EP1866214B1

EP1866214B1 - Improved food packaging container

Info

Publication number: EP1866214B1
Application number: EP06726635A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Steven Fredrick Grant
Original assignee: Bernard Matthews Ltd
Current assignee: Bernard Matthews Ltd
Priority date: 2005-04-05
Filing date: 2006-04-04
Publication date: 2010-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 2026-04-04
Also published as: EP1866214A1; DE602006015174D1; WO2006106319A1; GB0506892D0; ATE472492T1

Abstract

Disclosed is a food packaging container (1) comprising a lower tray (3) adapted t receive food (5) and an upper domed-shaped pod (2) being hermetically sealable to the lower tray (3). Both the upper pod (2) and lower tray (3) comprise circumferential flanged edges (6) for sealing, the flanged edges (6) of the upper pod (2) comprising a weakened rim section (8) capable of being tilted during sealing so as to ensure hermetic seal without substantial collapse of the dome- shaped pod (2).

Description

The present invention relates to the packing of food and more specifically to a food packaging container according to the preamble of claim 1. In particular, the present invention concerns such packaging of turkey crowns (the breast of a turkey, excluding the legs and back) in a novel and improved arrangement, so as to increase shelf life.
Previous designs of such packaging have allowed containers to have a capability as a result of up to several days' (e.g. 10 days') shelf life for the food contained therein. However, there is a growing demand from modem consumers and supermarkets for the provision of much larger shelf lives for food joints, and in particular for food joints of a much larger size.
GB2337746A discloses a food packaging container according to the preamble of claim 1, having a base and a lid which seal together at their periphery with either capable of flexing and distorting at a localised area upon variation of pressure within the sealed container thereby preventing distortion of the remainder of the base or lid. The base and the lid may have a lug capable of engaging complementary with the other of the base of the lid.
Thus, it is one aim of the present invention to provide a container that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
According to one aspect, the present invention provides a food packaging container as claimed in accompanying claim 1.
In this way, the present invention provides a hermetically sealed dome- shaped pod with a built in plunger mechanism to allow the pod to have a controlled collapsing capability without allowing total deformation of the container to occur. This is especially important when such containers are used for packaging meat products in a modified atmosphere.
It has been possible by way of the present invention to provide a minimum shelf life of at least 17 days for turkey joints of up to 4 kilos in size. Previous attempts in this field did not incorporate the plunger mechanism of the present invention. As such, the present plunger mechanism generally involves a flexible joint comprising a rim of the flanged end of the upper pod. Because previous attempts in this field did not incorporate such a plunger mechanism, they were unable to achieve the substantially lengthened shelf life of the present invention.
When packing meat products using a modified atmosphere system, the active gas (typically carbon dioxide) is absorbed by the meat. A vacuum results in the container so that it can be hermetically sealed. Normal atmospheric pressure outside the container can cause such a container to implode or collapse as the gas is absorbed by the meat and, as it collapses around the flexible joint of the present invention, the joint's natural action provides a controlled shrinking, resulting in minimal distortion of the container as a whole, whilst providing an extended shelf life for the contained meat.
Further preferred features of the invention are mentioned in the accompanying subsidiary claims.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 shows a side view of an expanded version of a turkey packaging container according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Figures 2A-C show plan, side and end views of a packaged, closed container as shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows an unsealed flange of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 4 shows a closed and hermetically sealed flange according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 1, a whole turkey bird 5 can be placed on a foil tray that sits in a base 3 before a lid 2 is heat sealed and pack gas flushed to hermetically seal the turkey within the container 1 to achieve a long shelf life.
In Figure 2A a plan view is shown of a closed container with Figure 2B being a side view along line A-A' and Figure 2C being an end view along the line B-B'. These views show ribs 11, which are used to strengthen the packaging to prevent implosion during hermetic sealing. In addition, the container 1 comprises large pull tabs 7 for easy access to the pack when the consumer wishes to open and access the food.
In Figure 3, a flange 6 is shown which comprises parts of the upper pod 2 and lower base 3. In this instance flange 6 comprises a raised rim 8 as part of the pod 2. Figure 3 shows the arrangement before hermetic sealing has occurred in that the space 9 indicates that no tilting of the rim 8 has occurred and no "plunger" action has been effected.
However, in Figure 4, the arrangement after sealing is shown, in that space 9 is no longer present and instead contact point 10, a sealing arrangement, is present due to tilting at rim 8 of flange 6.
In addition, as an optional feature, a further rim 8 can be present on base 3 at flange 6, as well as being present on pod 2.
The foil base 4 is purely an optional feature of the container and may be used, where present, by consumers to cook the meat.
The container 1 is shown in the Figures as holding a turkey 5, but simple modifications that do not effect the invention can be made such that other meats can be contained.
Likewise, the exact shape of the base 3 and pod 2 is largely irrelevant to the invention within reason, so long as the flange 6 with at least one rim 8 is present.
Thus, the present invention provides a simple but very effective container that is easy to manufacturer (and thus inexpensive to make) and that dramatically increases the shelf life of meat stored within it.

Claims

A food packaging container (1) comprising a lower tray (3) adapted to receive food and an upper domed-shaped pod (2) being hermetically sealable to the lower tray (3), both the upper pod (2) and lower tray (3) comprising circumferential flanged edges (6) for sealing, characterised in that the flanged edge (6) of the upper pod (3) comprises a weakened rim (8) section capable of being tilted during sealing so as to ensure hermetic seal without substantial collapse of the dome-shaped pod (2).
A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the food comprises a whole turkey (5) or optionally a turkey crowed.
A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the flanged edge (6) of the lower tray (3) also comprises a weakened rim section (8) capable of being tilted during sealing so as to aid the sealing of the hermetic seal.
A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the container further comprises a foil element (4) being situated on the lower tray (3) and being sealable between the lower tray (3) and upper pod (2), the foil element (4) being adapted to receive food to be stored within the container (1).
A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hermetic seal is effected by modified atmospheric packaging.
A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein a primary packing gas usable in said modified atmospheric packing is carbon dioxide.
A container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the packing gas comprises 30 - 40% carbon dioxide.
A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lower tray (3) and upper pod (2) additionally comprise a plurality of ribs (11) so as to strengthen the structure of the container (1) during hermetic sealing.
A, container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the upper pod (2) and the lower tray (3) are composed of transparent material.