BAKKAVOR RELAUNCHES TESCO INDIAN READY MEALS IN NEW PERFORATED SNAP TRAYS FROM FAERCH PLAST

Latest black two-compartment CPET containers allow main dish and rice accompaniment to be heated individually for optimum quality and taste

Bakkavor Meals Sutton Bridge has recently relaunched its Tesco’s Indian Kitchen Meal for One range in perforated two-compartment trays from sole supplier, Faerch Plast (www.faerchplast.com) – leading manufacturer of high performance plastic packaging for the European food industry. The change of packaging format allows the microwaveable main meal and pilau rice accompaniment to be heated separately for optimum quality and taste.

Bakkavor is a leading International provider of fresh prepared foods, employing over 18,000 people globally and producing over 5,000 products in 18 different categories. In the UK, the company is the number one producer by value in 12 of the 16 categories of chilled food it supplies to the retail grocery market. Bakkavor Meals Sutton Bridge worked closely with Faerch Plast to develop a black CPET two-compartment tray for Tesco’s Indian Kitchen Meal for One range with an easy-snap process, made possible by the integral waved perforation within the pack design, to ensure a consistent and clean snap.

Nikitta Halifax, Senior Process Technologist, Bakkavor Meals Sutton Bridge comments: “Until recently, we used a standard compartmented CPET tray from Faerch Plast for the Tesco Indian Meal for One range. As part of our focus on continuous improvement, we asked Faerch Plast to develop a perforated two-compartment tray that could be easily snapped apart, allowing the consumer to microwave the main dish and rice separately resulting in better product quality.

“Faerch Plast’s proven technical expertise and unrivalled range of plastic packaging solutions were invaluable for this project. After several samples and trials, they designed a robust pack that was easy for the consumer to snap yet remained intact during transit and throughout our highly automated production process, including de-nesting, filling, sealing and sleeving functions.”

There are seven meals within the range: chicken tikka, chicken jalfrezi, chicken korma, lamb rogan josh, prawn tikka masala, butter chicken and chicken vindaloo. All are accompanied by pilau rice.

Faerch Plast is also supplying a new four-compartment CPET tray to Bakkavor Meals Sutton Bridge for another range of Tesco Indian ready meals comprising a main dish, pilau rice, Bombay potato and onion bhaji.

Nikitta adds: “This project represented a significant investment by Bakkavor. As well as new tooling and tray design, we installed the latest high speed, high volume denesting equipment. The new trays are easy to stack and denest, and we use less film as the compartments are sealed individually. Plus the overall cooking time of the complete meal has been reduced, offering even more convenience for the consumer.

“The team at Faerch Plast was very helpful from start to finish,” she continues. “They developed a packaging format that met the brief in terms of functionality and convenience. The overall service was very good and they delivered on time.

“Most importantly, feedback from Tesco and consumers has been positive,” Nikitta concludes.

Faerch Plast’s wide range of CPET trays offer dual-ovenability and a wide temperature tolerance from –40°C to +220°C, for freezer-to-oven or microwave convenience. CPET eliminates negative effects on food flavour and aroma, giving consumers well-protected, more versatile and better tasting meals.