01
Application context
From compartmentalized aluminum trays to delivered-to-your-door fresh meal kits, ready-to-eat products have simplified lives for decades while driving innovation in convenience foods and home cooking.
As consumer demand for quality ingredients and a more comprehensive than ever variety of options increases, the RTE industry must continue to grow and adapt to find new ways to offer customers what they want while maintaining a competitive edge on the market.
02
Design considerations
Even before the food industry shifted away from farm to table and towards grocery stores, food producers were already experimenting with new ways to offer ready-to-eat food that was fast and easy for consumers. While the initial products were primarily rations for soldiers on the front lines during World War I, new canning and packaging methods brought easy food options to the broader world and paved the way for innovations.
In the 1940s, compartmentalized aluminum trays allowed airlines to offer full, hot meals on flights with minimal preparation. Maxon Food Systems Inc., the primary supplier of civilian flight meals, attempted marketing to the wider public. Still, it wasn’t until Swanson perfected the mass production and marketing of TV dinners that RTE meals made their way into homes worldwide.