A construct for heating a food item in a microwave oven includes a base, a wall extending upwardly from the base, a microwave energy shielding element overlying at least a portion of the wall, and a microwave energy diffusing element circumscribed by the microwave energy shielding element. The microwave energy diffusing element includes a plurality of microwave energy reflective elements within a microwave energy transparent area.

Microwave cooking packages suitable for use as microwave popcorn packages include at least one panel (e.g., first and second panels) formed of a vertically rigid material. A flexible portion is attached to the panels. The flexible portion may be formed of a polyester film material such as a biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, which may be at least partially transparent. The flexible portion (and panels) defines a bag construction configured to contain a popcorn charge and to be expandable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration when the popcorn charge is subjected to a popping operation. The microwave cooking package may include a vent assembly configured to at least partially open when the bag configuration is in an expanded configuration to vent the bag construction. The vent assembly includes a first portion a second portion of the bag construction that is configured to be folded against the first 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 microwaveable food container that incorporates at least one microwave-obstructing movable object. An actuator-induced controlled movement of at least one said movable object serves to controllably vary the microwave power density reaching a material which is located within said food container

A container for holding a food product. The container can comprise a base layer and a liner at least partially attached to an inner surface of the base layer, a flange comprising a central panel, an opening extending in the central panel, and a sidewall comprising a plurality of panels. Each panel of the plurality of panels can be foldably connected to the central panel, and at least one panel can be foldably connected to the central panel along the opening. A bottom wall can comprise at least first and second bottom panels foldably connected to respective panels. The second bottom panel at least partially overlaps the first bottom panel so that the second bottom panel extends along the inner surface of the base layer, and the first bottom panel extends along the inner surface of the base layer at least via a cutout in the second bottom panel.

A construct includes at least one panel for supporting a food product, the at least one panel formed from a laminate structure having a base layer, a conductive layer, and a surface film. The construct further includes at least one spacing feature extending downwardly from the at least one panel for supporting the at least one panel a distance above an induction source for attenuating heat transferred to the food product in response to an oscillating magnetic field interacting with the conductive layer of the laminate structure.

A container that includes a microwave interactive web at least partially overlying and joined to a three-dimensional support, wherein the three-dimensional support may be formed prior to having the microwave interactive web mounted thereto. The three-dimensional support may be a preformed container that is sufficiently rigid and dimensionally stable for use in containing food.

A biodegradable microwave susceptor and constructs incorporating the susceptor are disclosed for heating a food item in a microwave oven. The biodegradable microwave susceptor includes a patterned susceptor layer of metal on a biodegradable substrate. Selected areas of the susceptor layer may be demetallized to remove susceptor material. The susceptor may be incorporated into a construct for containing or supporting a food item to be heated.

A container for holding a food product. The container can comprise a base layer and a liner at least partially attached to an inner surface of the base layer, a flange comprising a central panel of the base layer, an opening extending in the central panel, and a sidewall comprising at least a panel foldably connected to the central panel along the opening.

The present invention relates to a vessel having an area for holding at least one food item for being heated in a solid state microwave oven. Additionally, disclosed is a method for heating a food item in a solid state microwave oven. Particularly, the vessel comprises a tray having an area for holding at least one food item and a susceptor wherein there is a thermal insulation between the susceptor and the food item. The tray may include two- or multi-compartment configurations wherein the susceptor only spans at least along a portion of one compartment to heat various food item simultaneously within a solid state microwave oven.