Patent Publication Number: US-2019193903-A1

Title: Package for a food and a topping

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an improved food package including a food bowl in which a food (e.g., hummus) and a topping are packaged and a lid that is detachably connected to the top of the food bowl to enclose the food therewithin. A peel-off film covers the food below the top of the food bowl such that there is only a small volume airspace between the food and the film. The food package herein disclosed has particular application to be subjected to a high pressure processing (HPP) treatment by which potentially harmful food-borne pathogens and similar organisms are eliminated while a premature mixing of the food and the topping is avoided prior to their being consumed. 
     2. Background Art 
     It is known to expose packaged food to a conventional high pressure processing (HPP) treatment to eliminate food-borne pathogens and similar organisms. Briefly, the packaged food is held in water under extreme pressure so as to advantageously make the food safe for consumption and extend the refrigerated shelf life thereof. However, the high pressure to which the packaged food is subjected causes the food within the package to experience turbulence prior to its consumption which has, in some circumstances, been known to cause problems for food distributors and consumers alike. By way of one example, hummus is usually sold to consumers in a clear container. A colorful and tasty topping is traditionally added so as to lie on top of the hummus at which to be visible through the container in order to enhance the commercial appeal of the hummus to consumers. When a conventional container is subjected to the high pressure HPP treatment, an unintended consequence of such treatment is that the topping is prematurely mixed with the hummus. Once the hummus reaches the shelf of a retail store, the consumer is able to look through the clear container and see the mixture of hummus and topping which can be visually less appealing to the consumer than had the hummus and its topping remained separate and intact one above the other. Thus, the consumer may not be as inclined to purchase the high pressure HPP treated hummus which could cost both the food distributor and the retailer a sale and may ultimately result in the hummus not being purchased at all. 
     Our patent application Ser. No. 15/722,415 filed Oct. 2, 2017 describes one example of a food package in which a food, such as hummus, or the like, and a topping can be packaged independently of one another and kept separated during and after the food package is subjected to an HPP treatment to thereby avoid the hummus and its topping from being prematurely mixed together prior to their consumption. In the present case to be disclosed below, a different food package is described that is also capable of solving the problem described above, but without having to separate the topping from the food (e.g., hummus) while the package is subjected to the HPP treatment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In general terms, an improved food package is disclosed including a food bowl that is filled with a food, such as hummus or the like, and a topping that lies atop the hummus to be mixed therewith when the hummus is consumed. The food bowl is preferably manufactured from a visually transparent material that is adapted to withstand a high pressure processing (HPP) treatment by which to eliminate potentially harmful food-borne pathogens and similar organisms in the hummus and the topping with which the food bowl is filled. A peripheral sealing ledge extends inwardly of the food bowl so as to lie below the normally open top thereof. A peel-off film that is sealed to the sealing ledge extends laterally across the food bowl to cover the hummus and close the food bowl to prevent the hummus and topping from spilling out. A visually transparent and flexible lid is detachably connected to the top of the food bowl to enclose the hummus and the topping lying thereon. 
     The peel-off film that is attached to the sealing ledge below the normally open top of the food bowl is located in close proximity to the hummus and the topping so as to minimize the usual airspace that is traditionally located between the film and the hummus. In particular, it is preferable that the peel-off film which closes the food bowl lie closer to the hummus than to the open top of the food bowl so that the volume of the airspace which extends between the film and the hummus is reduced to 5% to 10% the volume of the airspace that is found in a conventional food bowl where the film is sealed to and extends laterally across the normally open top thereof. By virtue of reducing the volume of the traditional airspace which lies between the film and the hummus, the improved food package can undergo an HPP treatment without the hummus and its topping being subjected to turbulence under pressure and becoming mixed together prior to their consumption before the peel-off film has first been removed from the food bowl. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of an improved food package within which a food and a topping are carried according to a preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another exploded view of the improved food package shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section of the improved food package of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in an assembled, ready to distribute configuration having a reduced volume airspace extending between the food and a peel-off film lying in close proximity to the food; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section of a conventional food package having a relatively large volume airspace extending between the food and the usual peel-off film spaced above the food; 
         FIG. 5  is an elongated detail of the improved food package taken from  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 6  shows a pair of food packages like the improved package that is shown in  FIG. 3  standing one on top of the other in a vertical stack. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring initially to  FIGS. 1-5  of the drawings, there is shown an improved food package  50  that includes a food bowl  1  of the kind that is capable of holding a food  3  prior to its consumption. By way of example only, the food  3  within the food bowl  1  is hummus. However, it is to be understood that other foods besides hummus can be packaged within the food bowl  1 , especially those to which a topping will be added prior to consumption for the purpose of enhancing the taste of the food. In this regard, another example of a food  3  to be carried by and packaged within the food bowl  1  is yogurt. 
     The food bowl  1  also holds a topping  4  that is initially placed atop the food  3 . The topping  4  will typically be added to and mixed with the food  3  when the food is consumed. By way of example, where hummus is the food  3  packaged within the food bowl  1 , the topping  4  that is packaged within the bowl atop the hummus to be mixed into the hummus is typically a mixture of oil, pine nuts, spices, and the like. However, if yogurt were the food  3  that is packaged within the food bowl  1 , the topping  4  to be placed atop and mixed into the yogurt will typically be granola and/or fruit. By way of still another example, the food  3  may be a salad and the topping  4  can be dry salad fixings. In any event, it is to be understood that the specific food  3  within the food bowl  1  and the topping  4  to be added to and mixed with the food  3  prior to their consumption are not to be considered as a limitation of this invention. 
     The food bowl  1  is preferably manufactured from a flexible, clear and visually transparent (e.g., plastic) material so that consumers can see the food  3  and the topping  4  that are packaged therein. The food bowl  1  has a normally open top and a peripheral lip  5  that extends outwardly from and surrounds the open top. As an important feature of this invention, a peripheral sealing ledge  6  extends radially inward from the sides of the food bowl  1  so as to be spaced downwardly from the peripheral lip  5  and lie below the open top of the food bowl  1  surrounded by the lip  5  by a distance D (best shown in  FIG. 5 ). As is best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a thin peel-off film  7  is sealed against the peripheral sealing ledge  6  below the normally open top of the food bowl  1  to extend laterally across and close the bowl in order to create a fluid-tight seal and prevent the food and topping contents of the bowl from spilling out. As in the case of the sealing ledge  6 , the peel-off film  7  that is sealed to the peripheral sealing ledge is spaced below the peripheral lip  5  and the normally open top of the food bowl  1  by substantially the same distance D as that shown in  FIG. 5 . A flexible pull tab  8  (best shown in  FIG. 1 ) extends from the peel-off film  7  to which a pulling force is applied when it is desirable to remove the film  7  from the food bowl  1  to gain access to the food  3  and the topping  4  that are packaged therewithin. 
     It is contemplated that the food  3  that is packaged within the food bowl  1  and the topping  4  carried within the food bowl atop the food  3  will be subjected to a conventional high pressure processing (HPP) treatment prior to the distribution of the food package  50  to the public for consumption. In this case, it is desirable to prevent the premature mixing of the food  3  and the topping  4  as may occur due to the turbulence that is likely to be created during the HPP process when the topping  4  and the food  3  are packaged one directly above the other. Any such premature mixing of the topping  4  with the food  3  prior to their consumption can negatively affect the visual and commercial appeal of the food package  50  as well as a consumer&#39;s perception and decision to buy the food  3  that is packaged within and visible through the clear food bowl  1 . 
     The improved food package  50  is assembled when a lid  18  having a closed top is detachably connected to the top of the food bowl  1  above the food  3  and the topping  4  therewithin. The lid  18  is ideally manufactured from a clear, visually transparent (e.g., plastic) material that is flexible. A generally cylindrical peripheral base  20  surrounds the bottom of the flexible lid  18 . A set of radially inward projecting locking detents  22  are formed in and spaced from one another around the peripheral base  20  of lid  18 . 
     As is best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , when the lid  18  of the food package  50  is detachably connected to the top of the food bowl  1 , the peripheral base  20  of lid  18  is moved into surrounding engagement with the peripheral lip  5  that surrounds the open top of the food bowl  1 . The peripheral base  20  of the flexible lid  18  is initially stressed and bent outwards to be able to accommodate the peripheral lip  5  of the food bowl  1  thereunder. When the flexible lid  18  relaxes and returns to its pre-stressed shape, the inward projecting locking detents  22  that are formed in and around the peripheral base  20  of lid  18  are snapped into removable receipt against and below the peripheral lip  5  of the food bowl  1  by which the lid  18  is held in place over and across the food bowl. 
     The flexible lid  18  has a raised peripheral rim  24  extending therearound and standing upwardly therefrom. Located at the center of the closed top of the lid  18  so as to be surrounded by and lie below the raised peripheral rim  24  is a stacking recess  26 . Referring briefly to  FIG. 6  of the drawings, the raised peripheral rim  24  and the stacking recess  26  that is surrounded by the rim cooperate to enable a plurality of identical food packages (designated  50 - 1  and  50 - 2  in  FIG. 6 ) like the improved package  50  that is shown in  FIG. 3  to be nested together one above the other in a vertical stack. More particularly, the food bowl  1  of a first upper food package  50 - 1  is laid on top of the lid  18  of a second lower food package  50 - 2 . The bottom of the food bowl  1  from the upper food package  50 - 1  is sized to be received within the peripheral rim  24  and seated on the stacking recess  26  of the lower food package  50 - 2 . Thus, the bottom of the food bowl  1  of the upper food package  50 - 1  is located within and surrounded by the raised peripheral rim  24  that stands upwardly from the lid  18  of the lower package  50 - 2 . 
     Accordingly, the bottom of the upper food package  50 - 1  is seated on the top of the lower food package  50 - 2  and disposed in a compact vertical stack that may include one or more additional food packages (not shown) to facilitate the shipping and/or storage of the stack and any food and topping that may be carried in the food bowls  1 . The raised peripheral rims  24  within which the bottoms of the food bowls  1  are located advantageously prevent an upper food package (e.g.,  50 - 1 ) from sliding off the lid  18  that sits atop a lower food package (e.g.,  50 - 2 ). When needed, the upper food package  50 - 1  of the vertical stack may be simply lifted upwardly from and off the lower food package  50 - 2 . 
     Referring specifically to  FIG. 3  of the drawings, the assembled food package  50  is shown with the lid  18  detachably connected to the top of the food bowl  1 . Because the peripheral sealing ledge  6  is spaced below the top of the food bowl  1  by the aforementioned distance D, the peel-off film  7  that is sealed against the sealing ledge so as to extend laterally over and cover the food  3  and topping  4  within the food bowl is likewise spaced below the top of the food bowl by substantially the identical distance D. The distance D is selected depending upon the amount of food  3  with which the food bowl  1  will be filled so that the peel-off film  7  is located in either direct contact with or in close proximity to the food  3  and its topping  4 . According to a preferred embodiment, the film  7  is ideally spaced no more than 5 mm above the food  3  and the topping  4 . However, regardless of its exact spacing, the peel-off film  7  is located closer to the food  3  and the topping  4  in the food bowl  1  than to the normally open top of the food bowl. 
     Accordingly, and as is best shown in  FIG. 5 , a relatively small volume airspace  30  is created within the food bowl  1  between the peel-off film  7  and the topping  4  lying on the food  3 . By virtue of creating the small volume airspace  30  below the peel-off film  7  that closes the food bowl  1 , the air turbulence to which the food  3  and the topping  4  are subjected when the food package  50  undergoes the HPP process will be minimized. In this case, the food  3  and topping  4  will advantageously remain separated from one another and not be mixed together until the peel-off film  7  is removed from the food bowl  1  by a consumer. 
     In this regard, and turning now to  FIG. 4  of the drawings, a conventional food package  60  is shown having a food bowl  62  and a lid  64  detachably connected to the food bowl. The food bowl  62  of package  60  is shown holding the same food  3  and topping  4  that are packaged in the food bowl  1  of the improved food package  50  of  FIG. 3 . In the case of the conventional food package  60 , a peel-off film  64  is sealed directly to the peripheral lip  66  that surrounds the normally open top of the food bowl  62  so as to cover the food  3  and topping  4  and thereby close the bowl. 
     Because the usual peel-off film  64  extends laterally across the usual food bowl  62  at the normally open top of the bowl rather than at the distance D (of  FIG. 3 ) spaced downwardly from and below the open top of the food bowl, a relatively large volume airspace  70  is created between the peel-off film  64  and the food  3  and its topping  4 . As a consequence of the large volume airspace  70 , the food  3  and the topping  4  that are carried by the conventional food package  60  are more likely to be prematurely mixed together than had they otherwise been carried by the improved food package  50  shown in  FIG. 3 . In particular, the aforementioned advantage of locating the peel-off film  7  of the improved package  50  downwardly from the normally open top of the food bowl  1  so as to lie at the top of the small volume airspace  30  can be best achieved when the volume of the airspace  30  within the food bowl  1  is about 5%-10% of the volume of the traditionally large volume airspace  70  that runs from the food  3  to the open top surrounded by the peripheral lip  66  of the food bowl  62  of the conventional food package  60 . 
     It may be appreciated that the overall height of the improved food package  50  and the taper of the food bowl  1  thereof as shown in  FIG. 3  have not been changed relative to the height and taper of the conventional food package  60  and food bowl  62  shown in  FIG. 4 . Thus, the improved food package  50  having the advantages of this invention as described above may be handled by the same apparatus as that used to handle the conventional food package  60 .