FAMILY-SIZE SINGLE-SERVE

MATTHEW ENIS

Consumer research may end up leading to a great payoff for Cryovac, a division of Sealed Air Corp. In the Food Marketing Institute's Power of Meat 2007 study, released last year, many survey respondents said they would probably buy more meat products if smaller portion sizes were available. Researchers, as well as study sponsor Cryovac, reasoned that this was probably indicative of the growth of single- and two-person households.

Their response, launched last month, was the new Multibag — a vacuum-sealed barrier bag divided into multiple sections that allows those smaller households to continue buying products like chicken, cheese or sausage in bulk. At home, individual portions can be used, leaving other individual portions intact in their own vacuum-sealed compartments. “A lot of people can't buy [bulk] products, because the downside is waste and spoilage. They can't eat it fast enough,” explained Tim Avery, marketing director for smoked and processed meats at Cryovac.

Similarly, the company's new saddle packs (pictured above) enable suppliers to package multiple servings in vacuum-sealed compartments. The new packages have generated a lot of interest from the club store channel, Avery said.