Packaging Made Frozen TV Dinners Possible
I was saddened to hear of the passing of one of the food industry
pioneers Gerry Thomas, One of our unsung heroes credited with
invented a "package" the frozen TV dinner that literally changed
the way we eat. Never mind that it was considered by
nutritionists as a step backwards, his invention still made a
major shift in the food and food services industries. In fact
foodservice was in the early stages of product development when
the TV dinner was first introduced in the. (turkey with corn
bread dressing and gravy, sweet potatoes and buttered peas - sold
for about $1 apiece and could be cooked in 25 minutes at 425
degrees.) I was reminded of other packaging innovations that we take for
granted. Everyday foods such as microwave popcorn, prewashed
salads, shredded cheeses to name a few. All that are already
prepared and ready to be consumed within a few minutes. Products
that have make our lives a whole lot better. Consider were we would be without these package innovations that
make meal preparation easy or a whole lot simpler. Remember when
all the food preparation was done by your mother or your
grandmother. Not anymore. One of the fasting growing food sectors
is the prepared, ready-to eat or easy/minimal preparation meal.
We are a convenience society and packaging innovation has made
major strides in providing products that are ideal for this
lifestyle. Have you ever given any thought to the box that delivers your
pizza, why its still hot and not soggy, or the prewashed salads
and carrots that are ready to eat or put on the table?
What about the juice box and the "Lunchables" that makes school
lunches a breeze. Packaging makes all this possible. I won't bore you with al the
technical details just that without the package many of these
products couldn't exist. Innovations such as the TV dinner have
become "de rigeur" in American culture. So the next time you hear someone bad mouthing all the packaging
materials going into landfills or the excess packaging material
that is use to package a product or how difficult it is to open.
Remember consumer (that's you) are demanding these products be
invented. The features and attributes that you complain about also keep it
fresh, sanitary, and easy to use to make your life and your
families lives much better. After all consider the fact that without a package you couldn't
have a product. For a list of packaging innovations that have
changed the way we shop, eat or generally made our lives better
or to discuss what's on the horizon in packaging technology email the Packaging Diva @ packagingdiva@aol.com
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