Amcor has developed a custom three-compartment ready meal tray specifically designed for a new line of ambient microwaveable single-serve meals from Cofigeo, a specialized French producer in the food and beverage packaging sector.
This innovative tray adheres to Design for Recycling standards, featuring a lightweight, mono-material polypropylene (PP) structure that can be efficiently collected and recycled through France’s established recycling system. This aligns with Cofigeo’s environmental commitments.
The trays will package five unique French and Italian-style recipes from the William Saurin Mon Trio Gourmand range. Each meal incorporates meat or fish, a starchy component, and a vegetable, keeping the three primary ingredients separated. This separation allows consumers the flexibility to mix them according to their preference at mealtime.
Amcor collaborated closely with Cofigeo to create a tray with compartment sizes that reflect the various shapes, textures, and densities of the ingredients. Additionally, the tray needed to fulfill Cofigeo’s key requirements: compatibility with existing filling lines, de-stackability, retortability, effective oxygen barrier properties, and user-friendliness for the consumer.
“This was a challenging project, especially given its shape. Our goal was to create a tray as thin as possible, and thanks to Amcor’s technical expertise, we achieved the same wall thickness as our standard single compartment version,” stated Jean-Michel Perquin, Cofigeo’s Group Packaging R&D Manager. “Importantly, all five meals, despite their varied ingredients, are filled efficiently on the production line.”
The multi-layer PP tray features a barrier that ensures over 12 months of ambient shelf life for the packaged meals. The manufacturing process incorporates a near-infrared (NIR) terracotta masterbatch, which allows the tray to be easily identified by NIR sensors at recycling facilities.
“Consumer feedback on the tray has been overwhelmingly positive,” remarked Benjamin Margerand, Marketing Product Manager at William Saurin. “The option to keep the three recipe components separate or mix them has resonated well, and the tray’s design enables straightforward consumption directly from it. In pre-launch testing, up to 80% of consumers stated they planned to eat straight from the tray, depending on the recipe. The color has also been well received.”
“Amcor has been a trusted supplier to Cofigeo for many years, and we maintain an excellent rapport with the company,” concluded Jean-Michel. “This strong partnership facilitated a smooth development process. I appreciate the Amcor team’s professionalism and their ability to identify effective solutions, even amidst challenges.”