Optimise product reheating through packaging

Optimising food reheating protocols can significantly enhance product quality. Protocols and label instructions are developed from a ‘safety first’ perspective, but there is often scope for optimising quality without compromising product safety. We can help you provide enough heat to ensure food safety, without overheating the product or packaging.

Generally, minimising the heating required will optimise quality, by ensuring, as far as is possible, that all parts of the product reach the required temperature at the same time. The arrangement of components in the product can help, particularly in microwave-reheated foods, while the design of the packaging is also crucial for reducing heating times.

Package design critical

Package design has significant implications for producing instructions for product reheating in both microwave and conventional ovens. In microwave ovens the energy will behave in different ways according to pack geometry as well as the nature of the product.

Packaging can be designed to optimise temperature uniformity. Reducing product thickness in any dimension to approximately 2cm or less can allow faster product heating, while reducing the depth at the geometric centre of the product can increase the rate of heating at this point, thereby reducing overheating issues in more peripheral areas of the product.

To find out about the full range of packaging services available and see videos of some of the tests in action visit www.campdenbri.co.uk/services/packaging-analysis-testing.php

Contact: Mike Bonin
+44(0)1386 842271
mike.bonin@campdenbri.co.uk