DHAL-BREAKER
We put Iceland’s new ‘plastic free’ fakeaway range to the test (and they cost just £1.50 per dish)
Can they heat up the food the same? Are they flimsy to hold? Will they go soggy in the microwave? We tried them out...
ICELAND'S new shareable street food takeaway meals only cost £1.50 a dish - and they're more environmentally friendly too.
The range is one of the first supermarket own brands to be packaged in paper based pots rather than plastic food trays.
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Most ready meal trays are unrecyclable because they're made from black plastic, which can't be detected by sorting machines.
But these trays by Iceland mean that all of the packaging, except for the plastic film lid, can be recycled.
It comes as the supermarket works to live up to its promise of eradicating plastic packages from its own brand range by 2023.
Whilst the card tubs sound like a great idea, we weren't convinced that they'd be as good as the plastic ones when it came to actually cooking it.
Can they heat up the food the same? Are they flimsy to hold? Will they go soggy in the microwave? We tried them out...
What do they taste like?
THIS is Iceland's first range of ready meals in paper packaging. But do they work as well as the plastic ones?
Sun Online reporter Hollie Borland put them to the test:
I tried the Aloo Matar vegetable dish and the Mother Butter Chicken as well as a spaghetti bolognese which is part of a new Hungry Heroes range of healthy ready meals.
They are all packaged in paper trays.
They felt pretty solid - no more flimsy than a plastic tray. Once you removed the paper sleeve and pierced the film they were good to go.
I heated them up from frozen in the mircowave. I followed the instructions and cooked them from 6 minutes.
I kind of expected the paper to be soggy when the food heated up, especially as it defrosted.
Surprisingly, it wasn't. The packages were still quite sturdy but they were really hot to touch so you'll need to be careful and protect your hands.
The food was heated through really well and it tasted good too.
The butter chicken taste had a good kick to it while the Aloo Matar was one for those of us who don't do well with too much spice!
I reckon the paper trays work just as well as the plastic ones - and they make you feel good when you pop the packaging into the recycling bin.
There's a choice of 16 small plates including Gun Powder Chicken, Chilli Paneer and Calcutta Kale Bhaji.
The meals are based on Mumbai street food and you'll need to buy a few of them for your meal because the dishes are smaller than a typical supermarket ready meal for one.
But at £1.50 per dish - or four for £5 - you'll get more flavour for your money.
Iceland reckons the Mumbai Street Co. range will appeal to those who enjoy sharing "authentic Indian street food" with friends and families.
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Most of the dishes come in 250g pots and can be mixed and matched. Finger-food sides like the Calcutta Kale Bhaji weigh in around 120g.
Okay, so they might not be the cheapest option available - you can get a 400g chicken curry and rice ready meal from Tesco for £1 - but it definitely gives you more choice for your buck.
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There are a handful of vegetarian dishes too including Root Ruby which is a beetroot-based dish.
Iceland boss Richard Walker has been outspoken about the company's pledge to stop using plastic by 2023.
He said: "It’s actually easier for Iceland to take action than it is for most companies because we are a privately owned, family business.
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"Plastic-free aisles in supermarkets aren’t a bad idea, but they’re not enough."
It is the first major retailer globally to go "plastic-free" and the announcement came days after PM Theresa May pledged to eliminate synthetic packaging altogether.
The move has been welcomed by environmental campaigners concerned about plastic in the world's oceans, where it can harm and kill wildlife.
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