Crowned meat tray

In a molded packaging tray for the packaging of meat, fish, poultry, comestibles or non-food commodities for use with a transparent overwrap film extending thereabout, said tray comprising upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls forming sides for said tray;

• bottom wall means for supporting said meat, fish, poultry, comestibles or commodities including a flat peripheral bottom wall portion;
• and a curvilinear wall portion extending between and joining said bottom wall and lower ends of said sidewalls so as to provide a smoothly contoured transitional surfaces therebetween of a thickness which is at least equal to the thickness of the adjoining bottom wall and sidewalls, the improvement wherein:
• (a) said inclined sidewalls have a radially outwardly extending lip portion extending about said side walls proximate the upper ends thereof;
• and
• (b) said bottom wall portion of said tray including a high-crowned central portion of a generally ellipsoid, oval or circular configuration having continually upwardly curving walls, the highest point of said upwardly curving walls being at the center of said tray bottom, and crowned central portion of said tray bottom having an elevated height above the tray, bottom plane of at least 40 to 50% the maximum internal depth of said tray for the raised support of a product in said tray encompassed by a peripheral tray bottom surface forming a support surface for said packaging tray.