Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
  • B65B25/16—Packaging bread or like bakery products, e.g. unsliced loaves

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method of packaging a food product to provide it with a shelf-life without refrigeration which exceeds the shelf-life that can be reasonably expected from the same product as now produced when it is stored in un-refrigerated conditions.
• shelf-life is meant the period of time between manufacture and the time when the product becomes uneatable from a health and/or acceptable standard of quality viewpoint.
• many flour based products will develop fungus or mildew, bread is one such product, if allowed to stand on a shelf for a period of time thereby rendering the product unacceptable to the consumer.
• the invention further provides a product when so packaged.
• the invention has relevance to bread and flour based products which normally have a shelf-life without refrigeration which is in the order of a few days.
• the present invention provides a packing for bread and like flour based products which will ensure a shelf-life of a number of weeks even when stored under ambient air temperatures.
• the invention has particular relevance to a bread or bread like product which needs to be reheated to bring it to preferred edible condition, that is to render it table presentable as a heated product.
• One such product is a the common "long" bread roll which may, if desired, be laterally or longitudinally sliced and flavoured by inserting between the slices a flavouring medium e.g. garlic, cheese/bacon, herb or like flavoured butter and is then packaged.
• a flavouring medium e.g. garlic, cheese/bacon, herb or like flavoured butter
• the flavouring medium is liquified to the extent that it soaks into the bread and so provides simply and efficiently hot flavoured slices of a- bread roll. Additionally,there is no loss of moisture from the bread product during the heating process ensuring the product has a "fresh" moist texture when presented to the user.
• the proposals of the invention therefore have advantages over known practices in which a sliced roll similarly provided with flavoured butter is heated in an oven. Under such conditions there is a loss of moisture from the bread product during the heating process resulting in the final product lacking the "fresh" moist texture which is desirable in a bread product.
• the invention can be broadly said to be for the packaging of an extended shelf-life heatable bread or like flour based product by means of a method comprising the steps of providing a heat sealable substantially air impermeable wrapper with a heat sealing temperature above a preparation temperature to which a bread product wrapped therein would be heated in a subsequent operation to make the bread product table presentable and packing the bread product in the wrapper in the presence of a substantially oxygen free non-toxic gas " and then heat sealing the wrapper to enclose the bread product in an enviroment comprised of the said gas.
• the bread product is one which is substantially fat and sugar free.
• the wrapper is preferably one comprising a number of layers.
• One suitable wrapper would have an outer layer of sheet polyester with at least one metallised surface with an inner layer of heat sealable cast polypropylene or like heat sealable plastics material overlying the metallised surface.
• the wrapper can be made from sheet polyester with a nylon barrier layer in place of the metallised surface and an inner layer of heat sealable cast polypropylene.
• the latter wrapping material would be satisfactory for use in a microwave oven whereas the former would not.
• Such laminates would have a heat sealing temperature in the order of 180 degrees C which is well above the required reheat temperature for causing a spread on the cut surfaces of a pre-prepared bread product to soak into the bread or for otherwise preparing the bread for eating in a heated form. It is envisaged that the heating process would be at a temperature in the order of 150-160 degrees C and would take place at this temperature for a period of 15 to 20 minutes.
• the bread or bread like product may have many forms.
• the bread would be in the nature of a long bread roll.
• the roll may be transversely or longitudinally cut to provide slices, possibly not completely separated each from its neighbours. Between slices there could be placed, for example by hand, a pat of butter or other meltable substance which may be flavoured.
• a liquid or semi-liquid -flavoured substance could be deposited between slices as for example by a mechanical means, e.g. through a nozzle connected to a pump or a spray device.
• the substance placed between the slices would be comparatively stable at room temperatures but would become sufficiently fluid at the temperatures proposed for heating,in order to render it table presentable as a heated product, to cause the substance to soak into the bread to flavour the bread slices.
• other fillings e.g. meats, have been found to have extended usable non-refrigerated shelf-life when packaged with bread products as proposed.
• the preferred gas for the packaging operation is carbon dioxide but other non-toxic oxygen free gases could be used.
• shelf-life is intended to mean the period during which the bread product will remain fresh enough to be eaten without reheating or other freshening process.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Bakery Products And Manufacturing Methods Therefor (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=3771183

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (11)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 1986
  • 1986-07-08 WO PCT/AU1986/000191 patent/WO1987000506A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1986-07-08 JP JP50388986A patent/JPS63500584A/ja active Pending
  • 1986-07-08 EP EP19860904046 patent/EP0231210A4/fr not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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