Packaging partners Nutri Pack and Meca Plastic UK introduced their Valvo Pack to the UK at the PPMA Show.
The innovation is based on a valve placed on the lid of a sealed tray first pierced with a Meca Plastic valve applicator that repeatedly opens and closes as the product is packed and processed, and again when it is cooked at home.
The Valvo Pack takes existing valves a step forward, according to Bill Gilmour, commercial Manager at Nutri Pack and Meca Plastic.
He said: “The valve opens to allow the product to be cooked and pasteurised in the processing factory, and the same process repeats itself at the consumer’s home when they put the product in the microwave. This makes for an improved flavour and texture. Pre-prepared vegetables such as potatoes or carrots will taste as if they have been steamed, rather than microwaved.”
The process extends the product shelf life to 42 days.
The product was developed two years ago in France, where it has proved popular, and it is on trial with a number of companies across the UK.
Gilmour added: “Other valves similar to this are already on the market, although they only open once, when it is cooked at home. The Valvo Pack offers a point of difference in that it can open more than once, so the product can be cooked and pasteurised, and then enjoyed at home.”
