Microwaveable 20-oz Cups Fuel Monterey Pasta's Fresh Soup Launch
The initial release of Homestyle-Fresh Soups includes eight varieties: Monterey Clam Chowder, Tuscan Minestrone, Autumn Classic Butternut Squash, Southern Style Corn Chowder, Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle, Savory Split Pea with Ham, Ripe Red Tomato with Basil and Creamy Potato with Black Forest Ham. The non-condensed soups are ready to heat and serve, and can be eaten directly out of the microwaveable cups. Like all Monterey Pasta products, the soups are manufactured without preservatives or artificial ingredients.
The Salinas, CA, company says refrigerated soups are the fastest growing segment of the $2 billion soup category. Lance Hewitt, president/CEO of Monterey Pasta notes that previous entrants into the category have suffered from poor packaging and difficult preparation. "For example, many products are not microwaveable in the retail package. Some are condensed, requiring added water, a can opener and a pan for heating. Others suffered from packaging that was very difficult to open and not resealable for storage," he says.
From Microwave, to Table, to Refrigerator
Unlike other refrigerated national brands of soup, Monterey's Homestyle-Fresh Soups are packaged in a resealable microwaveable bowl suitable for serving. After microwaving the single-serve soup, a consumer can eat right out of the injection-molded polypropylene-based bowl.
The translucent, recyclable container is produced by Airlite Plastics (Omaha, NE). It is heat-sealed with a clear plastic lidstock from Pack-All Inc. (Chicago), which must be punctured to be removed. A linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) green-tinted snap-on overcap, also from Airlite, is used to reseal the 20-oz container. Leftover soup can be refrigerated and reheated all in the same container.
The profile of the container fits the uniformity of Monterey Pasta's product lines, says Joe De Vor of Hayes Packaging, a broker for Airlite Plastics. "They [Monterey Pasta] can run the cup on existing filling equipment," says De Vor. The cups are capable of being hot-filled at up to 200°F.
The cups with overcaps are individually packaged in four-color paperboard sleeve cartons printed by Watsonville Press (Watsonville, CA). Each flavor of soup features a different background-colored carton, and the clear container, which is exposed on either side of the carton, allows the consumer to view the soup product. Although the lidding material is printable, there is no printing on it in this application, nor is there any printing or labeling on the container itself.
Gaining New Distribution Channels
The new, consumer-friendly soup packaging is enabling Monterey Pasta to venture into new avenues of growth. Hewitt explains Monterey Pasta's strategy: "We intend to drive our future growth based on our present strengths. Our announced strategy is to leverage our expertise in flavorful, fresh ingredients into products benefiting from our research, distribution and sales infrastructure. This entry into fresh soups meets these criteria, and we are exploring additional actions designed to grow our business through product innovations in closely related gourmet product categories."
"Much of what we've learned in the past 10 years supplying healthy, gourmet products to upscale customers is also applicable to premium soups," Hewitt continues. "Recently conducted research shows that consumer acceptance of the Monterey Pasta Co. brand name transfers well to other gourmet food products. The new soup line also gives us the opportunity to gain distribution in certain retail chains throughout the country, which for one reason or another, have been unavailable to our pasta business. With our present distribution of around 4,000 supermarkets, the total U.S supermarket count of over 30,000 presents an enormous opportunity for us."
Distribution of the soups began in late August to markets in the San Francisco Bay area including Draeger's, Lunardi's and Mollie Stone's. The individually packaged 20-oz soups retail for between $3.59-$3.79 per unit, depending on product. An introduction to selected club stores and retail grocers is underway, and will continue through the end of 1999.
For more information:
Airlite Plastics, Tel: 800-228-9545.
Hayes Packaging, Tel: 949-583-0307.
Pack-All Inc., Tel: 773-463-3413.
Watsonville Press, Tel: 800-649-9287.
Edited by Bill Noone