Cold Foods Packaging

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Restaurant operators never had it easy. Long before the pandemic, it was their industry that was notorious for a high failure rate. The estimates vary, but the most commonly quoted number is that in good times, 60% of restaurants fail within their first year, and 80% within five years. That’s a staggering statistic by itself.

Fans of Shark Tank may recognize Kelsey Moreira from her 2019 appearance on the show to gain backing for her edible cookie dough company, Doughp. Even though she didn’t get a deal, Doughp is doing just fine without it. The brand’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) model has been a hit with consumers.

At this time last year, we at Refrigerated & Frozen Foods decided to put our annual Foodservice Distributor of the Year Award on hold. The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated unprecedented shutdowns in foodservice—restaurants, hotels, schools, caterers, stadiums, and other volume venues—leaving behind thousands of shuttered businesses. To put it lightly, there was very little to celebrate in foodservice last year.

Tasteful Selections, a leader in the bite-size potato category, is pleased to announce the limited launch of its new 100% plastic-free, recyclable and compostable packaging. With recent innovations in paper packaging, the fiber strength and “stretchable” advancements have improved package integrity and made the item competitive with plastics.

Westby Cooperative Creamery has added an all-natural sour cream squeezable pouch to its retail line of dairy products. It will be available in select grocery stores starting this month. 

Our Best New Refrigerated Retail Products Contest is officially live, where you can vote for one of 25 refrigerated food finalists. Just click here to view all the products, and cast your vote! You can vote once a day for any of the finalists through Friday, September 3.

Sysco announced an exclusive partnership that will deliver SAVRpak’s patented food preservation technology to independent and local chain restaurants nationwide. Through their agreement, Sysco will add SAVRpak “freshness packs” to its Cutting Edge Solutions platform, making this technology immediately available to order. Developed by an aerospace engineer, SAVRpak is a frozen, peel-and-stick patch that removes moisture from the air of a food container, thereby keeping it away from the meal and ensuring hot and cold food stays fresh and crisp in transit.

On our latest Cold Corner podcast, Caulipower’s Founder & CEO, Gail Becker, joins Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa to discuss the company’s recent packaging redesign, the R&D process for bringing Caulipower products to market, how the company is faring with current supply chain issues, Caulipower’s community outreach as part of its sustainability strategy, and what really constitutes “better-for-you” cold foods in stores today.

Tofurky, a leading independent producer of plant-based proteins in the U.S., is setting aside self-interest to call on consumers to join in the battle against climate change. For the first time, a brand is creating billboards at shelf level, dedicating its packaging to advocacy with the goal of inspiring widespread consumer action.