How many times have you been in a situation where somebody has left a packet of ketchup/mustard/relish/whatever on the floor of the restaraunt or cafeteria and you've stepped on it, splattering ketchup all over yourself or another person?

well, what if one-serving condiment containers were instead made of hard plastic that won't burst when pressure is applied? this could also improve the shipping of these products, since as far as I know they are currently simply piled into a box. Well, if they could be stacked then all of the space in the box would be taken up, thus increasing the amount of ketchup packages that you could fit in a single box, thus decreasing the price of packaging and increasing your profit.

overall, making condiments in neat little hard plastic packages rather than foil packets would decrease costs, increase profit, and won't make the huge biker guy you splatter ketchup all over beat you up.
-- twelve, Feb 04 2004

+ for avoiding angry bikers, - for economics

// Well, if they could be stacked then all of the space in the box would be taken up, thus increasing the amount of ketchup packages that you could fit in a single box, thus decreasing the price of packaging and increasing your profit. //

Rigid boxes for something this size would be almost certainly larger than flexible packets, as well as more expensive to make (and creating more waste). The reason why squidgy packets not boxes are used is price.

(And by the way, how would the box open? Would it have a foil lid like those little tubs of cream? Putting something in a hard plastic box doesn't automatically make it easier to open.)
-- kropotkin, Feb 04 2004


And by the way, watch where you're going and you won't step on ketchup packets.
-- yabba do yabba dabba, Feb 04 2004


This ain't gonna be cheap.

Tiny little pop-top cans maybe?
-- half, Feb 04 2004


if the problem is stepping on containers and making a mess then maybe you need shoes that have condiment sensors to alert you or big squishy soles so as not to burst the packets. This way the rest of us who look where we are walking will not have to pay for stomp proof packets.

Your cost estimates and basis are whack. btw.

Do you have a sachet of tartar sauce? you'll need it... fish.
-- DadManWalking, Feb 05 2004


How do you get the condiment out? I like the squeeze packets because they need not a utensil. Why not put condiment in sealed balloon? Instead of splatter, it would just squoosh around.
-- Zuzu, Nov 02 2005



random, halfbakery