ABSTRACT
The earliest microwave packages were created shortly after it was discovered that the electromagnetic radiation from a magnetron tube was capable of heating food. As the story goes, Percy Spencer, who was then working for Raytheon after having been involved in magnetron development during World War II, stood in front of a magnetron and noticed that his hand became warm. He also realized that the candy bar in his pocket was melting [1]. Thus, Spencer not only discovered microwave heating of food; he also created the first microwave package. A U.S. patent [2] issued in 1949 with Spencer as the inventor showed a pouch specifically designed for microwave heating of an entire cob of popcorn. This is the most commonly accepted version of the genesis of microwave packaging, although other companies, including General Electric, had been exploring the use of microwave radiation for food thawing and other uses.
