TWO-PART CONTAINERS DELIVERS PASTA PRONTO

RPC Bebo Plastik has manufactured an innovative two-part container for the new Pasta Pronto brand, which delivers a fresh pasta and sauce combination that is ready to eat within minutes.

Developed by food manufacturer Buss, based in Ottersberg, Germany, Pasta Pronto offers consumers a format that is convenient in terms of preparation, while delivering a fresh taste compared to ready meals where the pasta and sauce are already mixed together.

According to Manfred Petersen, General Manager of Buss, “the advantage of separating sauce and pasta into two containers is the possibility to individually cook ingredients to the optimum point in the factory. The pasta is ‘al dente,’ while the sauces are prepared to bring out their rich flavours.”

Buss required an unusual design that would keep two distinct containers together on shelves. RPC Bebo Plastik’s solution is a tall container which holds 300g of pasta, with a smaller round sauce pot that nests upside-down on top of the larger cup. Both packs are thermoformed in high transparent PP, permitting a shelf life of around three weeks.

Before heating the sauce is poured from the smaller container on top of the pasta into the larger cup. The consumer then places this in the microwave for two minutes, for a fresh, great tasting pasta meal. An additional benefit of the pasta container’s design is the inclusion of ribbed insulation that protects the consumer’s fingers from getting burnt after heating, so that the meal can be eaten directly from

the cup.

A cardboard outer sleeve holds the two containers together on shelf as well as providing eye-catching graphics to capture consumers’ attention.

The range has successfully been launched in Netto discount supermarkets in Germany, with other retailers due to follow. Four flavours are available: Spaghetti Bolognese, Carbonara Tortellini, Tomato and Mascarpone Farfalle, and Penne Arrabiata.

“RPC Bebo Plastik has been extremely helpful with both technical assistance and speed of response,” comments Manfred Petersen. “This innovative packaging has contributed to the successful launch of our new important pasta cup range.”