Patent ID: 7563495

Claim:
A food container, comprising: a receptacle comprising a cylindrical body having an inner wall, a bottom end, and an open end opposite the bottom end; an insert releasably and frictionally engaging the inner wall and supported upon the bottom end of the cylindrical body, wherein the insert has an open first end, a tubular portion and a closed second end opposite the first end and having a bottom, a circumferential ridge extending downward from the bottom and engaging the bottom end of the receptacle to define a space between the bottom end of the receptacle and the bottom of the insert; a closure attached to the open end of the receptacle, which includes a removable portion adapted to provide an access opening to food product contained within the container, wherein the insert is adapted by having the bottom of the insert configured as a diaphragm movable relative to the bottom end of the receptacle to reduce frictional engagement of the insert with the inner wall of the receptacle to aid food product release from the food container when food product contained therein is being removed; wherein the insert bottom comprises an annular outer region surrounding a central region having a greater thickness than the annular region; and wherein the insert tubular portion has a circumference and includes a plurality of longitudinally-extending grooves which are substantially equidistantly spaced around the circumference, and a plurality of transverse grooves wherein a transverse groove extends generally perpendicularly to and intersects a lower end of each of the longitudinal grooves.