A new microwave oven ready-to-eat rice product series is coming soon. It is mainly for working families, school-aged children, and busy executives. Most of them want to eat a hot meal, but they don't have time or mind to cook for themselves. Now Foods, based in Pearl, Mississippi, USA, said it will withdraw its Rice Now(R) brand of instant rice products in early 2007 and use retort pouch packaging. This cooking bag is made using Sonotort(TM) Shatterproof(TM) technology from Sonoco.
This is the first commercial application of Sonoco's Shatterproof coating. The coating is an organic polymer that can replace the oxide glass coating commonly used in cooking bags. This material consists of three layers, which are cast polypropylene, nylon, and seal-coated polyester in order from the inside out. One of the characteristics of Sonoco materials is their tearability. There is a tear cut on one side to ensure that the cooking bag is completely torn from one side to the other along the top.
According to Sonoco's report, its Shatterproof technology can effectively prevent flex cracking. This is a phenomenon that is invisible to the naked eye and is generally caused by stress cracking in the laminate during production, packaging, and sales. The company claims that the coating is also stronger than the previous coating type and provides better sealing performance at the same cost. Sonoco mainly supplies printed Sonotort rolls, which are then made into bags by Floeter Corp. in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
This 8-oz packaged Rice Now will be sold at discount stores across the United States. There are seven flavors: Asian Stir-fry; Beefy Rice; Black Bean Chipotle; Garlic Butter; Golden Chicken; Red Beans Red Beans and Rice and White and Wild.
Rice Now's shareholder, RJ Reed, is most concerned with selling the product. Reed said: "Because it is a new product, it is very important that the packaging pattern can transfer the characteristics of the product to heating and ready to eat. The eight-color rotary rotogravure printing of this package can greatly stimulate people's appetite." Sonotort cooking bag The used Shatterproof coating ensures that it is sold, and the bag is free of aluminum foil, so it is safe to microwave.
Reprinted from: Packaging Expo
