Microwaveable packaging for ready meals

Top chefs from four of the world’s top culinary schools recently showed how far ready meals have come by preparing three gourmet dishes that were packaged and heated in Cryovac’s Simple Steps microwaveable packaging.

The inaugural Cryovac International Culinary Schools Contest showed that the microwave is a good means of reheating gourmet meals and featured student representatives from top schools in four countries: Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I. The Universidad de las Americas Puebla in Mexico; Le Lycee Hotelier de Strasbourg in France; and Nakhonpathom Vocational College’s Culinary Educational Program in Thailand.

Students developed their recipes before the competition and the four schools were lent a Multivac T 200 vacuum-skin traysealer and given Simple Steps trays and films to use as they prepared for the contest. The recipes were required to use some or all of a number of main ingredients, including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, vegetables and starches.

The winning recipe was Blue Fin Tuna with Achiote Condiment, Pancetta Polenta from The Universidad de las Americas Puebla. Thai Pork Satay from Nakhonpathom Vocational College’s Culinary Educational Program was the runner up, while Salmon Steak with Big Prawns and Cannellonis with Shellfish Sauce from Le Lycee Hotelier de Strasbourg rounded out the judges’ top three.

A panel of 12 judges used a number of categories, including taste, cost-to-quality ratio, simplicity, creativity and how well the food plated, to judge the recipes.

This contest gave the chefs the opportunity to experience the role that food packaging plays in helping deliver a quality, tasty product to the consumer.

The Cryovac Simple Steps line of packaging is a heat and serve, microwaveable package with a self-venting technology that makes preparation convenient and safe. The Simple Steps line of packaging offers options for fresh or frozen pre-cooked entrees, fresh produce, meal components and frozen seafood. The package is versatile so that an entire meal can be ready in minutes.