Brad Willingham

VersaTray plastic is changing the way food is served , said Brad Willingham , business market manager at Eastman ,.

The Wolfgang Puck Food Company got its start in the frozen food business.In 1987 , they introduced a line of gourmet pizzas.It wasn't long before they followed with an outstanding line of 26 different entrees that are distributed throughout the United States.

Lawson Mardon Packaging , a member of the Alusuisse Lonza Group Ltd. , is a diversified packaging company that does business in North America and Europe.

VersaTray plastic is changing the way food is served," said Brad Willingham, business market manager at Eastman,

The Wolfgang Puck Food Company got its start in the frozen food business.In 1987, they introduced a line of gourmet pizzas.It wasn't long before they followed with an outstanding line of 26 different entrees that are distributed throughout the United States.

Lawson Mardon Packaging, a member of the Alusuisse Lonza Group Ltd., is a diversified packaging company that does business in North America and Europe.

"The very nature of home meal replacement [HMR] packaging is that consumers can heat their food purchases at home in the same container it came in," said Brad Willingham, Eastman's market manager for food and specialty packaging."While dual-ovenable packages have been available for some time, the consumer is virtually unaware of their features."

VersaTray is a new packaging logo for use on HMR dual-ovenable trays, including frozen, ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat meal options.The logo will inform consumers that the tray can be used in both the microwave and the oven.

As the foodservice market continues to grow, food processors will continue to seek ways to meet the needs of this demanding segment.

"The very nature of HMR packaging is that consumers can heat their food purchases at home in the same container it came in," says Brad Willingham, Eastman's market manager for food and specialty packaging."While dual-ovenable packages have been available for some time, the consumer is virtually unaware of their features and benefits.

"The research points to a need for consumer education about the differences among HMR packaging," says Willingham."That's where the VersaTray plastic logo will help consumers cut through the clutter."

Eastman is planning an aggressive consumer and trade marketing communications effort to back the VersaTray plastic introduction, including collateral materials, trade advertising and a consumer public relations effort.The program's objective is to provide education and information through print and broadcast media to key consumers, particularly women, ages 25-55.