PACKAGED PRODUCT

Abstract: A packaged food composition which comprises a package containing a foodstuff and a desiccant.

Description: The present invention relates to a packaged composition comprising a foodstuff and a desiccant. US-A-2 994 404 and US-A-3 084 984 both describe packages containing a dry food product and a desiccating agent. A major problem with chilled or frozen food products where a part or the whole product should be crispy after heating for consumption, such as coated meat or fish products is the migration of water from a part of the product with a high water content to a part with a low water content during storage e.g. from the fish or meat to the coating in frozen or chilled coated fish or meat portions. When such products are heated for consumption in an oven they become undesirably mushy and this problem is particularly noticeable when the heating is carried out in a microwave oven. As a microwave oven cannot crisp and brown a product, the parts of the product which should be crispy and crunchy become soft and soggy. While it is possible to use special susceptors or browning dishes in microwave ovens to make the product crispy or brown, this may not only be inconvenient and expensive for the consumer, it can cause problems and can be dangerous. We have found that if a desiccant is packed together with such a foodstuff so that the excess water is absorbed by the desiccant rather than the parts of the foodstuff which should retain a low water content, when the foodstuff is subsequently reheated for consumption, a very desirable crispy texture can be obtained. Accordingly, the present invention provides a packaged food product which comprises a food product packed in a sealed water vapour-tight package with a desiccant, characterised in that the food product is a two-component part frozen processed food product which has a part which becomes crispy upon cooking, which coats a part of the food product which has a higher water content relative to the coating part. The foodstuff may be any processed food product suitable for deep-freezing or chilling where a part or the whole of the food product should be crispy after heating for consumption especially in a microwave oven. Examples of suitable foodstuffs are coated products such as battered and breaded products (e.g. fish, poultry, meat), pancakes, gratins, pies and filled bakery products. In addition to batter and breadcrumbs, suitable coating materials may be, for instance, pasta, rice and cheese (e.g. gratins). The desiccant, which may be edible, may be any food-acceptable desiccant, for example, silica gel, calcium chloride glucomannan, sodium acrylate, silicon dioxide, bentonite, preferably in finely divided particulate form, or it may be another foodstuff which acts itself as a desiccant such as a specially designed sauce premix which becomes a real sauce by absorbing water during storage. The amount of desiccant may vary widely depending on numerous factors such as the type of desiccant, type of products, storage temperature, desired shelf life. Generally the amount of desiccant is from 5 to 80% by weight and more usually from 10 to 60% by weight based on the weight of the food product. The desiccant may be in direct contact with the foodstuff in the package or it may be encapsulated in a microporous plastics sheet material the pore size of which renders it permeable to water vapour but impermeable to desiccant particles. Such microporous plastics materials are well known to those skilled in the art and may be made of a variety of plastics materials, for example, polyolefins, vinyl polymers, polyamides, polyurethanes or polyesters. If desired, the foodstuff may be separated from the desiccant in the package by wrapping the foodstuff in a protective envelope such as sandwich paper. The food product together with the desiccant may be packed in any conventional package suitable for storage under chilled or deep-frozen conditions and, if necessary, suitable for subsequent reheating in a microwave oven. The package should be water vapour-tight and may be a bag made of materials such as polyurethanes, polyolefins, polyesters or polyamides. The packaged food composition after sealing, is preferably chilled or deep-frozen where the storage temperature is below +10°C and more usually from +8°C to -30°C. The following Examples further illustrate the present invention. Example 1 A breaded cod portion weighing 100 g and 30 g of finely divided silica gel (average particle size from 0.5 to 4 mm) in a microporous polyolefin pouch were deep-frozen and packaged in a pack suitable for deep freezing. The pack was heat-sealed and stored for 3 months in a freezer and then the coated cod piece was thawed and heated for consumption in microwave oven. The heated product had a desirable crispy texture. Example 2 A number of deep-frozen nugget-shaped breaded chicken portions weighing 190 g together with 60 g of silica gel in a microporous polyolefin pouch which is permeable only to water vapour were packed in a plastic bag made of polyester. The pack was heat-sealed and stored in a freezer for 10 weeks after which the coated chicken pieces were thawed and reheated in a microwave oven. The heated product had a crispy coating while the chicken meat was juicy and has a nice texture.

Claims: A packaged food product comprising a food product packed in a sealed water vapour-tight package with a desiccant, characterised in that the food product is a two component part frozen processed food product, which has a part that becomes crispy upon cooking, coating a part of the food product which has high water content relative to the coating part. A product according to claim 1 wherein the coating part of the food product is a batter or a breading or combinations thereof. A product according to claim 1 wherein the part of the food product with the high water content is meat, fish or poultry. A product according to claim 1 wherein the food product is a filled bakery product, or a potato gratin coated with cheese. A product according to claim 1 wherein the coating part of the food product is a pasta or rice. A product according to claim 1 wherein the desiccant is an edible sauce premix which absorbs water. A product according to claim 1 wherein the desiccant is silica gel, calcium chloride glucomannan, sodium acrylate, silicon dioxide or betonite. A product according to claim 1 wherein the desiccant is in divided particulate form. A product according to claim 1 wherein the desiccant is in particulate form and is encapsulated in a microporous plastic sheet material which is permeable to water vapour but impermeable to the desiccant particles. A product according to claim 1 wherein the desiccant is in an amount of from 5 to 80% by weight based on the weight of the foodstuff.

Inventors: OLOFSSON, MATS, ROHNER, ERICH, VADEHRA, DHARAM VIR
Applicants: FRISCO-FINDUS AG
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B65D81
IPC codes: A23L3, A21D15, B65D81