of Cincinnati chose retort stand-up pouch packaging constructed without a foil layer. Absence of the foil layer renders the packaging microwaveable.
Supplied preformed by Alcan, Inc., the pouches are made of a clear layer of high-barrier Ceramis® silicon oxide-coated film, a polypropylene sealant layer, and flexographically 8-color reverse-printed polyester. The pouches are filled, sealed, and retorted, giving the finished product a one-year, non-refrigerated shelf life. Consumers cut open the pouch top with scissors or a knife.
Introduced in October 2004, the four-item line includes Sweet & Sour Chicken, Szechuan Chicken, Beef Teriyaki, and Long-Grain White Rice flavored varieties. The fully cooked products can be microwave-heated in their packaging in minutes. The rice products sell for $1.97 to $2.49, depending upon variety. For the meat/poultry entrees, retail prices range from $3.29-$3.99.
Don Leifer, Wornick’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, notes that these pouches are more expensive than the foil barrier type, and the shelf life they provide is somewhat shorter. “But microwaveability was essential to our decision,” he adds. “The packaging allows us to provide consumers the convenience equivalent to Asian take-out foods.”
Wornick also was attracted by the fact that the preformed, stand-up microwaveable, multi-serving, retort pouches can be domestically sourced. Leifer says, “This is critical to long-term supply-chain efficiency.” —Judy Rice
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