EP0662066B1 - Food product support, of the cardboard boat-shaped type with sealed corners, for example - Google Patents

Abstract

A support for food products includes a cardboard support on which an impermeable layer of plastic material is applied. The layer of plastic material can be of the polyethylene type, for example. The impermeable layer has perforations that provides for the absorption of exudate and any other liquid from food product support. The support advantageously can form the bottom of a liquid-tight boat-shaped tray for packaging, storing and/or displaying of meat products, such as poultry of slices of beef, for example.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of packaging; it relates more particularly to a food product support, of the cardboard tray type with tight corners, for example, intended in particular for packaging meat product, for its packaging, storage or presentation for sale. This cardboard support is of the type provided with an impermeable contact layer, in the form of a film such as food polyethylene for example. The nature of this film ensures the waterproofing of the packaging; it advantageously strengthens the seal, especially at the corners, to prevent liquids or exudates from the packaged product from contaminating the periphery of the packaging and its direct external environment.

In return, this sealing reinforcement limits the dissipation of liquid exudates from the product. These biological liquids stagnate in the bottom of the tray and promote bacterial development. This particular aspect limits the shelf life of products and can have an influence on their taste qualities.

To overcome this drawback, it is common to position on the bottom an intermediate sheet, free, of absorbent material of the cellulose, sponge or loofah type, compatible and suitable for the packaged product. The absorbent material disposed between the support base and the product, receives the released exudates; it disperses and sponges them quickly to limit the risk of overflowing outside.

This technique is relatively effective but it requires a prior operation of positioning the absorbent sheet on the support, before packaging the product. This operation generates a significant material cost without resolving the bacteriological development problems linked to the permanent contact between the cellulose, the exudates and the product.

Document GB-A-1 168 925 describes a packaging tray, the bottom of which consists of a complex of three superimposed layers: an upper contact layer of impermeable polystyrene-like material provided with perforations and drainage channels, an intermediate layer absorbent blotting paper type, and a lower layer also made of polystyrene. The perforations in the upper contact layer allow the absorption of liquids or exudates by the absorbent intermediate layer. This support structure is relatively complicated to manufacture and its cost is relatively high.

The present invention provides a food product support, of very simple and inexpensive structure, which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks.

This particular support is prepared in the factory and can be used as it is, without any additional elements. Its upper surface, in contact with the packaged product, meets current hygiene standards; it is also suitable for ensuring the absorption of liquid exudates from the product in order to limit the propensity of bacteria to grow.

The food product support according to the invention is of the type consisting of a complex of several superimposed layers of materials, the upper contact layer being provided with perforations which allow the absorption of exudates and other liquids by a lower layer. This support is characterized by the fact that it consists of a complex of two superimposed layers of materials, the first layer being in the form of a cardboard tray and the second consisting of an impermeable contact layer; the two-layer complex has perforations which completely pass through the impermeable layer and which partially penetrate the thickness of the cardboard tray to allow absorption of exudates and the like by the cardboard tray itself. The released exudates can thus disperse by capillarity in its thickness.

The impermeable layer of plastic material ensures hygienic contact between the support and the packaged product; in addition, it prevents the sticking of cardboard fibers on the packaged product. In addition, the porosity qualities of the material which supports this contact layer are used to absorb the exudates or liquids which come from the packaged product.

The perforations can be carried out by a stamping, shearing or punching operation of the waterproof contact layer on the cardboard. The depth of these perforations is preferably substantially equal to half the thickness of the cardboard-waterproof layer complex.

The punches used are adapted, in their shape and their positioning, to produce perforations capable of obtaining the best compromise between a good absorption of the exudates of the product, the presence of a maximum surface of impermeable layer on which goes come and rest the conditioned product and maintain good rigidity of the support plate.

The perforations can be made on several lines, at the edges of the support plate.

According to a particular arrangement, the perforated support constitutes the bottom of a sealed tray. Thus, in addition to its hygienic qualities, the waterproof contact layer completes the seal at the corners of the packaging. This seal ensures the partitioning of liquids or exudates in the packaging, which exudates or liquids will then be gradually absorbed by the cardboard support, thanks to the presence of the perforations.

• la figure 1 est une vue de dessus d'un support selon l'invention, intégré dans un flan de carton destiné à la réalisation d'une barquette étanche ; les contours du flan sont représentés en traits mixtes fins ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective de la barquette mise en volume, sur le fond perforé de laquelle est positionné le produit à conditionner;
• la figure 3 est une vue agrandie, en coupe transversale, montrant le support perforé selon l'invention, constitué d'une feuille de carton recouverte d'une couche imperméable de contact en matériau plastique.

However, the invention will be further illustrated, without being in any way limited, by the following description of a particular embodiment, given by way of example and represented in the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a top view of a support according to the invention, integrated in a cardboard blank for the production of a sealed container; the contours of the blank are shown in thin dashed lines;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tray set in volume, on the perforated bottom of which is positioned the product to be packaged;
• Figure 3 is an enlarged view, in cross section, showing the perforated support according to the invention, consisting of a cardboard sheet covered with an impermeable contact layer of plastic material.

As can be seen in the figures, the food product support according to the invention consists of a cardboard tray 1 whose shape and dimensions are adapted to the product to be packaged. The cardboard used can have a thickness of the order of 0.5 to 2 mm for example.

The upper face of the plate 1, on which the conditioned product will come to rest, is covered with an impermeable layer 2 which provides a clean and hygienic contact surface whose characteristics meet the food standards in force.

The waterproof layer 2 is applied and / or secured to the cardboard tray 1 by any conventional means of the technical field. It can be carried out by extrusion of a contact film of material of the food polyethylene type; it can also be obtained by any other waterproofing treatment, of the type included in the mass, for example, with a view to blocking the fibers on the surface and preventing untimely tearing, in particular during the removal of the packaged product.

Figures 1 to 3 show that the waterproof layer 2 comprises a set of orifices, openings or perforations 3 whose shape and arrangement are adapted in particular to ensure optimal absorption of moisture or liquids by the tray 1 of cardboard.

These perforations 3 are preferably made after applying the impermeable layer 2 to the rigid support 1.
The perforation of the waterproof layer 2-tray 1 complex is carried out in the factory, during the manufacture of the food product support. This operation can for example be carried out at the end of the chain, by shearing, by means of one or more cylinders provided with suitable punches, or by stamping, by means of cutting threads.
As shown in FIG. 3, the depth x of the perforations 3 is between the thickness a of the impermeable layer 2 and the thickness b of the plate 1-layer 2 complex; this thickness x is preferably substantially equal to half the thickness b of said cardboard-waterproof layer complex to ensure penetration of liquids into the heart of the cardboard and allow maximum absorption of the liquids or exudates released.

The punches can consist of points, cylinders, sinusoidal threads or, as shown in the appended figures, blades which define elongated notches.

The perforations 3 are distributed over the surface of the food product support so as to ensure the absorption of exudates or liquids, in some place that they can be deposited, and also to maintain the correct strength and rigidity of the support plate 1.

By way of example, the perforations 3 can be arranged in lines, on the edges of the cardboard tray 1, at the peripheral limits of the packaged product.

According to a preferred arrangement, the cardboard tray 1 can constitute the bottom of a packaging in the form of a tray 4 for the packaging of a product 5 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. The tray 1 has, in this case, a shape generally rectangular, and it is bordered by four lateral sides 6, 7, 8 and 9, connected two by two by sealing bellows 10.

The perforations 3 produced in the bottom support of the packaging can be carried out before or after the cutting and grooving operations, but, as a general rule, before the tray is placed in volume.

Note, in Figure 1 which shows the cardboard blank, flat, that the elongated perforation lines 3 follow the four edges of the tray 1. The perforation operation can be obtained in a single pass on a single perforator device; it is also possible to provide a plurality of juxtaposed devices provided with suitable punch punches.

When the cardboard blank is set in volume, the tray 4 is directly usable for the packaging of any food product having a certain surface humidity or capable of releasing biological liquids or exudates.
The food product support according to the invention defines a flat reception surface for food quality; this surface is provided with a plurality of perforations 3 made in the impermeable layer 2, which will allow the absorption of liquids or moisture by the cardboard. The surface occupied by the perforations 3 is not very large and does not affect the hygiene of the support. The density of the perforations is chosen and adapted according to the product packaged to avoid prolonged contact between said product and the liquids it generates, while limiting the alteration of the immediate environment of the packaging.

Claims (9)

1. Food product support, particularly for packaging, storing, and/or sales display of said product, said product support comprising a complex of a plurality of superimposed layers of material, the upper contact layer (2) having a plurality of perforations for allowing exudates and other liquids to be absorbed by the lower layer, characterised in that it comprises a complex of two superimposed layers of material, the first layer being made up of a cardboard plate (1) and the second being a contact impermeable layer (2), said two-layer complex (1,2) comprising perforations (3) extending completely through the impermeable layer (2) and partially penetrating into the thickness of the cardboard plate (1), for allowing the exudates and other liquids to be absorbed by said cardboard plate (1).
2. Food product support according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises perforations (3) produced by punching, stamping or shearing, whose depth x is substantially equal to half the thickness b of the plate (1)-impermeable layer (2) complex.
3. Food product support according to any of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it comprises perforations (3) in the shape of elongated slots.
4. Food product support according to any of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it comprises cylindrical perforations (3).
5. Food product support according to any of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it comprises perforations (3) in the form of sinusoidal lines.
6. Food product support according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that it comprises perforations (3) produced over several lines, at the level of the edges of the plate (1).
7. Food product support according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it comprises an impermeable layer (2) coloured as a function of the packaged product.
8. Food product support according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that it forms a boat shaped packaging tray obtained from a cardboard blank comprising a bottom (1) surrounded by four lateral sides (6, 7, 8 and 9), the inner face of said cardboard blank being covered with an impermeable contact layer (2), and characterised in that it comprises perforations (3) extending through said impermeable layer (2) and partially penetrating into the bottom (1), for allowing the exudates and other liquids to be absorbed by said bottom (1).
9. Process for manufacturing a food product support according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that it consists of applying the impermeable contact layer (2) onto the cardboard plate (1), then producing a punching, stamping or shearing operation of the two-layer complex (1, 2), to obtain perforations (3) extending through the impermeable layer (2) and whose depth x is above the thickness a of the impermeable layer (2) and less than the thickness b of the plate (1) - impermeable layer (2) complex.

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