Package with a food product and a method of producing the package

Abstract

 Package with a food product, such as a meat product (7), which is packed in an airtight packaging material (1) under a controlled atmosphere, for example a gas mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The package comprises a tray (3) for the food product (7) and an airtight packaging film (1) enclosing the tray (3). A lid (5) for the tray is disposed underneath the tray and inside the packaging film.
The package is manufactured by placing the tray (3) on top of the lid (5) before the tray and the food product are enclosed hermetically inside the packaging film (1).
The lid (5) is kept in place inside the package and it cannot come loose or fall off in transit or during handling in the retail stage of distribution. After the consumer has broken the packaging film (1) and taken some of the food product (3), the tray may be closed by means of the enclosed lid.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a package with a food product, such as a meat product, packed in an airtight packaging material under a controlled atmosphere, comprising a tray for the food product and an airtight packaging film enclosing the tray.

[0002] When food products such as meat are packed, it is usual to produce a package with a controlled atmosphere over the food product, as this will prolong the storage qualities of the product and stabilize the colour of the product. The gases applied to establish a controlled atmosphere may include nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen, which are mixed in a certain ratio.

[0003] GB-A 1,199,998 describes a test in which pieces of beef are placed in a gaseous medium consisting of 80% oxygen and 20% carbon dioxide by volume. Each piece of meat is placed in a display tray. The tray is enclosed in a pouch of substantially gas-impermeable polyethylene laminate. Before sealing, the pouch is flushed with a gaseous medium consisting of oxygen and carbon dioxide. After 15 days' chill storage, the meat was still in a fresh condition, both from a point of view of bacteriological and colour quality.

[0004] A similar technique is known in connection with the packaging of for example liver pate. An aluminium film container filled with liver pate is packaged in a transparent film under an atmosphere of 80% nitrogen and 20% carbon dioxide. This ensures improved storage qualities for the liver pate in the retail stage of distribution.

[0005] DK-B 148,492 describes a package with bacon slices packed under an atmosphere of for example 35% carbon dioxide and 65% inert gas (nitrogen). The package comprises a tray which is hermetically sealed by means of a piece of film that is affixed to the edge of the tray by welding.

[0006] Similar packages called table-ready packages are also known. They contain sliced meat products to put on bread, for example slices of salami under a controlled atmosphere. The packages comprise a tray with a piece of film welded to the edge of the tray. A detachable lid may be placed on top of the tray on the sealing piece of film, so that the consumer may keep the product fresh after having removed the sealing film.

[0007] However, the lids are often liable to come loose or fall off in transit or during handling in the retail stage, so that they are either lost or they have to be put on again.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a package with a controlled atmosphere by which it is possible both to keep the product fresh after the consumer has broken through the sealing piece of film to the controlled atmosphere of the package, and to avoid the above mentioned drawback of the lids.

[0009] The package according to the invention is characterized in that a lid for the tray is disposed underneath the tray and inside the packaging film.

[0010] The following advantages are obtained by placing the lid underneath the tray before the tray and the food product are sealed hermetically inside the packaging film.

[0011] The lid is kept inside the package preventing contamination. It cannot be lost without breaking the packaging film. When needed, the consumer will break the film and after having taken the necessary quantity of the food product from the tray, the lid may be put on the top edge of the tray.

[0012] If the film is transparent and the product is covered by a film only, the package according to the invention enables the consumer to evaluate the food product before buying it.

[0013] In general, it will be easier to produce the package according to the invention than a corresponding table-ready package as it is usually more simple to seal a packaging film by welding than it is to weld a piece of film on to the edge of a tray. The invention gives more freedom as regards the choice of tray types, as it is not a requirement that the edge of the tray be weldable.

[0014] Unlike the corresponding known packages without a lid, the package according to the invention may keep the food product fresh after the packaging film has been broken. If the tray has the common shape which tapers towards the bottom, the package according to the invention will furthermore be easier to stack. When a package according to the invention is placed on top of a corresponding package it will be easy for the lid to find support on the edge of the tray below.

[0015] After the packaging film has been removed from the package according to the invention, the consumer may remove some of the product from the tray and then close the tray by means of the enclosed lid. Thus, the remaining product will stay fresh after the opening of the package, especially if it is kept in a refrigerator or in a refrigerated counter. When the consumer needs the product again, the only thing necessary to do is to take off the lid, take the desired quantity of the product in the tray and then close the tray again by means of the lid. Consequently, the package according to the invention provides and secures a high degree of storage qualities and freshness.

[0016] In an embodiment of the package according to the invention, the packaging film is a section of a film casing, the circumference of which corresponds to the circumference of the tray with the lid underneath, the section being sealed at both ends. In this embodiment the circumference of the film casing need only be large enough to just allow the tray with the lid underneath to fit into the film casing.

[0017] In this embodiment the packaging film will lie so close to the edge of the tray that it will not be possible, under normal conditions, for the product to work its way out of the tray during transportation or handling. However, the controlled atmosphere may easily flow between the space in the tray and the surrounding cavities between the outside of the tray and the packaging film.

[0018] By a film casing is also to be understood casings which are provided during the packaging procedure, for example by folding and welding of a strip, so that it forms a tubular casing with a longitudinal, welded seam.

[0019] When the tray has a rectangular shape there will be a close contact between the edge of the tray and the film.

[0020] Preferably, the tray and the lid fit together with a sealing effect, so that they can preserve the moisture of the product after the outer packaging film has been removed and the lid has been placed on top of the tray. In an embodiment the tray and the lid have beads along their free edges which fit into each other and interlock the parts when the lid is placed on top of the tray.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the packaging film is at least partially transparent, allowing the consumer, before purchasing, to take a look at the product.

[0022] The food product may be a meat product such as sliced meat to put on bread and other sliced meat products that are usually used little by little, for example slices of bacon. However, the package according to the invention may also be used advantageously in connection with loose or block-shaped meat products which are not all used at the same time, but which are normally consumed over a fairly long period of time, for example a whole day or several days. It may for example be a liver pate, meat cut into cubes, a large portion of hash or similar ready-prepared dishes.

[0023] The packaging films used may be the known polymer films for packing foodstuffs, such as a polyethylene film, alu-foils and laminates.

[0024] The invention also relates to a method of producing a package with a food product, such as a meat product, which is packed in an airtight packaging material under a controlled atmosphere. A method according to the invention comprises the following steps:

a) placing a tray on top of a lid for the same

b) placing a food product, such as a meat product, in the tray, and
hermetically packing the tray, lid and food product as one unit in a packaging film during the introduction of a gas mixture corresponding to the controlled atmosphere, by which steps a) and b) - if desired - may be performed in reverse order.

[0025] By this procedure the package in question is produced in an advantageous way. If desired, the procedure may be performed on commonly known packaging machines without any need to rebuild these.

[0026] The accompanying drawing shows a package with a meat product, for example a stack of sliced ham.

[0027] The package includes an outer, transparent packaging film 1 which is sealed hermetically by seams 2. The atmosphere in the package comprises nitrogen and carbon dioxide, but - if desired - it may also include other gas mixtures. Inside the package is a tray 3 with an edge bead 4. A lid 5 is disposed underneath the tray, which has an edge part 6 corresponding to the bead 4. A meat product 7 is positioned in the tray, for example a stack of sliced ham for sandwiches.

[0028] The package is made by placing the tray 3 on top of the lid 5 after this has been turned around so that the sharp edge is upwards. A predetermined quantity of the meat product 7, for example a certain number of slices of ham, will then be placed in the tray. The lid and the tray with contents are then packed together in a transparent film casing, while a controlled atmosphere is introduced and the ends of the film casing are welded together to form a hermetically sealed package. The atmosphere may include 80% N₂ and 20% CO₂; 50% N₂ and 50% CO₂; or 60% N₂ and 40% CO₂. The packing is performed on a known packaging machine according to the flow-packing method.

[0029] The controlled atmosphere in the package will ensure that the meat product 7 has a very long storage life, provided the packaging film 1 is unbroken. The producer, the distributor and the consumer will benefit from this. Furthermore, the lid 5 included in the package will ensure that the product will remain fresh for a long time after purchase by the consumer, who can enclose the product in the tray 3 by putting on the tight-fitting lid 5, preventing dehydration and contamination of the product within its normal shelf life.

[0030] The package may be used in the same fields as the so-called table-ready packages, which are intended for household use. It may also be used in restaurants, canteens, catering, takeaways or snack bars where it is desirable to have a supply of food products which can be used little by little. When orders are received, the desired quantity of meat product 7 is taken from the tray 3, after which the lid 5 is put back on. Consequently, the product may keep fresh and free from contamination, so that it is substantially of the same quality when the last order is received as when the first order was received.

Claims

1. Package with a food product, such a meat product, packed in an airtight packaging material under a controlled atmosphere, comprising a tray (3) for the food product (7) and an airtight packaging film (1) enclosing the tray, characterised in that a lid (5) for the tray (3) is disposed underneath the tray and inside the packaging film (1).

2. Package according to claim 1, characterised in that the packaging film (1) is a section of a film casing, the circumference of which corresponds to the circumference of the tray (3) with the lid (5) underneath, and that the section is sealed at both ends.

3. Package according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the tray (3) is rectangular in shape.

4. Package according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the tray (3) and the lid (5) have beads (4,6) along their free edges which fit into each other, and interlock the parts when the lid (5) is placed on top of the tray (5).

5. Package according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the packaging film (1) is at least partially transparent.

6. Method of producing a package with a food product, such as a meat product, packed in an airtight packaging material under a controlled atmosphere, characterised by the following steps:

a) placing a tray (3) on top of a lid (5) for the same,

b) placing a food product, such as a meat product (7), in the tray, and

c) hermetically packing the tray (3), the lid (5) and the food product (7) as one unit in a packaging film (1) while a gas mixture corresponding to the controlled atmosphere is introduced, in which steps a) and b) - if desired - may be performed in reverse order.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterised in that the packaging film (1) is a section of a film casing, the circumference of which corresponds to the circumference of the tray (3) with the lid (5) underneath, and sealing the section at both ends after the gas mixture has been introduced.

Drawing