AU2014277870A1 - Packaging for frozen foodstuff portions - Google Patents

Abstract

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 - 30 Packaging for storing and dispensing frozen foodstuff portions, the packaging including: a blister pack including a body having a plurality of blisters, each blister defining a respective cavity for storing a frozen foodstuff portion in use and being manually deformable to allow the frozen foodstuff portion to be displaced from the cavity, and a seal attached to the body for sealing the cavities, the seal being configured to locally rupture when the frozen foodstuff portion is displaced by manually deforming the blister, to thereby allow the frozen foodstuff portion to be dispensed from the blister pack through the seal; and a lid that is removably attached to the blister pack to cover the seal, to thereby substantially prevent the dispensing of frozen foodstuff portions from the blister pack whilst the lid is attached. Fig. 1A 122 130 140 101 121 Fig. 1B 120 ... 110 Fig. 1C 131 132 130 14014 120 121 122 110 Fig. 1 D

Description

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\72870521. doc- 16/12/2014 PACKAGING FOR FROZEN FOODSTUFF PORTIONS Background of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to packaging for storing and dispensing frozen foodstuff portions and methods of preparing and packaging frozen foodstuff portions. Description of the Prior Art [0002] Food recipes frequently call for the addition of relatively small portions of ingredients such as condiments for the purpose of adding flavour to a dish. There has been a growing trend in the use of fresh condiment ingredients such as herbs, garlic, ginger, chilli, spinach and the like due to their ability to impart a range of intense flavours to dishes. [0003] However, the consumer regularly faces a problem in that retailers will offer these fresh ingredients for sale in relatively large retail quantities, such as a bunch of fresh herbs, but the consumer will only require a relatively small portion of the fresh ingredient for a particular recipe. Frequently, if the consumer is unable to find another use for the ingredient before it expires, the remaining unused portion will go to waste. This problem is exaggerated for fresh herbs and other delicate leafy vegetables such as spinach which are difficult to store and have a relatively short shelf life. [0004] Whilst many herbs and similar condiments can be dried to allow a long shelf life, the resulting dried product is inferior in flavour and texture and will be a poor substitute for the fresh form of the same ingredient in most recipes. [0005] Other attempts at providing more consumer-friendly versions of herbs and other fresh condiment ingredients have involved processing the ingredients for storage in a form having a longer shelf life. For example, garlic or ginger can commonly be found minced and packaged into jars which can be kept in a consumer's refrigerator for convenient use as required. However, jarred forms of herbs or other leafy vegetables are not generally accepted on the market and may not have a substantially increased shelf life in this form in any event. Thus alternative techniques have been explored.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 -2 [0006] A range of products exist which provide processed herbs and other ingredients such as chilli, garlic and ginger in squeeze tube packaging. This provides a convenient means of dispensing a desired small quantity of the ingredient into a dish without otherwise exposing the remaining quantity of the ingredient to the air, which might otherwise accelerate degradation. Preservatives or other additives may be added to further extend the shelf life, although this may be undesirable to the consumer seeking a direct equivalent of the fresh ingredient. In any event, the ingredient usually needs to be highly processed into a paste form to allow reliable dispensing from the squeeze tube and thus the ingredient will tend to have a noticeably different appearance and texture compared to fresh forms. [0007] These squeeze tube products typically need to be refrigerated, although the shelf life is limited such that the consumer will still need to use the produce within a predetermined time frame to avoid wastage. Whilst these products can be frozen to allow longer storage, this is not always practical since the frozen form of the product may solidify and become difficult or impossible to dispense. [0008] It is also known to provide spinach in frozen cubes which can allow a number of portions of this ingredient to be stored in a freezer for later use and then added to dishes as required. The portions are usually sealed together in a plastic wrapper or box which, when opened, causes any unused portions to be exposed to air. This technique is mainly used in the retail market for spinach and leafy vegetable ingredients used in recipes in relatively large amounts, although it is possible to obtain some types of herbs in this form, more typically for commercial use. [0009] More recently, some producers have been proposed to provide small portions of processed condiments in a frozen state in trays which can allow individual portions to be removed from the trays as required. Some retail forms of these products provide a plastic tray having an array of receptacles for the portions and a sealing layer or lid which encloses each of the receptacles prior to use. The trays may be configured so that a consumer can remove a portion from the receptacle once the portion is exposed after removing the sealing layer or lid, by providing a deformable receptacle which allows the consumer to press out the portion. A range of such tray-based products are offered by Dorot Garlic & Herbs of Israel.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 -3 [0010] However, current forms of these tray-based products suffer shortcomings in that some of the portions will usually be exposed even if these are not required for use. The exposure of unused portions may compromise their freshness and may allow contaminants to make contact with those portions. In versions having a lid, the lid typically needs to be completely removed to allow access to the portions, which exposes all of the other portions and also may allow these to undesirably leave their respective receptacles even if they are not actively pressed out by the consumer. In other versions having a sealing layer rather than a lid, the seal typically needs to be removed over a larger part of the tray than a single portion, such as for a row or receptacles, and thus this can still result in unwanted exposure of portions that will not be used. Unused exposed portions may be contaminated by other flavours and smells present in the freezer, or conversely, flavours and smells from exposed portions may contaminate other products in the freezer. [0011] US20070020361 discloses a press-out pack that is provided for packing and storing a paste material of strong flavoured condiments such as crushed garlic or the like. The pack comprises an accommodation body with plural storage recesses defined by sheet like portions for a containing paste material therein, a sealing lid, and a sealing sheet covering the crushed garlic in the recesses. It is noted that the sealing sheet is made of a flexible transparent plastic such as LLDPE (Linear Low Density Polyethylene), which needs to be peeled off to allow a portion to be pressed out from its recess. The sealing sheet may be provided with perforations so that sections of the sealing sheet can be peeled off without exposing other portions. However, peeling off each section of the sealing sheet before being able to access each portion may be difficult and frustrating for the consumer, particularly for portions that are not located on an edge of the product where means for facilitating peeling of the sealing sheet are most easily provided. [0012] In view of the above discussed shortcomings of the prior art, it is desirable to provide improved foodstuff packaging which can take advantage of the increased storage life offered by freezing individual portions whilst allowing easy and convenient use by consumers. [0013] The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 -4 acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that the prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates. Summary of the Present Invention [0014] In a broad form the present invention seeks to provide packaging for storing and dispensing frozen foodstuff portions, the packaging including: a) a blister pack including: i) a body having a plurality of blisters, each blister defining a respective cavity for storing a frozen foodstuff portion in use and being manually deformable to allow the frozen foodstuff portion to be displaced from the cavity; and, ii) a seal attached to the body for sealing the cavities, the seal being configured to locally rupture when the frozen foodstuff portion is displaced by manually deforming the blister, to thereby allow the frozen foodstuff portion to be dispensed from the blister pack through the seal; and, b) a lid that is removably attached to the blister pack to cover the seal, to thereby substantially prevent the dispensing of frozen foodstuff portions from the blister pack whilst the lid is attached. [0015] Typically the blister pack is configured to allow a user to dispense a frozen foodstuff portion from the blister pack by pressing a blister using a thumb or a finger. [0016] Typically the body is formed from a plastic sheet and the blisters are formed as moulded portions of the plastic sheet. [0017] Typically a thickness of the plastic sheet is selected to allow each of the blisters to collapse when pressed by a thumb or a finger. [0018] Typically the blisters include inclined sidewalls. [0019] Typically the seal includes a metal foil sheet.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 -5 [0020] Typically a thickness of the metal foil sheet is selected to allow the metal foil sheet to break when the frozen foodstuff portion is pressed against the metal foil sheet by a thumb or a finger of the user. [0021] Typically the blister pack includes perforations through the body and the seal, the perforations being located between adjacent blisters to thereby allow one or more of the blisters to be separated from the other blisters by tearing along the perforations. [0022] Typically the lid includes a lip for engaging an outer edge of the blister pack for attaching the lid to the blister pack. [0023] Typically the lip includes indentations for allowing the lid to remain attached to the blister pack unless the lid is positively removed. [0024] Typically the lid includes a label. [0025] Typically the packaging further includes a film layer wrapped around the blister pack and the lid for preventing removal of the lid unless the film layer is removed. [0026] In another broad form the present invention seeks to provide a packaged frozen foodstuff product including a plurality of frozen foodstuff portions provided in packaging including: a) a blister pack including: i) a body having a plurality of blisters, each blister defining a respective cavity for storing a frozen foodstuff portion in use and being manually deformable to allow the frozen foodstuff portion to be displaced from the cavity; and, ii) a seal attached to the body for sealing the cavities, the seal being configured to locally rupture when one of the frozen foodstuff portions is displaced by manually deforming the respective blister, to thereby allow the frozen foodstuff portion to be dispensed from the blister pack through the seal; and, b) a lid that is removably attached to the blister pack to cover the seal, to thereby substantially prevent the dispensing of frozen foodstuff portions from the blister pack whilst the lid is attached. [0027] Typically each of the frozen foodstuff portions includes at least one of: H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 -6 a) a pureed foodstuff; b) a chopped foodstuff; c) a juiced foodstuff; and, d) a blended mixture of two or more different foodstuffs. [0028] Typically the frozen foodstuff portions includes at least one of: a) a herb; b) a fruit; c) skin of a fruit d) juice of a fruit; e) a vegetable; f) juice of a vegetable; g) leaves of a plant; h) bark of a plant; i) a stalk of a plant; j) a root of a plant; and, k) a bulb of a plant. [0029] Typically the frozen foodstuff portions include at least one of: a) basil; b) parsley; c) mint; d) coriander; e) Thai basil; f) lemon grass; g) rosemary; h) thyme; i) sage; j) dill; k) spinach; 1) rocket; m) garlic; H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 -7 n) ginger; o) chilli; p) citrus peel; and, q) citrus juice. [0030] Typically the product further includes a film layer wrapped around the blister pack and the lid for preventing removal of the lid unless the film layer is removed. [0031] In another broad form the present invention seeks to provide a method for providing a packaged frozen foodstuff product, the method including: a) at least partially filling cavities of a blister pack body with respective portions of a foodstuff, the blister pack body having a plurality of blisters each defining a respective cavity and being manually deformable to allow contents of the cavity to be displaced from the cavity; b) attaching a seal to the blister pack body to thereby provide a sealed blister pack having foodstuff portions sealed inside its cavities, the seal being configured to locally rupture when contents of a cavity are displaced by manually deforming the respective blister, to allow contents of the cavity to be dispensed through the seal; c) attaching a removable lid to the sealed blister pack to cover the seal, the lid being configured to substantially prevent dispensing of contents of the cavities whilst the lid is attached; and, d) freezing the foodstuff portions inside the cavities. [0032] Typically the method includes processing the foodstuff into a substantially fluid state prior to filling the cavities. [0033] Typically the method includes forming the blister pack body by moulding the blisters from a sheet of plastic material prior to filling the cavities. [0034] Typically the cavities are filled using a filling apparatus including one or more filling tubes for injecting foodstuff into respective cavities. [0035] Typically the filling apparatus includes a number of filling tubes corresponding to a number of blisters of the blister pack body.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 [0036] Typically the seal is attached to the blister pack body by heat sealing the seal to the blister pack body. [0037] Typically the foodstuff portions are frozen by snap freezing after the lid is attached to the sealed blister pack. [0038] Typically the method further includes shrink wrapping a film layer around the blister pack and the lid. Brief Description of the Drawings [0039] An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0040] Figure 1A is a schematic cross section view of an example of packaging for storing and dispensing frozen foodstuff portions; [0041] Figure 1B is a schematic cross section view of the packaging of Figure 1A, showing removal of a lid from a blister pack; [0042] Figure 1C is a schematic cross section view of the packaging of Figure 1B showing a frozen foodstuff portion being dispensed from the blister pack; [0043] Figure 1D is a schematic cross section view of the packaging of Figure 1C showing the lid re-attached to the blister pack after the frozen foodstuff portion has been dispensed from the blister pack; [0044] Figure 2A is a schematic perspective view of an example of a body of a blister pack; [0045] Figure 2B is a schematic perspective view of an example of a lid; [0046] Figure 3A is a schematic cross section view of a body of a blister pack; [0047] Figure 3B is a schematic cross section view of the body of Figure 3A showing cavities of the body being filled with portions of foodstuff; [0048] Figure 3C is a schematic cross section view of the body of Figure 3B showing a seal attached to the body to seal the cavities to define a blister pack; [0049] Figure 3D is a schematic cross section view of the blister pack of Figure 3C showing a lid attached to the blister pack to cover the seal; [0050] Figure 3E is a schematic cross section view of the blister pack and lid of Figure 3D following freezing of the portions of foodstuff filling the cavities; H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 -9 [0051] Figure 4A is a schematic top view of another example of a body of a blister pack; [0052] Figure 4B is a schematic end view of the body of Figure 4A; [0053] Figure 5A is a schematic top view of another example of a lid; [0054] Figure 5B is a schematic side view of the lid of Figure 5A; and, [0055] Figure 5C is a schematic end view of the lid of Figure 5A. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments [0056] An example of packaging 100 for storing and dispensing frozen foodstuff portions will now be described with reference to Figures 1A to 1D. [0057] The packaging 100 includes a blister pack 110 and a lid 140 that is removably attached to the blister pack 110. Figure 1A shows the lid 140 attached to the blister pack 110 and Figure 1B shows the lid 140 being removed from the blister pack 120. [0058] The blister pack 110 includes a body 120 having a plurality of blisters 121. Each blister 121 defines a respective cavity 122 for storing a frozen foodstuff portion 101 in use as shown in Figure 1A. Each blister 121 is manually deformable as shown in Figure 1C to allow the frozen foodstuff portion to be displaced from the cavity 122. A perspective view of an example of a body 120 of the blister pack 110 is shown in Figure 2A. [0059] The blister pack 110 further includes a seal 130 attached to the body 120 for sealing the cavities 122. As shown in Figure 1C, the seal 130 is configured to locally rupture when the frozen foodstuff portion 101 is displaced by manually deforming the blister 121, to thereby allow the frozen foodstuff portion 101 to be dispensed from the blister pack through the seal 130. [0060] The lid 140 is removably attached to the blister pack 110 to cover the seal 130 as shown in Figures 1A and 1D, to thereby substantially prevent the dispensing of frozen foodstuff portions 101 from the blister pack 110 whilst the lid 140 is attached. Thus, the lid 140 can help to prevent frozen foodstuff portions 101 from being unintentionally dispensed during handling of the packaging 100. Figure 2B shows a perspective view of an example of a lid 140 configured for use with a blister pack 110 using the body 120 shown in Figure 2A.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 - 10 [0061] Typically, a user will need to take positive action to remove the lid 140 to thus uncover the seal 130 before any frozen foodstuff portions 101 can be dispensed from the blister pack 110. When the lid 140 is removed, the seal 130 still acts to retain the frozen foodstuff portions 101 in their respective cavities 121 and maintain their freshness until the user chooses to dispense one or more of the frozen foodstuff portions by manually deforming the blister 121 and causing the frozen foodstuff portion to locally rupture and pass through the seal 130. [0062] It will be appreciated that the above discussed packaging 100 provides clear advantages over existing examples of tray-based packaging for frozen condiments in which the frozen condiments need to be exposed prior to dispensing, compromising the freshness of undispensed portions and allowing for unintentional dispensing of unwanted portions. [0063] In contrast to existing tray-based packaging, the packaging 100 allows each frozen foodstuff portion 101 to be retained in its own sealed cavity 122 until it is dispensed upon positive actions by the user of removing the lid 140 and dispensing the frozen foodstuff portion 101 through the seal 130. Any undispensed portions remain unexposed and thus their freshness will be maintained for later use as long as the packaging 100 is returned to a freezer so as to keep the frozen foodstuff portion 101 in the frozen state. [0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1D, the lid 140 will also cover ruptured portions 131, 132 of the seal 130 after the frozen foodstuff portion 101 have been dispensed from the blister pack 110. Thus, the lid 140 can also help to prevent the escape of any foodstuff residue that may remain in the cavity 122 following dispensing of the frozen foodstuff portion 101 and/or the release of any associated odours. This can therefore allow for the packaging 100 to be returned to the freezer after dispensing one or more frozen foodstuff portions 101 with minimal mess. [0065] It will be appreciated that the above described packaging 100 will be useful for allowing a range of packaged frozen foodstuff products to be provided. The foodstuff is provided in a frozen state to maintain freshness and provide a long storage life without requiring the addition of preservatives and is in controlled portions to allow desired quantities of the foodstuff to be conveniently dispensed when desired by the user, such as for inclusion H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 - 11 in a recipe. Thus, packaged frozen foodstuff products may be provided including a plurality of frozen foodstuff portions provided in the packaging 100. [0066] A range of different types of frozen foodstuff portions may be advantageously packaged in this way. For example, the frozen foodstuff portions may include a pureed foodstuff, a chopped foodstuff, a juiced foodstuff, or a blended mixture of two or more different foodstuffs, such as a pre-prepared condiment recipe. Products can be used in cooking, salads, marinades, sauces, deserts, mixed alcoholic drinks, cocktails or other drinks. [0067] Specific examples of foodstuffs which may be provided in the form of frozen foodstuff portions 101 packaged in the above discussed packaging 100 may include herbs, fruits, skin of fruits, juices of fruits, vegetables, juices of vegetables, or parts of plants including leaves, bark, stalks, roots, bulbs or the like. [0068] These foodstuffs can be processed as mentioned above by being pureed, chopped, juiced, blended and may be provided in their natural state or mixed with other foodstuffs or additive ingredients as required. It will be appreciated that the particular method of processing the foodstuff will typically depend on the type of foodstuff and typical methods for preparing that foodstuff for desired uses. [0069] It will be understood that any foodstuff that can be processed into a form conducive to being stored in the cavities 122 of the blister pack 120 in portions and which can be readily frozen can be packaged in this way. Typically, the foodstuffs that will be most beneficially provided with the packaging 100 are those which are called for in relatively small controlled portions in recipes, such as the herbs and condiments exemplified above, however the packaging 100 is not limited to such use. [0070] However, the packaging 100 may also be useful for storing frozen portions of foodstuffs which are difficult to obtain in their fresh form or are only available seasonally, to allow users to have year-round access to desirable ingredients directly from their freezer. The packaging 100 may also be used to provide more readily available ingredients in a more convenient form to allow them to be rapidly used in cooking. For instance, frozen portions of fruit juices or purees may be packaged to avoid the need for juicing or other processing. In short, the packaging 100 will be useful for providing users with a convenient means of H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 - 12 storing and dispensing a great variety of foodstuffs as may be required for preparing dishes, or even for direct consumption. [0071] Some specific, non-exhaustive examples of types of foodstuffs which may be beneficially packaged as discussed above may include herbs such as basil, parsley, mint, coriander, Thai basil, lemon grass, rosemary, thyme, sage, dill and the like, leafy vegetables such as spinach and rocket, and other commonly used cooking condiments such as garlic, ginger and chilli. [0072] Other foodstuffs which are readily provided in processed frozen forms may also be provided in a similar manner, including a range of pureed fruits and vegetables. For example, pureed portions of seasonal fruits such as mango, lychee, passion fruit, citrus, pawpaw, pineapple and banana may be frozen using the techniques discussed above to allow year round use. Vegetables including capsicum and tomato may be similarly packaged. Particular portions of fruits or vegetables may be processed and packaged depending on desirable end use. For example, fruit skins/peels, such as citrus zest may be packaged in portions suitable for convenient use in recipes which do not require the use of the entire citrus fruit. [0073] It is also possible to provide juices of fruits and/or vegetable in a similar manner. It will be appreciated that the types of juices will typically be those regularly used in small portions for flavouring in cooking rather than for consumption as a drink but not readily stored in other forms. Examples of juices which may be used include lemon or lime juices. [0074] Packaged products may also include recipes including substantial portions of ingredients such as those mentioned above, including mixtures of two or more herbs, pesto, harissa or the like. [0075] In some examples, once stored in a freezer at or below minus 18 degrees, the frozen foodstuff products packaged as described above may have a shelf life of up to 24 months. By using freezing as a method of preserving the foodstuff, there is no need to add preservatives, which allows to foodstuff to be provided with a natural, concentrated taste, since the foodstuff will not be diluted by other ingredients.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 - 13 [0076] It is thus possible to provide products that will taste as fresh as the day they were harvested. This is in contrast to other convenience packaged products such as squeeze tube packaging products which may require the use of significant quantities of preservatives or other additives to extend the shelf life or allow the ingredient to be readily dispensed [0077] If additives are added to the foodstuff, this can be limited to natural ingredients such as salt or other flavour enhancing ingredients. Oil may be added to assist the release of the frozen foodstuff portion from the blister 121 during dispensing and/or to modify the consistency of the foodstuff when formed into a puree. A small amount of an acid, such as citric acid, may be added to reduce the pH for safe transportation from supermarkets to the consumer's home. [0078] It will also be appreciated that freezing the foodstuff portions will cause these to substantially solidify, which provides the capability to dispense these solid from frozen foodstuff portions 101 through the seal 140 by the local rupturing process mentioned above. Accordingly, the frozen foodstuff portions 101 are not only frozen to preserve their freshness but also to facilitate the convenient dispensing mechanism from the blister pack 110. The use of the blister pack 110 will be intuitive to users as it uses principles similar to those provided for blister packaging of pills or the like. [0079] A range of different portions sizes can be used and the packaging 100 will not be limited to any particular sizes of cavities 122 or respective frozen foodstuff portions stored therein 101. However, it will be understood that the use of standard cooking measures such as teaspoons, tablespoons or the like will be particularly convenient. For example, the sizes of the cavities 122 may be selected to allow a volume of one teaspoon of foodstuff to be stored inside. Alternatively, the sizes of the cavities 122 may be selected to allow a predetermined weight of foodstuff to be stored inside, which may be preferable for retail use where products may be priced based on unit weights. For example, a portion weight of 4.6g can be used with packaging 100 having 24 blisters 121 such that the packaging 100 will have a net weight of 1 lOg of frozen foodstuff. [0080] The number of blisters 121 and thus the number of frozen foodstuff portions which can be stored in the blister pack 110 are not particularly limited. However, it will generally be H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 - 14 convenient to provide a regular array of blisters 121 in a square or rectangular arrangement. For example, packaging 100 may be provided having 12 frozen foodstuff portions 101 in a 4x3 array or 24 frozen foodstuff portions 101 in a 6x4 array, as shown in the example body 120 of Figure 2A. [0081] In general the size and number of frozen foodstuff portions 101 provided in the packaging 100 will depend on the type of foodstuff and the corresponding customer requirements for use of that foodstuff. [0082] The shape of the blisters 121 and thus the resulting shape of the frozen foodstuff portion 101 will similarly not be particularly limited and may be in the form of a cube, a rectangular prism, a cylindrical or tablet shape. Again, this may vary depending on the type of foodstuff but also the mechanical requirements of facilitating easier dispensing. For instance, some shapes may be preferable for allowing the seal 140 to be ruptured in use or to allow the frozen foodstuff portion to be more easily displaced from its cavity 122. [0083] In any event, it is thus possible to use the packaging 100 to provide fresh herbs, condiments and other cooking ingredient packaged in frozen foodstuff portions which can be stored for long periods in the freezer yet conveniently dispensed. Particular advantages of this arrangement include the ability to have high concentrations of ingredients compared to existing convenience products, the ability to use all natural products and provide a convenient portion-controlled product without mess, fuss and that is easy to use. [0084] It will be appreciated that consumers can purchase a range of products packaged in this way and store these in their freezer for later use as required. When required the consumer can easily remove the lid 140, dispense the required portions of product from the blister pack 110, and then replace the lid 140 and place remaining portions back into the freezer for further storage without any adverse effects such as freezer burn which may otherwise take place if the remaining portions were exposed. [0085] Optional features of the packaging 100 and associated benefits will now be described with reference again to Figures 1A to 1D.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 - 15 [0086] Preferably, the blister pack 110 will be configured to allow a user to dispense a frozen foodstuff portion 101 by pressing a blister 121 using a thumb or a finger, as depicted in Figure 1C. Accordingly, a user can press frozen foodstuff portions 101 out of the packaging as desired, and it will be appreciated that the blister pack 110 may be inverted as this occurs to allow the frozen foodstuff portions 101 to be dispensed directly into a receptacle for use. The receptacle may be a cooking apparatus such as a mixing bowl, pot pan or the like when being used as part of a recipe. Alternatively, the receptacle may be a drinking receptacle such as a cup or a mixing apparatus such as a blender when the frozen foodstuff portion is to be used in a drink or beverage. [0087] In one example, the body 120 of the blister pack 110 is formed from a plastic sheet and the blisters 121 are formed as moulded portions of the plastic sheet. The plastic sheet may be formed, for example, from a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic material using heat and a blow mould system. [0088] Techniques of forming blister pack bodies 120 in this manner will be known from corresponding techniques used to form blister packs for other items such as tablets. However, it will be appreciated that modifications from known techniques may be required to allow the use of food-grade plastic sheet and forming techniques so that the frozen foodstuff portions 101 stored in the cavities 122 provided by the blisters 121 will be safe for consumption. Furthermore, the size and shape of the cavities will likely differ from those of known blister packs to accommodate useful portion sizes for use with foodstuffs. [0089] In one example, a thickness of the plastic sheet will be selected to allow each of the blisters 121 to collapse when pressed by a thumb or a finger, to thereby readily enable the dispensing of the frozen foodstuff portions 101 by manual deformation of the blisters 121. In the above example using PVC for the plastic sheet, the thickness of the sheet may be approximately 0.25mm. [0090] The blisters 121 may include inclined sidewalls as shown in Figures 1A to 1D, which can facilitate easier dispensing from the blisters 121 as these are deformed. [0091] With regard to the seal 130, in some examples, this will include a metal foil sheet which is attached to the body 120 of the blister pack 110. For example, the metal foil sheet H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 - 16 may be aluminium foil, although any suitable foil may be used. The use of a relatively thin metal foil sheet in the seal 130 provides an effective sealing layer across the cavities 122 which is nevertheless relatively easy for a user to rupture. In one example, a thickness of the metal foil sheet is selected to allow the metal foil sheet to break when the frozen foodstuff portion 101 is pressed against the metal foil sheet by a thumb or a finger of the user. Aluminium foil as mentioned above may be provided, for example, with a thickness of 0.02mm. [0092] In any event, it will be appreciated that different materials may be used to provide the seal 130, so long as these will allow the frozen foodstuff portion 101 to be dispensed by rupturing or otherwise breaking the seal 130. In some examples, a layer of thin plastic may be used. Multiple layers may be used to form the seal 130, such as layers of plastic and foil to provide a desirable combination of sealing and rupturing properties. In some examples, regions of the seal 130 may be weakened using scoring or perforations extending partially through the layer of material used to form the seal 130, to aid in local rupturing. [0093] In some examples, the blister pack 110 may include perforations through the body 120 and the seal 140, which may be located between adjacent blisters 121 to thereby allow one or more of the blisters 121 to be separated from the other blisters 121 by tearing along the perforations. Accordingly, packaging 100 having such perforations can allow users to separate sealed frozen foodstuff portions 101, either as individual portions or in complete rows to take away for use elsewhere. In a similar fashion, users can also tear off empty used blisters 121 from the blister pack 110 so that these can be discarded before the remaining frozen foodstuff portions 101 are used. [0094] Turning to the lid 140, this may be provided in any form suitable for allowing attachment to the blister pack 110 such that the seal 140 will be covered whilst the lid 140 is attached. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1A, 1B and 1C and Figure 2A, the lid 140 includes a lip 141 for engaging an outer edge of the blister pack 110 to thus allow attachment of the lid 140 to the blister pack 110. [0095] In the depicted example, the lip 141 includes indentations 142 that engage with the outer edge to allow the lid 140 to remain attached unless the lid 140 is positively removed. In H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 - 17 particular, the indentations 142 may be configured to project inside of the outer edge of the blister pack 110 when the lid 140 is attached so that the lid 140 will not be easily detached without applying sufficient force to bend the material used to form the lip 141 so that the indentations are released from the outer edge and the lid 140 can be removed. [0096] The packaging 100 may optionally include a film layer wrapped around the blister pack 110 and the lid 140 for preventing removal of the lid 140 unless the film layer is removed. It will be appreciated that the film layer can help to ensure the lid 140 remains attached during handling of the packaging. In one example, the film layer may be applied by shrink wrapping processes. The film layer will preferably be formed from a thin layer of transparent plastic material, and it will be understood that this will allow any printed material appearing on the lid 140 to be seen through the film layer. The film layer may include features such as perforations to facilitate easier removal by the consumer when it is desired to remove the lid, although this is not essential [0097] An example of a method for providing a packaged frozen foodstuff product, using packaging 100 as described above, will now be described with reference to Figures 3A to 3E. [0098] The method begins by providing an empty blister pack body 120 as shown in Figure 3A, having a plurality of blisters 121 each defining a respective cavity 122 and being manually deformable to allow contents of the cavity 122 to be displaced from the cavity 122 as discussed above. The body 120 may be formed using a moulding process from a single sheet of plastic material as discussed above, and this can be done immediately prior to performing the method in a blister packaging machine or otherwise the body 120 may be formed in advance in a separate manufacturing process. [0099] In any case, as shown in Figure 3B, the method involves at least partially filling the cavities 122 with respective portions of a foodstuff 301. The foodstuff 301 may be introduced into the cavities 122 to thereby fill the cavities using any suitable process. For example, foodstuff 301 in a relatively fluid form such as a puree or liquid may be injected into a respective cavity 122 using a filling tube 210 or the like of a suitably configured filling apparatus, as shown in Figure 3B. It should be understood that the foodstuff 301 will not be H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 - 18 frozen at this stage of the method so that the foodstuff 301 is not yet solidified and thus is able to conform to the cavity 122 during this filling step. [0100] In this example, a single filling tube 310 is shown in use, however, it will be appreciated that filling apparatus may be provided with multiple filling tubes 310 for more rapid filling of the cavities 122 of the body 120. In some examples, a filling apparatus including a number of filling tubes 310 corresponding to the number of blisters 121 and hence cavities 122 of the body 120 may be used, allowing for efficient simultaneous filling of the cavities 122. It will be appreciated that a range of different filling apparatus configurations may be used, depending at least in part on the type of foodstuff 301. [0101] Once all of the cavities 122 have been filled with respective portions of foodstuff 301, the next step involves attaching a seal 130 to the body 120 to thereby provide the sealed blister pack 110 having foodstuff portions 301 sealed inside its cavities 122, as shown in Figure 3C. In one example, the seal 130 is attached to the body 120 by heat sealing the seal 130 to the body 120. However, any suitable means of attaching the seal 130 may be used. [0102] As discussed previously, the seal 130 is configured to locally rupture, break or tear when contents of a cavity 122 are displaced by manually deforming the respective blister 121, to allow contents of the cavity 122 to be dispensed through the seal 130. However, this dispensing process will mainly be facilitated after the foodstuff portions 301 have been frozen. This freezing step may take place at any time after filling the cavities 122, although typically freezing will be done after the foodstuff portions having been sealed inside the sealed blister pack 110. [0103] In this example, prior to freezing the foodstuff portions 301, a removable lid 140 is attached to the sealed blister pack 110 to cover the seal 130, as shown in Figure 3D. As per the example packaging 100 discussed above, the lid 140 is configured to substantially prevent dispensing of contents of the cavities 122 whilst the lid 140 is attached to the blister pack 110. As mentioned previously, the lid 140 also helps to prevent damage to the foil seal 130 during transportation. A layer of film may optionally be wrapped around the blister pack 110 and the lid 140 at this stage, for aiding retention of the lid 140.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 - 19 [0104] Finally, the method involves freezing the foodstuff portions 301 inside the sealed blister pack 110 to provide the completed product including packaged frozen foodstuff portions 101 as shown in Figure 3E (the frozen state being denoted by the different shading of the frozen foodstuff portions 101 compared to the substantially fluid foodstuff portions 301 in the preceding Figures). Any suitable freezing process may be used, although ideally freezing will be performed rapidly to prevent adverse effects on the foodstuff due to freezing such as the formation of ice crystals. [0105] The freezing step will preferably be performed after all packaging steps are completed such that no further packaging actions are required following freezing. This also allows the packaging 100 to be stacked for the freezing step without risking damage to the seal 130 due to handling of the sealed blister pack 110, such as may otherwise take place to transfer the blister packs 110 to freezing facilities. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, freezing can generally take place anytime although preferably the seal 130 should be attached prior to freezing so as to prevent exposing the foodstuff 301 to the freezer environment which might result in freezer burn or the like. [0106] A plurality of products may be packed into cartons to allow efficient transport, and in one example shelf ready retail cartons may be used for transport which can then be modified to allow the packaging 100 to be displayed on a retail shelf without requiring removal from the carton. Typically, the packaging 100 will be frozen before being packed into cartons to allow rapid freezing of the foodstuff portions, however it may be possible to perform the freezing step after the products are packed into cartons, depending on the freezing method being used. [0107] In order to illustrate further optional features of the method, an example of a practical implementation of the method will now be described. In this case the method is used to provide packaged frozen coriander puree portions. For completeness, this example will consider the total process from growing the coriander through to purchase of the packaged product by a consumer for home use in cooking or the like. [0108] First, coriander is grown using typical practices then harvested and stored in a cold room until ready for processing. Storage times are preferably minimised to prevent H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 -20 degradation of the harvested product and typically range from as little as an hour to overnight. The coriander is typically washed and dried and then fed into a blender. At this stage, other added ingredients may also be fed into the blender, such as oil, salt, citric acid or the like. However, added ingredients are not essential. The product along with any added ingredients (if any) will typically be blended for a predetermined time to achieve a desired consistency. [0109] In some examples, the resulting coriander puree may chilled to 2-4'C by being pumped through a chilling exchanger unit, although it will be appreciated that a range of different suitable chilling arrangements may be used in this step, and chilling may not be essential if packaging is to occur immediately after processing. The coriander puree may be dispensed into intermediate packaging as required for transport to a packaging facility, if this is separate from the coriander processing facility. However, it will be appreciated if the packaging equipment is co-located with the processing equipment, the coriander puree may be transferred directly to the packaging equipment. [0110] In any event, the coriander puree will ultimately be received at the packaging facility where packaging equipment configured to package the coriander puree as discussed above is provided. It will be understood that the coriander puree may be received from any suitable source and the harvesting/processing does not necessarily need to follow the same pre packaging procedure as discussed above. [0111] In this example, the packaging equipment includes a purpose-designed blister packaging machine. The blister packaging machine may be a commercially available machine of the type used to package other types of items into blister packs, although typically some configuration changes/adaptations will be required to allow its safe use with foodstuffs and to provide blister packs of the desired dimensions and construction. [0112] The packaging process begins when puree is transferred into a hopper of the blister packaging machine. The transfer may be performed manually, such as by emptying the puree from intermediate packaging such as the buckets discussed above. Alternatively, conveying equipment may be provided to automatically transfer the puree into the hopper from a different source, at a required rate for the packaging process.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 -21 [0113] In this example, the blister packaging machine forms the blister pack from a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic material using heat and a blow mould system. This material may be supplied on a roll and may have a thickness of about 0.25mm thick. The material is preferably transparent although opaque materials may be used. [0114] In this example, the blister packaging machine is configured to form a blister pack body 120 including blisters 121 in a 6x4 array, for receiving 24 portions of 5mL of coriander puree in each cavity 122 defined by the blisters 121. However, it will be appreciated that the particular arrangement of blisters 121 may vary depending on a range of factors as mentioned above. [0115] In any event, once the blister pack body 120 has been formed it moves through the blister packaging machine to a filling station including filling apparatus for filling the cavities 122. In particular, coriander puree is drawn into a plurality of filling tubes matching the number of portions to be dispensed into the blister pack, and the coriander puree is then dispensed from the filling tubes into each portion of the blister pack body 120. [0116] In one example, multiple blister pack bodies 120 can be filled simultaneously, in which case the number of filling tubes will correspond to the total number of portions provided by the blister pack bodies, 120 e.g. if two 24-portion blister pack bodies are to be filled simultaneously, 48 filling tubes will be provided. [0117] The particular portion size dispensed by each filling tube will preferably be tightly controlled to ensure a high quality of portion control. The portion size will typically be determined based on the type of puree and an amount of the ingredient commonly used in cooking recipes or the like. [0118] With the blister pack body 120 now filled with separate portions of coriander puree, the filled blister pack body 120 then moves to a heat seal section where a metal foil sheet is provided over the blister pack body 120 and a heat seal element is used to compress and seal the metal foil sheet and blister pack body 120 together creating a seal 130 covering the filled cavities 122. Thus, a sealed blister pack 110 will be formed filled with portions of foodstuff in each of its sealed cavities 122.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 - 22 [0119] In this example, the metal foil is aluminium foil having a thickness of 0.02mm and is provided as a rolled sheet. The foil may be printed with imagery or information, such as branding, usage instructions, or the like. [0120] In optional embodiments, the blister pack body 120 and foil seal 130 may be scored to form blister packs 110 with perforations for allowing the separation of individual portions or rows of portions from the blister pack 110. However, this is not essential since individual portions can be dispensed from the blister pack 110 in any event. [0121] A final process performed by the blister packaging machine is to cut any waste packaging material, such as PVC material used to form the blister pack body 120 or foil used to form the seal 130, away from the edges of the blister pack 110, leaving equal sized sealed and filled blister packs 110. [0122] Once this is complete the blister pack 110 is pushed out of the packaging machine ready for the next steps for preparing the blister packaged product for sale. [0123] For example, the packaging may be stamped with batch number, best before date and product name. The package may be check weighed for further quality control. [00124] The blister pack 110 will then have the lid 140 attached. In some examples, the lid 140 may be made utilising the same blister packing machine, although the lid 140 may otherwise be manufactured separately. The lid 140 may be constructed using the same material and heat/blow moulding processes as used to form the blister pack body 120. Furthermore, the blister packaging machine may be adapted to automatically attach the lid 140, however this is not essential and the lid 140 can be manually fitted. [0125] A label may then be fitted to lid 140. The label may include typically retail label information including branding, an identification of the product, ingredients, nutrition information, weight information, certification marks, usage instructions or the like. [0126] In one example, a further optional step may be carried out after the lid has been fitted, involving covering the packaged product with a layer or thin transparent film. This will typically be achieved by shrink wrapping the packaging 100 including the lid 140. Suitable shrink wrapping machines are commercially available for this purpose. The shrink wrap layer H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 - 23 will hold the lid 140 and blister pack 110 together until the packaging 100 is ready to use by the consumer. This will help to prevent the lid 140 from unintentionally detaching from the blister pack 110, such as if the consumer drops the packaging 100 at a height into a shopping trolley. It will be appreciated that retention of the lid 140 will be important in a retail setting if the lid 140 is provided with a retail label, since the lid 140 will have all the vital information and if this was to be separated from the product this may cause many issues. [0127] At this stage, the packaged coriander puree is chilled but not yet frozen. After the lid 140 has been fitted and the filled packaging 100 is otherwise prepared for sale, the packaging and their contents of coriander puree portions 100 can be frozen. In this example, a snap freezing process is used, allowing the coriander puree to be rapidly frozen in the individual blister packaged portions. It will be appreciated that the snap frozen portions of coriander puree will conform to the shape of each blister, having been dispensed into the blisters in a substantially fluid pureed state before freezing. [0128] A number of blister packages can be stacked together and frozen simultaneously, and it will be appreciated that air or any other suitable freezing fluid (such as liquid nitrogen) will be free to flow between the blisters during the freezing process, even when the blister packages are stacked. By freezing after the lid 140 is attached, the stacking will not present a risk of damage to the seals 130, which may otherwise be unintentionally ruptured. [0129] Once the coriander puree portions are fully frozen inside the packaging 100, the products of this packaging process may themselves be packaged into cartons for further transport and retail use. In one example, a number of products may be packaged into a shelf ready cardboard carton which can be labelled with barcode and other relevant information and converted into configuration allowing display on a retail shelf (such as in a supermarket freezer or the like) for sale. [0130] The products will typically remain in a frozen state as they are transported for sale and consumption. Thus, a consumer will purchase the blister packages from a freezer section of a retail store and transfer the blister packages into their own freezer. As discussed above, when the consumer is ready to use a frozen portion of coriander puree during cooking, the consumer will remove the lid 140 and press one of the frozen coriander puree portions from H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_1.doc-16/12/2014 - 24 the sealed blister pack 110, through the seal 130, for use as desired. The lid 140 can then be re-fitted to the sealed blister pack 110, and the product can then be returned to the freezer for later use. [0131] Whilst the above example is focussed on pureed coriander as the foodstuff, it will be appreciated that similar processes may be used for other products and modifications as required for different types of foodstuffs will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art. [0132] An example of a specific embodiment of a blister pack body 400 is shown in Figures 4A and 4B. It should be noted that the view of Figure 4A is taken from an underside of the body 400. As per previously discussed examples of the blister pack body 120, the body 400 of this example includes an array of blisters 121 defining cavities 122 for receiving foodstuff portions. In this case a 6x4 array of blisters 121 is provided. [0133] The blisters 121 define generally square shaped cavities 122, with a depth shallower than lengths of the sides. The blisters 121 are rounded at their bases, and this shape will generally be easier to manufacture by moulding. [0134] In this example, the body 400 further includes other optional features, such as a "PRESS" markings 401 moulded into each of the blisters 121 to thereby instruct the user on proper use to dispense frozen foodstuff portions. Furthermore, the body 400 includes perforations 402 as discussed above, and in this case the perforations extend between rows and columns of the blisters 121 for allowing one or more of the blisters 121 to be torn away from the body 400, before or after frozen foodstuff portions 101 have been dispensed. [0135] An example of a specific embodiment of a lid 500 is shown in Figures 5A to 5C, allowing further details to be seen regarding the above discussed features including the lip 141 and the indentations 142 for facilitating engagement of the lip 141 with the outer edge of the blister pack 110. In this case, two indentations 142 are provided along each edge of the lid 500, which has found to allow adequate attachment retention of the lid 500. It will be appreciated that this style of lid 500 may be provided using manufacturing equipment similar to that used for providing other types of packaging lids such as those used for margarine tubs or the like.

H:\tw\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TW\7287052_ 1.doc-16/12/2014 -25 [0136] Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. [0137] Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous variations and modifications will become apparent. All such variations and modifications which become apparent to persons skilled in the art, should be considered to fall within the spirit and scope that the invention broadly appearing before described.