
Burnett and Sons' use of the TiroMap barrier tray is only a few months old, but already it's turning heads. One of Burnett's private-label customers, Harris Ranch Beef Co., won the Best New Beef Product in America award from the National Cattlemen's Beef Assn. with a fully cooked pot roast packaged in the same materials and on the same equipment as Burnett's beef and pork items. Harris Ranch CEO John Harris was presented the award at the February 4 NCBA Centennial Convention. More than 50 products were entered into the competition. They were judged on criteria including not only taste, but also ability to meet consumers' changing needs and the ability to add value through innovative packaging. Priced in the same $3.39 to $5.29/lb range as Burnett's offerings, Harris Ranch's pot roast is available west of the Rockies. Burnett's own products, by the way, were among the top five candidates in the competition.