Similar to Tanimura & Antle's SaladBowl under the SaladTime(TM) brand (see Packaging World, July '96, p. 56), this one has two intriguing twists. First, it represents a strategic alliance with Sara Lee Corp.'s Cincinnati-based Hillshire Farms; 2-oz pouches of that firm's cubed chicken or ham come with the salad. As well, dressing, fork, napkin and garlic toast or breadstick are packed into the two-compartment tray. Hillshire Farms also gets prominent billing on the package graphics of this co-branded item. Also unusual is the lidding. Like other fresh-cut items, the salad in this one needs to respire, and it does so courtesy of a semi-permeable film supplied as lidding over the clear, rigid, rectangular tray. What sets this lidding apart is that it's laminated to paperboard. "The paperboard doesn't interfere with the OTR [oxygen transmission rate] required for respiration," says Paul Cracknell, director of new product development at Fresh Express. "What it brings, though, is superior graphics. The paper doesn't stretch the way a printed film does, so the graphics, with UV coating, remain intact." Die-cut into the center of the paperboard is a window that allows the greens to show through. Fresh Express is typically tight-lipped about suppliers and materials. About all Cracknell will say is that gas flushing is involved and that refrigerated shelf life is 14 days. Each single-serve salad is approximately 8 oz. Suggested retail price is $3.99. The salads were rolled out nationwide in mid-September. "This brings salad to the center of the plate, making it a viable meal opportunity," says Cracknell. "That's the real impetus behind the launch."
