For years, Wilkinson has been supporting the frozen dinner business. With this.

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Black background and in the middle is a grey foil container, with three empty compartments.

[transcription]

#For years, Wilkinson has been supporting the frozen dinner business. 

##With this. 

Bet you didn’t know that. And until recently, it didn’t really matter. You had your suppliers, we had out customers and everybody was happy, right? But today, with delivery problems, quality standards and rush orders what they are, it’s hard to know who makes what best and can get it there on time, all the time. Now, a big part of the frozen foods business has come to us for over 14 years. Because we helped pioneer the very idea of the foil container. And bettered the idea with the full curl bead for added strength. With improved die designs, full-gauage foil and truly modern equipment. First we make it, then we deliver it. On time, in our own trucks, when other can’t. And prices are competitive. We’re in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. Write us, or better yet call 402-468-5511 and ask for ext.31. The story just keeps getting better. 

[additional notes]

• years: suggestion of the company’s experience 

• the  foil container and the frozen dinner go hand-in-hand: the tray supports the frozen dinner by being a compartment where the food can be stored and saved for later 

• motivating the housewife to cook more frozen dinners knowing there is a stable tray to hold her food that she has cooked 

• rush orders: considers that the American food industry during this time is slowly starting to become  fast-paced

• a packaging method that meets the demands of consumerism 

• ensures that the distribution of their products comes in a timely manner 

• in comparison to the Chemical Week journal, these ads don’t necessarily gie a breakdown of what their products are made of or how their product is able to keep up with the demands of commercial markets 

• vague on how this durability works

• uses word like ‘modern’ and ‘strength’ but there is no description of how both are exercised in the foil container 

• understands the idea of competition by stating ‘other’s can’t’ 

• speaks on price but does not say how much more affordable it is, doesn’t include the amount of food this foil tray can hold, and how to use it 

• can be easily disposed: more convenient for the consumer and elicits them to buy more foil trays if itt’s easy to throw away 

How durable is a foil container? 

• ‘barrier to light, moisture, grease, and gas’ 

• ‘can be heat sealed if coated with polyethylene’

• ‘it is lightweight’

• ‘ductile and strong material’

What are some health problems from foil trays?

• aluminum can go into the food 

• intake of aluminum can cause ‘neurological, bone and kidney diseases’

• too much heat used with the foil or near the foil can allow leaching to occur which means the consumer who uses this can potentially eat small portions of aluminum 

• many risk factors when it comes to these types of packaging due to its contents and the exposure to heat which is always at high temperatures for cooking 

What is a foil container made out of? 

• aluminum, iron, silicon

• ‘polyethylene is used in order to give it better barrier properties’

• interesting to consider how much more is added onto this foil tray to make it withstand certain conditions: it is not just aluminum, there are more contents involved 

Themes: consumerism, packaging, stability, reliability, competition, 

[Karlene Rodriguez]