A food packaging includes a food product and a microwave susceptor for emitting infrared energy. The microwave susceptor has a susceptor plate including a non-conductive material and an electrically conductive component imparting electrical conductivity. The susceptor element has a resistance of 10 to 1000 Ohm/square, preferably 30 to 300 Ohm/square, and the susceptor plate is capable of withstanding a temperature above 400 C.

A microwave heating construct comprises a base, a wall extending upwardly around the base for defining a cavity for receiving a food item, and a microwave energy shielding element overlying a lower margin of the wall, the microwave energy shielding element having an upper edge including a substantially incurved portion.

Processes and systems that enhance the heating of packaged foodstuffs and other items in various microwave heating systems are described herein. The foodstuffs may be contained in a package including one or more energy control elements that interact with microwave energy in order to alter the effect that microwave energy has on the foodstuff. These energy control elements can enhance or inhibit microwave energy and a single package may include one or more energy control elements. In some cases, the energy control element may respond differently to different types of microwave energy. As a result, some packages described herein may exhibit different absorption or reflectance characteristics when exposed to microwave energy while being pasteurized or sterilized in a larger-scale microwave heating system than when the package is reheated in an at-home microwave oven prior to consumption or use.

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.