Be Ready for RTE with Nichrome

Posted by Nichrome India Ltd on August 12th, 2022

Regardless of what you call them - ready-to-eat, instant food mix, or heat-and-serve food - ready-to-eat meals are the most convenient food items on the market today.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are those foods that do not need any further processing. These meals are cleaned, cooked and packaged before they reach retail shelves. Some varieties might need to only be heated before they are ready for consumption. 

The shifting lifestyles of consumers are behind the growing demand for RTE foods. The prevalence of families with multiple sources of income and the increase in the number of working women have driven the demand for RTE foods. Since consumers now have less time to cook, they are on the lookout for food products that are functionally expedient and portable, while still being delectably full of flavour. 

Advantages of RTE Foods: 

• Saving Time - Saving the time and energy expended in cooking is the most obvious benefit of RTE foods. This is helpful for many busy people who don’t have the luxury of spending an hour or more on prepping, serving and eating a meal.
• Increased Convenience - RTE foods can be reheated and consumed at any time of the day or night. This is particularly beneficial for those who work late nights or at odd hours.
• Ready Availability - RTE foods can be purchased at any time and are available at many places. There are many brands and recipes to choose from, and they are available at different price points.
• Safety - RTE foods are quite safe and hygienic as they are manufactured and packed in well-protected conditions and processed following the rules and regulations set by the government. 

Nichrome’s RTE Packaging Machines 

Nichrome is a leader in food packaging solutions and offers some exemplary machines for ready to eat food packaging with the latest technology from Europe. 

Pick-Fill-Seal Machine 

The pick-fill-seal machine offered by Nichrome is an RTE packaging machine which utilises highly versatile rotary technology. This machine can conveniently pack a diverse range of ready-to-eat foods in attractive and innovative packaging while preserving the freshness of the products. This instant food packaging machine is robust and compact and easy to clean and maintain. 

This is a highly precise PFS packaging machine and is controlled by a PLC that has the latest-gen synchronised motion Servo system. 

Nichrome has also innovated an advanced variant of this packaging technology that allows for 2 or 3 fillers to dispense different types of ingredients in the same pouch. 

This machine can pack in pouch formats like 3 side seal, 4 side seal, stand up pack, stand up with zipper and Doy pack with spout.

 Essential features of these machines are: 

• Servo-driven precision indexing
• Precision cam-operated mechanism
• Less power consumption
• Operator friendly, easy to clean and Maintain
• Compact and versatile design
• PLC-based machine with touchscreen interface
• No pouch, no fill, no seal interlock
• Pouch open error, no fill interlock
• Heater malfunction error interlock
• Low air pressure alarm
• Machine guards with safety interlock
• Hygienic stainless steel construction available
• Contact parts SS316, SS304 available 

Thermoforming Tray Sealing Machine 

Nichrome also offers the Athena Thermoforming Tray Sealing machine from Tecnovac, Italy. This food tray sealing machine has the capability to seal and pack products in a protective atmosphere also known as Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP). It can also pack all kinds of trays and jars with a ‘Skin effect’. This machine from Nichrome is the optimal solution for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to its sturdy stainless steel structure and ease of maintenance. 

This horizontal form fill seal machine ensures that products are kept safe and hygienic till they land on the consumers' table. This functionality of the machine is essential for producers of cut fruits & vegetables, fish & meat, namkeen & sweets and even ready-to-eat meals like biryani. 

MAP packaging machines extract oxygen and carbon dioxide from the air in the trays, replacing them with nitrogen or mixed air to ensure that the food does not deteriorate. The tray is then sealed properly to retain this gas mixture.

 Conclusion

 RTE meals are designed to save time and effort for modern working-class families who may not have the luxury of time to prepare a changing and diverse variety of meals. With most families becoming dual-income families, the demand for RTE foods is on an inexorable rise.

Connect with Nichrome to discuss your RTE packaging requirements. Nichrome has the expertise and experience to provide effective solutions to quickly and efficiently pack savoury meals and ready-to-cook ingredients while ensuring no compromise in taste, hygiene and presentation.

As an established packaging machine manufacturer, Nichrome has a proactive practice of working with customers to understand the challenges and requirements of the product they want to package. Nichrome’s diverse portfolio of integrated packaging solutions includes box packaging machines, carton packaging machines, powder filling machines, flow wrap machines, tin packaging machines and tin filling machines among many others. Its global presence has been built on the platform of its potent in-house R&D and manufacturing capabilities. 

For further information about Nichrome’s RTE packaging solutions and other cutting-edge integrated packaging solutions, visit www.nichrome.com.