EP1847480A1 - Base and bell type packaging for cheese type product - Google Patents

Abstract

The article has a cheese (12) and a closed package comprising a rigid flat base (14) that supports the cheese and a cap (40) made of a flexible material. The cap has an opening (32) closed by a selective permeability membrane, and the package has a removable cover (16) forming closed volume containing the product. The cap is permeable to gas and water and partially covers a free surface of the cheese in an interval comprised between the cheese and an inner surface of the cover.

Description

The invention relates to the packaging of cheese-type products in closed packages.

It relates more particularly to soft cheeses and natural rind, flowery or not, such as camembert, brie, coulommiers, chaource, goat cheese, etc.

Traditionally, these products are presented in the form of whole cheeses entirely wrapped in a "dressing cheese" or "packaging complex", that is to say in a flexible sheet in contact with the cheese, all then being placed in a box of cardboard or wood such as a camembert box, giving the whole a traditional presentation, of artisanal appearance.

This classic packaging, which has changed little since its creation, however, is a source of consumption brakes.

• la difficulté à conserver les caractéristiques organoleptiques que le fromage avait au moment de l'achat,
• la difficulté pour choisir des produits à un stade d'affinage précis (le fromage est emballé donc n'est pas visible),
• des odeurs parfois gênantes,
• et une praticité à améliorer, compte tenu du double emballage (habillage souple plus boîte), des difficultés à refermer le tout et des risques de souillure une fois le fromage entamé.

Il a été proposé de supprimer la feuille d'habillage enveloppant le fromage, et de placer celui-ci nu dans un récipient fermé creux de type ramequin ou barquette, fermé en partie supérieure par une membrane "respirante", c'est-à-dire formée d'un film à perméabilité contrôlée apte à réguler les échanges gazeux, notamment en oxygène et en gaz carbonique, entre le volume interne de l'emballage et l'atmosphère extérieure ambiante.
De tels conditionnements sont par exemple décrits dans les documents EP-A-1 277 445 (BSA), EP-A-1 184 298 (Fromageries Bel) ou encore FR-A-2 866 638 (L'Étoile du Vercors).Consumers have several complaints about this type of packaging, including:

• the difficulty in keeping the organoleptic characteristics that the cheese had at the time of purchase,
• the difficulty of choosing products at a precise refining stage (the cheese is packaged and therefore not visible),
• odors sometimes embarrassing,
• and a practicality to improve, given the double packaging (soft packaging plus box), difficulties to close everything and risk of staining once the cheese started.

It has been proposed to remove the wrapping sheet wrapping the cheese, and to place it naked in a hollow closed container ramequin type or tray, closed at the top by a "breathable" membrane, that is to say say formed of a controlled permeability film capable of regulating gaseous exchange, especially oxygen and carbon dioxide, between the internal volume of the packaging and the ambient outside atmosphere.
Such packages are for example described in the documents EP-A-1,277,445 (BSA), EP-A-1,184,298 (Fromageries Bel) or even FR-A-2,866,638 (The Star of Vercors).

The advantage of these packages using a breathable membrane is to control the internal atmosphere of the packaging and thus allow the aerobic development of microorganisms: the cheese can then be conditioned earlier during its maturation process, allowing a further pursuit of ripening, during storage.

The regulation of gaseous exchanges also makes it possible to slow down the surface degradation, especially for cheeses with a rind which can thus maintain a good visual appearance during a long shelf life without any noticeable deterioration, thus giving the consumer a very positive image of the product.

The use of closed packaging also limits the diffusion of sometimes uncomfortable odors with cheeses (camembert, brie, ...) that "breathe" throughout their shelf life, releasing volatile molecules, among others, ammonia and sulfur molecules.

The tray is however a fairly ordinary type of packaging, little used for high-end products, unless presented in the form of a sandstone ramequin, expensive.

In a variant, it has been proposed to replace the tray by a base supporting the product, closed by a protective bell which covers the whole to ensure, before the purchase and between two uses, the protection of the cheese placed on the base .

The EP-A-1,184,298 (Bel dairies) above described such a type of packaging, wherein the bell is made of a material impermeable to gas and closed at the bottom by a breathable membrane defining a closed volume. The product, which is a soft cheese with a bloomy rind, is placed inside this volume and all is placed on the tray; the breathable membrane is disposed in the lower part, in contact with the cheese surface and interposed between the latter and the base. At the first use, the membrane is torn off, then the cheese is placed on the surface of the tray to be consumed.

The FR-A-2,804,413 (Anonymous society of wineries and producers combined Roquefort) describes another type of packaging, where the cheese is, contrary to the previous case, placed directly on a support plate cooperating with a removable protective shell. The package does not include a controlled permeability membrane, but incorporates a blotting element for absorbing the exudate produced by the cheese being stored. This packaging, which seeks to limit as much as possible the volume of air around the cheese during its storage and after its first use, is better suited to cheeses of the Roquefort type than to cheese with a natural rind, especially cheeses with a rind of flowers, which have a much greater biological and respiratory activity and whose taste and appearance properties are likely to change rapidly, and in a negative way, if certain conditions of respect for the metabolism are not verified.

The EP-A-0 299 845 (Bongrain ) describes another example of packaging where a cheese with a rind of flowers is presented on a pedestal closed by a lid. The lid includes a side window closed by a controlled permeability membrane allowing the cheese to continue its refining even after conditioning closed. The cheese is not placed directly on the base, but with the interposition of an interface plate intended, on the one hand, to provide ventilation of the underside of the cheese to allow a normal development of the flora to this place, as on the other faces and, on the other hand, to absorb a significant part of the moisture lost by the cheese at the beginning of storage after closing the box (that is to say when the cheese does not). is not yet refined), to then return it in the interior volume of the packaging.

Despite the great diversity of these proposals, there are still a number of unresolved issues, which have so far limited the development of this type of cheese packaging, and restricted its application to only certain specialties.

The first problem results from condensation inside the bell, especially for the most humid products. Indeed, the temperature variations in the linear are permanent; the open refrigerated rays cause a generation of discontinuous cold, which causes condensation phenomena inside the packages. This condensation, which appears difficult to eliminate, creates a risk of humidification of the produced by runoff, which may lead to defects in the appearance of the product.

The second problem is related to the dimensional variations of the product that evolves during storage, variations that can be important especially for the most flexible products (camembert, ...). Indeed, the soft texture of the cheese generates a sagging and an increase in diameter: the product then comes gradually in contact with the bell on the side, and there is then observed at this location a sufficiently large adhesion phenomenon to remove all the convenience benefits of the package, the cheese remaining stuck and stuck inside the bell. The remedy is not to provide a sufficiently wide bell, because then the cheese will tend to occupy the available space, deforming unattractive way taking a form very far, for example, that of a camembert packed in his box.

The third problem lies in the fact that, especially for bloomy rind cheeses, during ripening and storage, the flower (association of Penicillium and Geotrichum) develops and may in some cases present an unusual "cottony" appearance for consumer. Although this is taste-neutral, it is generally considered a defect by the consumer, who will turn away from it.

The three problems that have just been described are particularly relevant in the case of soft cheese and natural crust, with more or less relative acuity depending on the type of dough (moisture, flexibility, ...) and flower (Penicillium and Geotrichum in particular).

The state of the art has no indication to solve these problems, and this is one of the reasons why, so far, the base and bell-type packaging applied to soft cheeses have not experienced any real commercial success with consumers, the latter being used to the high degree of quality achieved, despite their lesser convenience of use, with traditional packaging type camembert and insulating cheese dressing.

To solve the problems just described, the invention proposes to package the cheese in the form of a food item of the known general type, disclosed for example by the EP-A-0 299 845 aforementioned, that is to say comprising a mass of a cheese product and a closed package housing this product, comprising a rigid base supporting the product and an outer bell forming with the base a closed volume containing the product, bell and base comprise cooperating closure means. The bell has an opening closed by means, in particular a membrane with controlled permeability, able to regulate the oxygen content and carbon dioxide of the gaseous volume inside the package by gas exchange between the internal volume and the ambient outside atmosphere.

In a manner characteristic of the invention, the packaging further comprises a cap made of a flexible material permeable to gases and water vapor, this cap covering at least partially the free surface of the product in the interval between the latter and the inner surface of the bell.

• isoler le produit de la condensation quand il n'est pas possible de la supprimer,
• permettre de conditionner de manière ajustée le produit dans son emballage, avec peu ou pas d'espace entre le produit et la cloche, notamment sur les côtés, en évitant que le produit légèrement affaissé ne vienne coller à la cloche,
• dans le cas d'un fromage à croûte fleurie, plaquer la fleur du fromage lors de la mise en boîte, pour éviter un aspect cotonneux déplaisant pour le consommateur.

The cap of flexible material thus provides three functions, to simultaneously solve the three aforementioned problems, namely:

• isolate the product from condensation when it is not possible to remove it,
• allow the product to be packaged in its packaging, with little or no space between the product and the bell, especially on the sides, avoiding that the slightly sagged product will stick to the bell,
• in the case of a cheese with a rind of flowers, flatten the flower of the cheese when canning, to avoid a cottony appearance that is unpleasant for the consumer.

The cheese-type product is advantageously a cheese with a natural rind, bloomed or mixed with the presence of yeasts, molds, cultures of microorganisms or bacteria commonly present in cheese, this cheese being a cheese of the group comprising: pasta firm, semi - hard, pressed or not, cooked or not with natural crust; marbled pasta with a rind of flowers, morgée, or not; and soft pasta with a natural rind of flowers and / or morgee.

The cap preferably covers the entire extent of the upper face of the product, and / or the peripheral lateral surface of the product on the height of the latter located opposite the bell. It may include a tongue gripping device capable of facilitating its removal and withdrawal at the time of the first opening.

The transverse dimensions of the bell are advantageously chosen, depending on the corresponding dimensions of the product and the deformability of the latter, so as to leave little or no free space between product and bell in the lateral peripheral region of the body. 'packaging.

In a preferred embodiment, the top wall of the bell is essentially formed by the controlled permeability membrane. The opening of the bell is in particular a central opening extending over most of the upper face of the bell with a peripheral flange forming a sealing pad for the membrane with controlled permeability, and / or a diametrical cross-piece capable of limiting the deformation of the membrane against external stress.

In the case of a cheese product of the soft-dough type with a bloomy rind, the inner configuration of the upper face of the bell is preferably chosen so as to press the cap against the upper face of the cheese product when the bell is put into operation. place on the base.

Advantageously, the package further comprises an outer sleeve, in particular a heat-shrinkable sleeve, arranged straddling the bell and the base and gripping together these two elements, this sleeve being made of a tearable material preventing any opening of the package without damage. of the sleeve.

Finally, the base may optionally comprise inwardly projecting ribs formed on the region in contact with the underside of the product.

• La figure 1 est une vue en coupe du fromage conditionné dans son emballage, montrant les différents éléments constitutifs de ce dernier.
• La figure 2 est une vue en perspective de la cloche externe de fermeture, considérée isolément.

An embodiment of the packaging according to the invention will now be described with reference to the appended drawings in which the same reference numerals denote identical elements in the figures.

• Figure 1 is a sectional view of the packaged cheese in its packaging, showing the various components of the latter.
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the outer closing bell, considered in isolation.

In FIG. 1, the reference 10 designates the article as it stands before the first use by the consumer, with a cheese 12 resting on a flat base 14 closed by a removable bell 16.

In the following, we will discuss an article of flattened cylindrical shape, but this form is in no way limiting and other packaging, corresponding to other forms of cheese, can be considered as well, for example square shapes, rectangular, frustoconical, truncated pyramid, triangular or shaped circular sector (form of a "brie point"), etc.

The packaging of the invention is particularly suitable for packaging cheeses natural rind flowery, morgee or mixed, with the presence of yeasts, molds, cultures of microorganisms or bacteria commonly present cheese.

• les pâtes ferme, semi-dure, pressée ou non, cuite ou non avec croûte naturelle,
• les pâtes persillées à croûte fleurie, morgée, ou non,
• les pâtes molles à croûte naturelle fleurie et/ou morgée (camembert, coulommiers, brie, chaource, pont-l'évêque, livarot, ... ainsi que les diverses spécialités à croûte fleurie de ce type).
  Ces exemples avantageux ne sont toutefois pas limitatifs, et le terme de "produit de type fromager" doit être entendu dans son acception la plus large. L'emballage de l'invention est notamment applicable au conditionnement non seulement de fromages proprement dits, mais aussi de préparations alimentaires, en particulier celle possédant une croûte fleurie, ainsi que de préparations de type fromager comprenant au moins un ingrédient non laitier, par exemple des préparations alimentaires comparables à des fromages, dans lesquelles tout ou partie de la matière grasse animale a été remplacée par de la matière grasse végétale.

These cheeses include:

• pasta firm, semi-hard, pressed or not, cooked or not with natural rind,
• the marbled pasta with a rind of flowers, morgée, or not,
• soft pasta with a natural crust and / or morgee (camembert, coulommiers, Brie, Chaource, Pont-L'Eveque, Livarot, ... as well as the various specialties with a rind of this type).
  These advantageous examples are however not limiting, and the term "cheese-type product" must be understood in its broadest sense. The packaging of the invention is particularly applicable to the packaging not only of cheeses themselves, but also of food preparations, in particular that having a rind, as well as cheese-type preparations comprising at least one non-dairy ingredient, for example food preparations comparable to cheeses, in which all or part of the animal fat has been replaced by vegetable fat.

The base 14 is preferably made of plastic, for example injected or thermoformed, but other materials may be envisaged, including combinations of wood, cardboard and plastic. The cheese is placed directly on the upper surface, flat 18 of the base 14. This surface 18 may optionally be provided with ribs or other reliefs to limit the adhesion of the cheese on the base and provide ventilation of the underside of the cheese. The lower face 20 of the base 14 may be shaped so as to have ribs or feet 22 for raising the base and also to leave a bed of air between two articles when they are stacked on shelves. Finally, the base 14 comprises at the periphery a rim 24 in the form of a gutter 24 fittingly receiving the bell during the closure of the package.

The bell 16 is made of plastic, possibly transparent, for example polypropylene, and can be injected or thermoformed. Other materials may however be considered, including combinations of wood, cardboard and plastic. The peripheral peripheral surface 26 of the bell 16 terminates in a free edge 28 shaped so as to fit into the gutter 24 of the base, so as to prevent any passage of liquid and limit the diffusion of odors after first opening. The relative heights of the base and the bell are chosen so that the bell is significantly higher than the base, with for example relative heights in a ratio of the order of 3: 1 or 4: 1, so that once the bell is removed the cheese can be easily grasped, or cut directly on the base. The upper part 30 of the bell 16 has a large opening 32 of approximately circular shape, closed by a controlled permeability membrane 34 (having, for example, an oxygen permeability of 80,000 cm ³ / m / 24h) secured to the periphery. of the upper face of the bell, for example at the location of a sealing pad 36, thus allowing the membrane 34 to be tensioned above the window 32 in the manner of a drum skin.

Advantageously, the bell is provided at the location of the window 32 with a diametrical cross-member 38 making it possible, on the one hand, to limit the deformation of the membrane in the event of external stress, thereby preventing any breakage of the latter and, on the other hand, to prevent the membrane from coming into contact with the cheese 12.

Indeed, practice shows that in the case of pie charts, about 70% of consumers "squeeze" pie charts when buying to check their degree of refining and it is essential to avoid any rupture of the membrane on this occasion.

Furthermore, in manufacturing, this cross member 38 facilitates injection molding by positioning the injection point in the center of the part, thus allowing a homogeneous distribution of the material during molding.

Finally, this cross member 38 can be used as a support for the possible insertion under the membrane of an accessory: moisture absorber, advertising message (ticket giving a bonus, for example), etc.

The membrane 34 is a controlled permeability membrane, that is to say that it allows a gaseous exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the inner atmosphere of the package and the external environment. The permeability of the membrane may be intrinsic, by the choice of material, or mechanically obtained by micro-perforations. Preferably, the membrane material is transparent to allow the consumer to see the cheese inside the package, and also serves as a printing medium for texts and graphics. A typical material is a 15 μm / 50 μm OPA / PE complex (polyamide oriented / polyethylene), selectively microperforated, depending on the type and mass of the cheese and the surface of the membrane, so as to adjust its thickness. permeability to the desired metabolic balance. Other materials may be envisaged, such as PET / PE 12/50 μm or OPP 40 μm. In a characteristic manner of the invention, on its upper face and on its sides the cheese 12 is surrounded by a cap 40.
This cap is made of a flexible material, permeable to the gases involved in the metabolism of the cheese (oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, etc.), for example a nonwoven material, coated or not, the dimensions of which make it possible to cover the top and sides of the cheese.
This cap may be provided with a tongue for removing it more easily at the time of the first opening; Moreover, if it is thin enough not to cause a break in tightness, the cap may overflow the base: this case occurs especially when covering a round cheese with a square cap, the protruding parts (corners of square) being then pinched between the base and the bell at the time of closure of the package.

• isoler le produit de la condensation, les gouttes de condensation ne pouvant pas entrer en contact direct avec le produit,
• limiter la déformation du produit en permettant de le conditionner de manière ajustée (c'est-à-dire avec peu ou pas d'espace latéral 42 subsistant entre le fromage et la cloche) et simultanément de permettre une meilleure ouverture en évitant que le fromage ne colle à la cloche,
• plaquer la fleur du fromage pour éviter la repousse lors du stockage.

On peut par exemple utiliser pour la coiffe un complexe formé des couches suivantes : impression / matière plastique 14 g/m² / matériau non-tissé 14 g/m² / enduction hydrophobe 3 g/m², et présentant une perméabilité à la vapeur d'eau de 500 g/m²/24h à 38°C/90% (méthode lyssy), et de 280 à 300 g/m²/24h à 23°C/90% (méthode mocom), une perméabilité à l'oxygène de 250 cm³/m²/24h à 23°C/90%, et un pouvoir d'absorption correspondant à un indice COBB de 39 g/m².
Avantageusement, une fois le produit placé dans l'emballage et la cloche refermée sur le socle, socle et cloche sont solidarisés entre eux de manière hermétique par ajout d'un manchon rétractable 44 faisant office de témoin d'effraction et pouvant également servir de support d'impression de textes et de graphismes pour l'information du consommateur et l'identification du produit. Ce manchon s'étend en partie supérieure 46 en direction de la face supérieure de la cloche 16. Il s'étend en partie inférieure 48 de manière à venir enserrer le socle 14, sous la gouttière périphérique 24. Ce manchon sera arraché par le consommateur à la première utilisation, pour accéder à la cloche 16 et déboîter celle-ci du socle 14, présentant ainsi le fromage 12 sur son socle, après retrait de la coiffe 40.
Enfin, on peut prévoir de donner au rebord intérieur de la cloche 16, situé en partie supérieure au voisinage de la membrane 34, une forme de gouttière périphérique 50. Cette gouttière permettra de capter le ruissellement lié à la condensation pendant le stockage de l'emballage si celui-ci est en position inclinée dans un système "caisse-présentoir". Elle évitera qu'au moment où l'emballage est basculé en position horizontale (lorsqu'il est mis en rayon ou saisi par le consommateur) les condensats formés sur la membrane ne tombent sur le fromage.As mentioned above, the cap plays a triple role:

• isolate the product from the condensation, the drops of condensation not being able to come into direct contact with the product,
• limit the deformation of the product by allowing it to be packaged in a controlled manner (that is to say with little or no lateral space 42 remaining between the cheese and the bell) and simultaneously to allow a better opening by preventing the cheese do not stick to the bell,
• to flatten the flower of the cheese to avoid regrowth during storage.

For example, it is possible to use a complex formed by the following layers for the cap: printing / plastic 14 g / m ² / nonwoven material 14 g / m ² / hydrophobic coating 3 g / m ² and having a vapor permeability water temperature of 500 g / m ² / 24h at 38 ° C / 90% ( lyssy method ), and 280 to 300 g / m ² / 24h at 23 ° C / 90% ( mocom method ), permeability to oxygen of 250 cm ³ / m ² / 24h at 23 ° C / 90%, and an absorption power corresponding to a COBB of 39 g / m ² .
Advantageously, once the product placed in the package and the bell closed on the base, base and bell are joined together hermetically by adding a retractable sleeve 44 acting as a tamper evidence and can also serve as a support Text and graphics printing for consumer information and product identification. This sleeve extends in the upper part 46 towards the upper face of the bell 16. It extends in the lower part 48 so as to grip the base 14, under the peripheral groove 24. This sleeve will be torn off by the consumer at the first use, to access the bell 16 and disengage it from the base 14, thereby presenting the cheese 12 on its base, after removal of the cap 40.
Finally, provision can be made to give the inner rim of the bell 16, situated in the upper part in the vicinity of the membrane 34, a shape of peripheral gutter 50. This gutter will capture the runoff associated with condensation during the storage of the packaging if it is in an inclined position in a system "cash-display". It will prevent that when the packaging is tilted to the horizontal position (when it is shelves or grabbed by the consumer) the condensates formed on the membrane do not fall on the cheese.

Claims (14)

A food article (10), comprising: a mass of a cheese product (12), and a closed package housing this product, comprising: A rigid base (14) supporting the product, and An outer bell (16) forming with the base a closed volume containing the product, bell and base comprising cooperating closure means (24, 28), and the bell having an opening (32) closed by means (34) for regulating the oxygen content and the carbon dioxide content of the gaseous volume inside the packaging by gaseous exchange between this internal volume and the external ambient atmosphere, characterized in that the package further comprises: · A cap (40) of a flexible material permeable to gas and water vapor, this cap covering at least partially the free surface of the product in the gap between the latter and the inner surface of the bell. The article of claim 1, wherein said mass of a cheese product (12) is a cheese with a natural rind bloomed, mortified or mixed with the presence of yeasts, molds, cultures of microorganisms or bacteria commonly present in cheese dairy, this cheese being a cheese of the group comprising: pasta firm, semi-hard, pressed or not, cooked or not with natural rind; marbled pasta with a rind of flowers, morgée, or not; and soft pasta with a natural rind of flowers and / or morgee. The article of claim 1, wherein the cap (40) covers the entire extent of the upper face of the product. The article of claim 1, wherein the cap (40) covers the peripheral side surface of the product over the height thereof opposite the bell. The article of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a gripping tab, adapted to facilitate the removal and removal of the cap at the time of the first opening. The article of claim 1, wherein the transverse dimensions of the bell (16) are chosen, depending on the corresponding dimensions of the product and the deformability of the latter, so as to leave little or no space free (42) between product (12) and bell (16) in the lateral peripheral region of the package. The article of claim 1, wherein said means for controlling the oxygen and carbon dioxide content of the inner gaseous volume of the package comprises a controlled permeability membrane (34). The article of claim 7, wherein the top wall of the bell (16) is substantially formed by said controlled permeability membrane (34). The article of claim 7, wherein said opening of the bell (16) is a central opening (32) extending over most of the upper face of the bell with a peripheral edge (36) forming a sealing pad for the controlled permeability membrane (34). The article of claim 7, wherein said opening of the bell (16) is a central opening (32) extending over most of the upper face of the bell, with a diametrical cross member (38) capable of limiting the deformation of the membrane against external stress. The article of claim 1, wherein the cheesemonger product is of the soft-leaved and flower-rind type, and the inner configuration of the upper face of the bell is selected to press the cap (40) against the face. upper cheese product (12) when the bell is placed on the base. The article of claim 1, wherein the package further comprises: . an outer sleeve (44, 46, 48), in particular a heat-shrinkable sleeve, disposed astride the bell (16) and on the base (14) and clamping together these two elements, this sleeve being made of a tearable material preventing any opening of the packaging without damaging the sleeve. The article of claim 1, wherein the pedestal comprises inwardly projecting ribs formed on the region in contact with the underside of the product. The article of claim 1, wherein the bell (16) has in the upper portion, in the vicinity of the membrane (34), an inner peripheral flange (50) of condensate collection, gutter-shaped.

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