FOOD CONTAINER

Abstract: An improved process for using and an apparatus adapted to use edible material in packaging discrete food products.

Description: FOOD CONTAINER The present invention relates to an improved apparatus and process for packaging discrete food products in a single serving container, to the containers and to the discrete food products themselves . Single serving containers containing frozen, chilled or fresh, discrete food products such as pastries are gaining widespread popularity throughout the world. By "discrete food product" is meant a unit (eg a portion, helping or serving) of a food product which may satisfy a typical individual . US-A-47984273 discloses one such single serving container comprising a triangular frangible arrangement which is easily opened and readily allows removal of a discrete food product. An apparatus and process for packaging discrete food products (eg fresh or frozen products) is disclosed in FR-A- 2681576. A fully automated system for cutting and packaging discrete food products is described which improves the desired quality and output by utilising very high pressure, water jet cutting systems. This proves to be particularly useful for less robust food products where excessive manual handling may adversely effect product presentation and marketability. To meet the demands of a modern society, there is a need to package discrete food products to have a longer shelf life under chilled or fresh conditions whereby to improve consumer safety. Generally speaking, the deterioration of discrete food products is attributable to the presence of oxygen in or around the discrete food product. There is also a need to improve the appearance (and therefore the marketability) of such discrete food products which are frequently rather delicate in nature. The present invention is based on the recognition that certain edible materials may be used during packaging of a discrete food product in a single serving container to improve the longevity of the discrete food product. Viewed from one aspect the present invention provides a process for packaging a discrete food product in a single serving container comprising the steps of: individualising a discrete food product on the base member of the single serving container; positioning an upper closure member on the base member; characterised in that the process comprises delivering (eg spraying) an edible material to a portion of the base member and/or to the surface of the discrete food product individualised on the base member of the single serving container. Viewed from a further aspect the present invention provides an apparatus for packaging a discrete food product in a single serving container comprising: a means for delivering (eg spraying) an edible material to a portion of a base member of the single serving container and/or to the surface of the discrete food product individualised on the base member of a single serving container. In one preferred embodiment, an edible material is delivered to the surface of the discrete food product on the base member to combat the penetration of oxygen. For example, a thin film of edible material may be sprayed onto the discrete food product to close its pores and prevent oxygen penetration. This advantageously lengthens the shelf life of the discrete food product. In an alternative embodiment, an edible material is delivered to a receiving portion of the base member of the single serving container. Thereafter, the upper closure member may be positioned on the base member with the assistance of the edible material which may provide a substantially airtight seal between the base member and the upper closure member. By providing a seal in this manner, the edible material withstands ingress of oxygen and other deleterious materials such as moisture and bacteria and the shelf-life of the discrete food product is therefore increased. By utilising an edible material rather than other chemicals in this manner, it is more straightforward to meet the strict requirements of food and drug regulators. This makes the process cost-effective and safer for the consumer. A preferred edible material comprises a fat (eg vegetable or animal fat) in a suitable form (eg an emulsion) . Water emulsions with lecithin, gelatine or the like may be used for example. Preferably, the edible material is product- related ie tailored according to the discrete food product being packaged. It may be, for example, an ingredient of the discrete food product so that the process advantageously does not affect the taste or appearance of the discrete food product. For example, for packaging pizzas, hardened vegetable fat is a preferred edible material. For packaging cakes, preferred edible materials are coconut fat or particularly cocoa butter. For packaging canapes, aspic or a spicy vegetable are preferably used. However the edible material may be chosen to directly influence the appearance and taste of the individualised discrete food product as desired. The edible material (eg vegetable fat) may be pre- prepared at a temperature above its melting point and delivered in fluid form so that in contact with the single serving container or discrete food product (eg a chilled food product typically at 6°C) it solidifies. The solidified edible material thereby assists in sealably connecting the base member and upper closure member of the single serving container. For example, cocoa butter melts at 32°C and at 20- 22°C has a gluing effect. It is therefore useful for packaging chilled or frozen discrete food products. When an edible material is delivered onto a discrete food product in accordance with the invention, it has the effect of closing pores on the surface as hereinbefore described. However, in some instances, it may also preserve the integrity of the discrete food product itself and allow delicate food products to be packaged in a discrete form. Thus the quality and appearance of the discrete food product is improved. For example, canapes (open faced sandwiches) are not presently available in a discrete form as they have a tendency to fall apart during transport. If the canape is sprayed with for example aspic or a spicy vegetable material in accordance with the process of the invention, the tendency of the canape to fall apart may be reduced. Preferably in this embodiment, the upper closure member is provided with integral upstanding pillars which penetrate the canape thereby providing further support to the delicate canape until the consumer opens the package. A preferred embodiment of the process of the invention comprises a step in which indicia are plotted on the individualised food product. This may be conveniently carried out after the delivering (eg spraying) step. If the product is cold, the warm edible material hardens rapidly thereby allowing plotting with coloured spray indicia such as names or decorations. Viewed from a further aspect, the present invention provides a single serving container comprising a base member for holding the discrete food product and an upper closure member, wherein said base member incorporates a receiving portion capable of receiving an amount of an edible material, wherein said receiving portion engages a complementarily shaped portion of said upper closure member. Preferably the receiving portion of said base member encapsulably engages said complementarily shaped portion of the upper closure member. This may be achieved by a pushing or sliding action or the like. Preferably the base member comprises a floor with an upstanding wall around the perimeter thereof which is provided with an outwardly disposed lip, wherein said lip is provided with a receiving channel (eg a recess or groove) into which edible material may be delivered. In this embodiment, the upper closure member is provided with an upstanding flange whose shape complements that of the receiving channel in the base member. In one preferred embodiment, the base member may be formed of a heatable (eg microwaveable) material so that the discrete food product may be heated in si tu on the base member and consumed therefrom. In a further preferred embodiment, the upper closure member may be provided with one or more upstanding pillars which penetrate the discrete food product and help maintain its integrity when the upper closure member is positioned on the base member to form the single serving container. In a further preferred embodiment, the container is provided with a tamper indicator such as a label extending over the exterior of the container eg over a portion of the upper closure member and a portion of the base member. The discrete food product when packaged may be an integral part of a "multi-pack" ie a package in which the separately packed discrete food products are located on a common base member (eg a tray) . In a preferred embodiment of the process of the - invention, the step of individualising discrete food products comprises one or more successive cutting steps using a high pressure water jet (eg as described in FR-A-2681576) . Thereafter, individualisation may be continued in a separate packaging unit where the discrete food product may be introduced onto a base member of the single serving container (eg as described in FR-A-2681576) . If desired, prior to cutting, the food product may be chilled or frozen and the process carried out at low temperature to maintain the chilled or frozen state. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus according to the invention is provided with one or more adjustable means for spraying edible material onto the discrete food product located on the base member and/or into the receiving portion of the base member of the single serving container. The apparatus may also be provided with spray generating means eg heating means and a compressor. The one or more adjustable means may take the form of one or more adjustable nozzles. Preferably the or each adjustable nozzle is capable of three- dimensional adjustability to allow the appearance and taste of the discrete product to be optimised. For example, the upper portion of a discrete food product (eg a cheesecake) may be sprayed with a first edible material (eg lemon) using a first adjustable nozzle and the lower portion of the discrete food product may be sprayed with a second edible material (eg lime) . A third adjustable nozzle may be used for plotting indicia on the discrete food product. Preferably the or each adjustable nozzle is mounted on a movable sledge. The apparatus of the invention may comprise means for controlling the thickness of the edible material (eg electronic means) to suit taste and appearance. In a preferred embodiment, the individualised food products are each sprayed by separate spray huts. Alternatively, the individualised food products are sprayed collectively by a single spray dome. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the invention comprises a cutting unit (eg as described in FR-A- 2681576) . The cutting unit may comprise one or more input stations, one or more cutting stations, means for transporting the food products between stations, one or more output stations and one or more cutting means. Preferably the or each cutting means comprises a high pressure water jet. Preferably the cutting means comprises a plurality of nozzles which may be used for simultaneous cutting. Preferably the apparatus further comprises loading, transporting and unloading units. It has been further recognised that the aforementioned advantages attributable to spraying edible material onto the surface of the discrete food product may be achieved in certain cases during the individualising step. Thus, where conventional wisdom is to cut the food using high speed water jets (eg as described in FR-A-2681576), it may be desirable to carry out this step using certain edible materials. Viewed from a yet further aspect the present invention provides a process for packaging a discrete food product in a single serving container comprising the step of: cutting a food product into a plurality of discrete food products using an edible material other than water alone. For this aspect of the invention, the edible material may be any of those referred to hereinbefore such as inter alia water/gelatine, cocoa butter or coconut fat. A food- related edible material may be preferred. It has also been recognised that improvements in the appearance and hygiene of discrete food products may be made by dispensing with any mechanical means which have previously been used to transfer the cut, discrete food product from a support to the base member of the single serving container. For example, this procedure is normally achieved using mechanical fingers which hold the back portion of the discrete food product whilst the support is removed to allow the discrete food product to be positioned onto the base member . Viewed from a still further aspect the present invention provides a process for packaging a discrete food product in a single serving container comprising the step of: individualising a discrete food product on a base member of the single serving container wherein said step is characterised in that the discrete food product is supported on a compressed gas cushion prior to transfer to the base member. Viewed from a yet still further aspect the present invention provides an apparatus for packaging a discrete food product in a single serving container comprising: means for providing a compressed gas cushion to support said discrete food product prior to its transfer to a base member of said single serving container. Typically the gas cushion may be compressed air or other relatively inert gas. Viewed from a still further aspect the present invention provides a discrete food product comprising a spray coated edible material on at least a portion of the exterior surface thereof. The present invention is particularly useful for packaging rather delicate food products such as cooked or uncooked, frozen or fresh food products including inter alia pastries (eg cakes) , pizzas, tarts, dairy products (eg cheeses) , sandwiches, canapes and ice creams in single serving containers. Single serving containers of the invention are particularly attractive to airlines, hospitals, schools, fast food outlets, etc. The present invention will now be described in a non- limitative sense with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the container according to the invention; Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention; and Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of the apparatus of the invention. Figure 1 illustrates a single serving container 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure la illustrates base member 2 comprising a floor 3 with an upstanding wall 6. The upstanding wall extends around the perimeter of the floor and is provided with an outwardly disposed lip 4. The lip is provided with a channel 5. In Figure lb, the base member 2 is shown as a part of the single serving container in which there is a discrete food product (eg a cake) 9. The single serving container is provided with an upper closure member 8 comprising a flange 10 whose shape complements that of the channel 5 in the base member. Thus, in the assembled mode, the flange of the upper closure member is inserted in the channel of the base member. In accordance with the invention, the channel of the base member represents a receiving portion capable of receiving an amount of an edible material 7 which assists in the assembly of the upper closure member in the base member. Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention which is suitable for cutting a food product 1 having a substantially circular shape. The input device is a conveyer belt 9 of conventional type. Its movement is controlled so that the cakes 1 are immobilised at the end of the path at a predetermined point. At this point a thrusting device 10 manipulates the cake to load it into the cutting unit. The cutting unit consists of a rigid support 5 on which the cakes are positioned. The rigid support is arranged to move continuously in successive steps in front of the work stations. The support comprises a round rigid flat table 11 positioned between two parallel side members 29, 30 of frame 4. The table is mounted in rotation about its central axis 12 and turns anti-clockwise in the direction of the arrow 13. The table has a series of recesses 14 distributed over a circumference at the periphery of the table. The recesses are designed to receive a plate of corresponding shape (not shown) . The recesses are distributed regularly so that they are separated by the same angle at the centre 16. In this embodiment the table Is provided with eight recesses spaced from each other by an angle at the centre of 45°. Each plate located in a recess corresponds to a work station. Details of the construction of the plates are disclosed in FR-A- 2681576. The cutting unit provides high pressure water jets through outlet nozzles 32 mounted at the end of carrier arms 31. The nozzles are fixed to the end of a rigid arm and connected to a distribution box 33 ^ The distribution box is mounted so as to slide on parallel rectilinear rails 34 themselves mounted to the frame perpendicular to the side members 29, 30. Nozzles are disposed in such a way that their vertical jet falls exactly in a slot of the plate. They are situated on a circumference 35 which moves about the table in a rectilinear movement parallel to the rails 34 on which the box moves. When the nozzles are vertically above the centre of the plates, the centre of the circumference is at the centre 12 of the table and the nozzles are spaced angularly by an angle of 45°. The operation of the apparatus shown in Figure 2 is as follows : input station A loads a cake; cutting stations B, C, D and E perform cutting strokes; control station F is used to verify the quality of the cut food product; output station G is used for outputting discrete food products to the packaging unit; rest station H permits rapid operations to be carried out eg plate changing, cleaning etc. The loading, transporting and unloading unit includes a guiding and transporting rail 36 on which a train 37 of gripping devices circulate. The rail is situated above the level of the table and includes a circular end section 38 which surrounds the outer periphery of the recess situated at the output station. The rail also .includes a rectilinear end section 39 so that the rail has an end rolled around on itself. The function of this portion of the machine is described more fully in FR-A-2681576. In this region of the uachine, there is provided a spray system 50 mounted on a moving arm capable of distributing spray onto the -discrete food products or the base member. In this embodiment, the spray system is provided with a container Jϊor neating vegetable ± " at 51 and a compressor 52. By appropriate adjustment of the nozzles 53 of the spray system the base member of the single serving container and/or the discrete food product may be sprayed with vegetable fat. In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus of the invention illustrated in Fi-gure 2 may -be used to provide high pressure edible material such as hot cocoa butter instead of water to carry out. the cutting _si p. Figure 3 illustrates specifically in cross-section (Figure 3a) and in plan view (Figure 3b) the delivery portion of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention. This may be used to .-deliver edible material -to portion o±.a base member of the single serving container and/or to the surface of the discrete food product individualised on the base member of a single -serving container. The deliver means comprises an adjustable nozzle 1 operable by jet propulsion to spray edible material onto a discrete food product 2. The adjustable nozzle is swingable as shown by reference numeral 3 through movable arm 4 ^ .The apparatus is provided with a movable sledge 5 upon which nozzles are mountable adjacent the transport band 6 for the individualised food products 2 .

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. A process for packaging a discrete food product in a single serving container comprising the steps of: individualising a discrete food product on the base member of the single .serving container; positioning an upper closure member on the base member; delivering an edible material to a -portion of the i--a.se member or to the surface of the discrete food product individualised on the base member o the single serving container. 2. A process as claimed in claim 1 comprising delivering an edible material to a -portion of tne J--ase member and to the surface of the discrete food product individualised on the iase member -of the -single -serving container. 3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the edible material is delivered by spxaying ^ 4. A process as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the edible material _is -deli-ared -to -th -surface of -the discrete food product on the base member in an amount sufficient to combat tne penetration Ω± oxygen. 5. A process as claimed in claim 4, wherein the edible material is -delivered to produce a thin film -on -the discrete food product. 6. A process as claimed in claim l 2 or 3 comprising: delivering edible material to a receiving portion of the base member of the single _servi ng -container. 7. A process as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the step of: positioning an upper closure member on the base member with the assistance of the edible material which nay provide a substantially airtight seal between the base member and the upper closure member. 8. A process as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising the .step j-f- plotting indicia on the individualised food product. 9. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the edible material comprises a fat. 10. A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fat is in the form of an emulsion. 11. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the edible material is product-related. 12. A process as claimed in claim 11, wherein the product related edible material is an ingredient of the discrete food product. 13. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the edible material is delivered in fluid form at a temperature above its melting point. 14. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the edible material is coconut fat, cocoa butter, aspic, spicy vegetable material or vegetable fat- 15. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the step of individualising discrete food products comprises one or more successive cutting steps using a high pressure water jet. 16. A process as claimed in any preceding claim conducted at low temperature. 17. An apparatus for packaging a discrete food product in a single ^ serving container comprising: a means for delivering an edible material to a portion of a base member of the single serving container or to the surface of the discrete food product individualised on the base member of a single serving container. 18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 comprising one or more adjustable means for spraying edible material onto the discrete food product located on the base member or into the receiving portion of the base member of the single serving container. 19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the or each adjustable means takes the form of an adjustable nozzle. 20. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 17 to 19, comprising a cutting unit including one or more input stations, one or more cutting stations, means for transporting the food products between stations, one or more output stations and one or more cutting means. 21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the or each cutting means comprises a high pressure water jet. 22. A single serving container comprising a base member for holding the discrete food product and an upper closure member, wherein said base member incorporates a receiving portion capable of receiving an amount of an edible material, wherein said receiving portion engages a complementarily shaped portion of said upper closure member. 23. A container as claimed in claim 22 wherein the upper closure member is provided with at least one integral upstanding pillar capable of penetrating the discrete food product . 24. A container as claimed in claim 22 or 23, wherein the receiving portion of said base member encapsuably engages said complimentarily shaped portion of the upper closure member. 25. A container as claimed in claim 22, 23 or 24, wherein the base member comprises a floor with an upstanding wall around the perimeter thereof which is provided with an outwardly disposed lip, wherein said lip is provided with a receiving channel into which edible material may be delivered. 26. A container as claimed in claim 25, wherein the upper closure member is provided with an upstanding flange whose shape complements that of the receiving channel in the base member. 27. A container as claimed in any of claims 22 to 26, wherein the base member is formed of a heatable material. 28. A container as claimed in any of claims 22 to 27 which is an integral part of a multi-pack. 29. A process for packaging a discrete food product in a single serving container coprisi g the step of: cutting a food product into a plurality of discrete food products using an edible material other than water alone. 30. A process for packaging a discrete food product in a single serving container comprising the step of: individualising a discrete food product on a base member of the single serving container characterised in that the discrete food product is supported on a compressed gas cushion prior to transfer to the base member. 31. An apparatus for packaging a discrete food product in a single serving container comprising: means for providing a compressed gas cushion to support said discrete food product prior to its transfer to a base member of said single serving container. 32. A discrete food product comprising a spray coated edible material on at least a portion of the exterior surface thereof. 33. A discrete food product as claimed in claim 32 in individualised form. 34. A discrete food product as claimed in either of claims 32 or 33 wherein the edible material is as defined in any of claims 9-14.

Inventors: NIEMETZ WALTER, NIEMETZ, WALTER
Applicants: NIEMETZ WALTER, PATISSERIE FRANCHISE ESTABLISH, NIEMETZ, WALTER, PATISSERIE FRANCHISE ESTABLISHMENT
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65B25
IPC codes: A21D15, B65B25, B65D65