A releasable fastening features a first fastening strip including an elongated, flexible base carrying an array of discrete fastener elements arranged in rows and columns, and a second fastening strip configured to releasably engage with the first fastening strip. The first fastening strip also includes a longitudinally continuous rib supported by the upper surface of the base of the first fastening strip, the rib extending sufficiently far from the base of the first fastening strip to engage a sealing portion of the second fastening strip, and of a bending strength sufficiently low that the rib is placed in an elastically bent state, when the first and second fastening strips are in the engaged state, thereby forming with the sealing portion of the second fastening strip a non-interlocking barrier to resist flow across the fastening with the first and second fastening strips in the engaged state.

A strainable bag with a hook-and-hook closure can include walls formed of a material having multiple layers of polymer or paper or mixtures thereof, and which can include at least one gusset. The hook-and-hook closure allows for liquids or gases to be vented from the bag, as well as for liquids to be removed from the bag interior. The bag can be formed into a full open mouth configuration for ease of filling and ease of dispensing product. The hook-and-hook closure also allows for an imprecise alignment of the closure track to substantially close the bag around the gusset area. Methods of using and manufacturing a strainable bag with a hook-and-hook closure for preparing various food products are also presented.

A touch fastener element has a stem rising from a resin sheet, and a head disposed at an upper end of the stem and spaced from the resin sheet. The head has two arms that extend in opposite directions to distal ends, the arms having respective lower surfaces that overhang the resin sheet. The fastener element has two opposite side surfaces that form contiguous surfaces of the stem and both arms. The lower surface of each arm defines at least one recess extending away from the resin sheet and disposed between lower arm surface portions that face the resin sheet, such that the recess of each arm is spaced from both the stem and the distal end of the arm.