FOOD PACKAGING: Package converts microwave into baking oven
GPC’s susceptor-equipped Micro-Rite package debuted in Canadian supermarkets
in November, allowing consumers to cook President’s Choice frozen fruit
pies in 15 minutes. The pie plate is made of metallized polyester, which browns
and crisps, and metallic foil that channels microwave energy to desired areas
of oven and energy.
Metallized polyester, or susceptor, packaging reaches a temperature of 350°F
almost instantly in a microwave. The metal that is used, along with the amount
of reflectance, absorptance and transmittance that the package is allowed to
provide, dictates the final temperature that is achieved and the amount of browning
that occurs. For Pepperidge Farms’ Flaky Crust Pot Pie, excessive heat
was burning the crust on the bottom of the tray while the center of the pie
only achieved a temperature of about 70°F. Pepperidge Farms switched to
GPC’s Qwik Wave pie dish last October. Unlike Micro-Rite, Qwik Wave does
not have a top foil layer, and the susceptor pattern is demetallized in the
flange area and the floor of the container, allowing energy to bypass the crust
and heat the interior more thoroughly.