A party tray includes a support tray and, on the support tray, a sealed package made up of transparent container body and a polymeric sealing sheet sealed to the rim of the container body. The sealed package contains foodstuffs, in particular respiring foodstuffs such as fresh fruits and vegetables, which rest on the sealing sheet; the sealing sheet is in turn supported by the support tray. The sealed package may include an atmosphere control member. When the party tray is on display, its contents are viewed through the single thickness of the container body.
1. A method of preparing a party tray which comprises the steps of
A) providing a container body which
(i) is composed of a transparent polymeric material,
(ii) has a depth of 1 to 4 in.,
(iii) has a circumference of 30 to 100 in.; and
(iv) comprises
1) a base,
2) a continuous wall which extends away from the base and is contiguous with the base,
3) a continuous rim which is contiguous with the wall, and
4) partitions which extend away from the base in the same direction as the wall; and
(v) has a loading orientation in which the wall extends upwards from the base, and the partitions extend upwards from the base and create fillable compartments within the container body;
the partitions being cavity walls, and the container body having been prepared by molding a polymeric material, thus forming the base, wall, rim and partitions at the same time;
B) while the container body is in the loading orientation, placing foodstuffs in the compartments so that the foodstuffs rest on the base, at least some of the foodstuffs being fresh vegetables and the foodstuffs placed in at least one of the compartments being multiple pieces of a fresh vegetable;
C) after step B, and without any intermediate step between step B and step C, sealing a sealing sheet of polymeric material to the rim of the container body so that the sealing sheet extends over the compartments and creates a sealed package (i) which contains the foodstuffs and a packaging atmosphere around the foodstuffs, (ii) whose outer surface is defined by the container body end the sealing sheet, and (iii) which includes an atmosphere control member included in the sealing sheet;
D) after step C, placing a support tray over the sealing sheet; and
E) after step D, turning the sealed package and the support tray placed thereon upside-down, so that the foodstuffs rest on the sealing sheet, and the sealing sheet is supported by the support tray, the support tray comprising ribs such that, after step (E) air can circulate between the support tray and the atmosphere control member;
whereby the party tray can be displayed for sale in a display orientation in which the foodstuffs are viewed by a shopper through the container body.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the support tray has a solid color.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the atmosphere control member covers a window in the sealing sheet.
4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the ribs on the support tray are discontinuous, upstanding ribs.
5. A method according to claim 1 wherein, before step B, a carton of vegetable dip is placed in the center of the container body, and the carton has walls which help to define the compartments.
6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the atmosphere control member provides substantially the only pathways for oxygen and carbon dioxide to enter or leave the packaging atmosphere.
7. A method according to claim 1 which includes, after step E, the step of displaying the party tray for sale in a display orientation in which the foodstuffs are viewed by a shopper through the container body.
8. A method of preparing a party tray which comprises the steps of
A) providing a container body which
(i) is composed of a transparent polymeric material,
(ii) has a depth of 1 to 4 in.,
(iii) has a circumference of 30 to 100 in.; and
(iv) comprises
1) a base,
2) a continuous wall which extends away from the base and is contiguous with the base,
3) a continuous rim which is contiguous with the wall, and
4) partitions which extend away from the base in the same direction as the wall; and
(v) has a loading orientation in which the wall extends upwards from the base, and the partitions extend upwards from the base and create fillable compartments within the container body;
the partitions being cavity walls, and the container body having been prepared by molding a polymeric material, thus forming the base, wall, rim and partitions at the same time;
B) while the container body is in the loading orientation, placing foodstuffs in the compartments so that the foodstuffs rest on the base, at least some of the foodstuffs being fresh vegetables and the foodstuffs placed in at least one of the compartments being multiple pieces of a fresh vegetable;
C) after step B, sealing a sealing sheet of polymeric material to the rim of the container body so that the sealing sheet extends over the compartments and creates a sealed package (i) which contains the foodstuffs and a packaging atmosphere around the foodstuffs, (ii) whose outer surface is defined by the container body and the sealing sheet, and (iii) which includes an atmosphere control member included in the sealing sheet;
D) after step C, placing a support tray over the sealing sheet; and
E) after step D, turning the sealed package and the support tray placed thereon upside-down, so that the foodstuffs rest on the sealing sheet, and the sealing sheet is supported by the support tray, the support tray comprising ribs such that, after step (E), air can circulate between the support tray and the atmosphere control member;
whereby the party tray can be displayed for sale in a display orientation in which the foodstuffs are viewed by a shopper through the container body.
9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the atmosphere control member covers a window in the sealing sheet.
10. A method according to claim 8 wherein the support tray has a solid color.
11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the ribs on the support tray are discontinuous, upstanding ribs.
12. A method according to claim 8 wherein, before step B, a carton of vegetable dip is placed in the center of the container body, and the carton has walls which help to define the compartments.
13. A method according to claim 8 which includes, after step E, the step of displaying the party tray for sale in a display orientation in which the foodstuffs are viewed by a shopper through the container body.
14. A method of preparing a party tray which comprises the steps of
A) providing a container body which
(i) is composed of a transparent polymeric material,
(ii) has a depth of 1 to 4 in.,
(iii) has a circumference of 30 to 100 in.;
(iv) comprises
1) a base,
2) a single continuous wall which extends away from the base and is contiguous with the base,
3) a continuous rim which is contiguous with the wall, and
4) partitions which extend away from the base in the same direction as the wall, and are removably located in the container body; and
(v) has a loading orientation In which the wall extends upwards from the base, and the partitions extend upwards from the base and create fillable compartments within the container body; and
B) while the container body is in the loading orientation, placing foodstuffs in the compartments so that the foodstuffs rest on the base, at least some of the foodstuffs being fresh vegetables and the foodstuffs placed in at least one of the compartments being multiple pieces of a fresh vegetable;
C) after step B, sealing a sealing sheet of polymeric material to the rim of the container body so that the sealing sheet extends over the compartments and creates a sealed package (i) which contains the foodstuffs and a packaging atmosphere around the foodstuffs, (ii) whose outer surface is defined by the container body and the sealing sheet, and (iii) which includes an atmosphere control member included in the sealing sheet;
D) after step C, placing a support tray over the sealing sheet; and
E) after step D, turning the sealed package and the support tray placed thereon upside-down, so that the foodstuffs rest on the sealing sheet, and the sealing sheet is supported by the support tray the support tray comprising ribs such that, after step (E), air can circulate between the support tray and the atmosphere control member;
whereby the party tray can be displayed for sale in a display orientation in which the foodstuffs are viewed by a shopper through the container body.
15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the partitions are composed of a polymeric material having a thickness less than 0.125 inch.
16. A method according to claim 14 wherein, before step B, a carton of vegetable dip is placed in the center of the container body, and the carton has walls which help to define the compartments.
17. A method according to claim 14 wherein the atmosphere control member provides substantially the only pathways for oxygen and carbon dioxide to enter or leave the packaging atmosphere.
18. A method according to claim 14 which includes, after step E, the step of displaying the party tray for sate in a display orientation in which the foodstuffs are viewed by a shopper through the container body.
19. A method according to claim 14 wherein the container body includes location members formed in the container body as the container body was molded, the location members being in the base of the container body or in the wall of the container body, or in both the base and the wall of the container body, whereby, when all the partitions are located within the container body by the location members, each of the compartments has a fixed size.
20. A method according to claim 14 where the partitions have one or more of the following characteristics
(a) at least one of the partitions comprises two or more straight portions at right angles to each other and to the base,
(b) at least one of the partitions comprises two or more straight portions at right angles to the base and with a curved portion between them, and
(c) two or more first partitions which are parallel to each other and at right angles to the base, and one or more second partitions which are at right angles to the first partitions and to the base, some or all of the first and second partitions are slotted so that they fit together.
21. A method according to claim 14 wherein the support tray has a solid color.
22. A method according to claim 14 wherein the ribs on the support tray are discontinuous, upstanding ribs.
23. A method according to claim 14 wherein the atmosphere control member covers a window in the sealing sheet.