GB2443957A

GB2443957A - Food container

Info

Publication number: GB2443957A
Application number: GB0722479A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vito Orsatti
Original assignee: CONSORZIO LATTERIE VIRGILIO SO
Current assignee: CONSORZIO LATTERIE VIRGILIO SO
Priority date: 2006-11-20
Filing date: 2007-11-15
Publication date: 2008-05-21
Also published as: GB0722479D0; ITMI20062220A1

Abstract

A food container 1 comprises at least a first compartment 2 containing a cheese-based food product (for example a cheese) and at least a second compartment 2 containing a fruit-based food product (for example jam, marmalade, fruit mousse, fruit puree). The compartments are separated from each other by weakened lines 6 that allow easy separation. A peelable foil may be attached to the edges 4 of each compartment to individually seal it and allow its selective opening. Compartments are preferably wedge-shaped and may form a regular polygon for storage convenience. The container preferably has as many compartments filled with a cheese-based product as compartments filled with a fruit-based product, with four being the preferred total number of compartments. For prolonged conservation, preservatives may be added to the food products and sealed compartments may contain a protective atmosphere.

Description

Food container The present invention relates to a food container

comprising at least one compartment containing a first food product and at least one second compartment containing a second food product.

Certain particular cheese and fruit pairings have been known to be particularly palatable ever since, to such an extent as to become proverbial in certain cultures.

Nevertheless, tasting of such pairings has always been restricted to particular home or restaurant environments, due to the peculiar organoleptic properties and perishability of such food products.

Thus, there arises the need in the art to make such taste pairings available to the public, without requiring such products to be consumed at home or in a restaurant.

In view of the prior art as described above, the object of the present invention is to provide a new way of consuming combinations of cheese-and fruit-based food products, while entirely preserving the organoleptic properties of both, and without being bound to consume such combinations within a limited time from their preparation.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a container having all the features of claim 1.

Thus, the present invention provides an organoleptic synergy between the two food products, while ensuring combined availability thereof for in-home and/or out-of-home consumption, and utilization of their combined nutritional values.

The features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description of one practical embodiment, which is illustrated without limitation in the annexed drawings, in which: -Figure 1 shows an exemplary container to be used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; -Figure 2 shows a second exemplary container to be used in a further preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show a container 1 comprising a first compartment 2 and a second compartment 2 which, in a preferred embodiment, contain a cheese-based product and a fruit-based product respectively (not shown) As used herein, the term "cheese-based product" is intended to mean a product containing at least 60% by weight cheese, and preferably a cheese; such cheese including both fresh cheeses, such as Mozzarella, Caprino, Robiola or the like, and aged cheeses, such as Pecorino, Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano or the like; as used herein, the term "fruit-based product" is intended to mean a solid or semi-solid product (and hence excluding liquid products like fruit juices), containing at least 60% by weight fruit, such as fruit purees, jams, marmalades, mousses, mostarda, dehydrated or dried fruit; fruit may include pears, apples, grapes, apricots, etc. In a preferred embodiment, one or both products may be added with food preservatives for optimal preservation, without the use-by date being limited to the shorter life of either product. The life of the packaged product may be further extended by protective atmosphere packaging.

According to the invention, the compartments are separated; each has an opening, preferably sealed with sealing means (not shown for simplicity) , such as a peelable element, attached to the edge 4 of the compartments 2.

For instance, the peelable element can be a foil, advantageously formed of plastic or an aluminum-containing material.

Advantageously, each compartment 2 has its own peelable element, to allow independent opening of the food to be consumed.

As more clearly shown in Figure 2, the peelable element may be advantageously bonded all around the compartments, excepting a portion 3 of the edge 4, preferably having a triangular shape. Advantageously, the border 5 between the portion 3 in which the peej.able element is bonded to the edge 4 and the portion in which the peelable element is not bonded to the edge 4 of each compartment is convex.

In a preferred embodiment, the compartments 2 are joined together by weakened lines 6, for easy separation thereof by a user and easier transportation.

For easier content recognition, possibly by touch, the compartments 2 may have different shapes.

In one advantageous embodiment of the container, the compartments 2 have a substantially cylindrical wedge shape.

For effective compartment filling, advantages have been found from forming compartments having a volume of 40 cm3 to 300 cm3, and more preferably an open face area of cm2 to 100 cm2.

For optimal use in food applications, the ratio of the amount of cheese-based product to the amount of fruit-based product has been found to depend on the consumption habits of consumers in the various domestic and foreign markets; an optimal configuration has been found to correspond to a distribution arrangement in which there are as many cheese-based product compartments 2 as fruit-based product compartments 2.

Thus, there can be as many as four compartments.

For storage convenience, the compartments 2 may form a regular polygon.

Those skilled in the art will obviously appreciate that a number of changes and variants may be made to the arrangements as described hereinbefore to meet incidental arid specific needs, without departure from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A food container comprising at least one first compartment containing a first food product and at least one second compartment containing a second food product, characterized in that said first food product is a substantially cheese-based product and said second food product is a substantially fruit-based product, and said first compartment and said second compartment are separated from each other.

2. A container as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein said compartments have an opening sealed with sealing means.

3. A container as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein said sealing means include a peelable element, attached to the edge of the respective sealed opening of said compartments.

4. A container as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein each of said compartments has its respective peelable element, attached to the edge of the respective opening of the compartment.

5. A container as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein said peelable element is attached to the edge of the opening of each compartment at an attachment portion having a border with the portion of each compartment, said border having such a shape that the section of the portion in which said peelable element is not bonded to the edge, as taken along a direction perpendicular to the peelable element opening direction, decreases in such opening direction.

6. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said compartments can be opened independently of each other.

7. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said compartments are joined together by weakened lines for easy separation thereof by a user.

8. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said compartments have different shapes.

9. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said compartments have a substantially cylindrical wedge shape.

10. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said compartments substantially have a volume of 40 cm3 to 300 cm3.

11. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each of said compartments has one open face, and said face has an open area of 40 cm2 to 100 cm2.

12. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first food product is a cheese.

13. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said second food product is selected from the group comprising: jam, marmalade, dehydrated or dried fruit, fruit mousse, puree, mostarda.

14. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, having as many of said first compartments as there are of said second compartments.

15. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a total of four compartments is provided.

16. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said compartments form a regular polygon.

17. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said food products is added with preservatives.

18. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said first and second compartments contains a protective atmosphere.

19. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.