First to commercialize Qbag is the Marks&Spencer chain of supermarkets, which launched a refrigerated potato/herb/
garlic/onion mix in June. Packaging the 340-g (12 oz) pack for Marks&Spencer is Exotic Farm Produce, also in England. Refrigerated shelf life for the item—which retails for about 2.75 ($4.90 US)—is six days.
To make the bag, FFP first embosses 38-mm foil. “It gives the material a little more strength and helps keep cooked product from sticking,” says FPP’s Gary Tee.
The foil is then cut into sheets and a window is cut into each sheet. Sheets are folded in half and the two ends welded together. A folded bottom is created in the process.
In the final step of the bag-making process, a 25-micron polyester window material is heat-sealed in place. Exotic Farm Produce fills the bags by hand. The dead-fold characteristics of the foil keep the bag closed once the bag top is folded. The bag is then placed in a folding carton that helps merchandise the innovative product.
Because the potatoes continue to respire during distribution, the polyester is microperforated to allow some oxygen ingress. An anti-fog coating is also applied to the polyester.
On the grill, recommended cooking time is 30-40 minutes. Says Tee, “It’s done very well for Marks&Spencer.” —Pat Reynolds
