EP0721887A1 - Verpacken von Nahrungsmitteln - Google Patents

Verpacken von Nahrungsmitteln Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0721887A1
EP0721887A1 EP96300228A EP96300228A EP0721887A1 EP 0721887 A1 EP0721887 A1 EP 0721887A1 EP 96300228 A EP96300228 A EP 96300228A EP 96300228 A EP96300228 A EP 96300228A EP 0721887 A1 EP0721887 A1 EP 0721887A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
envelope
food product
pack
film
oxygen
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP96300228A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Alastair R. Wiles
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
WR Grace and Co Conn
Original Assignee
WR Grace Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by WR Grace Ltd filed Critical WR Grace Ltd
Publication of EP0721887A1 publication Critical patent/EP0721887A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • B65B53/00—Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging
    • B65B53/02—Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging by heat
    • 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
    • B65B25/06—Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
    • B65B25/065—Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products of meat
    • B65B25/067—Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products of meat combined with its conservation
    • 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
    • B65B31/00—Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers
    • B65B31/04—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied
    • 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
    • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
    • B65B9/06—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in a longitudinally-folded web, or in a web folded into a tube about the articles or quantities of material placed upon it
    • B65B9/067—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in a longitudinally-folded web, or in a web folded into a tube about the articles or quantities of material placed upon it the web advancing continuously
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D81/24—Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a food package, in particular to a pack which is known to allow a food product to be displayed with minimum change in appearance and with resistance to bacterial activity during an extended shelf life in a display cabinet.
  • a product to be packed in this way is a cut of fresh red meat.
  • the invention also relates to a method of forming a food package.
  • fresh red meat has been stored by placing it in a gas permeable inner pack which is then stored within an outer envelope which is filled with a modified gas atmosphere, (i.e. gas-flushed to remove air and to introduce the modified atmosphere of, for example, O 2 , N 2 or CO 2 ).
  • the outer envelope is of a high gas barrier material so that one or more of the inner permeable packs may be stored in the high barrier outer envelope until display is required, and at that stage the outer envelope is opened and the or each pack within it is then placed in the display cabinet exposed to the atmosphere. Thereafter the permeability of the pack allows the atmosphere within the pack to exchange with the environment at a controlled rate during the shelf life of the product.
  • Fresh red meat is known to retain its red colour for over a week when stored in a cool cabinet at temperatures of from 2°C to 6°C.
  • US-A-5226531 (Garwood) in which the modified atmosphere within the pack is disclosed as being of O 2 , N 2 or CO 2 , or mixtures thereof.
  • An alternative system for packaging of red meat using this twin pack concept is one in which cuts of meat, each overwrapped in a respective sheet of PVC film whose overlapping portions are caused to adhere to one another by the application of low temperature heat on a sealing plate (and which is therefore essentially an air-permeable film pack), are placed in a single outer container in the form of a bag of high gas barrier material filled with modified gas atmosphere which may include O 2 , N 2 or CO 2 , or any mixture thereof.
  • one aspect of the present invention provides a method of packaging food products comprising enveloping the food product in a film which is not a gas-barrier and flushing air from between the food product and the film and replacing it with a modified atmosphere of oxygen-rich O 2 /CO 2 mixture.
  • the pack is formed by introducing the food product into a tube of the film material and heat-sealing the ends of a cut section of tube enclosing the food product. More preferably the food product is placed on a tray when introduced into the tube of film.
  • the gas flushing operation may be carried out by a gas flushing lance extending into one end of the tube after the other end has already been sealed, to flush the air from within the openended tube and to introduce the modified atmosphere after which the second end of the film tube is sealed.
  • one or several such packs may be stored within a gas barrier outer container filled with modified atmosphere, it is particularly preferred for the gas permeable film of said pack to be in direct contact with atmospheric air without the need for such an outer barrier film.
  • a second aspect of the present invention provides a food pack comprising a food product enclosed within a sealed envelope of gas-permeable film, the space around the food product and within the envelope having been gas flushed to remove atmospheric air and to introduce a modified atmosphere of an oxygen-rich mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
  • Figure 1 shows the pack 1 as comprising a tray 3, (which may be of solid or foamed plastic, such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride or polystyrene), supporting a product 5 in the form of a cut of red meat, for example pork having generally pink colour.
  • a film envelope 7 in the form of a tube having its lefthand end sealed at 9 and its righthand end sealed at 11.
  • the space 13 within the film tube 7 and around the pork joint 5 is occupied by a modified atmosphere of an oxygen-rich mixture of oxygen (O 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).
  • O 2 oxygen-rich mixture of oxygen
  • CO 2 carbon dioxide
  • the proportions are 75% by volume O 2 and 25% by volume of CO 2 .
  • the oxygen content may be at least 60%, and it is conceivable for it to be higher than 75%, for example 80% is one preferred choice.
  • the creation of a modified atmosphere conditions within the space 13 is preferably achieved by first hermetically sealing one end, of the film tube 7, say at seal 9, while leaving the other end (say seal 11) open and introducing a hollow gas flushing lance into the pack through the open end.
  • the modified atmosphere gas is then discharged from the lance into the interior of the film tube 7 at a location well along the pack towards the end seal 9, and the rate of introduction of gas is such that all of the initially present air is expelled and the space is entirely occupied by the modified atmosphere.
  • the hermetic seal 11 is made so as to form the closed pack shown in Figure 1.
  • the pack shown in Figure 1 is subjected to the shrink-tidying operation, preferably by placing it in a shrink tunnel in which hot air is blown over the surface of the film.
  • the heat exchange medium for the shrink operation may instead be steam, or equally the shrink-tidying operation may be effected by dipping the pack of Figure 1 into a bath of hot water.
  • the pack of Figure 2 is placed into an outer oxygen-impermeable or barrier envelope such as a bag of barrier film, for example that marketed by W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn under the Registered Trade Mark Cryovac Barrier Bag.
  • an outer oxygen-impermeable or barrier envelope such as a bag of barrier film, for example that marketed by W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn under the Registered Trade Mark Cryovac Barrier Bag.
  • the interior of the bag is subjected to a gas-flushing operation similar to that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, and the bag is sealed.
  • a gas-flushing operation similar to that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2
  • Figure 3 shows an apparatus 20 as comprising an infeed belt conveyor 26 and an outfeed belt conveyor 28 to define a path for the trays 3 and products 5.
  • the packaging film 7 from supply roll 27 passes over a deflector roll 30, and then descends over a forming shoe 32 where the flat film 7 is converted into a tube whose seam is underneath and is sealed by heated film sealing nip rolls 34 rotating about vertical axes and pinching between them the edges of the film web 7 to seal them together by virtue of the action of heat applied conductively by means of the rolls 34.
  • the rolls 34 are positioned to either side of a longitudinal slit in a product support plate 29 along which the trays 3 in the tube of film slide.
  • the thus formed tube then passes leftwardly to a sealing station 36 where a reciprocating upper sealing bar moves between a lowered or advanced sealing position 38a and a raised or retracted position 38b and a vertically reciprocating lower sealing bar moves between an upper or advanced position 40a and a lower or retracted position 40b.
  • the vertical movements of the upper and lower sealing bars are represented by the arrows 42 and 44, respectively, and the retracted positions are in each case shown in dotted line form.
  • Flushing gas is introduced continuously into the tube of film material 7 by way of an infeed pipe 46 and passes into a flushing lance 48 which passes through the film forming shoe 32 and terminates well to the lefthand side of the film-forming shoe 32 so as to ensure that the modified atmosphere gas is released close to the location of the sealing station 36 and hence achieves the expulsion of substantially all of the residual air within the tube and around the individual tray/product combinations 3-5 passing along the support plate 29.
  • a continuous supply of tray/product combinations 3-5 enters the infeed conveyor 26 and passes leftwardly through the forming shoe 32 around which the film web is passing so as to form the tube (by means of the sealing rolls 34) from which any residual gas is flushed by the flushing lance 48.
  • the movement of the film tube at the point of sealing at the sealing station 36 is permitted by virtue of the fact that the outfeed conveyor belt is mounted on stationary axis rollers 50, 52 and 54 and on horizontally moving rollers 56, 58, 60 and 62 whose movement is represented by the arrows 64.
  • the upper and lower sealing bars also move horizontally in synchronism with the rollers 56, 58, 60 and 62.
  • the leftmost position of the rollers 58 and 60 is shown at 58a and 60a in Figure 3.
  • the sealing station 36 thus operates in a manner which allows the film tube to be in continuous leftward movement (by virtue of simultaneous circulation of the upper and lower sealing bars around respective rectangular paths to accommodate the leftward movement at the point of sealing when they are in their advanced positions 38a and 40a respectively and rightward movement when in their retracted positions 38b and 40b respectively).
  • the pack of Figures 1 and 2 gave a shelf life of a sirloin steak in the pack of the order of 9 days, measured in terms of retention of meat colour. It was also found that well into the shelf life the total viable count (TVC) of bacteria is lower with the pack of Figures 1 and 2 than with the non-flushed overwrapped PVC pack.
  • TVC total viable count
  • the PVC overwrapped packs were kept in cold store conditions in their outer bag for 2 to 4 days and then removed, some on the second day, some on the third day, and some of the fourth day, and placed on display in a refrigerated cabinet at between 2 and 3°C.
  • the meat was sirloin steak having a thickness of 15 to 20 millimetres as steaks cut from several strip sirloins which had then matured for six days in vacuum bags available from the Cryovac Division of Grace.
  • the gas mixture in the individual packs was 80% O 2 and 20% CO 2 , by volume, and where (in the case of the PVC overwrapped comparison bags) an outer bag was used, the gas atmosphere in that bag was 65% O 2 and 20% CO 2 by volume.
  • the trays used for the packs of both types were type 2M foamed polystyrene trays available from Linpac Ltd, and having a depth of 16 millimetres at the rim.
  • the PVC film used for the comparison test was a 15 ⁇ m thick single layer of film whereas the film for the packs of Figures 1 and 2 were of a 15 to 19 ⁇ m thick 3 ply film whose facing layers (both inside and outside the pack) were of a blend of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), linear medium density polyethylene and linear low density polyethylene, and the intervening layer was of linear low density polyethylene with antifogging agents present.
  • EVA ethylene vinyl acetate
  • linear medium density polyethylene linear medium density polyethylene
  • linear low density polyethylene linear low density polyethylene
  • the film used for the packs of Figures 1 and 2 was capable of withstanding the levels of heat and pressure of the sealing bars required to seal the ends of the tube so as to obtain gas-tight seals by the HFFS (horizontal-foam-fill-seal) process illustrated in Figure 3.
  • HFFS horizontal-foam-fill-seal
  • One possible explanation for the improved shelf life of the packs of Figures 1 and 2 may be that the seal is more gas tight and consequently the overall gas permeability of the pack is less than in the case of the PVC overwrapped packs. As a result the CO 2 in the modified atmosphere stays in contact with the meat for longer in the early stages of the storing and consequently the bacteriostatic effects are better.
  • the films themselves may have different gas permeabilities in that the film used for the packs of Figures 1 and 2 has an oxygen permeability of up to 15000 cc O 2 /m 2 /bar/24hr at 23°C and 0% relative humidity (RH), preferably between 6000 and 12000 cc O 2 /m 2 /bar/24hr at 23°C and 0% RH whereas the PVC film has a permeability of from 14000 to 15000 cc O 2 /m 2 /bar/24hr at 23°C and 0% RH.
  • RH relative humidity
  • the sealing temperature of the sealing bars used on the packs of Figures 1 and 2 is of the order of 200°C whereas the temperature of the hot plate against which the overwrapped PVC film is placed for adhesion purposes is of the order of 70°C.
  • the modified atmosphere used may be O 2 , N 2 , CO 2 or any acceptable mixture thereof
  • the choice of the modified atmosphere depends upon the nature of the meat. For cooked poultry it is desirable to avoid the presence of O 2 but to use a mixture of N 2 and CO 2 , whereas for red meat the presence of O 2 helps to maintain the colour and the presence of CO 2 lowers bacterial activity.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
EP96300228A 1995-01-12 1996-01-11 Verpacken von Nahrungsmitteln Withdrawn EP0721887A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9500566A GB2296905A (en) 1995-01-12 1995-01-12 Package with modified atmosphere
GB9500566 1995-01-12

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0721887A1 true EP0721887A1 (de) 1996-07-17

Family

ID=10767920

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96300228A Withdrawn EP0721887A1 (de) 1995-01-12 1996-01-11 Verpacken von Nahrungsmitteln

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0721887A1 (de)
JP (1) JPH08244723A (de)
AU (1) AU4096296A (de)
CA (1) CA2167036A1 (de)
GB (1) GB2296905A (de)
NZ (1) NZ280820A (de)
ZA (1) ZA96180B (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL1019367C2 (nl) * 2001-11-14 2003-01-17 Langeveld & Sleegers B V Fa Verpakkingssamenstel alsmede werkwijze en inrichting voor het vervaardigen van een dergelijk verpakkingssamenstel.
WO2006003634A1 (en) 2004-06-30 2006-01-12 Micromec S.R.L. Film packaging apparatus and method
FR2929595A1 (fr) * 2008-04-04 2009-10-09 Doux Frais Soc Par Actions Sim Procede d'emballage de volailles
WO2019122756A1 (fr) * 2017-12-22 2019-06-27 C.E.R.M.E.X. Constructions Etudes Et Recherches De Materiels Pour L'emballage D'expedition Dispositif et methode de soudure pour souder des films thermoretractables enrobant des lots d'objets dans une installation de fardelage

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH11255270A (ja) * 1998-03-10 1999-09-21 Okura Ind Co Ltd 生肉のガス充填密封ストレッチシュリンク包装方法
US7776416B2 (en) * 2001-08-20 2010-08-17 Cryovac, Inc. Case-ready package having absorbent pad
US9955703B2 (en) 2013-11-25 2018-05-01 Jbs Usa, Llc Method and system for processing meat products in a modified atmosphere

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH472318A (de) * 1967-11-14 1969-05-15 Kalle Ag Verfahren zum Verpacken von frischem Fleisch
US3958390A (en) * 1975-01-02 1976-05-25 Hayssen Manufacturing Co. Packaging
FR2290153A1 (fr) * 1974-11-08 1976-06-04 Soplaril Sa Procede et emballage pour la conservation de viande fraiche sous atmosphere controlee
US4642239A (en) * 1984-01-09 1987-02-10 Transparent Paper Plc Packaging of fresh meat
WO1989003789A1 (en) * 1987-10-29 1989-05-05 Garwood Limited Improved packaging

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1199998A (en) * 1968-04-03 1970-07-22 Unilever Ltd Food Package
GB8606223D0 (en) * 1986-03-13 1986-04-16 Ives D C A Food packaging

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH472318A (de) * 1967-11-14 1969-05-15 Kalle Ag Verfahren zum Verpacken von frischem Fleisch
FR2290153A1 (fr) * 1974-11-08 1976-06-04 Soplaril Sa Procede et emballage pour la conservation de viande fraiche sous atmosphere controlee
US3958390A (en) * 1975-01-02 1976-05-25 Hayssen Manufacturing Co. Packaging
US4642239A (en) * 1984-01-09 1987-02-10 Transparent Paper Plc Packaging of fresh meat
WO1989003789A1 (en) * 1987-10-29 1989-05-05 Garwood Limited Improved packaging

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL1019367C2 (nl) * 2001-11-14 2003-01-17 Langeveld & Sleegers B V Fa Verpakkingssamenstel alsmede werkwijze en inrichting voor het vervaardigen van een dergelijk verpakkingssamenstel.
WO2003042044A1 (en) * 2001-11-14 2003-05-22 Fa. Langeveld & Sleegers B.V. Packaging assembly, method and device for producing such a packaging assembly
WO2006003634A1 (en) 2004-06-30 2006-01-12 Micromec S.R.L. Film packaging apparatus and method
FR2929595A1 (fr) * 2008-04-04 2009-10-09 Doux Frais Soc Par Actions Sim Procede d'emballage de volailles
WO2009136039A1 (fr) * 2008-04-04 2009-11-12 Doux Frais Procédé d'emballage de volailles
NL2002716C2 (nl) * 2008-04-04 2010-02-05 Doux Frais Verpakkingswerkwijze voor gevogelte.
GB2470541A (en) * 2008-04-04 2010-11-24 Doux Frais Method of packing poultry
ES2373342A1 (es) * 2008-04-04 2012-02-02 Doux Frais Procedimiento de envasado de aves de corral.
WO2019122756A1 (fr) * 2017-12-22 2019-06-27 C.E.R.M.E.X. Constructions Etudes Et Recherches De Materiels Pour L'emballage D'expedition Dispositif et methode de soudure pour souder des films thermoretractables enrobant des lots d'objets dans une installation de fardelage
FR3075763A1 (fr) * 2017-12-22 2019-06-28 C.E.R.M.E.X. Constructions Etudes Et Recherches De Materiels Pour L'emballage D'expedition Dispositif et methode de soudure pour souder des films thermoretractables enrobant des lots d'objets dans une installation de fardelage

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9500566D0 (en) 1995-03-01
CA2167036A1 (en) 1996-07-13
NZ280820A (en) 1998-04-27
GB2296905A (en) 1996-07-17
AU4096296A (en) 1996-07-18
JPH08244723A (ja) 1996-09-24
ZA96180B (en) 1996-08-22

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