GB2533871A

GB2533871A - Packaging for food

Info

Publication number: GB2533871A
Application number: GB1602860.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Burke Michael
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-09-21
Filing date: 2016-02-18
Publication date: 2016-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 2036-02-18
Also published as: GB201703419D0; GB2549382B; GB201602860D0; US20180346226A1; GB201516695D0; GB2549382A; GB2533871B; WO2017051165A1

Abstract

A food package 1 including a sealed flexible pouch, the pouch containing one or more food items 14 and a utensil 16, wherein the interior of the pouch is depleted of oxygen and the one or more food items and utensil are held in substantially fixed positions within the pouch. Also provided is a culinary utensil having a shaft with a longitudinal bore open at each end (22, fig 2), whereby air may be blown through the bore into a package within which the utensil is contained. Also provided is a package including a sealed flexible pouch evacuated of air, the pouch having sidewalls and a resilient base. The base is deformed from its rest configuration when the package is sealed, and arranged to return to its rest configuration when the pouch is opened, thereby drawing air into the pouch and causing the sidewalls to separate. Also provided is a sealed flexible pouch containing food, wherein the base of the package is thicker than the side walls.

Description

Title: Packaging for food The present invention relates to the packaging of foods and in particular to vacuum-packaged fruit and other food items that spoil quickly.

It is widely known that daily consumption of fruit and vegetables is important for a healthy diet. However, fruit and vegetables typically have a short shelf-life compared to other foods, and it is perhaps for this reason that junk-food such as crisps and chocolate is often over-consumed, whereas many people do not consume as many portions of fruit and vegetables as is advised.

Prepared fruit is often sold in supermarkets in plastic cartons or bags. However, fruit in these packets often spoils after two to five days. Peeled bananas are known to spoil particularly quickly, and so bananas are often not sold ready-prepared in plastic cartons or bags.

Furthermore, meeting the requirement for fruit or vegetables to be on the shelf of the supermarket as quickly as possible from the time they are picked or harvested is expensive and consequently the retail prices of fruit and vegetables are high relative to food that has a longer shelf-life.

Fruit and vegetables are not typically sold in vending machines. This is due not only to the short shelf-life of fruit, but also to the fact that as fruit is dispensed from a vending machine and falls to the collection area, the fruit may become bruised or 25 otherwise damaged.

There exists a requirement for a means of packaging and selling fruit, vegetables and other food items that may spoil quickly, that extends the shelf-life of the food product and helps to prevent damage to the food product. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a packaging for food items that meets this requirement and overcomes or substantially mitigates other disadvantages associated with conventional packaging of food items.

Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a food package comprising a sealed flexible pouch, the pouch containing one or more food items and a utensil, wherein the interior of the pouch is depleted of oxygen, and the one or more food items and the utensil are held in substantially fixed positions within the pouch.

The package according to the invention is advantageous primarily in that, because the interior of the pouch is depleted of oxygen, the shelf life of the food items contained within the pouch is extended. This enables the packaging to be used for food items that would otherwise have too short a shelf life to be used in, for instance, vending machines or airline catering. In particular, the package may contain fresh fruit items. Depletion of oxygen from the interior of the pouch means that the amount of oxygen in contact with the one or more food items is reduced relative to that which would be the case if the food item(s) were simply exposed to the normal atmosphere. In particular, the quantity of oxygen in contact with the food item(s) should be reduced sufficiently that the shelf life of the food item(s) is prolonged to a satisfactory degree. This may be brought about by evacuation of air from the pouch before it is sealed, and/or by flushing with an inert gas, eg nitrogen or carbon dioxide, prior to sealing. In the former case, the amount of air (and hence oxygen) in contact with the food item(s) is reduced. In the latter case, the concentration of oxygen in the gas in contact with the food item(s) is reduced.

Evacuation of air from within the pouch has the advantage of drawing the walls of the pouch together, captivating the food items and the utensil between those walls and holding the food items and the utensil in substantially fixed positions. In addition to being used to remove the food items from the pouch after the pouch has been opened, the utensil provides physical protection to the food items, helping to protect them from damage, for instance when the package falls into the collection area of a vending machine.

Preferably, the utensil is disposed within the pouch adjacent to the one or more food items.

The pouch preferably comprises first and second films that are sealed together at their periphery. The films may be films of plastics material, preferably food-grade plastics materials. Alternatively, the films may be metal foils or plastics/metal laminates. Other packaging films may also be suitable. Appropriate materials for the pouch include any materials conventionally used in the manufacture of airtight, flexible packaging, especially for packaging of foodstuffs, and suitable materials will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The juxtaposed surfaces of the first and second films may have a dimpled or uneven texture, or may be laser-etched. This reduces the tendency of the films to cohere when they are brought together by evacuation of air from within the pouch, and thereby facilitates separation of the films (and hence removal of the food items) after the pouch has been opened.

The utensil is preferably a rigid component, for instance of rigid plastics material.

Other materials may be used, for instance metal or wood, but plastics are preferred in most instances, not least on the grounds of cost.

In particularly preferred embodiments, the utensil takes the form of a culinary 20 utensil by which the one or more food items may be removed from the package after the package has been opened in use.

The utensil may have any suitable form, eg a fork, spoon, cocktail stick or chopstick. In many instances, the utensil is preferably a fork.

It is particularly preferred that the utensil has a shaft with a longitudinal bore. Where the ends of the bore are open, air can be blown by a user through the utensil into the package after it has been opened, thereby helping to separate the walls of the pouch. To achieve this, one open end of the bore is preferably at one end of the shaft, which is exposed when the package is opened, while the other open end of the bore is located near the other end of the shaft, which is held within the pouch.

Utensils of this form are believed to be novel. Thus, according to another aspect of the invention there is provided a culinary utensil having a shaft with a longitudinal bore that is open at each end, whereby air may be blown through the bore into a package within which the utensil is, in use, contained.

In a related aspect, the invention provides a package comprising a sealed flexible pouch containing a utensil having a shaft, wherein the shaft has a longitudinal bore that is open at each end, one end of the shaft being exposed when the pouch is, in use, opened, whereby air may be blown through the bore into the pouch.

In general, the features discussed above in relation to the first aspect of the invention are also applicable to these further aspects.

In all aspects of the invention, the pouch is preferably opened by tearing off a pad of the pouch. The pouch preferably has formations to facilitate tearing. For instance, notches or similar formations, typically V-or U-shaped, may be present at the sides of the pouch, and/or a line of weakness may be present across the pouch. Where the pouch is opened by tearing, one end of the utensil is preferably exposed by opening of the pouch, so that the utensil can easily be grasped, and where applicable air can be blown through the utensil, as also described above.

The package may be resealable after opening. In that case, the package may incorporate a sealing strip or the like that is exposed when the pouch is opened.

The package may comprise more than one utensil. The package may comprise one or more utensils and also an additional protector that is arranged to provide physical protection to the food items, but is not intended to be released from the package and used to remove the food items from the package. Such an additional protector may simply be a stiffening rod or the like that is captivated within the pouch even when the package is opened.

Where there are two or more utensils, they may be similar in form, for instance a pair of chopsticks, or they may be complementary, eg a knife and fork.

The pouch may be provided with a handle by which the pouch may be held by a user. Such a handle may be formed integrally with the pouch, for example being formed from the films that are used to form the walls of the pouch.

The pouch may be configured to facilitate the heating of the one or more food items, though in many cases this will be unnecessary or inappropriate.

The pouch may comprise only two films or foils that are bonded together, eg by heat and/or pressure, at their periphery to form the walls of an enclosure. However, in other embodiments, the base of the pouch is formed by a gusset. That gusset may be of similar material to the film used to form the walls of the pouch, or it may be of a different material.

Thus, the pouch may comprise side walls connected at their lower edges by a gusset that forms a base for the pouch. In such a construction, the base may be sufficiently flat that the pouch is capable of standing upright upon the base. This may facilitate loading of the food package into, and dispensing of the package from, a conventional vending machine. In particular, the food package may be inserted between the loops of the coil mechanism conventionally used in vending machines to transport selected products forwards to a point at which they drop into a collection zone of the vending machine.

In a preferred embodiment, the gusset is of resilient material, which may be a plastics material of greater thickness than that of the walls. When the package is sealed and air is evacuated, such a gusset may deform from its rest configuration. As soon as the reduced pressure within the pouch is released by opening of the package, however, the resilience of the gusset will cause it to return to its rest configuration, and this will cause the walls of the pouch to separate and draw air into the pouch. This in turn releases the food items contained within pouch and makes them easier to remove from the pouch. The gusset, being of relatively thicker resilient material, confers a degree of rigidity on the base of the package, which may make it easier for the user to hold the opened package. The gusset also provides a supportive surface against which the food items may be pressed by the utensil, thereby facilitating removal of those items from the pouch. The greater thickness of the gusset material reduces the likelihood of the gusset being pierced by the utensil.

Such a construction is also believed to be novel, and so the invention further provides a package comprising a sealed flexible pouch that is substantially evacuated of air, the pouch comprising side walls and a base, wherein the base is a resilient member, the resilient member being deformed from its rest configuration when the package is in a sealed condition, and the resilient member being arranged to return to the rest configuration when the pouch is opened, thereby drawing air into the pouch and causing the side walls of the pouch to separate.

Furthermore, the provision of a base that is of thicker material in a package containing food items is also believed to be novel. In another aspect, the invention therefore provides a package comprising a sealed flexible pouch containing one or more items of food, the pouch comprising side walls and a base, wherein the base is of greater thickness than the side walls.

The greater thickness of the base in this aspect of the invention offers a number of significant advantages. The base, being of relatively thicker material, confers a degree of rigidity on the base of the package, which may make it easier for the user to hold the opened package. The base also provides a supportive surface against which the food items may be pressed by a utensil, thereby facilitating removal of those items from the pouch. The greater thickness of the base material reduces the likelihood of the base being pierced by a utensil, such as a fork, so reducing the risk of injury to a user of the package. All these benefits contribute to the particularly convenient manner of use of the package of the invention, in which the items of food can be consumed direct from the package, after the pouch has been opened, rather than the items of food being tipped out of the package onto a plate or the like, and then consumed from that plate. Thus, the package is effectively used as a portable bowl. Also, increased thickness or rigidity of the base may assist in standing of the food package upright, eg in a vending machine, as described above.

Typically, the side walls of the package will have thicknesses of between 50pm and lmm, more commonly less than 250pm, or less than 100pm. In embodiments of the invention that have a base of greater thickness than the side walls, as just described, the thickness of the base may be greater than 500pm, or greater than 1mm, and typically up to 2mm, 3mm, 4mm or 5mm.

Again, in general, the features discussed above in relation to the first aspect of the invention are also applicable to these further aspects.

As described above, the invention is particularly, though not exclusively useful in relation to the packaging of fresh fruit. Thus, the one or more food items may be pieces of fruit. The pieces of fruit may be whole fruit items, particularly relatively small fruit items such as a strawberries, or they may be cut pieces of fruit, eg slices or pieces of larger fruits such as apples or bananas.

The package according to the invention may be manufactured by generally conventional vacuum-packing methods. Typically, such methods will involve positioning the food item(s) and the utensil within a pre-formed pouch, evacuating air from within the pouch, thereby drawing the walls of the pouch together and holding the food item(s) and utensil in fixed positions, and sealing the pouch. In some cases, the pouch is formed around the food item(s) and utensil. For instance, the food item(s) and utensil may be positioned on a first film and overlaid with a second film, the first and second films then being bonded together to form the pouch. Again, air is withdrawn from the pouch and the pouch is sealed. As described above, the pouch may additionally or alternatively be flushed with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, prior to evacuation and sealing, to reduce the amount of oxygen present in the package.

The package may contain a single item of fruit, such as a piece of a banana, or the package may contain a plurality of items of fruit.

Embodiments of the invention will be described in further detail below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a food package according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on line A-A of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on line B-B of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the package in an open 15 condition; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1, of a second embodiment of a food package according to the invention; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 1, of a third embodiment of a food package according to the invention; Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1, of a fourth embodiment of a food package according to the invention; Figure 8 is a side view of the fourth embodiment of the food package of Figure 7; Figure 9 shows a detailed cross-sectional view of a modified design that may be applied to a food package of the invention, when the package is sealed; and Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9, but showing the condition of the package after it has been opened.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, a first embodiment of a food package according to the invention is generally designated 1 and takes the form of a generally rectangular pouch. The package 1 is formed from first and second packaging films 10,12 that are pressure-and/or heat-sealed together at their edges 18.

Food items, namely items of fruit 14, are held within the package 1, between the first film 10 and the second film 12. The items of fruit 14 may be, for instance, slices of larger fruits such as apples or bananas, or whole pieces of smaller fruits such as strawberries. A fork 16 is also held between the first and second films 10,12.

The first and second films 10,12 are typically of food grade plastics material. However, in other examples of the invention, the first and second films 10,12 may be of other suitable materials, for instance metal films or plastics/metal laminate or the like. In general, materials for use in forming the package of the invention will be those conventionally used for the vacuum-packing of foodstuffs, being flexible films that are sufficiently impermeable to air and which can be bonded together to form airtight enclosures.

In the process of manufacture of the package 1, the fork 16 and items of fruit 14 are placed on the first film 10, and overlaid by the second film 12. The first and second films 10,12 are sealed together around the edge 18 of the films 10,12, with the space between the first and second films being substantially completely evacuated, so that there is little or no air in the interior of the package 1. This has the effect of vacuum-packing the fork 16 and items of fruit 14 into a package, the films 10,12 fitting closely around the fork 16 and the items of fruit 14, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3.

The sides of the package 1 are provided, close to the upper (as viewed in Figure 1) end of the package 1, with a pair of V-shaped notches 20,21. The notches 20,21 facilitate opening of the package 1 by a user grasping the upper part of the package 1 and tearing it off, along a line between the notches 20,21. The opened package 1 is shown in Figure 4. The process of opening the package 1 may be further facilitated by a line of weakness extending between the notches 20,21 being formed in the package 1 during manufacture. Means by which such a line of weakness may be created are known and will be familiar to those skilled in the art.

The fork 16 is a suitable size for consuming the contents of the packet. Other utensils may be used instead of or in addition to a fork, for example a knife, spoon, or a pair of chopsticks. The fork 16 is of a rigid plastics material; however, in other embodiments the fork may be of another material, eg metal or wood. The fork 16 is positioned lengthways in the package, with the items of fruit 14 being adjacent to the fork. The fork 16 reinforces the package 1, protecting the fruit 14 from being damaged, for example when the package 1 falls to the collection area in a vending machine.

The shaft of the fork 16 is of generally rectangular section (see Figure 2), with an internal bore 22 that extends from the upper (as viewed in Figure 1) end of the fork 16 and terminates at an opening 24 close to the tines of the fork 16.

When the package 1 is torn open, as described above and as shown in Figure 4, the tip of the shaft of the fork 16 protrudes slightly from the package 1. The user can then place the tip of the fork to their lips and blow gently through the fork 16 to separate the first and second films 10,12. This then allows the fork 16 to be easily removed from the package 1 so that it can be used to remove the fruit items 14 from the package 1.

The first and second films 10,12 have a dimpled or uneven texture on their juxtaposed surfaces. The uneven surfaces of the films 10,12 reduce the area of contact between them and make the first and second films 10,12 easier to separate when the package 1 is opened.

Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of a food package according to the invention, generally designated 2. The package 2 is similar to the package 1 of the first embodiment, however the package 2 contains only a single item of fruit, namely one half of a peeled banana 25, along with a fork 26 that is identical to the fork 16 of the first embodiment. The package 2 also comprises a stiffener 28, which is a plastic rod. The stiffener 27 is located between the first and second films of the package, on an opposing side of the banana 25 to the fork 26.

The package is sealed around the edges 28, the space between the first and second films being substantially completely evacuated. The package is also sealed around the stiffener 27, in order that the stiffener 27 is separated from the fork 26 and banana 25. When the package 2 is torn open, in the same manner as the first embodiment 1, the stiffener 27 remains sealed in place.

Fresh bananas, especially when peeled, have a particularly short shelf-life and are particularly prone to physical damage. The package 2, from which air is substantially completely evacuated, and in which the fork 26 and the stiffener 27 provide protection to the banana 25 from damage caused by physical contact, mitigates these problems substantially. As a result, fresh bananas may be presented in this format in vending machines, or in other situations in which that would not hitherto have been feasible, for example in airline catering.

Figure 6 shows a third embodiment of a food package according to the invention, generally designated 3. The package 3 is similar to the package 1 shown in Figure 1. However package 3 also comprises a handle 32, which is made of the same material as the films of the package. The handle 32 is C-shaped and is attached to a side of the package 3. The handle 32 may be formed integrally with the package 3, for instance being formed by extensions of the films of the package that are bonded together. The handle 32 enables the package 3 to be held in the manner of a mug or cup, further facilitating the removal of food items from the package 3.

Figures 7 and 8 show a fourth embodiment of a food package according to the invention, generally designated 4. Like the third embodiment 3, the fourth embodiment of the food package 4 is broadly similar to the first embodiment 1. The package 4 differs from the first embodiment 1, however, in that it comprises a strap 34, which is attached at its ends to one face of the package 4. The strap 34 acts as a handle that may be gripped by a user in order to hold onto the package whilst eating the contents of the package.

Finally, Figures 9 and 10 illustrate a design modification that may be incorporated into any of the embodiments of a food package according to the invention described above (or into other forms of food package). The modification concerns the structure of the base of the package (ie the lower part of a package such as that shown in Figure 1).

In the first embodiment 1 described above, and as illustrated in Figure 1, the base of the package is formed simply by sealing together the two films 10,12 that are used to form the package 1. In the modification illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, however, a flexible base component or gusset 51 is interposed between, and bonded to, the bottom edges of the films 52,53 that are the major components of the package. The gusset 51 is resilient, typically being formed of a plastics material that is of greater thickness than the films 52,53.

The gusset 51 is generally flat in form. However, when the package is filled, evacuated and sealed, the gusset 51 is bowed into the configuration shown in Figure 9. In this configuration, the films 52,53 are drawn into close engagement with the fork (indicated schematically as 54) and with the food items contained within the package (not shown).

As soon as the package is opened, ie when the vacuum within the package is released, the resilience of the gusset 51 causes it to relax to the configuration shown in Figure 10. This draws air into the package, and causes the films 52,53 to separate, releasing the fork 54 and food items contained within the package, which will then generally fall to the bottom of the package and rest upon the gusset 51.

The gusset 51, being of relatively thicker resilient material, confers a degree of rigidity on the base of the package, which may make it easier for the user to hold the opened package. The gusset 51 also provides a supportive surface against which the food items may be pressed by the fork 54, thereby facilitating piercing of those items by the fork 54. The thicker nature of the gusset 51 also reduces any risk of the gusset 51 itself being pierced by the fork 54, thereby reducing the risk of injury to the user of the package.

With this modification, other measures intended to facilitate opening of the package, such as the dimpled or uneven texture of the films or the provision of a hollow bore within the fork to enable air to be blown into the package by the user, 10 may be unnecessary.

Claims

Claims 1. A food package comprising a sealed flexible pouch, the pouch containing one or more food items and a utensil, wherein the interior of the pouch is depleted of oxygen, and the one or more food items and the utensil are held in substantially fixed positions within the pouch.
2. A food package according to Claim 1, wherein the utensil is disposed within the pouch adjacent to the one or more food items.
3. A food package according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the pouch comprises first and second films that are sealed together at their periphery.
4. A food package according to Claim 3, wherein the juxtaposed surfaces of the first and second films have a dimpled or uneven texture, or are laser-etched.
5. A food package according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the films are of plastics material.
6. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil is a rigid component.
7. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil is a component of rigid plastics material.
8. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil is a culinary utensil by which the one or more food items may be removed from the package after the package has been opened in use.
9. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil is a fork, spoon, cocktail stick or chopstick.
10. A food package according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the utensil is a fork.
11. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil has a 5 bore, one end of which is exposed when the package is opened in use, whereby air may be blown into the package to facilitate subsequent removal of the one or more food items.
12. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the package further comprises an additional protector held in a substantially fixed position within the pouch.
13. A food package according to Claim 12, wherein the additional protector is a stiffening rod.
14. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein a base of the pouch is formed by a gusset of resilient material.
15. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch is 20 formed with a handle by which the pouch may be held by a user.
16. A food package according to Claim 15, wherein the handle is formed integrally with the pouch.
17. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch is opened by tearing off a part of the pouch.
18. A food package according to Claim 17, wherein the pouch is formed with notches or other formations to facilitate tearing of the pouch.
19. A food package according to Claim 17 or Claim 18, wherein the pouch is formed with a line of weakness to facilitate tearing of the pouch.
20. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more food items are pieces of fruit.
21. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more food items are cut pieces of fruit.
22. A food package according to any of Claims 1 to 20, wherein the one or more food items are whole fruits.
23. A food package according to any of Claims 1 to 19, wherein the package contains a single item of fruit.
24. A food package according to Claim 23, wherein the single item of fruit is a piece of a banana.
25. A food package according to any of Claims 1 to 22, wherein the package contains a plurality of items of fruit.
26. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein depletion of oxygen in the interior of the pouch is brought about by evacuation of air from the pouch before it is sealed and/or by flushing of the pouch with an inert gas prior to sealing.
27. A culinary utensil having a shaft with a longitudinal bore that is open at each 25 end, whereby air may be blown through the bore into a package within which the utensil is contained.
28. A package comprising a sealed flexible pouch containing a utensil having a shaft, wherein the shaft has a longitudinal bore that is open at each end, one end of the shaft being exposed when the pouch is, in use, opened, whereby air may be blown through the bore into the pouch.
29. A package comprising a sealed flexible pouch that is substantially evacuated of air, the pouch comprising side walls and a base, wherein the base is a resilient member, the resilient member being deformed from its rest configuration when the package is in a sealed condition, and the resilient member being arranged to return to the rest configuration when the pouch is opened, thereby drawing air into the pouch and causing the side walls of the pouch to separate.
30. A package comprising a sealed flexible pouch containing one or more items of food, the pouch comprising side walls and a base, wherein the base is of greater thickness than the side walls.
31. A package according to Claim 30, wherein the side walls of the package have thicknesses of between 50pm and 1 mm, and the base has a thickness of 15 between 500pm and 5mm.
32. A food package substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying Figures 1 to 4.
33. A food package substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying Figure 5.
34. A food package substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying Figure 6.
35. A food package substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying Figures 7 and 8.Amendments to the Claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. A food package comprising a sealed flexible pouch, the pouch containing one or more food items and a utensil, wherein the interior of the pouch is depleted of oxygen, and the one or more food items and the utensil are held in substantially fixed positions within the pouch.2. A food package according to Claim 1, wherein the utensil is disposed within the pouch adjacent to the one or more food items.3. A food package according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the pouch comprises first and second films that are sealed together at their periphery.(r) 4. A food package according to Claim 3, wherein the juxtaposed surfaces of the first and second films have a dimpled or uneven texture, or are laser-etched.CD5. A food package according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the films are of C\I plastics material.6. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil is a rigid component.7. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil is a component of rigid plastics material.8. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil is a culinary utensil by which the one or more food items may be removed from the package after the package has been opened in use.9. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil is a fork, spoon, cocktail stick or chopstick.ON10. A food package according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the utensil is a fork.11. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the utensil has a bore, one end of which is exposed when the package is opened in use, whereby air may be blown into the package to facilitate subsequent removal of the one or more food items.12. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the package further comprises an additional protector held in a substantially fixed position within the pouch.13. A food package according to Claim 12, wherein the additional protector is a stiffening rod.14. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein a base of the pouch is formed by a gusset of resilient material.15. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch is formed with a handle by which the pouch may be held by a user.16. A food package according to Claim 15, wherein the handle is formed integrally with the pouch.17. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch is opened by tearing off a part of the pouch.18. A food package according to Claim 17, wherein the pouch is formed with notches or other formations to facilitate tearing of the pouch.19. A food package according to Claim 17 or Claim 18, wherein the pouch is formed with a line of weakness to facilitate tearing of the pouch.20. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more food items are pieces of fruit.21. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more food items are cut pieces of fruit.22. A food package according to any of Claims 1 to 20, wherein the one or more food items are whole fruits.23. A food package according to any of Claims 1 to 19, wherein the package contains a single item of fruit.24. A food package according to Claim 23, wherein the single item of fruit is a (r) piece of a banana.O 25. A food package according to any of Claims 1 to 22, wherein the package N contains a plurality of items of fruit.26. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein depletion of oxygen in the interior of the pouch is brought about by evacuation of air from the pouch before it is sealed and/or by flushing of the pouch with an inert gas prior to sealing.27. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealed flexible pouch is substantially evacuated of air, the pouch comprising side walls and a base, and wherein the base is a resilient member, the resilient member being deformed from its rest configuration when the package is in a sealed condition, and the resilient member being arranged to return to the rest configuration when the pouch is opened, thereby drawing air into the pouch and causing the side walls of the pouch to separate.28. A food package according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealed flexible pouch comprises side walls and a base, and wherein the base is of greater thickness than the side walls.29. A package according to Claim 28, wherein the side walls of the package have thicknesses of between 50pm and 1mm, and the base has a thickness of between 500pm and 5mm.30. A food package substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying Figures 1 to 4.31. A food package substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying Figure 5.32. A food package substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in CD the accompanying Figure 6.C\I 33. A food package substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying Figures 7 and 8.