Extreme Packaging Questions - Independent Provisioner

When it comes to small and mid-sized processors, what are the prerequisites for their packaging?

Small and mid-sized processors require more service from their suppliers than large processors. M&Q’s willingness in offering flexible terms and service hits the bulls eye with this market segment.

Extreme packaging must add something new and beneficial to the product that common forms of packaging do not offer- For example, packaging that allows the product to be packed once and stay in that same packaging from grocer to consumer’s oven. Also, this category of processors normally works with limited marketing budgets, requiring that the package attributes/benefits be clear and obvious to the end user.

What are consumers looking for in their meat products, and how can extreme-temperature packaging aid processors in meeting those demands?

Consumers, now more than ever, lead hectic lives and cannot spend 3-4 hours in the kitchen cooking dinner for their families. They are looking for convenience foods--products that can be stored for a long time in their freezer and are available at a moment’s notice to cook in a shorter amount of time. Many consumers even want restaurant-quality foods that they can prepare at home in less than an hour. Extreme-temperature bags allow consumers to keep food fresh in the freezer for longer amounts of time and spend less time in the kitchen cooking foods that still retain yield and flavor.

What other benefits can processors gain from packaging that can withstand extreme temperatures?

In the case of M&Q Packaging, we manufacture a unique type of extreme-temperature barrier packaging that remains on the meat entrée from freezer to dinner table. The meat product is vacuum packed in YieldMaster® cook-in packaging, frozen or refrigerated (in the bag) and then cooked in the consumer’s oven at 400°F+ in this same bag—eliminating the cooking cycle for the processor and saving time and money. Now that truly is convenience food. Not only is YieldMaster packaging convenient- it is very safe in preventing cross-contamination from handling at the processing plant to the consumer’s dinner table. Once meat is packed in our YieldMaster cook-in bag, the entrée is not touched again until it sees the diner’s fork and knife.

Technically speaking, how does cold- or heat-resistant packaging differ from other conventional packaging? Is there a cost difference?

In the case of the YieldMaster cook-in packaging, the only difference is the lack of a shrink-tight fit. Due to our 400°F+ cooking feature, shrink had to be engineered out. But, an advantage of YieldMaster cook-in bags is that they retain the same shelf life as traditional barrier packaging and can withstand much higher cooking temperatures, as the bags are made of nylon. 

What food safety and quality features can hot- and cold-temperature packaging provide?

As I mentioned earlier, exposing the meat to such lethal temperatures as -100°F at packaging to 400°F+ during cooking ensures that there is no microbial activity. Also, the ability to move meat directly from the freezer to the oven prevents potential cross-contamination from handling the product multiple times and exposing it to elements in the air. As far as quality is concerned, meat can be packed after seasoning and kept in that exact recipe until fully cooked in its own juice and fat, which results in increased yield and flavorful, tender meat.

What type of equipment is necessary for using this type of packaging? Typically, can most processors use their existing packaging equipment for this?

M&Q’s YieldMaster packaging materials are designed to vacuum and hermetically heat seal on common impulse sealers. Most of the processors who present a vacuum package offering today own and use one of these sealing units.

Do you have any new products available? What are their key features?

M&Q Packaging manufactures a variety of custom patented bags and casings, which enable prepared meats to move safely from the processor through the grocer, directly into the consumer’s oven at temperatures equal to 400°F+. This feature protects the product from cross-contamination and maintains the integrity of the processor’s original recipe. Most recently, M&Q has introduced YieldMaster cook-in bags for ribs- a packaging product that creates the opportunity for the pork processing industry to add value to a cut of meat previously viewed as superfluous. With the YieldMaster cook-in bag, pork ribs cook in 1/3 of the common cook time at 400°F in their own fat and juices- increasing yield, flavor and appearance of the ribs.