Packaging tray

A molded plastic packaging tray for receiving a perishable food product and wrapping in a plastic film wrap to preserve the food product, the packaging tray comprising:

• an integral molded plastic tray having topside and underside surfaces, the underside surface including a lowermost standing surface of the tray;
• the topside surface defining a flange having a rectangular perimeter lying in a top reference plane TRP, the rectangular perimeter comprising opposing first and second longitudinal edges aligned parallel to a longitudinal centerline LCL of the tray, opposing first and second lateral edges aligned parallel to a transverse centerline TCL that is transverse to the LCL, and rounded corner edges joining the side edges and lateral edges;
• the tray topside surface defining a recessed cavity wall depending downwardly from the rectangular perimeter to define an interior cavity having an open top end, the interior cavity comprising a substantially flat bottom wall, and extending upwardly from the bottom wall toward the flange, a pair of opposing longitudinal side walls disposed parallel to and equidistant from opposing sides of the LCL, a pair of opposing end walls disposed parallel to and equidistant from opposing sides of the TCL, and four rounded corner walls joining the side walls and end walls and which collectively, with the bottom wall, form the interior cavity;
• a pair of central ribbing elements, each ribbing element forming an arc that lies in the TCL and extending into a respective side wall and the bottom wall so as to prevent outward sagging of the tray in the LCL direction, as well as preventing inward collapsing of the tray in the TCL direction, when the tray is filled with a product and the filled tray is wrapped in a plastic film wrap.