Ready meals have come to dominate the food processing industry, and their popularity continues to drive technological innovation. Finnish packaging firm Huhtamaki is just the latest company to launch new packaging solutions for this dynamic growth sector of the market.
The firm has launched a new self-venting film with multiple PP (polypropylene) and CPET (Crystalline polyethylene terephthalate) tray for Steam Chef's line of ready meal packaging. Huhtamaki believes that with no flaps or piercing required, the self-venting easy-peelable lidding film provides customers with straight-forward packaging that is simple to use.
The new Steam Chef allows vapour to release without rupturing the films. This, says Huhtamaki, makes the concept ideal for all types of meals, from fresh or frozen chicken through to seafood and oriental cuisine.
"Steam Chef is excellent in helping foods retain their nutritional value and colour, thanks to its intelligent double pressure cooking technology," said Arja Vanhanen, marketing and development manager for Huhtamaki's European consumer goods division. "This technology also reduces cooking time, thus saving energy and money."
The concept of intelligent double pressure cooking technology is especially innovative. It allows microwave energy to penetrate deeply into food tissue and convert to heat instantaneously when the food is still cold. The water content inside the food transforms into hot steam, cooking the food inside out.
Next, as the hot steam exits the food tissue, it is captured and retained inside the Steam Chef package. As pressure then builds up the food gets cooked also from outside in. According to the Vanhanen, a fresh fillet of chicken or fish can be cooked in only 5 to 7 minutes in a microwave oven of 750-850 Watt.
The packaging concept is therefore very much targeted at today's culture of quality cuisine in a minute. It also satisfies modern demands of hygiene and safety. Huhtamaki claims that the packaging is taste-preserving and is also tamper evident.
The material itself is rather innovative. The film can be printed with up to eight colours, providing manufacturers with the opportunity to reinforce their brands or provide other messaging.
The company has also developed a patented sealing technology, which helps to control the venting during the cooking if other than self venting film is used. This solution uses the same Huhtamaki-made trays but the printable top film or alternatively a bag can also feature a barrier for gas and oxygen.
The barrier film enables gas flushing and modified atmosphere packaging to extend the shelf life of chilled ready meal components or full meals.
