New pots for food-to-go at Tesco

Food packaging suppliers Faerch Plast and Colpac recently joined forces to develop a new pack design in conjunction with fresh prepared foods manufacturer Bakkavor for a new Tesco food-to-go range.

The new pots are produced from a combination of crystalline polyethylene terephthalate (CPET) and paperboard, which allows a choice of six meal options to be heated in-store before purchase.

Continues to flourish

The food-to-go market continues to flourish with increasing demand for portable meal options, especially breakfasts and lunches, which are more commonly consumed off premises. As a result, retailers are demanding new packaging formats that make eating on the move easier.

The latest dual-ovenable C-vis packaging concept the result of a nine-month collaboration between the firms comprises a black CPET pot from Faerch Plast and Colpac’s biodegradeable paperboard outer sleeve and lid. In line with Tesco’s branding requirements, the packs are litho printed with bold graphics by Colpac using specialist heat resistant inks.

Fully recyclable

Designed specifically for convenience and ready meal products, Colpac’s C-vis packaging was originally developed in 2012, first as a microwaveable option, and then using Faerch Plast’s CPET pot to provide a dual-ovenable version. Using approximately 30% less materials than a standard CPET sleeved product, the very thin inner and outer trays and paperboard or plastic lids are fully recyclable and supplied ready assembled for reduced handling time and costs.

Although the C-vis concept was already available, more work was needed to determine the correct CPET pot for this application. With lightweighting a major focus, the container selected by Bakkavor measures 112.5mm (diameter) and 85mm (depth).

Contact: Colpac