A container for heating a plurality of food items with microwave energy. The container has a tray with a sidewall extending at least partially around an interior of the tray, an insert disposed at least partially in the interior of the tray, and a plurality of receptacles at least partially defined by the insert. Each receptacle of the plurality of receptacles can be for at least partially receiving at least one food item of the plurality of food items.

Various blanks are provided for forming sleeves, containers, and other constructs for heating, browning, and/or crisping of a food item in a microwave oven, and for holding and/or transporting the food item after heating. The various blanks, sleeves, containers, and other constructs may include a removable portion defined by one or more lines of disruption that enable the removable portion to be separated from the remainder of the blank, sleeve, container, or other construct.

A container with a window through which food within the container may be seen. The window may include a hole in a base material of the container, and at least one substantially clear polymeric film that is mounted to a portion of the container and obstructs (e.g., covers) the hole. Microwave energy interactive material (MEIM) may be mounted to the polymeric film for influencing the effect of microwave energy on the food within the container. Typically (e.g., optionally), the film extends beyond the hole, and the MEIM may be segregated to portions of the film that do not obstruct the hole, so that the MEIM does not interfere with the view through the window.

A laminate structure includes a base layer, a thermally stable adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the base layer, and a susceptor overlying the base layer and the thermally stable adhesive. The thermally stable adhesive substantially maintains the thermal profile of the susceptor at a temperature of about 250 F. (121 C.) and above.

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.

Embodiments of the invention include food products and related methods. In an embodiment, the invention includes a food product. The food product can include a container and a food composition. The container can include a bottom wall and a side wall. The bottom wall can include a microwave reflector. The side wall can include a material that is substantially transparent to microwaves. The microwave reflector can cover at least about 80 percent of the surface area of the bottom wall. In an embodiment, the invention includes a microwaveable food container. The microwaveable food container can include a bottom wall and a side wall. The bottom wall can include a microwave reflector. The side wall can include a material that is substantially transparent to microwaves. The microwave reflector can cover at least about 80 percent of the surface area of the bottom wall. Other embodiments are also included herein.

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 at least partially attached to the base layer by a heat seal layer, and the liner is separable from the base layer after heating the container. The container comprises a bottom panel and a sidewall extending along the bottom panel.

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 formed from a blank, a forming, tool and a method of forming a container are disclosed. The container includes features that are formed by a plurality of score lines in a marginal portion of the blank. The container has a bottom wall, a side wall, and a flange extending from the side wall. The flange has a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the blank.