Increased competition for space in refrigerated cases at grocery stores is shifting product marketers' focus toward food packaging that can deliver a long, ambient shelf life elsewhere in the store. French food manufacturer William Saurin believes it has a solution with its new range of ambient pâtés in innovative thermoformed packaging.

Marketed under the Portions brand, the spreadable pâtés come in four single-serve, multilayer cups packaged inside a cylindrical outer carton. Two aspects give the cups marketing pluses over fresh pâtés varieties: an oxygen barrier for shelf life and 60cc cups for on-the-go convenience.

"We are proud to launch the innovative Portions range under the William Saurin name, bringing a new way to consume pâtés" says Eric Fleurance, Product Manager at William Saurin.

William Saurin says it has developed a proprietary process to sterilize the individual cups and assure taste as good as fresh pâtés.

The cups, from RPC Barrier Containers France, are thermoformed in white PP/EVOH/PP at RPC Bouxwiller, on an inline production line. After filling, each cup is sealed with an aluminum foil closure and packed into the printed cylinder.