Patent ID: 8113416

Claim:
A hermetically sealed paperboard container comprising: (a) a container body component including an upper end and a lower end, the container body component being formed from a blank comprising: a paperboard layer having a first major side and a second major side; a first sealant layer on the first major side; a barrier layer on the second major side; and a second sealant layer on the barrier layer, wherein the blank comprises a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end, the first longitudinal end being skived to a predetermined thickness for a predetermined width, the skived portion being folded over onto the blank and heat-sealed to the first sealant layer to form a folded first longitudinal end, wherein the container body component comprises an overlapped seam comprising the folded first longitudinal end positioned inside the second longitudinal end, and wherein the barrier layer comprises a member selected from the group consisting of materials derived from water-based barrier coatings, nylon polymers, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide, polyvinylidene chloride, cyclic olefin copolymers, metalized polymer film, and combinations thereof; (b) a bottom component hermetically heat-sealed to the lower end of the container body component; and (c) a lid component hermetically heat-sealed to the upper end of the container body component; said container having an oxygen transmission rate of at most about 3.3 cc/sq. m/day at 23 degrees C. and 0 percent relative humidity.