A sealed, self-venting hole in a corner of the gusseted stand-up pouch permits food such as hot cereals or soups to be heated in a microwave without piercing or tearing the package.
Commercialized in Korea in 2005 by several companies for microwavable soups including broccoli and mushroom (see photo), the technology is being marketed in the United States, hence its appearance at the FMI show. Vice president of marketing Charles Miller expects U.S. introduction this fall for a breakfast food or entrée.
According to Flair, the vapor-release pouch provides fast cooking time, while retaining product color, flavor, and nutritional values. “For example, a product that required four minutes’ microwave heating time before may only require two minutes time,” says vice president of operations Young So. The venting pouch permits boiling, too.
Provided as gravure-printed, premade three-side-sealed pouches, the multilayer structure—and the venting hole diameter—is tailored to the application. An example is a 4.5-mil construction of 48-ga PET/”glass” coating barrier/biaxially oriented nylon/cast polypropylene. The vapor pressure retains the pouch shape, which makes it easier to remove or pour the contents. Printed “hold here” areas provide safe gripping.
The vapor-release technology is the result of a joint effort by companies in Japan and Korea, according to So.
The secret is in the cast PP seal layer, explains Miller: “When the pouch is microwaved, the heat and pressure causes the seal around the hole to release, and the steam vents out of the hole.” He sees the development as an alternative to trays.
—Rick Lingle
