A bag for containing one or more items to be heated in a microwave oven. The bag has a front panel and a back panel and has a seal across the containment region to split it into two compartments each containing at least one item such as a food ingredient. When the bag is heated, the compartments expand due to gas expansion and the seal is caused to break to allow the items to mix and be heated together.

A recyclable film contains a base film and a sealant. The base film has at least one layer containing a polar polymer and at least one layer containing a polar polymer compatibilizer. Additionally, the base film has been oriented and annealed such that it exhibits free shrink of less than 10% in both the ma chine direction and the transverse direction when exposed to heat of 90° C. The film may be used for demanding retort processing applications. This film has advantages over prior recyclable films in efficient film manufacturing, high quality package production and superior package performance.

A recyclable film contains a base film and a sealant. The base film has at least one layer containing a polar polymer and at least one layer containing a polar polymer compatibilizer. Additionally, the base film has been oriented and annealed such that it exhibits free shrink of less than 10% in both the ma chine direction and the transverse direction when exposed to heat of 90° C. The film may be used for demanding retort processing applications. This film has advantages over prior recyclable films in efficient film manufacturing, high quality package production and superior package performance.

A machine for cooking a dose of pasta in a container has a hot water supply pipe to selectively inject hot water into the container above the dose of pasta; a steam supply pipe to selectively inject steam into the container independently of the water injection; and a dispenser comprising at least one first nozzle connected to the hot water supply pipe to deliver hot water into the container and at least one second nozzle connected to the steam supply pipe to deliver steam into the container.

Embodiments include a container with a leak resistant seal. The leak resistant seal provides access to the inside of the container when the leak resistant seal is open. The leak resistant seal includes first and second seal portions that are configured to be coupled together to close the container. A gap is arranged between ends of the first seal portion and the second seal portion, which provides an abutment that each of the ends of the first and second seal portions contact when the first seal portion is coupled to the second seal portion.

A container for heating a food product. The container comprises a base layer of material and a liner releasably attached to an inner surface of the base layer. The liner is separable from the base layer after heating the container. The container comprises a bottom panel, and end panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, a side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and a corner panel foldably connected to the bottom panel. The corner panel extends between the end panel and the side panel.

A package for a food product can include an insert enclosed within a single film formable using, e.g., flow-wrapping, to enclose the food product and the insert. At least one portion of insert may be made up of an absorbent material laminated to a backing, the absorbent material adapted to absorb moisture within the package. The insert may include a base upon which the food product can be placed and two or more sides extending up from the base to contain the food product from moving in one or more directions. Fins or overlapping portions of the film may be configured on at least two edges of the single film allowing a seal to be created thereby further allowing the single film to substantially enclose the food product and the insert. Crimped seals may further be employed to completely seal the food product and the insert within the single film. One or more of the seals may be self-venting to release accumulated steam/moisture during a cooking or preparation process.

A food delivery system configured for transportation of a food product from a production site to a consumer site is disclosed having a chamber configured for housing a packaged ready-to-eat meal. The chamber defines an internal environment wherein the food product is received. The system also includes environmental temperature and humidity sensors associated with the chamber, one or more conditioning devices, associated with the chamber in such a way to condition one or more parameters of said internal environment, and a control unit, configured so that the parameters of the internal environment are continuously and adaptively adjusted so as to preserve the food product between the production site and the consumer site.

An ovenable tray composite that includes a polymeric based liner and a fiber based component. The liner has an exterior surface layer and an interior surface layer comprising a polypropylene. The polypropylene has a Melt Index of about 0.2 grams/10 minutes to about 2 grams/10 minutes. The interior surface layer of the polymeric based liner is removably affixed to the interior surface of the fiber based component, and where the polymeric based liner and the fiber based component are manually separable.

Disclosed are disposable containers, such as a stand-up pouch, for heating food in a microwave oven and while automatically dispensing sauce onto the food. Methods and apparatuses for making sauce packets and disposable containers are also disclosed. eodcmaster