a complete standalone inkjet printer that offers high quality printing without investment in a ‘heavy-duty’ continuous inkjet system.

Euromark Managing Director Ian Luck is pleased with U2’s market penetration: “Feedback from customers on the U2’s value for money and user-friendliness has been outstanding. The U2 is small but has proven able to provide food manufacturers with the level of reliability and quality they need.”

A 2.8 inch colour LCD screen, ‘user-friendly’ remote keypad, ink cartridge and print head are contained in an enclosure that ‘fits in the palm of your hand’.

The U2 has six height ranges and the ability to print text, graphics and barcodes on up to four different lines in superior print resolution of up to 300dpi. It run various types of ink for numerous print substrates and identifies the type of ink used before automatically selecting the best printing parameters.



RPC trays for premium brand La Belle Chaurienne use oxygen scavenging technology to help prolong product freshness. RPC SKINfoil from Nicholl Food Packaging is a special film that seals to all surfaces of the tray to tightly cover the contents. Nicholl Food Packaging The Flexis steam valve from Avery Dennison allows measured escape of steam from food packaging during microwave cooking. Flexis RPC's pack fo Pot Noodle. RPC U2 inkjet system offers high quality print. Euromark

Euromark Euromark
RPC RPC
RPC RPC
Flexis Flexis
Nicholl Food Packaging Nicholl Food Packaging


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