BurrellesLuce Express
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| PUBLICATION: |
FOOD BUSINESS NEWS |
| DATE: |
11-27-2007 |
| HEADLINE: |
Form and funciton |
and
Form function
Packaging is playing a greater role in the product development process
The trends driving food product development — convenience, food safety
and sustainability — also are driving the development of new packaging
applications and technologies. As food processors search for new ways
to add value to their products, the package has begun to play a more
integral role.
That the convenience trend is pushing product development is not a new
story. In August, Packaged Facts, New York, reported that although 65%
of consumers said they tried to eat healthier, 33% said they don't have
time to prepare or eat healthy meals.
And in Parade Magazine s "What America Eats" survey, Americans have
increased their reliance on convenience foods over the past two
decades. Eighty-two per cent of those surveyed said they rely more on
convenience foods today than they did when the first Parade survey was
conducted in 1987, even though 46% of those who use convenience foods
said tliey consider them to be more expensive than the same foods
prepared from scratch at home. Despite tlie cost, 71% of Americans said
the shift, toward convenience is worth it because of
Cook-in-the-package steaming technology has acquired a foot-hold in the frozen foods segment.
November 27,2007
the time saved in meal preparation (see Food Business Neujs of Nov. 13, Page 12).
In the past, convenience foods had the stigma of not being nutritious,
whether it was due to a reduction of nutrients from processing
appiications or an increase in sodium content to ensure proper shelf
life.
But convenience and nutrition are the drivers behind the
cook-inthe-package steaming technology that has acquired a foot-hold in
the frozen foods segment with a number of companies introducing several
products that require consumers to do very little when preparing the
product. Last year. Birds Eye Foods introduced its Steamfresh line of
products, which may go from the freezer to the microwave and be ready
in five minutes. The package is a bag that fills with steam as the
product cooks, and a special vent allows excess steam from the cooking
process to exit the package.
A year later. The Sholl Group II, Minneapolis, launched a similar
product with the introduction of its Freshtables SteamPerfect line. In
addition to the convenience of cooking the vegetables in the bag. The
Sholl Group II also noted that the steam-in-thebag technology may
improve product quality, because too much heat and water may cause
FoodBusinessNews.
71%
of Americans saic the shift toward convenience is worth it because ofthe time saved in meal preparation.
Sou/ce: WhatAimaca [ats
the loss of vitamins and minerals. In September, ConAgra Foods, Inc.,
Omaha, through its Healthy Choice Une, took the cook-in-thepackage
concept a step further with the introduction of its Cafe Steamers line
of products. Rather than heat a single component of a meal, the Cafe
Steamer cooks all of the components of a complete meal. The package
consists of a bowl that contains the sauce, and a "steamer basket,"
according to the company. The basket sits above thp sauce in the
package and holds the meat, vegetables and pasta or rice components of
the meal. Once the cooking process is complete, consumers combine the
ingredients to complete the meal. "Delivering healthful frozen en-
NEW! wTl
trees that taste great is a tremendous challenge that the entire frozen
food category faces and is an important priority at Healthy Choice,"
said Bill Partyka, vicepresident of Healthy Choice marketing. "Building
on the strength of the steaming trend, combined with our packaging
innovation, HeaJtliy Choice Steamers has the ability
to reinvigorate the category."
Adding convenience and safety
Cryovac Food Solutions, a division of Sealed Air Corp., Duncan, S.C,
introduced its Marinade on Demand Package technology during the
Worldwide Food Expo, held Oct. 24 to 27 in Chicago. The package design
combines both fresh meat and marinade in a single package. The package
features two pouches, one for the meat and the other for the marinade.
The pouches are separated by a seal that must be broken in order to
initiate the marination process.
Cryovac is marketing the new technology as a way for food service
operators and consumers to gain more control in how long they marinate
their meats. In addition, the new technology features a food safety
benefit, according to tlie company, since fewer people are required
lo liaiulii' the product during processing.
To increase the level of safety, companies also are introducing a
plethora of labels capable of sensing product quality to ensure product
safety. Also during the Worldwide Food Expo, Food Quaiity Sensor
International (F.Q.S.I.), Lexington, Mass., introduced SensorQ, a label
that sen.ses spoilage in fresh meat products. The label may be adhered
to the inside wrap of raw meat and poultry packages. When the label is
orange, it indicates the product is fresh. If the label is tan, it
indicates spoilage has occurred.
"The fresh meat and poultry industry can now extend its reach directly
into home refrigerators to give the added level of quality assurance so
critically needed in this day and age," said Marco Bonne, president and
chief executive officer of F.Q.S.I.
The sustalnability factor
When Wal-Mart Stores, hic, Bentonviiie, Ark., announced its sustainability initiative this past year and
I don't believe that it is Wal-Mart's goal to become a museum for sustainable packages.
— John A. Luke Jr., chairman, MeadWestvaco
its plans to reduce its packaging waste by 5%, it brought the topic of
sustainability to the forefront. While convenience and safety are key
drivers for food manufacturers, sustainability is a key topic and was
the foctis of this year's Pack Expo conference in Las Vegas, held Oct.
15 to 17.
"The simple fact is sustainable can mean many things to many people depending on the focus a company is taJdng regarding
this trend," said Charles D. Ytiska, president and chief executive
officer of the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Insti ttite.
In his keynote presentation at Pack Expo, John A. Luke Jr., chairman of
MeadWestvaco, a packaging materials and design cotnpany, addressed the
challenges facing the food industry hy the issue of sustainability.
"Last year, Wal-Mart made a laudable announcement about their
sustainable packaging scorecard," Mr. Luke said. "It has helped to
accelerate action in £m area that is important to businesses and vital
for the environment
"As a result, packaging designers and decision-tnakers are working to
comply with Wai-Mart's standards, get ahead of govemment regulators and
appeal to the public's ethic of 'reduce, reuse, recycle.'"
Mr. Luke reinforced the reality that while sustainability is a goal,
successfiil packaging will attract the constimer's attention and even
offer a functional benefit beyond reducing waste.
"Wal-Mart is playing an important lead role, but I don't believe that
it is Wal-Mart's goal to become a musetim for sustainable packages —
where products with 5% less packaging sit unattractively on store
shelves for consumers to admire, but not purchase," he said. "In the
long run, if an insufficient or poorly designed sustainable package
never reaches the retailer because it fails in transit, or is never
purchased by a consumer because it fails to capture attention, then
there is actually nothing sustainable about it at all. It's just
waste."
Looking to the ftiture, Mr. Luke said manufacturers must take a broad
strategic approach to addressitig the issues of sustainability atid
packaging. "The mandate for a new way of thinking is clear and more
companies are heeding this advice atid making the joumey from
compliance to best practices," he said. "They understajid that it's not
about making a smaller package. It's about building a bigger, ever more
successful, sustainable brand." fb»
— Keith Nunes knunes@sosland.com