GB2302529A - Food packaging means - Google Patents

Abstract

A packaged food product consists of a portion of dessert, confectionery or the like packaged in a vertical collar 1, removable without disturbing the food product. The collar may be circular, polygonal or irregular in cross-section and may be generally of transparent plastics material or foil whose overlapping edges may be secured by the use of spot welds 2, 3. Alternatively the edges may be secured by frictional engagement of the upper rim with a lid 5 or the lower rim with a base 6 or both. The product is factory-produced and the packaging allows it to be transported safely to the point of sale and consumption ( eg restaurant) where the packaging is removed immediately before serving. The product may be pre-frozen or chilled to be defrosted or re-heated at the point of sale.

Description

This invention relates to a new type of food packaging of especial interest for sweets, desserts, gateaux and patisserie manufactured at a factory and then distributed to wholesalers or directly to restaurants or other retail outlets.

With modern trends in the catering industry, which include franchising with a standardized range of food, fast food outlets, and the like, the need has been felt for a method of packaging that allows, for example, a made-up sweet, such as a sundae including such ingredients as ice cream, meringue, nuts, soft sauce and garnish, to be mass-produced in a factory, transported to the point of sale, stored there, and then served as and when required. The preparation of such foods is time consuming and highly skilled, and demands the highest standards of hygiene, which criteria are difficult and expensive to meet at the point of sale. Packaging for use in this context has to satisfy several demanding requirements. It has to be strong enough to protect the product but light enough not to add materially to transport costs.It must be capable of freezing and must be easily removable without disturbing or damaging the product. It must also protect the product not only from physical damage but also from taints and smells which may enter it from other nearby food-stuffs, machinery, etc.

Many types of packaging for food products prepared in a factory for distribution are known. For example yogurt, fromage frais, chocolate mousse and other products are sent out from the packing factory in plastic tubs with a removable foil lid. Ice cream is frequently sold in tte form of portions contained in cardboard or waxed paper containers which can be ripped open by the customer. Doughnuts, patisserie and sandwiches are often packed in hinged transparent plastic containers which snap shut and can be opened by the customer.

None of these known forms of packaging however provide the same combination of advantages of the packaging according to the invention.

According to the invention I provide a packaged food product comprising an edible product wholly or partially enveloped by packaging characterized in that the packaging comprises a vertical collar surrounding the edible product and adapted to be released and removed substantially without moving or disturbing the edible product.

A number of materials are known which can be used for the collar according to the invention. Preferred materials include transparent semi-rigid plastics sheeting such as polyvinyl chloride ("pvc"). Transparency has the obvious advantage that it allows the customer to see the product in order to make their choice before the packaging is open. However translucent or opaque materials can also be used. The collar can carry the name of the manufacturer and/or retailer and the description of the contents, and a material that will take printing is therefore advantageous. Where a rigid plastics material such as pvc is used, it is convenient to secure the ends of the collar together by "spot welding"; this method keeps the product secure, yet allows the collar to be easily "popped" open and removed from the product.The collar can according to the invention be fitted with a lid and/or a bottom. The advantage of fitting a lid is that the product is protected for example from freezer-burn and from dust and other contamination. A bottom may not always be necessary; where the base of the product itself is sufficiently hard and mechanically strong to retain the product within the packaging and provide any necessary protection a bottom can be dispensed with. However where the packaging includes both a lid and a bottom, stacking and therefore transport are facilitated.

The lid and/or bottom may be made from similar or different materials to the collar.

It will be appreciated that the collar does not have to be circular in plan view; indeed different shapes of collar can be used for different products as will be more apparent from the following description.

Preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which are shown in isometric view: Figure 1 : A simple cylindrical collar according to the invention.

Figure 2 : The same collar fitted with lid and bottom.

Figures 3, 4. L 5 : A wide valiety of collars that can be used according to the invention.

Figure 6 : A food product packaged according to the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show a collar 1 formed from a self-supporting but flexible plastics material, such as clear pvc, originally rectangular but bent into a cylinder with its ends overlapping.

The overlap is spot-welded at points 2 and 3 in such a manner that the collar is sufficiently robust to protect the product against the stresses of packaging and transport, and is yet capable of being removed easily at the point of sale. Other materials that may be used include polyester coated card and a variety of foils. Spot-welding is not the only method by which the ends of the collar can be joined; adhesives, for example, may also be used.

The collar can carry advertising or explanatory material for example at 4.

Figure 2 shows the collar shown in Figure 1 provided with a lid 5 and a base 6. These can for example be vacuum-formed; either or both may be provided. The advantages of providing a lid and a bottom as regards protection of the product are mentioned above; where there is no packaging bottom but the floor of the product is sufficiently strong to support and protect the product during transport etc, the packaged product can be placed directly on a plate and the collar "popped" off immediately before service.

Figures 3A-C illustrate square or rectangular collars according to the invention and Figure 5 collars according to the invention with various curvilinear shapes. Typically but not exclusively the square and rectangular collars in Figure 3 will be used for gateaux and the curved shapes in Figure 5 for individual portions. All have in common that they are formed from rectangular sheets of (for example) clear semi-rigid pvc film and their ends are secured together so that the collar can be easily removed without damaging the product.

Figure 4 shows packaging according to the invention in a cylindrical form especially suitable, by reason of its proportion and the provision of a lid 4, to the packaging of circular gateaux.

It must be appreciated that the packaging according to the invention can be used not only for individual portions (for example the shapes shown in Figure 5) but also for gateaux and other products intended to be divided into portions at the point of sale, for example those shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Finally, Figure 6 shows a sundae packaged according to the invention. In this example the collar 1, which is a retangular sheet of pvc bent into a cylinder, is considerably higher than it is wide and is spot-welded along the overlap at points 2. A top or lid 3 is provided to preserve the product from contamination and facilitate stacking. A bottom 4 to the collar is provided for protection purposes but the base of the product is a known chocolate crumb material 5 which is sufficiently strong to provide a base. The product consists, above the crumb base and in ascending order, of whole raspberries 6, blackberry ice cream 7, vanilla ice cream 8, blackcurrant sauce 9 and raspberry sauce 11. The whole is summounted by vanilla ice cream 12 with a whole raspberry 13 and a chocolate decoration 14, and provided with a disposable spoon 15.

The method of preparing packaged food according to the invention is illustrated by the following method of preparing and using a "lemon and lime zing". The container used will be a cylindrical single portion container, similar to that shown in Figure 1.

Crunchy pieces of biscuit are placed at the container base and a lemon flavoured ice cream piped on top of these so sealing the base. A lemon flavoured liquid sauce is then placed on top of the ice cream, more crunch added, and lime flavoured ice cream piped in a rosette. The top is decorated with a lime sauce and hand made chocolate decoration, garnished with a sprig of fresh lemon balm and sprinkled with nuts. The dessert thus packaged is provided with a top and a bottom of the same plastics material. In the restaurant the customer will choose the sweet from an illustrated menu, the packaged product is then removed from cold storage, the bottom of the packaging is removed and the product placed on a plate, the top removed and the collar "popped" off and the customer served.

The packaging method according to the invention can be used where the food product has to be defrosted or heated within the container before the latter is removed.

The nature of the container allows one to present an ice cream product such as a sundae with a combination of different products - such as meringue, soft sauces, fruits, etc. This does not mean that the containers illustrated in Figures 1-5 are useful only for ice cream products. Quite the reverse, they have tremendous application for desserts, savoury products, gateaux and ready-made meals. A significant advantage aspect of the packaging according to the invention is that it allows one to present a ready made product onto a plate of the person's choice and by simply npopping the container and removing the collar allowing the product to be free-standing or allow the product to "collapse" naturally making it look as though the product had been manufactured or arranged on the plate provided, at the restaurant, and not through some form of commercial packaging.Alternatively where there is no objection to allowing the customer to see that the product is pre-packaged, with the addition of a lid or base and a disposable spoon, the product can be consumed from the container as shown in Figure 6.

The tremendous advantages of this packaging are first it is extremely cost effective and easy to manufacture, secondly it offers tremendous handling qualities with regard to hygiene and lastly offers total security of its contents during transportation.

The product has tremendous eye appeal qualities within the container as the variety of colours and textures can be seen freely.

For consumers using a frozen gateau it will allow them to defrost the gateau, within the container so stopping the product drying out, as well as preventing tainting from other foodstuffs within the same refrigeration.

In today's growing market, speed of service is essential. This application would allow a complete dessert or sundae, etc, which would normally take someone on the premises considerable time and expertise to make-up to be able to present a totally finished and decorated dessert within moments of it being required. The avoidance of stocking a vast array of ingredients as well as reducing "mess" all add to the functionality and usefulness of the product thus allowing great commercial potential. It offers the end user and manufacturer excellent portion control. Although the packaging is simple, it is eye appealing as it adds an additional glossy "coating" to the product and would allow for excellent advertising or printing. It is not obtrusive and does not distract the eye from the contents but by adding printing could be made to attract the eye if the content was bland.

Claims (10)

1. A packaged food product comprising an edible product wholly or partially enveloped by packaging characterized in that the packaging comprises a vertical collar surrounding the edible product and adapted to be released and removed substantially without moving or disturbing the edible product.

2. A product according to Claim 1 characterized in that the collar is of transparent semi-rigid plastics sheet.

3. A product according to Claim 2 characterized in that the collar is of polyvinyl chloride.

4. A product according to any preceding claim characterized in that the collar consists of a rectangular sheet of transparent plastics material formed into a sleeve with the overlapping edges spot-welded.

5. A product according to any preceding claim characterized by a lid of the same material as the collar frictionally engaged on the upper rim of the collar.

6. A product according to any preceding claim characterized in that the product comprises also a base of the same material as the collar frictionally engaged on the lower rim of the collar.

7. A product according to any of Claims 1 to 5 characterized in that the edible product includes a self-supporting base extending across the bottom of the collar of sufficient strength to retain the edible product within the collar.

8. A product according to any preceding claim characterized in that the product is frozen.

9. A product according to any preceding claim characterized in that the collar is right cylindrical.

10. A packaged food product according to Claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.