Sealed Air’s Cryovac® Brand to Focus on Food Packaging’s Positive Impact on Cooking at RCA’s 2008 Conference

DUNCAN, S.C. (March 7, 2008) – During the Research Chefs Association’s 2008 Annual Conference and Culinology Expo, held March 6-9 in Seattle, Sealed Air’s Cryovac® Food Solutions and well-respected Chef Allison Rittman will showcase the versatility of packaging and how it can positively affect cooking. Cryovac® Food Solutions and Chef Rittman will be in booth No. 313.

“Food packaging has evolved over the years, and it is an important consideration for food service operators,” Chef Rittman said. “Products like Cryovac® brand vertical pouch packages and Simple Steps® Ready Meal packaging help both back-of-house efficiency and the overall guest experience.”

Cryovac® Food Solutions offers high-performance, fresh-food packaging systems to more than 20,000 customers in the food service, food processing and supermarket industries.

“Our research¹ shows that when given the choice between a chilled product and a product they receive in a frozen state, consumers prefer that restaurants receive the chilled option because they perceive it as fresh and think it tastes better,” said Bill Kuecker, marketing director of food service for Sealed Air’s Cryovac® Food Solutions. “A significant percentage of restaurant operators are willing to pay more for a product they know is delivered chilled to the restaurant. The right food packaging improves food safety and can lead to labor savings and a reduction in the number of steps needed to prepare a meal, not to mention enhancing and protecting flavor.”

Some of the packaging products that can make a difference for food service operators are:

• Simple Steps® Ready Meal Packaging: The Cryovac® Simple Steps® package is a ground-breaking heat and serve, microwaveable package with a distinctive self-venting technology that makes preparation convenient and safe. The Ready Meals CPET vacuum skin package provides numerous benefits, including being ovenable. The easy-open package is designed with vacuum skin package technology that holds juices in place, and the unique self-venting feature keeps moisture in and eliminates mess. Cryovac® Ready Meal packaging is also available with a Simple Steps® reduced density polypropylene (RDPP) tray.
• Pouch Packaging: Cryovac® flexible pouches offer a variety of benefits compared to #10 cans and other forms of rigid packaging such as buckets, cartons and tubs. Pouches can be used to package a variety of center-of-the-plate entrees such as spaghetti, chicken wings and taco meat and other items such as soups, salad dressings, condiments and side dishes. Providing virtually 100 percent product yield, pouches can provide storage efficiency and labor savings. Since the food is delivered to food service kitchens ready to heat and serve, operators can spend less time worrying about packaging and more time focusing on perfecting their menus.
• Grip & Tear™ Bag: Easily opened by pulling a tab, the Cryovac® Grip & Tear™ bag’s design eliminates the mess created by opening some bags, and keeps fingers, counters and utensils clean. The Grip & Tear™ bag is a vacuum shrink bag with an exceptional oxygen barrier which keeps the product fresh during distribution. Oxygen is sealed out of the package, increasing product shelf life while protecting the meat inside and assuring color regeneration when the package is opened. The Grip & Tear™ bag has an easy-open feature that prevents food service operators from having to touch the product or use a knife to open the bag. The knifeless bag was a winner at the 2008 Flexible Packaging Association Achievement Awards.
• Marinade on Demand Package: The Marinade on Demand package combines marinade and fresh meat in a single package, though they remain in separate pockets. Keeping the marinade separate from the meat allows the use of functional marinade ingredients such as acids, alcohols and fruit juices that cannot be used in pre-marinated meats because they can affect product texture and flavor over time. When the food service operators are ready to marinate, they squeeze the marinade pocket to break the seal between the two pockets. Marinade is transferred to the meat side beginning the marinating process that lasts as long as the user desires. The new packaging technology saves time and labor over pre-marinated meats, which require food manufacturers to wash down equipment between different batches of marinade flavor. The Marinade on Demand package also provides food safety benefits with hands-free marinating, reducing the sanitation concerns and labor associated with restaurant batch marination.
• Saddle Pack-Style Package: The saddle-pack style package consists of perforated pockets enabling food service operators to easily separate the needed portions. This offers versatility for meal preparation and easy storage. The food service operator simply selects the appropriate amount of meat needed to prepare a recipe. The remaining portions can be refrigerated or frozen in the original packaging and stored for later use. Since there is no need to rewrap the product, its vacuum packaging keeps the product fresh and protects the food from freezer burn.
• Microwaveable Tray Package for Produce: The Cryovac® microwaveable tray package for produce is comprised of a clear, rigid, polypropylene tray with a non-barrier easy open sealant and a permeable, anti-fog coated lidstock. Fresh produce can be steam cooked in a matter of minutes, offering food service operators a convenient and healthy meal solution. The Cryovac® microwaveable tray package for produce is a solution for retail delis to provide consumers a premium side dish for hot take-out foods. Additionally, the product is ideal for back-of-house restaurant use and provides a high-quality side dish while minimizing the high shrink and yield loss often associated with premium produce.
• Cryovac® 10K OTR Bag: The Cryovac® 10K OTR (oxygen transmission rate) bag for fresh fin fish enables the product to be quickly chilled after packaging and helps facilitate for iceless distribution. The bag’s high-shrinking material provides a skin-tight, oxygen permeable barrier to preserve freshness, making it ideal for packaging large fin fish portions such as tuna, loins, mahi sides and sea bass fillets. It can also be used with bulk fillets such as salmon, catfish, cod, flounder and tilapia.

Each of the products mentioned will be on display at the Cryovac® booth. For more information about Sealed Air’s Cryovac® Food Solutions, call 1-800-845-3456 or click here.

¹According to research conducted by Sealed Air’s Cryovac® Food Solutions, restaurant operators rate fresh meat, poultry and seafood higher than frozen meat, poultry and seafood. Research also shows that 54 percent of upscale diners will pay more for a product they know is delivered fresh to a restaurant, and 59 percent of consumers expect to be told whether the meat they are being served is fresh or frozen.