CS News presented Anchor Packaging Inc. with the 2014 Best New Product Award at the National Association of Convenience Stores show in Las Vegas earlier this month.  Anchor’s product, the Embraceable platter and dome lid, was deemed the winner in the “Foodservice—Display & Packaging” category. This award is based on points awarded by consumers in the areas of value, convenience, and appearance, as well as overall evaluation by Past Times Marketing, a consumer research and product-testing firm. 2014 is the 18th year for the CS News new product recognition program for the convenience store industry.

Embraceable is an 11” x 8” black, oval platter designed and patented with a locator ring in the bottom to hold a standard eight-ounce squat paper food container. This popular serving size is used for chili, soups, oatmeal, grits, mac & cheese, and many other items that often accompany a main dish, sandwich, or salad. The clear, anti-fog, vented PP lid contains an integral sealing flange that forms a lid over the paper container at the same time that it forms a leak-resistant seal on the platter.  This eliminates the lid for the paper container, which saves expense and reduces the amount of packaging consumed, thereby reducing carbon footprint. It also improves consumer convenience, as the meal may be carried in one single container, rather than two.

Both base and dome work well for hot foods held under heat lamps, chilled ready-to-heat meals in the microwave, and for assorted cold food applications, thus reducing SKUs. The strong and durable, cut-resistant black PP bases withstand temperatures up to 230°F.  Bases are made with natural mineral additives reducing the use of petroleum-based resin by 40 percent, joining other products in Anchor’s Nature’s bestline of sustainable products.

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