MXPA99007023A - Two-component packaged food products - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides two-component shelf-stable packaged food products, especially packaged sauce products. The products comprise a container, a first food component filling a first region of the container, and a second food component filling a second region of the container, wherein the second food component either directly contacts the first food component or is separated therefrom by an edible interfacial layer. The second food component can be decanted off the first food component, and the second and first food components are adapted for use in combination in sequential food preparation steps. Preferably, the first food component is a thick sauce concentrate and the second food component is a vegetable oil containing chopped vegetable pieces. The vegetable oil and vegetable pieces are decanted and fried, prior to addition of the sauce concentrate, thereby achieving improved organoleptic properties.

Description

FOOD PRODUCTS PACKAGED WITH TWO COMPONENTS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to stable two-component packaged food products, with methods for manufacturing them and with use in food preparation. As used herein, the term "two-component packaged food product" refers to single packages that contain two or more food components that are designed to be substantially separated during storage and distribution, and that are mixed only immediately prior to your consumption The two components are adapted for use in different, sequential cooking stages. Some packaged two-component formats are already known. For example, it is known to provide thermoformed plastic trays having two or more cavities for receiving different food products, the trays being sealed by a membrane thermally bonded through the top of the cavities. However, it is not economical to thermoform glass containers in complex forms of this type.

REF .: 30909 It is also known to provide packages in which two food products are separately packaged in semi-solid or gel form, but in physical contact in the same space. An example is the packaging of fruit yoghurt in which a carton has a layer of fruit jelly in the bottom, and a layer of yoghurt is provided on top of the fruit jelly. Another example is the packing of peanut butter and jelly together in a single jar. Such arrangements have hitherto been used with products that are not shelf-stable such as yogurt, or with stable shelf-stable products such as peanut butter or jelly that do not require heat stabilization to render them shelf stable. Such products may undergo degradation and mix if heated to 90 ° or higher to make them shelf stable. It is also known to provide packaged pasta sauce comprising a layer of acid-stabilized vegetable pieces such as chopped olives, on top of the sauce in a glass jar, which provides an attractive visual appearance. Such "stirring" arrangements are designed solely to provide an attractive visual appearance on the shelf, and are not suitable for use in a two-stage cooking process. The chopped vegetables are only mixed in the sauce, when the sauce is poured from the glass jar and it becomes warm again. Any attempt to cook by separate vegetables stabilized with acid (chopped) provides a product that has very poor organoleptic properties. It would be especially desirable to provide a two-component sauce pack or package, such as the two-component paste sauce pack. Such a package would preferably comprise a water-based component containing water and aqueous components such as tomato paste, sauce, sugar, etc., packaged together with an oil-based component, which preferably contains chopped vegetables, such as onions or garlic and / or meat. These chopped pieces present in the oil can then be initially fried to carry out the lopment of high temperature flavor and browning reactions necessary for vegetables and / or meat, before the addition of the water-based components to complete the preparation of the product. This contrasts with existing stable packaged sauce products on the shelf, most of which only contain pieces of raw or bleached vegetable on an aqueous tomato base, the base and vegetable pieces are heated together when the sauce is heated before of its use. Usually such sauces do not have the desirable organoleptic properties of "cooked at home" or "restaurant quality" of a sauce prepared by the sequential stages of frying and mixing, as described above. It would also be desirable to provide a two-component marinated product, wherein the first component is a conventional meat or a vegetable sauce and the second component is a marinade. When it is used, the marinade will first be applied to a food product, preferably meat. After the product has been marinated, it will be mixed with the first sauce component for additional cooking. Packaged sauces are usually required to be shelf stable. That is, the packaged product must be capable of storage at room temperature for at least one month, preferably at least three months, and more preferably at least six months without major corruption. In order to obtain this, it is necessary that the food product be packaged in a package substantially impermeable to oxygen and microorganisms, such as a glass jar. It is also necessary that the food product be sterilized or pasteurized with acid. Pasteurization refers to autoclaving the food product at a temperature above 120 ° C for at least 5 minutes, and usually also requires rotational mixing of the packaged product. Acid pasteurization refers to treating a food product having a pH of 4.5 or less, preferably 4.3 or less, at a temperature of at least 80 ° C, preferably 90 to 95 ° C for about 5 minutes. Acid pasteurization does not require rotational mixing of the packages, but may require the acidification of the food product with an acid acceptable in foods such as lactic acid, citric acid, alginic acid, acetic acid or the like to obtain the necessary pH. An object of the present invention is to provide a shelf-stable, two-component packaged food product, such as a sauce, in which the two components are packaged in the same container space; and which allows the first and second components to be used in combination for sequential stages of food preparation. Preferably, the product is a sauce, such as a pasta sauce, a rice sauce or a risotto, a meat sauce or an oriental-style sauce. The product can also be a soup. The present invention provides a two-component, shelf-stable, packaged food product comprising: a container having substantially rigid walls and an opening for filling and emptying the container; a first food component filling a first region of the container remote from the opening; a second food component different from the first food component and filling a second region of the container adjacent to the opening; wherein the second food component directly contacts the first food component or is separated therefrom solely by an edible, interfacial layer, and wherein the second food component can be separated by decanting the first food component by opening the container, the second and first food components are adapted for use in combination in sequential stages of food preparation. The term "use in combination in sequential stages in food preparation" implies that a first stage of food preparation, usually cooked by the application of heat, is preferred over the second food component, and that this is followed by a second stage. of food preparation, different from the first stage of food preparation and making use of the first food component, which is usually the mixing and heating of the first food component with the product of the first stage of food preparation. The term "food preparation stage" implies the heating and marinating stages, but does not imply a simple mixing of components. Preferably, the first food component is an aqueous sauce component such as tomato sauce, a meat concentrate or a vegetable concentrate, which optionally contains fat or oils as a dispersed phase. in a continuous aqueous phase. Preferably, the pH of the first food component is less than 4.5, preferably 4.3 or less to allow acid stabilization of the first food product without autoclaving. Preferably, the second food component is a component based on edible oil. The term "edible oil-based component" encompasses water-in-oil emulsions and solid suspensions in oil. The edible oil preferably comprises a vegetable oil, more preferably corn oil or sunflower seed oil. The edible oil component may further comprise a flavoring oil such as olive oil, sesame oil and the like. The edible oil preferably has herbs, spices or other lipophilic flavorings. More preferably, the second food component is an edible oil having pieces of vegetables and / or herbs and spices distributed therein. The preferred vegetable pieces are selected from the group consisting of onions, garlic, carrots, peppers or peppers, aubergines or mixtures thereof. Preferably, the vegetable pieces are raw or bleached but not substantially cooked or in brine. Typically, the vegetable pieces have dimensions in the order of 3-20 mm, and preferably the vegetables and pieces. Herbs occupy 20% to 80% of the volume occupied by the second food component, more preferably 30% to 60% of the volume occupied by the second component. In certain embodiments, the second alternative food component or additionally may contain pieces of meat. Normally, pieces of solid vegetables should be acidified with an acceptable food acid to make them suitable for acid pasteurization. Suitable food acceptable acids include lactic, citric, ascetic and alginic acids. Preferably, the pH of the acidified meat or vegetable pieces is less than 4.5, more preferably less than 4.3. Here and elsewhere in the specification, the pH of a food component is determined by macerating 100 grams of the food component in 100 ml of deionized water, followed by measuring the pH of the resulting liquid using a glass electrode. The uniformity of the acidification is confirmed by cutting the pieces of selected solid vegetable and applying a pH contact electrode to different regions of the cross section. For example, in salsa or soup products according to the present invention, the edible oil layer containing the chopped pieces of vegetable are decanted in a pan and the vegetables are then fried in oil to develop the desirable flavors and textures due to the high temperature cooking of the vegetables in the oil, so that a greater flavor is obtained cooked at home or of restaurant quality in the finished product. It is well known that these browning reactions include what are termed mailar reactions, in which carbohydrates such as sugars react with proteins present in the food. It has been found that improved flavor development is obtained if the vegetable pieces in the second food component comprise added reducing sugars, especially glucose, since the reducing sugars provide particularly strong mating reactions. In addition, the presence of reducing sugar appears to reduce the perceived acid taste of acid-stabilized vegetable pieces. Finally, the presence of reducing sugar seems to reduce the clicks and splashes observed during the frying process, so that it becomes the most user-friendly food product. It is considered that this is due to the wetting stage of the pieces of vegetables in a reducing sugar solution to infuse them with the sugar which reduces the total water content of the vegetable pieces by osmosis. Therefore, the vegetable pieces in the second food component in the preferred embodiments of the present invention preferably also comprise a sugar added reducer, more preferably glucose. The reducing sugar can be added before, after or preferably simultaneously with the food acceptable acid simply by moistening or bleaching the plant parts in a sugar solution. Once the vegetables have been sufficiently browned in oil from the second food component, the user can optionally add additional meat or other components for high temperature browning, in a manner similar to the way in which a conventional meat sauce is prepared. ^ Alternatively, the meat may be present in advance in the second food component, although this is usually not preferred. In any case, once the frying steps are completed, the first food component (aqueous sauce or soup concentrate) is stirred or spooned from the container to the second cooked food component, with mixing and heating to produce a sauce finished for pasta, rice, meat or similar, or a finished soup, which has organoleptic properties of cooking at home or restaurant quality. Since the second food component is based on oil and the first food component is based on water, it has been found to be advantageous to include an emulsifier in the oil, miscible with the second food component. This ensures rapid and complete mixing of the two components Food with improved organoleptic properties, sensation to the palate and visual appearance in the product. The preferred emulsifier is lecithin, preferably present in the edible oil in an amount of 0.05% by weight to 0.5% by weight, based on the weight of the edible oil in the second food component. It has also been found that lecithin reduces clicks and splashing of vegetables during the frying process. In preferred alternative embodiments, the present invention provides a risotto sauce product, wherein the second food component comprises oil and vegetables, meat or herb spices or as described hereinbefore, for pasta or cooked sauce, but the The second food component is an aqueous risotto base concentrate comprising meat or vegetable concentrate, cheese, emulsified fats, herbs, spices, thickeners and / or wine. When they are used, the vegetables are fried as in the above. Then add rice and fry it in the oil. The risotto base concentrate is added, along with enough additional water to hydrate the rice, and cooking is continued with agitation for 10-40 minutes (depending on the type of rice used) to produce the finished risotto. In alternative preferred embodiments, the present invention provides a soup product, wherein the second food component comprises oil and vegetable, meat or pieces of herbs as described above for pasta or meat sauce, and the second food component is a component of concentrated soup. When used, the oil-based component is fried, optionally with the addition of additional meat or vegetables, and then the second food component is added, together with sufficient additional fluid such as concentrate, cream, water or milk, to form a soup of the desired consistency. In alternative preferred embodiments of the present invention, specifically the marinade sauce modalities, the second food component based on edible oil is replaced by a liquid marinade, preferably an aqueous marinade. This marinade is decanted on a food, usually a meat, in a first stage of food preparation. After allowing a sufficient time of staining, the marinated meat is then cooked before the addition of the first food component (water-based sauce) of the cooked sauce product. Preferably, the container is a glass jar. Preferably, the first and second food components are in direct contact through the interior of the bottle. Preferably, the first and second food components are substantially mutually immiscible (for example, one is based on oil and the other is water-based) to inhibit the diffusion mixing of the two components.

The direct contact between the first and second food components provides an attractive visual appearance in the package, and avoids the expense and potential contamination risk of providing a physical barrier between the two components. As previously indicated, the first and second food components in the packaged food products according to the present invention are packaged in the same container space, the components are either in direct contact with each other or are separated only by an edible, interfacial layer. Accordingly, the packaged food products according to the present invention preferably additionally comprise a means to inhibit mixing of the first and second food components when the package is going to be transported, come or inspected by a supplier's brochure. Preferably, the medium that prevents mixing also inhibits mixing while the second food component is separated by decanting the first component food. Preferably, the means for inhibiting the mixing of the first and second components comprises a thickening or gelling agent that is provided in the first component i *. food so the first food component is thickened or gelled enough to inhibit mixing of the first and second food components during the filling and transporting the packaging of two components, and during the decantation of the second food component. Preferably, the thickening or gelling agent is a hydrocolloid, which is preferably selected from the group consisting of pectins, alginates, guar gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, gelatin, starch, starch derivatives and mixtures thereof. Most preferably, the gelling agent comprises pectin gelled with a calcium salt. Preferably, the gelling agent is present in an amount of 0.1 to 1.0% by weight. Preferably, the first component comprises both a gelling agent such as pectin and a conventional thickener such as starch, especially modified corn starch, the thickener is present in an amount of 0.5-1.5% by weight. The starch becomes thicker to the first food component both at high temperatures and at low temperatures, unlike the pectin gel, which decomposes completely at high temperatures. Therefore, starch ensures that the first food component still has a palatable consistency and palatability at consumer temperatures and heat stabilization temperatures. The first food component retains sufficient mobility to be poured into tablespoons or agitated from the bottom of the container after decanting the second component of the upper part of the container. The first food component will normally turn to a liquid state when heated, however, this does not prevent acid pasteurization of the two-component food packaging products according to the present invention, since the heating step of the acid pasteurization it does not involve agitation or investment of the products, and therefore does not result in mixing of the first and second food components. Alternatively, or additionally, the first and second food components can be separated by an edible, interfacial layer. Preferably, the edible interfacial layer is a product of a reaction at the interface between the first and second food components between the first and second gel-formed substances present in the first and second food components, respectively. Preferably, the first gel-forming component is a hydrocolloid and the second gel-forming component is a chemical entity that gels or forges the hydrocolloid into an edible polymeric film. The term "hydrocolloid" encompasses all edible substances that can form a gel in the presence of water. Preferably, the hydrocolloid comprises an edible polymer. For example, the edible polymer may comprise a polysaccharide such as pectin and the agent The gelling agent may comprise an acid or base in an amount sufficient to modify the pH of the other food component to place it in a range in which the gelation of the polysaccharide occurs. The gelation of pectins (especially low methoxy pectin) can also be induced by providing a calcium salt in the other food components. In embodiments where the first food component is an aqueous sauce and the second food component is an edible oil, then the pulverized pectin can be dispersed in the edible oil and a calcium salt can be supplied in the oil phase or it can be dissolved in the aqueous phase. The pulverized pectin settles at the oil / water interface, where it interacts with the water and the calcium salt to form a gel membrane. Many additional edible polymers are known that can be gelled or set to form membranes by suitable reagents. For example, it is well known that soluble sodium alginate sets to form a film in contact with aqueous calcium salts. Similar gelation reactions are known for xanthan gum when placed in contact with a galactomannan gum, such as locust bean gum or guar gum. Similarly, it is known that aqueous guar gum can be set to a gel by ion action borate. Many other suitable reactions between edible components will be known to those familiar readers. The interfacial layer of edible hydrocolloid gel generally has a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 10 mm, based on the type and concentration of the gel-forming components. Other edible interfacial layers that can be used in the practice of the present invention include rice paper coated with edible wax, collagen-containing films, and layers of water-immiscible lipid-protein complexes, such as a lipid-protein emulsion complex. applied to the spray interface. Alternatively or additionally, accidental mixing of the first and second food components in the packaged food products according to the present invention is prevented by providing substantially no free space within the container between the container and the closure and the first and second components food. In other words, the first and second food components within the container substantially completely fill the container and closure assembly. Substantially there is no space filled with gas or vacuum between the fluid feed content and the container or closure. That is, the interior of the container is substantially free of any gas or vacuum bag, in addition to the gas bubbles present in the foam layer as described above. Preferably, at least 99% of the internal volume of the container and the closure assembly is filled by food components or foam, more preferably at least 99.8% of the volume is filled in this manner, and more preferably at least 99.95% of the volume is filled in this way. The clearance of the free space can be carried out by a variety of packaging techniques, in addition to a careful control of the filling level of the container. For example, the closure may comprise a release valve means to allow air to be expelled from the interior of the container during acid pasteurization, together with a space filling means to replace the air gap when the packaged food product is cooled after acid pasteurization. The space filling means preferably comprises a portion of the base portion of the closure cap which may undergo plastic deformation. The space filling means also comprises a layer of dry foam at the base of the lid which is hydrated and expanded in the acid pasteurization stage. Alternatively or additionally, the space filling means may be constituted by a foaming agent, such as calcium carbonate in one of the food components, which produces microscopic bubbles filling space during the heat treatment stage. An advantage of all these devices that rely on a space filling means inside the container is that, when the container is opened, there is a normal appearance free space of 2-10 millimeters between the upper part of the container and the upper part. of food products in the interior. The free space of normal appearance makes it easier to decant the content of the container and improves consumer acceptability. In preferred embodiments, one or both of the food components contains a dispersed foaming agent, such as calcium carbonate particles, which react with the acid present in the food components to form bubbles when heated. One or both of the food components also contain a gel-forming agent such as pectin. The container is sealed in a conventional manner, and then treated with heat to stabilize the contents. The heat treatment results in the formation of a semisolid foam that completely fills and eliminates the free space of the package. The absence of a low density air bag or a vacuum within the container makes it considerably less likely that a gentle agitation of the container results in mixing of the first and second food components. This is because the first and second components Foods themselves generally have similar densities, probably densities within about 10% of each other, so that agitation of the container results in relatively weak mixing forces in the first and second components. The tendency of the first and second components to be mixed can be further reduced by providing one or more of the different features of the present invention as described herein. In order to produce the thermal expansion of the first and second food components during the normal thermal cycle and storage temperatures, and in particular during the acid pasteurization of the package, the two component packaged food product according to these preferred embodiments with a null free space preferably comprises a means for accommodating thermal expansion of the first and second food components. Preferably, this means is provided in or within the closure. Preferably, the means for accommodating thermal expansion comprises a compressible base portion of the closure. That is, the base of the closure that faces the interior of the container has a continuous surface to the food component thereof, but can flex outwardly to accommodate the expansion of the food components. The compression capacity can be achieved by a resilient diaphragm, or by a foam body that can be compress, or by a gas bag inside the base inside the lid of the closure. In alternative preferred embodiments, the means for accommodating thermal expansion comprises an expansion chamber in the lid, with an expansion chamber communicating with the interior of the container through a small opening. The expansion chamber initially contains a gas bag that can be filled or partially filled by expansion of the food components that are inside the container. This small opening between the interior of the container and in the expansion chamber means that the air or vacuum trapped in the expansion chamber does not cause mixing of the first and second food components when the package is agitated. Preferably, the shape and configuration of the container is selected to minimize accidental mixing of the first and second food components during filling, transportation and decanting of the first and second food components. For example, preferably the cross-sectional area of the container is smaller in the second region where the second food component is stored, as compared to the first region where the first food component is stored. This results in the presence of a flange in the container adjacent to the interface between the first and second regions. The flange helps reduce the spraying the first food component when the second food component is introduced into the container on top of the first food component. The difference in the cross-sectional areas of the first and second regions also confers a more attractive visual appearance to the two component packaged food product, since the volume of the second food component is generally smaller than that of the first component, and therefore it is desirable to improve the visibility of the second food component by placing it in a region of smaller cross section, so that it occupies a relatively greater height of the container compared to the container having a uniform cross-sectional area. Preferably, the cross section of the container in the second region is substantially the same as the cross section of the opening in the upper part of the container. More preferably, the opening is substantially circular and the internal cross-section of the container in the second region below the opening is substantially cylindrical, having substantially the same diameter as the opening. It has been found that such configurations are especially suitable for the introduction of vegetable pieces into the second region of the container using a bag filler, with minimum retrosalpicado of the first food component. located in the first region of the container when vegetables are introduced. The retrosalpicado of the first food component in the lower region of the container when the second food component is introduced thereto, can be further reduced by providing an internally projecting, circumferential edge on the container adjacent to the interface between the first and second regions. . The circumferential edge deviates from the second food component (especially plant parts) that are introduced into the container, and prevents the return of the first food component splashing. The present invention also provides a method for the preparation of foods comprising the steps of: providing a packaged food product according to the present invention as described above; decanting the second food component of the container and carrying out a first step of preparing food with the second food component to obtain an intermediate food product; followed by adding the first food component to the intermediate food product and carrying out a second stage of food preparation. Preferably, the first step of food preparation comprises cooking the second food component at an elevated temperature, more preferably by frying. By example, when the second food component comprises vegetable pieces in edible oil, and the first stage of food preparation comprises frying the vegetable pieces in the oil as described above. More preferably, meat is then added to the oil and the vegetable pieces, and fried. In alternative embodiments, the second food component comprises a marinade, and the first stage of food preparation comprises marinating a meat with the marinade, followed by cooking the meat and adding the first food component. The present invention further provides a method for manufacturing a packaged food product according to the present invention as described above, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a container having substantially rigid walls and an opening at the top; filling a lower region of the container with a first aqueous food component having a pH less than or equal to 4.3; followed by deposition of vegetable pieces in the upper part of the first food component, the vegetable pieces are acidified at pH less than or equal to 4.3; followed by addition of oil-based liquid, edible to fill the rest of the container; followed by application of a closure or cover to the opening to seal the opening; and heat stabilizing the packaged food product to make it stable on the shelf. In a second aspect, the present invention provides a packaged, stable, shelf-stable food product comprising vegetable pieces in a liquid based on edible oil, wherein the vegetable pieces are acidified with an acid acceptable in food and liquid based in edible oil comprises an emulsifier. Preferably, the vegetable pieces comprise added sugars, and more preferably the reducing sugar comprises glucose. Preferably, the pieces of vegetables comprise at least 1% by weight of added reducing sugar, more preferably at least 2%. Preferably, the vegetable pieces are raw or bleached, but not cooked. Preferably, the acid acceptable in foods is selected from the group consisting of citric, lactic, ascetic and alginic acids. Preferably, the pH of the acidified vegetable pieces is less than or equal to 4.3. Preferably, the liquid based on edible oil consists essentially of one or more vegetable oils. Preferably, the emulsifier comprises lecithins, and preferably the emulsifier is present in an amount of 0.1% to 0.5% by weight based on the weight of the edible oil. Such packaged, shelf-stable vegetable-in-oil products are especially suitable for use as the basis for a restaurant-quality, home-cooked sauce product. Vegetables in oil are fried as described above to provide the basis for a superior quality sauce. Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal cross-section through a first mode of the packaged food product stable on the shelf; two components, according to the present invention. The figure shows a longitudinal cross section through a second embodiment of the food product in packaging, stable in shelf, of two components, according to the present invention. Figure 3 shows a partial longitudinal cross section through the upper part of the embodiment shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a partial longitudinal cross section through the upper part of a third embodiment of the packaged, stable food product; in a shelf, of two components, according to the present invention. With reference to Figure 1, the packaged, shelf stable, two-component food product according to the present invention comprises a transparent glass container 1, made by molding or blowing in a conventional manner. The container 1 comprises a lower region 2 of relatively large cross-sectional area, and an upper region 3 of relatively smaller cross-sectional area, with a flange 4 between the upper and lower regions. An opening 5 in the upper part of the container has a cross section substantially identical to that of the upper region 3, and is sealed with a closure lid 6 in a conventional manner. An indented circumferential edge 7 extends around the interior of the container 1 adjacent the intermediate flange 4 to the upper and lower regions 2 and 3. An aqueous tomato sauce 8 fills the lower region 2 of the container 1. The tomato sauce 8 has a lower natural pH of 4.2. in addition, the tomato sauce 8 is thickened and gelled by the presence of 1% modified corn starch, 0.4% by weight of methoxy pectin low, and 0.02% by weight of calcium chloride as a gelling agent, based on the weight of the sauce 8. This results in a tomato sauce 8 which has a weakly gelled consistency at room temperature. Upper region 3 of container 1 is sealed with a mixture of chopped onions, peppers or peppers and pieces 9 eggplant that have approximate dimensions of 5 mm, submerged in edible oil. The edible oil is a mixture of 90% sunflower oil and 10% olive oil. The oil also contains 0.09% by weight of lecithin based on the weight of the oil. The vegetable pieces were treated before packing by infusion for 5 minutes at room temperature in a solution consisting of 50% by weight of water, 3% by weight of 50% w / v of aqueous lactic acid, and 47% by weight. glucose weight. This results in pieces of acidified vegetables that incorporate glucose. The packaged food product shown in Figure 1 has been pasteurized at 95 ° C to Pc of 5 and is shelf stable. The packaged food product of Figure 1 is prepared as follows. First, a standard aqueous tomato sauce is prepared in a conventional manner as described in the following, in Example 1. The pectin and the calcium chloride gelling agent are mixed in the sauce, and the lower region 2 of the container then it is filled with the sauce at a level of approximately 2-5 mm below the flange 4. This filling step can be carried out at temperature environment, or at elevated temperatures at which the sauce 8 is completely liquid, and preferably is carried out at about 50 ° C. Then the container 1 passes through a bag filler, in which the vegetable pieces 9 treated in the upper part of the sauce component 8 are deposited. Retrosalpicado of the sauce is minimized for the following reasons, first, the rim 4 of the container 1 diverts the retrosalpicado flow of the sauce 2. Second, the indentation 7 deflects the downward movement of the vegetable pieces 9 and by therefore, it further reduces retrospotting. The sedimentation of the vegetables on the sauce increases its level up to the level of the rim. Finally, enough of the edible oil component is added to complete the filling of the container 1 to a level of approximately 1.5 cm below the top of the container. The container is then capped and pasteurized at 95 ° C at a P0 of 5 in a conventional manner without reaction or stirring. When it is used, the oil 10 and the vegetable pieces 9 are separated by decantation of the sauce component 8 and fried at high temperature to obtain a browning and Maillard reactions. Optionally add vegetables or additional meat and brown in oil. Finally, the sauce 8 is decanted in the oil that has been fried and the vegetables, with a spoon, or by stirring, and the combination is mixed together and heated to form the final sauce. The presence of lecithin in the oil provides rapid and complete mixing of the oil and aqueous components of the sauce, and the heating returns to the gelled sauce 8 to a liquid condition. The resulting sauce has organoleptic characteristics of home cooking and restaurant quality. With reference to Figure 2, the alternative embodiment shown herein incorporates substantially zero free space feature in the container to minimize mixing of the first and second food component when the container is agitated. A null free space is obtained by providing a plastic diaphragm 20 at the base of the closure lid 21. An air bag 22 below the diaphragm 20 is compressible to allow thermal expansion of the contents of the container, while maintaining zero void space, as shown in solid lines in Figure 3. With reference to Figure 4, the concept of alternative null free space, wherein the thermal expansion of the content of the container is accommodated by means of a chamber 30 at the base of a closure lid 32, whereby the content of the container can be expanded in the chamber 30 through of the tiny holes 34.

Further embodiments of the packaged, shelf-stable, two-component food products are illustrated in accordance with the present invention and in the following examples.

Example 1 A food product is prepared as follows in a stable, two-component, shelf pack comprising an edible interfacial layer between the first and second food components. A standard concentrated paste sauce is prepared by mixing concentrated tomato puree, onions, garlic, herbs, 1% modified corn starch and 17% added water, to provide a natural pH of 3.95. Calcium chloride is dissolved in the sauce in an amount of 0.05% w / w. A 400 g glass jar is filled with 300 g of the standard concentrated pasta sauce. The bottle is filled to the top leaving a 1.5 cm free space with a suspension of 0.5 g of low pectin (AMP 285 of SPI Benelux) and 0.2 g of powdered CaC03 (Danby Food Ingredients) in 100 g of olive oil. The bottle is then capped and pasteurized at 95 ° C to a P0 of 5. The suspension settles during pasteurization and the pectin, calcium and water of the base sauce combine to cool to form a gel layer in the inferióase between oil and water. The gel is red and visually indistinguishable from the rest of the pasta sauce. The gel layer can simply be stirred in the sauce during cooking.

Example 2 A two component, packaged, stable, shelf-stable food product is prepared as follows in accordance with the present invention, in which zero void space is obtained by filling the free space with a semi-solid foam. To 1 kg of concentrated pasta sauce as prepared in example 1 is added 5 g of low pectin DE. Calcium carbonate is dispersed in the mixture at a concentration of 0.35 g per liter. The rest of the components for the sauce are mixed and a bottle comprising 75% pasta sauce in the lower layer and 25% olive oil in the vegetable mixture in the upper layer is filled with a standard free space of 1.5 cm, and the bottle is covered. The average filling temperature is 50 ° C. The sauce is pasteurized at 95 ° C for a P0 of 5. During pasteurization, the C02 formed by the reaction of calcium carbonate with the acid in the sauce forms a cream or foam structure. The free space in the bottle is reduce to minus 3 mm. During cooling, the cream structure is sedimented by gelling the pectin, the presence of calcium cations to form a stable structure. When opening the bottle, the light vacuum set in the bottle during hot filling is reduced and the cream contracts slightly. This has the effect of sedimenting the product to a free space of approximately 1 cm. The reaction of calcium carbonate increases the pH of the sauce from 3.95 to 4.12. The above embodiments have been described by way of example only, many other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims and will be apparent to a reader familiar with the art. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects or products to which it refers.

Claims (44)

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property

1. A packaged food product, stable in shelf, of two components, characterized in that it comprises: a container having substantially rigid walls and an opening for filling and emptying the container; a first food component filling a first container region remote from the opening; a second food component, different from the first food component, and filling a second region of the container adjacent to the opening; wherein the second food component makes contact directly with the first food component or is separated therefrom only by an edible interfacial layer, and wherein the second food component can be separated by decanting the first food component through the opening, the second and first food components are adapted for use in combination in sequential stages of food preparation.

2. The packaged food product according to claim 1, characterized in that the first food component is an aqueous sauce component and the second food component is a component based on edible oil.

3. The packaged food product according to claim 2, characterized in that the second food component comprises solid pieces of vegetables submerged in the edible oil.

4. The packaged food product according to claim 3, characterized in that the solid pieces of vegetables are selected from the group consisting of onion, garlic, carrot, chilli or peppers, aubergines or mixtures thereof.

5. The packaged food product according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the solid vegetable pieces occupy 20% to 80% of the volume of the second food component.

6. The packaged food product, according to claim 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the solid vegetable pieces are acidified with a food acceptable acid.

7. The packaged food product according to claim 6, characterized in that the pH of the solid vegetable pieces is less than or equal to 4.3.

8. The packaged food product according to any of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the vegetable pieces comprise added reducing sugar.

9. The packaged food product, according to claim 3, characterized in that the added reducing sugar comprises added glucose.

10. The packaged food product according to any of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the edible oil comprises an emulsifier.

11. The packaged food product according to claim 10, characterized in that the emulsifier is lecithin in an amount from 0.05% w / w to 0.5% w / w, based on the weight of the edible oil in the second food component.

12. The packaged food product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first food component comprises a thickening or gelling agent, whereby the first food component is thickened or gelled sufficiently to inhibit the mixing of the first and second food components during the filling and transportation of the two-component package, and during the decantation of the second food component.

13. The packaged food product according to claim 12, characterized in that the thickening or gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of pectins, alginates, guar gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, gelatin, starch, starch derivatives and mixtures thereof. the same.

14. The packaged food product according to claim 13, characterized in that the gelling agent comprises gelled pectin with a calcium salt.

15. The packaged food product, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first food component is an aqueous food component having a pH less than or equal to 4.3.

16. The packaged food product according to claim 1, characterized in that the second food component is a marinade component, and the first food component is an aqueous sauce component.

17. The packaged food product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second food components are packed in direct contact with each other.

18. The packaged food product according to any of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the first and second food components are separated by an edible interfacial layer.

19. The packaged food product according to claim 18, characterized in that the edible interfacial layer is the product of a reaction between a hydrocolloid present in one of the first and second food components, water, and a gelling agent present in the other of the first and second food components.

20. The packaged food product according to claim 19, characterized in that the hydrocolloid comprises a polysaccharide which is selected from the group consisting of pectin, alginate, xanthan gum, guar gum and locust bean gum.

21. The packaged food product according to claim 19, characterized in that the hydrocolloid comprises a pectin and the gelling agent comprises a calcium salt.

22. The packaged food product according to claim 19, characterized in that the polysaccharide comprises xanthan gum and the gelling agent comprises a galactomannan.

23. The packaged food product, according to claim 18, characterized in that the layer Edible interface comprises a lipid-protein membrane immiscible in water.

24. The packaged food product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is substantially no free space inside the container between the container and the closure or lid and the first and second food components, so that mixing is reduced of the first and second food components when the container is stirred.

25. The packaged food product according to claim 24, characterized in that the container has a closure fixed thereto, comprising a means for accommodating thermal expansion of the first and second food components.

26. The packaged food product according to claim 25, characterized in that the means for accommodating the thermal expansion comprises a compressible base portion of the closure.

27. The packaged food product according to claim 25, characterized in that the means for accommodating thermal expansion comprises an expansion chamber in the closure communicating with the interior of the container.

28. The packaged food product according to any of claims 24 to 27, characterized in that it comprises a layer of a stable foam.

29. The packaged food product according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the container is smaller in the second region than in the first region.

30. The packaged food product according to claim 29, characterized in that the cross section of the container in the second region is substantially the same as in the cross section of the opening.

31. The packaged food product according to claim 29 or 30, characterized in that the container further comprises an edge projecting circumferentially inward, adjacent to the interface between the first and second regions to inhibit mixing of the first and second components food during the filling of the container.

32. A method of food preparation, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: providing a packaged food product, according to any of claims 1 to 31; decanting the second food component of the container and carrying out a first step of preparing food with a second food component to obtain an intermediate food product; followed by adding a first food component to the intermediate food product with mixing and heating in a second stage of food preparation.

33. The method for food preparation, according to claim 32, characterized in that the second food component comprises vegetable pieces in edible oil, and the first stage of food preparation comprises frying the vegetable pieces in the oil.

34. The method for preparing food, according to claim 33, characterized in that the first stage of food preparation also comprises adding meat to the oil and vegetable pieces, and frying the meat.

35. The method for preparing food, according to claim 33 or 34, characterized in that the first stage of food preparation comprises adding rice to oil and vegetable pieces, and frying rice, and the second stage of food preparation It includes cooking the rice with enough liquid to hydrate the rice.

36. The method for preparing food, according to any of claims 32, 33 or 34, characterized in that the second stage of food preparation comprises adding water, raw material or milk to the first and second food components.

37. The method for preparing food, according to claim 32, characterized in that the second food component comprises a marinade, and the first stage of food preparation comprises marinating a meat with the marinade.

38. A method for manufacturing a packaged food product, according to any of claims 1 to 31, the method is characterized in that it comprises the steps of: providing a container having substantially rigid walls and an opening in the upper part; filling the lower region of the container with a first aqueous food component having a pH less than or equal to 4.3, followed by depositing vegetable pieces on top of the first food component, the vegetable pieces acidified to pH less than 4.2; followed by adding an oil-based, edible liquid to fill the rest of the container; followed by

39. A stable, packaged food product, characterized in that it comprises pieces of vegetable in a liquid based on an edible oil, characterized in that the vegetable pieces are acidified with an acid acceptable in the food and the liquid based on the edible oil also comprises an emulsifier.

40. The stable, packaged food product in accordance with claim 39, characterized in that the vegetable pieces also comprise an added reducing sugar.

41. The stable, packaged food product in accordance with claim 40, characterized in that the added reducing sugar comprises glucose.

42. The shelf-stable, packaged food product according to claim 39, 40 or 41, characterized in that the pH of the acidified vegetable pieces is less than or equal to 4.3.

43. The shelf-stable, packaged food product according to any of claims 39 to 42, characterized in that the emulsifier comprises lecithin.

44. The shelf-stable, packaged food product according to any of claims 39 to 43, characterized in that the product comprises 0.05% to 0.5% by weight of emulsifier based on the weight of the edible oil.