EP1362789B1 - Method for packaging marine bivalves as well as the resulting set of packaged bivalves - Google Patents

Abstract

The procedure consists of covering the mollusks (1) with a layer of a semi-rigid thermo-shrink plastic film (2) at least 50 microns thick on both sides, and sealing the film in zones (4) between adjacent mollusks and heating to a temperature of 60-90 degrees C for 3-10 s, and preferably 80 degrees C for 8 s. The plastic film can be in the form of two sheets or a single folded sheet, welded in lines between mollusks, or a tube welded transversely between them.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for packaging bivalves aquatic organisms for their conservation in the living state.

Conservation of aquatic bivalves, especially marine bivalves or hulls, poses significant food safety problems.

To allow a prolonged conservation over time, many proposals have been made. The problem to solve is to maintain the bivalve closed, in particular to prohibit the loss of the water it contains.

It has thus been proposed (EP-A-0 494 721) to surround the bivalve by a strip under tension that opposes the opening. This process is difficult to implement and expensive, especially because of the different shapes and sizes of bivalves to be conditioned.

It has also been proposed (FR-A-2 708 418) to enclose molds, arranged in a layer, in a vacuum or retractable envelope. The packaging under emptiness is detrimental to the lifespan of bivalves. Conditioning in one layer, including shrink film, requires expensive labor for the preparation and disposal of the mussels and the shelf life remains insufficient because of the insufficiency of the closing pressure thus exerted.

Similar proposals have been made for oysters (see FR-A-2 779 411).

The present applicants have proposed, in FR-A-2 796 812, to apply by heat shrink an envelope on each bivalve.

Although leading to interesting results in terms of lifetime, this The process requires various improvements to optimize packaging.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a method for packaging bivalves aquatic species, in particular marine ones such as oysters or cockles, apply by heat shrink, an envelope on each bivalve, characterized in what surrounds the bivalves by a heat-shrinkable semi-flexible film, a thickness greater than or equal to 50 microns, the film is sealed in of adjacency of two bivalves and apply heating at a temperature between 60 and 90 ° C for a period of 3 to 10 seconds.

The tests that have been undertaken have shown that bivalves thus conditioned in an individual heat-shrunk envelope can be consumed without danger after a long period of conservation and / or transport that may up to 20 days in most cases.

Preferably, the heat-shrinkable film is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Advantageously, the heating temperature is of the order of 80.degree. a duration of about 8 seconds.

According to one form of implementation of the invention, the film is heat shrink in two sheets on both sides of a bivalve layer, one squeeze the two leaves together along the lines separating two bivalves adjacent and along the free edges of the leaves and the film is heated to heat shrink temperature. The leaves can be formed by folding of a flan.

According to one variant, the bivalves are placed in a tube shaped in the film heat shrink, the tube is welded between two adjacent bivalves and heated film at heat shrink temperature. The tube can be constituted by a blank folded welded along a lap edge.

Advantageously, at least some of the sealing zones of the film are arranged to constitute rupture primers.

The method according to the invention allows automated implementation which decreases considerably the cost price of the packaging and guarantees its quality homogeneous.

la figure 1 est une vue schématique en plan de bivalves conditionnés selon l'invention et

la figure 2 est une vue schématique en coupe selon la ligne II-II de la figure 1.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of packaged bivalves according to the invention and

Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view along the line II-II of Figure 1.

The bivalves 1, in particular oysters, are arranged, in the example represented in two columns A, B of six bivalves on a semi-flexible film 2 heat shrinkable width substantially equal to twice the width of both columns A, B. The film 2 is then folded in two, along a fold 3, of such way that the portion 2 'of the film 2 which did not support the bivalves 1 comes cover them on top.

The two portions of the folded film 2 are sealed one against the other along all the lines 4 of adjacency of the bivalves 1, including along the free edges superimposed folded film 2.

The assembly is then subjected to heating at a temperature between 60 and 90 ° C for a period of 3 to 10 seconds. This heater produces a heat shrink film 2 which thus compress the bivalves 1 from anywhere in thus preventing their opening and the loss of water.

In the example shown, the sealing lines 4 are arranged to form breaking primers, which has been figured by a double line. It is thus easy to release the bivalves 1 from their packaging.

In this example, moreover, in a manner known per se, a opening 5 gripping or attachment of the formed assembly, this opening 5 which can be formed by punching the film 2.

The film 2 is preferably of food grade polyvinyl chloride (PVC), with a thickness greater than or equal to 50 microns.

The heating temperature is preferably of the order of 80 ° C. and the duration of heating approximately 8 seconds.

Instead of using a folded film 2, as in the example just described, can also use two independent sheets of heat-shrinkable film 2 between which the bivalves 1 are sandwiched. We can also use a preformed tube made of heat-shrinkable material, to arrange the bivalves side of the others in the tube and solder this tube between the bivalves and to both ends before applying heat shrinkage heating. This tube can be consisting of a flat blank wound or folded and welded along a line of overlay.

The choice of shape (folded sheet, overlapping sheets, tube, rolled blank or folded) will of course depend on the mode of implementation chosen for a maximum optimization of the packaging process. It should be noted that some of operations, for example welding and heating, can be performed simultaneously to increase the rate of implementation automated. The deposit of bivalves can also be easily automated.

Of course, the present invention also relates to packaged bivalves according to the method described.

Claims (9)

1. Conditioning process of aquatic bivalves (1), in particular marine such as oysters or cockles, consisting in applying an envelop over each bivalve via heat shrinking, characterised in that the bivalves (1) are wrapped in a semi-flexible, heat-shrinkable film (2) with a thickness greater than or equal to 50 microns, that the film (2) is sealed in the adjacent zones (4) of two bivalves (1) and that heat is applied at a temperature of between 60 and 90°C for 3 to 10 seconds.
2. Method set forth in claim 1, characterised in that the heat-shrinkable film (2) is made in polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
3. Method set forth in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the temperature of the heating is about 80°C for a duration of about 8 seconds.
4. Method set forth in one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that two sheets of heat-shrinkable film (2) are placed on either side of a layer of bivalves (1), that the two sheets are welded together along the lines (4) separating two adjacent bivalves (1) and along the open ends of the sheets and that the film (2) is heated to the heat-shrinking temperature.
5. Method set forth in claim 4, characterised in that the two sheets are formed by folding a side.
6. Method set forth in one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the bivalves (1) are placed in a tube made out of the heat-shrinkable film (2), that the tube is welded between two adjacent bivalves (1) and that the film (2) is heated to the heat-shrinking temperature.
7. Method set forth in claim 6, characterised in that the tube is constituted of a folded side welded along an overlap edge.
8. Method set forth in one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that at least some of the sealing zones (4) of the film (2) are arranged to constitute breakage initiators.
9. Set of packaged aquatic bivalves, characterised in that it is obtained via the method set forth in one of claims 1 to 8.

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