EP0337844B1 - Process to prepare and package foodstuffs and package for such products - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a process for the preparation and packaging of food products and / or preparations, aiming in particular to bring together the different ingredients of a cooked dish in the same packaging offering guarantees of prolonged storage, at room temperature.

The invention also relates to a packaging of such food products or preparations, ensuring such preservation.

Currently, there are essentially two ways of preserving food:
Preserves have been known for a long time, in metal cans, and in glass jars. These conventional packaging are appreciated for their safety, their long shelf life (of the order of three years and more) without particular precautions and their relatively low cost price. However, the organoleptic qualities of the products are often reduced by the sterilization conditions. On the other hand, this method of packaging is very popular with all distribution professionals, for the logistical facilities it provides, the boxes being able to be placed on the shelves at room temperature without any particular precautions.

On the other hand, frozen products and dishes have taken off in recent years, both for the preservation of wholesale food products (vegetables, meat, ...) and for the preparation and packaging of real ready meals . The latter type of product is increasingly in demand because, thanks to freezing, manufacturers are able to offer a very wide variety of "recipes" which would sometimes be difficult and time-consuming to prepare. Another advantage of this method of preservation lies in the good preservation of the organoleptic qualities of the various constituents. However, the constraints and storage costs are high (bulky freezers, consumption of electrical energy) which leads to expensive products. In addition, the shelf life is shorter, of the order of only one year. In addition, the risks linked to a possible break in the cold chain can never be completely eliminated.

The invention makes it possible to combine the advantages of the two modes of preservation analyzed above, without suffering from their disadvantages.

Document FR-1,111,754 describes a rigid package containing any number of components packaged separately in flexible envelopes.

One of the aims of the invention is to allow the preparation and packaging of products and / or food preparations making it possible to prepare complete cooked dishes having high organoleptic and gastronomic qualities.

Another object of the invention is to allow the storage of such packages at room temperature.

Another object of the invention is to propose a method of packaging whose cost price is comparable to that of frozen products, for negligible storage costs.

Another object of the invention is to propose a method of packaging with a long shelf life.

In this spirit, the invention relates to a process for the preparation and packaging of products and / or food preparations consisting in packaging such different products in relatively impermeable flexible envelopes, and in enclosing several flexible envelopes with different contents in a rigid overwrap. , characterized in that it consists in cooking and / or sterilizing, under possibly specific conditions, at least some of said food products in their flexible envelopes and in closing said overpack containing said flexible envelopes of so that it is hermetically sealed and internally free of substantially all traces of oxygen.

Oxygen can be eliminated in said overpack by creating a vacuum therein upon closing and / or by introducing a neutral gas therein. Said overpack is preferably essentially metallic.

The invention also relates to a packaging for food products and / or preparations comprising several relatively waterproof flexible envelopes containing different products and a rigid overpack containing such flexible envelopes, characterized in that at least some flexible envelopes contain precooked food products and / or sterilized in situ and in that said overpack is hermetically sealed and internally free from substantially any trace of oxygen.

Thus, one of the main advantages of the process which has just been defined, resides in the fact that the sterilization of different constituents can now be carried out separately, therefore under optimal time and temperature conditions for each product or food preparation. . This allows food to retain all of its organoleptic qualities. In particular, overcooking of certain foods is avoided.

In addition, it is now possible to properly sterilize certain "fragile" food products such as delicate meat, for example fish. There is no longer any risk of these products "disintegrating" during the sterilization treatment because the vacuum packaging gives them additional cohesion or rigidity. This mechanical retention obtained by the combination of the flexible envelope and the vacuum, allows the initial appearance of the product to be preserved.

Furthermore, since the presence of the overpack is used to eliminate the risks of oxidation of the products (that is to say when said overpack is itself under vacuum or filled with a neutral gas) the envelopes flexible above can be made of a very common material and a low cost, for example from a film of ordinary plastic, monolayer, polypropylene. Indeed, this flexible envelope must simply withstand the cooking-sterilization treatment (that is to say essentially withstand a temperature of the order of 125 ° C) and have sufficient impermeability to preserve the food from contamination. later. The fact that the envelope is transparent also allows immediate identification of the various constituents, without the need for labeling. However, composite films can be used, in particular with several layers of materials, for example including a metallic layer (aluminum) forming an additional barrier to oxygen.

Finally, it should be noted that the overpack, if it is metallic (which will be the preferred solution in the vast majority of cases) can be of a simple design and a lower degree of finish than the metallic packaging with which food products are in direct contact. This is how the interior varnish will generally no longer be necessary and even tinning in some cases. Consequently, the combination of flexible envelopes and overpack, simpler and less costly considered separately (monolayer envelope of common plastic material on the one hand and metal packaging without special treatment on the other hand) makes it possible to limit the costs of packaging and make the final product very competitive compared to a frozen product. As mentioned previously, substantial savings are made on storage costs since this storage can be carried out at room temperature and without any special precautions, exactly as if it were traditional cans.

In terms of safety, the major problem of frozen products (risk of accidental temporary thawing) does not even arise. Furthermore, any depreciation of the products contained in one of the flexible envelopes does not automatically lead to contamination of the others.

• Les légumes sont d'abord "blanchis" ce qui signifie qu'on les plonge quelques minutes dans l'eau bouillante.
• Des rations de tels légumes sont ensuite introduites dans des enveloppes souples en polypropylène, transparentes, formant sachets.
• On procède alors à la mise sous vide et à la fermeture de ces sachets, par thermoscellage.
• On procède ensuite à la stérilisation des sachets à 120°C pendant environ 15mn.
• Les sachets font ensuite l'objet d'un refroidissement contrôlé.

We will now describe, by way of example, different steps of a process according to the invention. It is assumed, for the example, that the metal overwrap must finally contain flexible envelopes containing respectively meat, vegetables and a sauce. The preparation of the vegetables will preferably include the following operations:

• The vegetables are first "blanched" which means that they are immersed for a few minutes in boiling water.
• Rations of such vegetables are then introduced into flexible polypropylene envelopes, transparent, forming sachets.
• These bags are then placed under vacuum and closed by heat sealing.
• The bags are then sterilized at 120 ° C for about 15 minutes.
• The bags are then subject to controlled cooling.

It is understood that the invention makes it possible, among other things, to optimize the sterilization and cooling operations, as a function of the product which is in the sachets.

At the same time, similar operations, but according to different prescriptions adapted to other food products, are carried out so as to prepare other sachets containing, under vacuum, the meat on the one hand and the sauce on the other hand, or more generally all the ingredients necessary to constitute a given cooked dish.

Different bags are then sent to an overwrapping station where bodies of metal boxes circulate. These are filled with a predetermined number of different sachets, then are closed in a sealed manner (for example by means of conventional crimping) under vacuum or under neutral atmosphere, with nitrogen and / or carbon dioxide.

The various operating phases which have just been described are individually known to those skilled in the art, this is why they have not been described in more detail, any more than the automatic installations capable of carrying them out. It should also be noted that the placing in plastic bags under vacuum lends itself well to a variant of sterilization by microwave. We can thus reach the required core temperature very quickly. The sterilization time is therefore reduced to a few minutes, without peripheral overcooking of the food.

• la figure 1 représente schématiquement un emballage de produits et/ou préparations alimentaires dont la réunion permet de reconstituer un plat cuisiné donné, en un minimum de temps de préparation;
• la figure 2 représente une variante possible de cet emballage;
• la figure 3 représente une vue de détail à plus grande échelle d'une autre variante possible; et
• la figure 4 est une autre vue de détail d'une variante possible.

We will now describe some examples of packaging of products and / or food preparations obtained in accordance with the invention. In the drawings:

• FIG. 1 schematically represents a package of products and / or food preparations, the combination of which makes it possible to reconstitute a given cooked dish, in a minimum of preparation time;
• Figure 2 shows a possible variant of this packaging;
• Figure 3 shows a detail view on a larger scale of another possible variant; and
• Figure 4 is another detail view of a possible variant.

The packaging of FIG. 1 comprises several flexible envelopes 12, 13, 14 forming transparent plastic bags and a single rigid over-packaging 16, hermetically closed, containing said flexible envelopes. The latter were sealed under vacuum and underwent a sterilization treatment as indicated above. In this example, the envelope 12 may, for example, contain meat or fish, the envelope 13 of the vegetables and the envelope 14 a sauce, all of these ingredients being assorted to make it possible to constitute a given cooked dish. The flexible envelopes 12, 13 and 14 are relatively impermeable in the sense that they at least allow food to be kept in their sterilized state, avoiding recontamination. On the other hand, the plastic material used (typically a polypropylene film) does not necessarily constitute an absolute barrier with respect to oxygen. This is why, the internal space 17 of the overpack was also placed under vacuum when the cover 19 was crimped or else filled with a neutral gas.

In the example of FIG. 1, the overpack is a can of conventional type in the canning industry, that is to say with a cylindrical and tubular can body, a bottom and a cover, the latter being attached by crimping, hermetically closing the box. As mentioned above, it is only necessary that the closure of the box is gas tight to properly conserve the vacuum or the neutral gas. It is not essential that the overpack is tinned, even less that it is internally varnished or covered with any coating.

In the example of FIG. 2, the presentation is different from the fact that the flexible envelopes 12, 13, 14 are, this time, placed in an overpack in the form of a "tray" 16 a , closed by a cover 19 a . Said tray 16 is a rigid metal. The cover 19 a can also be a sheet cover crimped at the edge of the opening of the tray. It may also be, as shown, a relatively flexible said cover "peelable" reported by heat sealing or any other known sealing means, on a flat rim 21 of said tray, extending along its opening. This embodiment allows the overpack to be opened without the aid of any tool. The flexible cover will take a slightly concave shape under the effect of the vacuum, which will allow to verify in another way the conformity of the product, when purchased.

Of course, the overpack can also be filled with a neutral gas preserving from any long-term oxidation.

In the example of Figure 3, the tray 16b is substantially the same as in Figure 2, but the cover 19b is made of rigid metal and it is provided with a seal 22 which rests on the rim flat 21. In this case, the maintenance of the cover is essentially ensured by the presence of the depression in the overpack, maintaining said cover in application by its seal, against said flange. Again, there is a convenient way to verify, at the time of purchase, that the vacuum has not been broken during the storage period. The opening can be done easily by piercing the cover. One can also provide a means for "breaking" the vacuum, such as for example an adhesive or heat-sealed tab 22, covering a hole 23 of the overpack, this arrangement being for example provided on the cover itself.

In the example of FIG. 4, the cover 19 c , made of sheet metal, is attached to the box body 16 c by a simple "roll" 25 of the edges to be assembled, which avoids a complete crimping as in the embodiment. of Figure 1. In this case, the cover (or the edge of the box body) advantageously comprises a seal 26 of elastomeric material, bonded in the vicinity of the edge of said cover.

Claims (13)

1. A process for the preparation and packaging of food products and/or preparations, consisting in packaging different products of the kind specified in relatively impermeable flexible envelopes (12, 13, 14) and in enclosing a number of flexible envelopes with different contents in a rigid exterior packaging (16), characterized in that it consists in the cooking and/or sterilizing, in possibly specific conditions, of at least certain of said food products in their flexible envelopes, and in so reclosing said exterior packaging containing said envelopes that it is hermetically sealed and internally free from substantially any trace of oxygen.
2. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that said flexible envelopes are enclosed in a substantially metallic exterior packaging.
3. A process according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a negative pressure is set up in said exterior packaging.
4. A process according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said flexible envelopes are placed in a neutral gas atmosphere in said exterior packaging.
5. A process according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least certain food products or preparations are sterilized in their flexible envelopes by microwave treatment.
6. A packaging for food products and/or preparations comprising a number of relatively impermeable flexible envelopes (12, 13, 14) containing different products and a rigid exterior packaging enclosing said flexible envelopes, characterized in that at least certain flexible envelopes contain food products precooked and/or sterilized in situ, and said exterior packaging (16) is hermetically sealed and internally free from substantially any trace of oxygen.
7. A packaging according to claim 6, characterized in that said exterior packaging is substantially empty of air.
8. A packaging according to claim 6, characterized in that said exterior packaging is filled with a neutral gas.
9. A packaging according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that said exterior packaging (16) is substantially metallic.
10. A packaging according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that said exterior packaging has a flexible cover attached, for example, heat sealed to the periphery of its opening.
11. A packaging according to one of claims 6, 7 or 9, characterized in that said exterior packaging has a rigid, for example, metallic cover, a sealing joint extends along the periphery of the cover, and said cover is substantially retained by the presence of a negative pressure in said exterior packaging.
12. A packaging according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a means for breaking said negative pressure, for example, an adhesive or heat sealed tab covering a hole in said exterior packaging.
13. A packaging according to one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that said flexible envelopes (12, 13, 14) are made from a transparent plastics withstanding at least one hot sterilization treatment.

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