EA045445B1 - METHOD FOR PREPARING A PRODUCT IN THE FORM OF PIZZA IN A MICROWAVE OVEN - Google Patents

Description

Technical field

The present invention generally relates to a pizza product; more specifically to a product in the form of a pizza made from two types of dough; and even more specifically to a two-dough pizza product, wherein the first dough has high crispiness properties and the second dough is a porous dough. The present invention also relates to packaging for a pizza product, preferably both for delivery to the end consumer and for heating the pizza product. Additionally, the present invention relates to an embodiment of an optional delivery/distribution model for a pizza product.

State of the art

The pizza market is one of the most important food markets in the United States, in which pizza is very popular among consumers. The Department of Agriculture estimates that in 2014, 1 in 8 Americans ate pizza on a given day. Pizzeria sales in the US generated over $47 billion, and the US pizza retail industry was estimated to hold a value of $5.5 billion for 2019, with the frozen pizza market representing over 80% of such sales. Globally, the pizza market has grown to a $134 billion market.

The market revolving around pizza can be largely centered around three distinct areas, each of which have their own distinct challenges and challenges:

1) fast food pizza market;

2) pizza delivery market;

3) retail market for fresh and frozen pizza.

i. Fast food.

The fast-casual pizza market includes large and small chains, with household names including Domino's, Little Caesars, Papa John's Pizza and Pizza Hut, among others. Most of these pizza chains have thousands of small locations located around the world whose mission is to prepare, cook, and sell pizza products to the end consumer. Some of these locations may include small food areas for on-site eating, but the most common configuration is a relatively small point-of-sale with a large preparation and cooking section and a very small customer receiving section primarily for customers purchasing and picking up pizza. To summarize, these types of outlets may offer: delivery options, takeaway sales, home cooking and eating at home.

Typically the most important part of a fast casual pizza restaurant is the oven, where pizza was historically cooked in a wood-fired masonry oven. However, the need for faster and more autonomous pizza preparation has increased the number of alternatives, such as:

Convection ovens, which are relatively small in size but also have cooking capabilities that are limited to only a few pizzas at a time, are best suited for small-volume food service establishments. These types of ovens also have longer temperature recovery times, which refers to the time it takes for it to reach the proper cooking temperature after opening the door or when cold food is added.

Conveyor ovens that help improve productivity when inexperienced workers are present in high volume retail locations. Adjustable belt speed and constant heat increase cooking time automatically, but their biggest disadvantage is their large size and cost.

Other equipment and space needed include a dough mixer, refrigerators and freezers, large dough work benches and pizza prep tables (which hold toppings and cheese), a baking sheet and pizza utensils along with hot storage cabinets and packaging For delivery.

For example, a typical Domino's location is approximately 1,500 square feet, employs approximately 6-7 people, and does not offer a full service dine-in area. Typically, after placing an order, the pizza maker begins by cutting and stretching the dough, pouring sauce, placing cheese and adding the ordered toppings, which usually takes approximately 4-5 minutes. The pizza is then placed in the oven and takes approximately 7 minutes to cook in a conveyor style oven at 550°F. The pizza is then cut and packed into a box for delivery. So the whole process takes approximately 12 minutes before the pizza is ready (assuming there is completely fresh dough available).

Additionally, with fast food pizzas cooked in high-temperature ovens, the cheese and toppings can burn, creating a relatively dry top with a soggy crust (which absorbs moisture from the top contents of the pizza). The crunchiness of the crust is perceived as harsh, and can sometimes take away the flavor from the rest of the pizza. High temperature ovens tend to dry out ingredients, resulting in less cheese and toppings and loss of flavor. In addition, such ovens must be constantly on, which leads to high energy consumption and downtime when the pizza is not being cooked. Thus, the heating and baking processes take a long time and the toppings in general become dry.

ii. Delivery.

In the United States, it is estimated that consumers spend approximately $33 billion annually on pizza from quick service outlets, with pizza delivery accounting for approximately $10 billion of the total market.

When it comes to fast food delivery options, this part has always brought a few challenges related to wet and greasy pizza, soft crust, low temperature, and jumbled top ingredients, among others.

Over the years, many efforts have been made to improve the delivery process, such as:

using mesh lids or screens to separate the pizza from the packaging (usually a cardboard box), such as Crustsaver™;

bags and systems for temperature control and maintenance, which are aimed at maintaining the proper temperature of the pizza while transporting it to the delivery location (see, for example, US Pat. No. 6,281,477);

delivery bags and containers with tilt sensors to indicate the tilt of the pizza box to prevent topping ingredient mess (see, for example, US Pat. No. 5,270,686);

a moisture-absorbing pizza box designed to prevent the crust from getting wet during delivery (see, for example, US Pat. No. 6,932,267, US Pat. No. 4,922,626, among others).

Even technology company Apple® has patented a special pizza shipping box designed with a series of holes in the lid of the container to allow air to escape and therefore help keep the crust from becoming soggy.

Improvements have even been made to the disclosure of pizza preparation and delivery vehicles that take into account the preparation and/or cooking of the pizza along the delivery route, as in US Pat. No. 4,556,046A. However, improvements related to the actual pizza delivery process have always involved moving the preparation and/or cooking process from the point of sale to a moving facility to carry out such processes en route to the delivery location. Therefore, due to the movement of the preparation and/or preparation process from the point of sale to a mobile delivery vehicle such as a truck, the required space, equipment and labor that must be included as part of the delivery process create a large number of requirements and high costs. It is important to note that delivery processes for large pizza chains are not carried out in this way, which does not provide a real solution to modern needs.

So even though approximately 10% of pizza innovation worldwide comes from the United States, all these improvements have not been able to solve these problems.

Additionally, if the pizza arrives cold and is reheated in a regular microwave, the pizza will become even wetter than when it was delivered. On the other hand, if it is reheated in a conventional oven, its final consistency will be dry (due to the fact that it will lose most of its moisture during delivery and due to the temperature of the additional heating process through the oven), and additionally must wait for many minutes to preheat the oven along with the cooking time.

iii. Retail market for chilled fresh or frozen pizza.

The retail market for refrigerated fresh and frozen pizza in the US alone is US$5 billion, with an expected annual growth rate of 0.2% to 0.5% over the next 5 years. Approximately 80-90% of this $5 billion market corresponds to retail frozen pizza sales

Frozen pizza has historically been among the most popular frozen food products, and given its high customization flexibility, many industrial companies have created new strategies over the years to offer different and new products to overcome consumer trends. The most popular refrigerated pizza brands in the US include D/Giorno, Red Baron and Tombstone, among others, with Nestle's USA leading with a market share of over 43%, followed by Schwan Food Co. from 19%.

Also, individual-sized pizzas have become increasingly popular in recent years and are becoming part of consumers' regular daily snacking routine.

Consumers have indicated that purchasing frozen pizza instead of buying pizza from a food service establishment provides faster and easier meals, lower costs, longer shelf life and is faster than delivery or takeout. Also, thin crust is the preferred option among US consumers, followed by regular crust.

However, the cooking time for chilled and frozen pizza, which refers to the entire period of time from removing the pizza from the freezer/refrigerator until it is ready to eat, is relatively long. Most refrigerated and frozen pizza products are intended to be heated in conventional ovens, where they would normally

- 2 045445 the following processes: (1) preheating the oven to 400°F, which takes at least 10-15 minutes; and (2) baking the pizza for 20-25 minutes. Both processes together can take up to 30-40 minutes, which is a long waiting time to obtain the final heated product.

Additionally, when heated in a microwave oven, refrigerated/frozen pizza becomes soggy and lacks a crispy crust.

The microwave pizza market has not expanded as there have not been any significant improvements in recent times to produce high-quality products that taste good and retain high moisture content and crispiness properties. Typically, when frozen pizza is microwaved, the crust loses its freshness and becomes soft and soggy, rubbery or extremely dry and hard (depending on the type of dough). Also, the cheese may not melt evenly and may become gummy or end up burning and drying out while the rest of the pizza is not heated properly given the difference in moisture between the dough and the cheese and toppings. Because microwave ovens operate with radiation rather than heat, the radiation moves particles in the food in a circle, which causes the food to become warm, and if there are water molecules in the food, they turn to steam. The steam condenses and causes the food to become wet, burn or dry out.

Therefore, even though the market introduced products that could be heated in a microwave oven, they were not successful as the final quality and taste were not widely accepted by consumers.

Additionally, the problem with refrigerated/frozen pizza when cooked according to the instructions is that the heating process transfers moisture from the top containing the cheese, sauce and toppings into the crust, thereby moistening the crust and reducing its crispness.

However, refrigerated and frozen pizza products were not able to overcome the following problems:

A) the ability to heat and provide moist and crispy well-cooked pizza in short periods of less than 3 minutes;

B) Produces a crisp crust and moisture-rich cheese and toppings by preventing moisture transfer from the top to the crust while preventing the top from cooking and drying out

Due to the above problems, there is a need for a pizza product with a crispy crust and moisture-rich cheese and toppings without preventing moisture from being transferred into the crust when the pizza is heated or cooked.

Disclosure of the invention

The present invention relates to a high-quality pizza with increased moisture and at the same time higher crispness compared to existing fast food and retail pizzas. Embodiments of a pizza product according to the principles of the present invention include two types of dough that are combined after heating, and wherein the two types of dough have different characteristics and are heated in combination with different ingredients, and wherein the heating process for both types of dough is performed in different humidity conditions and can (optionally) be done simply using a regular microwave oven. Further, the present invention also provides apparatus and methods for preparing such pizzas, which preparation has the advantage of requiring less equipment, labor and time compared to standard fast food and retail pizzas. In addition, the present invention also provides an innovative delivery method that allows pizza to be delivered from a central delivery station without the need for one or more processing locations, typically a network of physical retail outlets, to prepare and/or cook the pizza product.

Therefore, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a pizza product that has higher crispiness and moistness, and can be prepared in a short time, with less equipment and less labor compared to existing pizza products, and which is formed a combination of two separate types of dough that have different properties, are accompanied by different ingredients and are heated under different humidity conditions before assembling and serving the product in the form of a pizza, the product in the form of a pizza containing: a first part of the dough, called Dough A, which has high crispiness properties, such as pie dough, which is heated under conditions of low humidity, which ensures that Dough A retains its stiffness and crispiness properties; and a second dough portion, called Dough B, comprising a porous dough, such as sandwich bread or biscuit, which is combined with a moisture-rich product, such as a flavored gel like tomato gel, wherein Dough B is capable of capturing moisture from the moisture-rich product; and wherein the heating processes both portions of the dough, Dough B along with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients placed on top of Dough A, forming a final pizza product.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a microwave-safe container is provided for containing the Dough In place with its moisture-rich product and additional ingredients to enable the heating process to occur, the container being positioned and configured to maintain a controlled moisture-rich environment with saturated steam when heated, and obtain a paste-like consistency after heating Test B and the moisture-rich product.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a delivery method for a pizza product, comprising: providing at least one preparation unit that is a physical location at which components of the pizza product are prepared, such preparation units providing ready-to-heat pizza products to at least one distribution node, such as refrigerated trucks or physical locations strategically located for efficient distribution; distributing the ready-to-heat product through distribution units, wherein at least one distribution unit is equipped with refrigeration equipment to maintain a suitable cooling temperature for the pizza product; transporting a pizza product containing two parts of dough by means of a mobile means of transport, such as a delivery vehicle, motorcycles or the like, which is equipped with a portable microwave device, wherein the portable microwave device allows both parts of the pizza product to be heated, namely, Dough A and a container containing Dough B together with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients, in a short period of time; performing a heating process on the mobile delivery vehicle en route to the final delivery point or upon arrival at the final destination; delivering the heated pizza product in a ready-to-assemble form, wherein the delivery person or end user will assemble the pizza in accordance with the methods previously described to produce a final pizza product that retains a high crispiness and moistness not achieved by similar delivery methods; and wherein the instant pizza product is delivered heated at very low cost and in a short period of time, while maintaining high crispness and moisture.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is claimed a method for preparing a pizza product in a microwave oven, the pizza product being formed by two dough parts - Dough A and Dough B - which are provided separately. The method includes:

providing pre-baked crispy dough - Dough A; providing porous dough - Test B;

heating the crisp dough - Dough A - in a microwave oven under low humidity conditions to maintain its crisp properties, the low humidity conditions being those in the dry environment of a microwave oven;

incorporating the moisture-rich product into a porous dough - Dough B - which produces moisture when heated, the moisture-rich product being an edible gel that is flavored with a flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of tomato paste, fresh tomatoes or scalded tomatoes;

adding additional ingredients, including cheese and toppings, on top of a moisture-rich product;

placing the porous dough - Dough B - along with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients in a container that is configured to maintain high levels of humidity when heated in a microwave oven;

heating a container containing the porous dough - Dough B - together with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients, wherein moisture from the moisture-rich product is captured by the porous dough - Dough B;

placing the heated porous dough - Dough B - along with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients on top of the heated and crispy dough - Dough A - creating the final pizza product; and wherein the crispy dough - Dough A - and the container containing the porous dough - Dough B - together with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients are heated simultaneously in a microwave oven, and the heating process for both parts of the dough - Dough A and Dough B - is carried out at conditions of different humidity.

In embodiments of this aspect:

the crisp dough - Dough A - is a pie dough, and the second porous dough - Dough B - is a sandwich bread or sponge cake;

the additional ingredients are selected from the group consisting of cheese, toppings including pepperoni, vegetables or meat products, and oregano;

crispy dough - Dough A - heated for a period of time from 10 to 60 s;

crispy dough - Dough A - heated together with a moisture-absorbing material selected from

- 4 045445 group containing cardboard or paper;

crispy dough - Dough A - is heated in a package having a hollow volume in which the crispy dough is placed;

a container containing the porous dough - Dough B - together with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients, is heated in a microwave oven for a period of time from 10 to 40 s at an average power of 800 W;

If closed boxes selected from the group consisting of cardboard or paper boxes are used to heat unassembled pizza products, the heating time is increased by more than 2 minutes;

The crispy dough is pre-baked in the oven.

Although the invention will be described with reference to preferred embodiment configurations and with respect to specific devices used herein, it is to be understood that the invention should not be construed as being limited in any way to such configuration or components as described herein. . Although this document provides an example of specific doughs, microwave containers and/or an optional delivery/distribution model, the teachings of the present invention are applicable to any two-crust pizza product having the features described herein. These and other embodiments of the invention will become clear to one skilled in the art from the more detailed description of the inventions.

The advantages and features that characterize the inventions are specifically noted in the claims attached to this document and forming a part thereof. However, in order to provide an improved understanding of the inventions, reference should be made to the drawings, which form a part thereof, and to the accompanying narrative, in which preferred embodiments of the inventions are illustrated and described.

Brief description of drawings

Referring to the drawings, in which similar numbers indicate similar parts in several views:

in fig. 1 shows a round embodiment of crispy Dough A (2);

in fig. 2 shows a circular embodiment of Test B (3) in combination with a moisture-rich product such as tomato gel, (4) and additional ingredients (5) such as cheese and toppings;

in fig. 3 shows a circular embodiment of Dough B (3), wherein the container (6) contains Dough B (3) in combination with a moisture-rich product (4) and additional ingredients (5), such as cheese and toppings;

in fig. 4 shows an embodiment of a package (13) for a pizza product, in which Dough A (2) is heated in the bottom portion of the package, which contains desiccant material (14) and the walls of the bottom portion (15) to create empty space for Dough A, and in which the Dough B (3) together with its moisture-rich product (4) and additional ingredients (5) is heated in the upper part of the package containing the storage film (16), and in which the upper and lower parts are separated by a separating tray (17), which allows for easy assembly of the final heated pizza product;

in fig. 5 shows another embodiment of packaging (13) for a product in the form of pizza, which is a three-layer packaging (18) separating both parts of the packaging with a middle layer of film (19);

in fig. 6 shows a heating embodiment in which a three-layer package (18) is used to heat a pizza product in a microwave oven (20);

in fig. 7 shows an embodiment of a heated and assembled pizza product (1) containing Dough A (2) on the bottom and Dough B (3) on the top, in which Dough B (3) has been combined with the moisture-rich product (4) and additional ingredients (5);

in fig. 8 shows a preferred embodiment of the delivery method according to the present invention, in which at least one preparation unit (7) delivers pizza products to at least one central distribution unit (8), which are movable units located in strategic locations, and contain refrigeration equipment (9) for storing ready-to-heat food in the form of pizza. The pizza products, ready to be heated, are provided to mobile delivery vehicles (10) which are equipped with a portable microwave oven (11) for heating the pizza product. The movable delivery vehicle (10) transports the pizza product to the final delivery location (12).

Detailed description

The present invention relates to a high quality pizza product and a method of preparing the pizza product wherein the pizza is heated and assembled in a manner that provides increased moisture content and at the same time increased crispness compared to existing fast food and retail pizzas. . Optionally, the present invention also provides a method for centralized production and delivery, and in

- 5 045445 This delivery method delivers pizza from a central delivery hub without the need for a local physical point of sale to prepare and/or cook the pizza product.

With respect to the retail market of fresh and frozen pizza products for homes and offices, for example, embodiments of the present invention can be heated and assembled in less than 1 minute using a conventional simple microwave oven while achieving high moisture content, as well as at the same time properties of high crispness, in a short period of time. In contrast, existing, conventional fresh and frozen pizza products generally must be heated in conventional convection ovens, which take a long time to preheat to the required heating temperature and then require additional time to heat the pizza product, which, usually takes more than 20 minutes. Additionally, high crispiness and high moisture content are rarely achieved simultaneously.

In relation to the food service market, outlets that are currently unable to offer pizza products because they do not have the necessary equipment or space to provide these products, such as specialized ovens and space for dough preparation and processing, may use pizza products according to the concepts of the present invention, provided that a microwave oven is available (or installed). This would allow outlets to make high-quality pizza part of their menu.

With respect to the delivery market, the pizza products of the present invention provide the ability to deliver a high quality pizza product without the need for a local physical point of sale to prepare and/or cook the pizza. Instead, a microwave oven may be used, which may be portable and heat the pizza product on its way to the delivery location. Additionally, ready-to-heat delivery can be provided, whereby the end consumer can heat the product in a short period of time and also assemble the product themselves, resulting in a high-quality pizza with increased moisture content and crispiness compared to conventional pizza delivery products.

As used herein, the term crunchiness refers to the ability of a dough to provide chew resistance, denoting a tougher dough that has low flexibility and that produces a characteristic sound when chewed. Some examples of crunchy foods include, but are not limited to, croutons, crackers, shortbread, and potato chips.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein. A preferred embodiment of the pizza product comprises two separate portions of dough, with the first portion of dough (Dough A) being a crispy dough that forms the base of the final pizza product and the second portion of dough (Dough B) being a porous dough that when combined with a moisture-rich product, it can trap moisture and which, when heated, produces a paste-like product that forms the top of the pizza-shaped product. Both parts of the dough are cooked under different humidity conditions, and after the heating process, they are connected to each other by placing Dough B, along with its moisture-rich product and additional ingredients, on top of Dough A, providing the final product in the form of a pizza. As will be explained below, it is important to note that both parts of the dough can be heated in the microwave at the same time.

The first part of the dough, which is referred to throughout the description as Dough A, refers to the bottom part of the pizza, which is in a crispy state, such as, for example, dough for mince pies and tarts. Dough A is precooked in a conventional oven to produce a ready-to-heat product. In an embodiment of the invention, Dough A contains different types of dough or combinations of dough.

When it comes time to assemble and/or serve the final pizza product, the ready-to-heat Dough A is heated in a dry environment, such as a toaster or conventional microwave oven, under low humidity conditions that allow it to retain its crispness. Additionally, a desiccant element such as paper or cardboard may be used during the heating process.

The second part of the dough, which is referred to in the description as Dough B, refers to the top part of the pizza, which contains a porous dough that is combined with a moisture-rich product and additional ingredients, and which produces a paste-like product when heated. As noted previously, Dough B is combined with a moisture-rich product that provides moisture that can be captured by Dough B. Such products contain an edible gel that is flavored with various flavorings such as, but not limited to, tomato paste, fresh tomatoes, scalded tomatoes and meat concentrates. In a preferred embodiment, the moisture-rich product is a tomato gel, which allows for a stiff product that, when heated, melts and produces a paste-like consistency that does not wet Dough B. Additionally, various ingredients, such as fresh tomatoes, can be added to Dough B and fresh vegetables, or other foods such as cheese and oregano. In an embodiment of the invention, Dough B contains different types of dough or combinations of dough.

- 6 045445

Dough B has a ready-to-heat preparation that contains a container made of microwave-safe material, such as a plastic or paper bag, which contains Dough B along with a moisture-rich product and additional ingredients to allow the heating process to take place under high humidity, at which Dough B and the moisture-rich product obtain a paste-like consistency. The container is designed and configured to allow Test B, the moisture-rich product, and additional ingredients to be heated together in the same container, which is intended to be microwave safe and includes hermetically sealed packages, easy-to-open packages such as such as zip-lock packages, shrink films, pressure-seal packages and similar packages. The container contains a safety system to prevent it from exploding as a result of increased pressure inside the container, such as valves, pressure relief systems, openings, special materials that allow air to escape from the container, and similar systems.

When it becomes necessary to assemble and/or serve the final pizza product, Dough B is heated under specific conditions to produce saturated steam while Dough B captures moisture from the moisture-rich product. This is achieved by heating a container that contains Dough B, a moisture-rich product and additional ingredients, the container being minimally vented (to prevent it from exploding from high pressure) and heated in a microwave oven.

Therefore, as previously explained, Dough A and Dough B have different properties, can be combined with moisture-rich food and different ingredients (if any), and are heated in different ways and under different humidity conditions.

After the heating process, Dough A and Dough B are joined together by placing a paste-like heated Dough B with moisture-rich product and additional ingredients on top of Dough B through the use of different types of packaging and assembly methods, creating a high-quality product with high moisture content and crispiness in a shorter period of time , and requiring far less equipment and labor than other fast-casual or retail pizza products.

The two dough portions, Dough A and Dough B, are provided separately, with Dough A being separate from Dough B and with Dough B, the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients packaged in a container.

The heating process for both types of dough can be performed on different equipment or using a common equipment or apparatus at the same time.

In the first embodiment, only a simple microwave oven is required, wherein Dough A and a container containing Dough B, the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients are heated in the same internal microwave space while maintaining physical separation. For example, Dough A is heated in a microwave oven with the option of using a moisture-absorbent material such as cardboard, while a separate container containing Dough B along with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients is also heated in the microwave oven at the same time. This prevents moisture from transferring from the wet foods inside the Test B bag while both foods are heated in the same interior of the microwave.

In a second embodiment, Dough A is heated in a conventional toaster, with Dough A itself heated without the need for additional packaging to provide dry heat to cook Dough A and provide a crispy consistency, while the container containing Dough B along with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients , heated in a conventional microwave oven at the same time.

After heating both parts of the pizza product, they are combined with each other by placing the moist and moisture-rich paste contents of the container (containing Dough B, moisture-rich product and additional ingredients) on top of Dough A, resulting in a final pizza product with excellent crispiness properties and humidity, as well as superior quality and taste, in a very short period of time, requiring a minimum amount of equipment and minimal labor costs compared to conventional pizza products.

Under specific conditions, and depending on the type of Dough B used, moisture-rich foods and additional ingredients, which may result in a more adhesive product that will be more difficult to slide off the tray or divider to place on the bottom dough without affecting its configuration and appearance , other assembly methods may be used, such as assembling the pizza upside down to make it easier to transfer the top of the pizza.

Embodiments of the present invention provide that the pizza components are assembled in a manner in which the top of the pizza product is placed on top of the bottom portion upside down, then they are heated, and then the assembled pizza product is turned over before removing the entire package.

- 7 045445

The shape of the pizza product can vary from the classic round shape to a more square or rectangular shape for placement in heating equipment.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a pizza product that may preferably be made for sale to the end customer in a fresh state, frozen state, or already heated state depending on the type of market. However, as noted earlier, the pizza product can serve the needs of three different markets: (1) the fast food market, (2) the delivery market, and (3) the retail market.

The present invention also provides embodiments having suitable packaging for efficiently and easily heating a pizza product, the packaging including containers, plastic bags, ziplock bags, paper bags, self-sealing bags, easy-open containers, cardboard, shrink films, and similar materials, and wherein the packaging is made from materials that are safe for use in a microwave oven.

The package generally comprises a top part, a bottom part and a dividing middle part.

In an embodiment of the invention, the bottom portion of the package has a hollow volume for housing and heating Dough A under dry heat conditions to maintain crispness, the bottom portion comprising moisture-absorbing material and the walls of the bottom portion to create a hollow volume to accommodate Dough A. The top portion of the package contains a storage film that allows Test B to be stored together with its moisture-rich product and additional ingredients to provide an enclosed high-humidity heating space and to allow moisture contained within the product to be retained. The storage film is designed to minimize the movement of Test B, the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients to maintain its aesthetic appearance during transportation. The two parts of the package are separated by a separating tray which, once heated, is easily removed to allow the heated Dough B with its moisture-rich product and additional ingredients to be placed on top of the Dough A and the final heated product to be assembled into a pizza.

In another embodiment, the package comprises a three-layer film container that holds Dough A in its upper portion, and holds Dough B with its moisture-rich product and additional ingredients in its upper portion, separated by a middle layer of film that is easily removed after heating to allow placement heated Dough B with its moisture-rich product and additional ingredients on top of heated Dough A.

In another embodiment, the package contains two sections, with one section enclosing a container (containing Dough B, moisture-rich product, and additional ingredients) that has an easy-tear system that can be accessed from outside the package. The simple tear system allows the container to be opened and/or separated to allow its contents to be placed on top of Test A with a simple movement. The single tear system may include a pre-cut or semi-cut line, as is commonly used in individual food packages such as ketchup, peanut and the like packages.

In another embodiment, a third dough is included in the pizza product, the third dough acting as a separator between the first dough and the second dough, the moisture-rich product and its additional ingredients. The third dough can be used as a separating layer, which can be used as part of a microwaveable container that contains the second dough, moisture-rich product and additional ingredients. In an embodiment, the third dough corresponds to the underside of the container such that the other sides of the container (top and sides) are covered with a plastic or paper material that is easily removable. Thus, if the third dough acts as the underside of a microwave-safe container, the process of transferring the moisture-rich material and additional ingredients to accommodate the second dough is simplified because the bottom of the container is also edible dough, which is placed directly above the first dough for assembling the product in the form of a pizza. The third dough, which is the underside of a microwave-safe container, can absorb moisture from the heating process of the second dough, the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients, while minimizing the transfer of moisture into the first dough.

All of these packaging embodiments assume that the process of assembling the pizza product involves removing a plastic film or separator from the space between both sections of the package, with the top Dough being placed over the bottom Dough by turning it upside down, to then flip the finished package over to make it ready to eat. the final product in the form of pizza is eaten.

With respect to the delivery process, embodiments of the present invention provide the opportunity to transform the pizza delivery market and processes by minimizing the logistics requirements for preparing and preparing the pizza product, while eliminating the need for a local, physical point of sale to prepare and prepare the product in in the form of pizza. On the other hand, the present invention does not require facilities, equipment or space to prepare and cook the pizza product, and can only use a small microwave oven to heat the pizza product.

The delivery method of the present invention includes providing at least one preparation unit in which pizza products are prepared and prepared. This preparation unit delivers ready-to-heat food in the form of pizza to the distribution unit. These distribution units are equipped with refrigeration equipment to keep frozen or fresh pizza products at a temperature of no more than 15°C for most of the time. In a preferred embodiment, the distribution node includes mobile hubs, such as distribution trucks or vans, that can be parked at various locations depending on demand. In another embodiment of the invention, the distribution node is a fixed distribution center with a fixed location. Such distribution nodes, being mobile, can move to high-demand locations based on consumer behavior.

Unlike a conventional delivery point of sale, which is a point of sale with a fixed location that receives the ingredients to assemble the pizza and has the equipment and space to prepare and cook the pizza products, the present invention only requires that the distribution units had small refrigeration equipment to store ready-to-heat pizza products, thereby not requiring a physical point of sale to prepare and/or cook the pizza product. For reference, the four largest pizza chains in the United States have more than 19,000 physical pizza locations that would be unnecessary with the innovative delivery process of the present invention.

The delivery method from the distribution site to the final destination is then carried out using a smaller mobile vehicle such as a delivery vehicle, a small truck, motorcycles or the like.

The heating process may be carried out at a central distribution site en route to the delivery point, or it may be carried out after arrival at the final destination. Preferably, the heating process is carried out en route to the final delivery point, the mobile transport vehicle being equipped with a portable microwave device. Therefore, the portable microwave apparatus provides the ability to heat Dough A and a container containing Dough B together with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients in parallel and in the same apparatus in a very short period of time, and deliver the product in the form of a pizza at an elevated temperature compared to pizzas. with standard delivery.

The pizza product is then delivered hot at very low cost and in a short period of time.

For assembling a pizza product, the first option is that the pizza product is delivered in a heated state, but not in a ready-to-eat state, since the end consumer will assemble the pizza according to the methods described earlier to obtain the final product in a form of pizza that retains the properties of crispness and moisture with good quality and aroma, which was not provided by similar delivery methods.

Another option for pizza assembly upon delivery is for the delivery person to use simple packaging that allows the pizza to be assembled before handing it over to the consumer. The packaging used for delivery may allow for simple assembly without the need to handle each test individually, but only by manipulating the packaging and its simple transfer system to place the contents of the container on top of Test A.

The products and methods described herein may also be applied to similar food preparation methods and other markets, taking advantage of the simplicity and efficiency of the heating, packaging and delivery processes.

Example 1.

The pizza product of the present invention was prepared to assemble a panel of experts for sensory evaluation as well as to compare the crispiness and moistness of the product compared to other products on the market.

The first part of the dough, Dough A, was made from a mixture of 0000 flour, water, margarine and salt, with food preservatives to maintain its freshness. To prepare Test A, a mixture of 3 cups of flour, 1.5 tablespoons of margarine, 1 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon of salt was used.

The second dough, Part B, was produced from a cooked dough similar to white sandwich bread, specifically by removing its crust and retaining the white cooked dough as a porous dough. Additionally, the moisture-rich product is a pre-mixed and chilled gel flavored with tomato sauce.

The gel is prepared by using 500 g of tomato sauce with pizza flavor and 5 g of agar agar powder. The tomato sauce is heated and agar-agar powder is added to the mixture while still warm and the mixture is then boiled for 3 minutes while stirring. The mixture is then placed in a container that allows it to cool, cut into round pieces that are easy to handle.

Claims (1)

work in a gel state. The gel is then placed on top of the porous bread dough and toppings are added to the top. For example, toppings can include Gouda cheese and oregano. This layered product is then placed in a microwave safe plastic bag, which is then sealed. List of elements shown in the drawings:________________________________ Number Description (1) Pizza product (2) Dough A (3) Dough B (4) Moisture-rich elements (5) Cheese and toppings (6) Container (7) Preparation unit (8) Distribution node (9) Refrigeration equipment (U) Mobile delivery vehicle (11) Microwave equipment (12) Final delivery location (13) Packaging (14) Moisture-absorbing material (15) Bottom walls of the package (16) Storage film (17) Divider tray (18) Three-layer container (19) Middle film layer (20) Microwave It should be understood that even though numerous features and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description along with details of the construction and operation of the invention, this disclosure is illustrative only and the details are subject to change, especially with respect to the supporting equipment, components and devices, and to the fullest extent implied by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the appended claims. CLAIM 1. A method for preparing a pizza product in a microwave oven, the pizza product being formed by two dough parts, Dough A and Dough B, which are provided separately, comprising: providing pre-baked crispy dough - Dough A; providing porous dough - Test B; heating the crisp dough - Dough A - in a microwave oven under low humidity conditions to maintain its crisp properties, the low humidity conditions being those in the dry environment of a microwave oven; incorporating the moisture-rich product into a porous dough - Dough B - which produces moisture when heated, the moisture-rich product being an edible gel that is flavored with a flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of tomato paste, fresh tomatoes or scalded tomatoes; adding additional ingredients, including cheese and toppings, on top of a moisture-rich product; placing the porous dough - Dough B - together with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients in a container that is configured to maintain a high level of humidity when heated in a microwave oven; heating a container containing the porous dough - Dough B - together with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients, wherein moisture from the moisture-rich product is captured by the porous dough - Dough B; placing the heated, porous dough - Dough B - together with the moisture-rich product and additional ingredients on top of the heated and crispy dough - Dough A - creating the final product