The emphasis on convenience drives so many food packaging decisions today, and it may have a greater influence on the packages we see in the future than anything else out there. The following are new examples in the battle for shelf supremacy in convenience packaging:

• Chicken of the Sea International is marketing shelf-stable, retorted peel-and-eat cups of tuna and salmon. The 2.8-oz portions are contained in eye-catching two-packs of tuna and salmon retailing for $1.85 (chunk light tuna) and $2.79 (chunk white tuna or salmon).

Why launch cups when retorted pouches already have enormous convenience advantages over steel cans? Because consumers perceive cups as even more convenient and on-the-go than pouches, thus opening up a whole new usage occasion for tuna and salmon as eat-it-anywhere snacks.

The cups are believed to be five-layer structures thermoformed by the Rampart Division of Printpack. The lids are believed to be a three-layer lamination of multiple materials; the material is from Oracle Packaging.

• Food Packages that self-vent in the microwave oven are another convenience-driven packaging format that is picking up steam. Here’s one example: General Mills is now packaging several varieties of its Green Giant brand of frozen vegetables, typically about 8 oz, in a Simply Steam pack that also has a self-venting feature.

Bemis Co. provides the forming and non-forming films.