WO2008061909A2 - A method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products - Google Patents

A method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2008061909A2
WO2008061909A2 PCT/EP2007/062229 EP2007062229W WO2008061909A2 WO 2008061909 A2 WO2008061909 A2 WO 2008061909A2 EP 2007062229 W EP2007062229 W EP 2007062229W WO 2008061909 A2 WO2008061909 A2 WO 2008061909A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
food product
alphanumeric characters
logos
product
writing
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2007/062229
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2008061909A3 (en
Inventor
Francesco Lombardo
Original Assignee
Ralo' S.R.L.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ralo' S.R.L. filed Critical Ralo' S.R.L.
Publication of WO2008061909A2 publication Critical patent/WO2008061909A2/en
Publication of WO2008061909A3 publication Critical patent/WO2008061909A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/24—Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23N—MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HARVESTED FRUIT, VEGETABLES OR FLOWER BULBS IN BULK, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PEELING VEGETABLES OR FRUIT IN BULK; APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANIMAL FEEDING- STUFFS
    • A23N15/00—Machines or apparatus for other treatment of fruits or vegetables for human purposes; Machines or apparatus for topping or skinning flower bulbs
    • A23N15/06—Devices for other treatment of fruit, e.g. marking, maturing, polishing
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
    • A23P30/00—Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the process or apparatus
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
    • A23P30/00—Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the process or apparatus
    • A23P30/10—Moulding
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
    • A23P20/00—Coating of foodstuffs; Coatings therefor; Making laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs
    • A23P20/20—Making of laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs, e.g. by wrapping in preformed edible dough sheets or in edible food containers
    • A23P20/25—Filling or stuffing cored food pieces, e.g. combined with coring or making cavities
    • A23P2020/253—Coating food items by printing onto them; Printing layers of food products

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products.
  • a consumer can at present buy pre-packed food containers in suitable containers (for example trays, jars etc.), or can acquire a desired quantity of food products at retail points which sell unpacked portions of food over the counter.
  • the retailer usually removes a determined food product from a recipient thereof (usually a large-size recipient which is not visible to the customer as it might be located, for example, in a stockroom), which recipient bears information on the product, its sell-by date, the producer (information for tracing the product) and so on.
  • the food product is then transferred to other customised recipients, located in the refrigerator counters of the shop.
  • the quantity of product required by the consumer is then removed from the shop's recipients and placed in a closeable tray or other similar small recipient.
  • a retail sale method of this type exhibits the drawback of not completely protecting the consumer, as she or he has no guarantee that the product placed in the tray actually originates from the original recipient at the retail point.
  • the retail point might also exhibit a recipient (bearing a label with the logo of a company marketing or producing a certain product) into which, for example by mistake or voluntarily, a product is placed that the informed consumer will associate with the logo of the reported company.
  • the consumer while believing that she or he has bought a product originating as apparently claimed on the label, has instead acquired a product the origins and organoleptic qualities of which are completely unknown to her or him.
  • the aim of the present invention is to provide a method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products, which obviates the above-mentioned drawbacks and which guarantees that the consumer can trace with certainty the company which has produced and/or packed a determined product: in particular the aim of the invention is to provide the consumer with reliable information relating to the traceability of the product.
  • An additional aim of the invention is to provide a method which is able to write, without contact and without the use of inks or solvents, alphanumeric characters and the like on food products.
  • a further aim of the present invention is to provide a method characterised by simple and rapid operating stages.
  • a method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products characterised in that it comprises the following operating stages: conveying a food product towards a marking station; writing the alphanumeric characters and/or logos on a surface of the food product, with no contact with the food product, in order to obtain a marked food product; conveying the marked food product towards a packing station.
  • figure 1 is a schematic illustration of the main stages of the method of the invention
  • figure 2 illustrates a food product subjected to an operating stage of the provided method
  • figure 3 shows the same product after completion of the operating stage of figure 2;
  • figure 4 illustrates the food product, having been subjected to the method of the invention, once packed for sale to a consumer.
  • a food product P for example originating from a washing station, is conveyed towards a marking station 10.
  • the writing is performed at the marking station 10, involving no contact with the product P.
  • the writing might be, for example, alphanumeric characters and/or logos, including informative messages, numbers, batch codes, bar codes, sell- by dates, written on the surface of the product P in order to obtain a marked product P*.
  • the marking operation is preferably done using an apparatus, of known type, which generates and emits a laser beam of a suitable power which, by permanently modifying the surface of the product, enables the alphanumeric characters etc. to be written thereon, with a result that is sharp, indelible and unalterable.
  • the marked product P * is then conveyed towards a packing station 20, of known type, and is then sent on to sorting and despatch stations, situated downstream.
  • the operating stage of writing the alphanumeric characters etc. is preferably done when the product P is in a predetermined stationary position and is facing the printing head of the laser apparatus.
  • the marking products P * can be of vegetable and/or fruit nature, of various types, for example olives (figures 2, 3, 4), vegetables and other greens (artichokes, peppers, etc), mushrooms and so on, sold salted, in oil, pickled, in other liquids or without accompanying liquids.
  • olives figures 2, 3, 4
  • vegetables and other greens artificialichokes, peppers, etc
  • mushrooms and so on sold salted, in oil, pickled, in other liquids or without accompanying liquids.
  • the producer company and/or the packing company can be identified, even in cases where the olives are sold to the consumer after having been placed in a container which does not bear an informative label (figure 4).
  • the method advantageously enables, by use of a suitably-dimensioned laser beam, writing the name of the producer and/or packing company on the surface of a food product, guaranteeing the consumer the possibility of identifying the producer and/or packing company.
  • the consumer is also supplied with definite information relating to the traceability of the product, which guarantees a sort of "certification" of the quality of the food itself.
  • the alphanumeric characters, logos and the like can be written on the food products without any contact occurring and without any use of inks or solvents.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • General Preparation And Processing Of Foods (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)

Abstract

The method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products comprises the following operating stages: conveying a food product (P) towards a marking station (10); writing the alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on the surface of the food product (P), with no contact with the food product (P), in order to obtain a marked food product (P*); conveying the marked food product (P*) towards a packing station (20).

Description

A METHOD FOR WRITING ALPHANUMERIC CHARACTERS AND/OR LOGOS AND THE LIKE ON FOOD PRODUCTS
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products.
BACKGROUND ART
A consumer can at present buy pre-packed food containers in suitable containers (for example trays, jars etc.), or can acquire a desired quantity of food products at retail points which sell unpacked portions of food over the counter. In the latter case the retailer usually removes a determined food product from a recipient thereof (usually a large-size recipient which is not visible to the customer as it might be located, for example, in a stockroom), which recipient bears information on the product, its sell-by date, the producer (information for tracing the product) and so on. The food product is then transferred to other customised recipients, located in the refrigerator counters of the shop. The quantity of product required by the consumer is then removed from the shop's recipients and placed in a closeable tray or other similar small recipient.
A retail sale method of this type exhibits the drawback of not completely protecting the consumer, as she or he has no guarantee that the product placed in the tray actually originates from the original recipient at the retail point. The retail point might also exhibit a recipient (bearing a label with the logo of a company marketing or producing a certain product) into which, for example by mistake or voluntarily, a product is placed that the informed consumer will associate with the logo of the reported company. In this case the consumer, while believing that she or he has bought a product originating as apparently claimed on the label, has instead acquired a product the origins and organoleptic qualities of which are completely unknown to her or him.
Similar considerations can be made in relation to foodstuffs that some cafes place in trays, bowls etc., positioned on the sales counter for consumption by customers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to provide a method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products, which obviates the above-mentioned drawbacks and which guarantees that the consumer can trace with certainty the company which has produced and/or packed a determined product: in particular the aim of the invention is to provide the consumer with reliable information relating to the traceability of the product.
An additional aim of the invention is to provide a method which is able to write, without contact and without the use of inks or solvents, alphanumeric characters and the like on food products.
A further aim of the present invention is to provide a method characterised by simple and rapid operating stages.
The above mentioned aims are obtained, in accordance with the claims, by a method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products, characterised in that it comprises the following operating stages: conveying a food product towards a marking station; writing the alphanumeric characters and/or logos on a surface of the food product, with no contact with the food product, in order to obtain a marked food product; conveying the marked food product towards a packing station.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The characteristics of the invention will emerge from the following description of a preferred though not exclusive embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which:
figure 1 is a schematic illustration of the main stages of the method of the invention;
figure 2 illustrates a food product subjected to an operating stage of the provided method;
figure 3 shows the same product after completion of the operating stage of figure 2;
figure 4 illustrates the food product, having been subjected to the method of the invention, once packed for sale to a consumer. -A-
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to figures 1 , 2, 3, 4, a description will now be made of the operating stages of a method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products.
Firstly a food product P, for example originating from a washing station, is conveyed towards a marking station 10. The writing is performed at the marking station 10, involving no contact with the product P. The writing might be, for example, alphanumeric characters and/or logos, including informative messages, numbers, batch codes, bar codes, sell- by dates, written on the surface of the product P in order to obtain a marked product P*.
The marking operation is preferably done using an apparatus, of known type, which generates and emits a laser beam of a suitable power which, by permanently modifying the surface of the product, enables the alphanumeric characters etc. to be written thereon, with a result that is sharp, indelible and unalterable.
The marked product P* is then conveyed towards a packing station 20, of known type, and is then sent on to sorting and despatch stations, situated downstream.
The operating stage of writing the alphanumeric characters etc. is preferably done when the product P is in a predetermined stationary position and is facing the printing head of the laser apparatus.
Alternatively the operating stage of writing the alphanumeric characters etc. is done when the product P is in transit in the vicinity of the printing head of the laser apparatus. The marked products P* can be of vegetable and/or fruit nature, of various types, for example olives (figures 2, 3, 4), vegetables and other greens (artichokes, peppers, etc), mushrooms and so on, sold salted, in oil, pickled, in other liquids or without accompanying liquids. In this way the producer company and/or the packing company can be identified, even in cases where the olives are sold to the consumer after having been placed in a container which does not bear an informative label (figure 4).
The method advantageously enables, by use of a suitably-dimensioned laser beam, writing the name of the producer and/or packing company on the surface of a food product, guaranteeing the consumer the possibility of identifying the producer and/or packing company. The consumer is also supplied with definite information relating to the traceability of the product, which guarantees a sort of "certification" of the quality of the food itself.
To this it is added that as the method provided includes the use of a laser beam, the alphanumeric characters, logos and the like can be written on the food products without any contact occurring and without any use of inks or solvents.
The above description makes it clear that the method is characterised by simple and rapid operating stages.
Obviously the invention has been described with reference to the appended figures of the drawings and purely by way of non-limiting example; it is also obvious that modifications and variations can be brought to the invention, all however comprised within the ambit of protection as specified in the following claims.

Claims

1 ). A method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products, characterised in that it comprises the following operating stages:
a. conveying a food product (P) towards a marking station (10);
b. writing the alphanumeric characters and/or logos on a surface of the food product (P), with no contact with the food product (P), in order to obtain a marked food product (P*);
c. conveying the marked food product (P*) towards a packing station (20).
2). The method of claim 1 , characterised in that the operating stage designated as "b" is performed by an apparatus capable of generating and emitting a laser beam.
3). The method of claim 2, characterised in that the operating stage designated as "b" is performed when the food product (P) is in a predetermined stationary position and is facing a printing head of the apparatus.
4). The method of claim 2, characterised in that the operating stage designated as "b" is performed when the food product (P) is transiting in a vicinity of a printing head of the apparatus.
5). The method of claim 1 , characterised in that the food product (P) is in arrival from a washing station.
PCT/EP2007/062229 2006-11-22 2007-11-12 A method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products WO2008061909A2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITBO2006A000794 2006-11-22
IT000794A ITBO20060794A1 (en) 2006-11-22 2006-11-22 METHOD FOR REPORTING ALPHANUMERIC CHARACTERS AND / OR LOGOS AND SIMILAR, ON AGRO-FOOD PRODUCTS

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2008061909A2 true WO2008061909A2 (en) 2008-05-29
WO2008061909A3 WO2008061909A3 (en) 2008-07-31

Family

ID=39326709

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2007/062229 WO2008061909A2 (en) 2006-11-22 2007-11-12 A method for writing alphanumeric characters and/or logos and the like on food products

Country Status (2)

Country Link
IT (1) ITBO20060794A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2008061909A2 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITBO20080647A1 (en) * 2008-10-21 2010-04-22 Ralo S R L METHOD FOR THE MARKING OF OLIVES AND EQUIPMENT TO IMPLEMENT THIS METHOD

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2621529A1 (en) * 1987-10-09 1989-04-14 Bongrain Sa Method for thermal treatment of a food product, in particular a cheese or pork butchery food product; method for marking such a food product, marking apparatus for implementing the method; food product thus treated or marked
US5897797A (en) * 1994-11-04 1999-04-27 Atrion Medical Product. Inc. Produce marking system
EP1747838A2 (en) * 2005-07-28 2007-01-31 B. LONGOBARDI G.m.b.H. Process and device for the marking of fruits through laser with, before the marking, a cleaning/drying step and, after the marking, a sealing of the marked area

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2621529A1 (en) * 1987-10-09 1989-04-14 Bongrain Sa Method for thermal treatment of a food product, in particular a cheese or pork butchery food product; method for marking such a food product, marking apparatus for implementing the method; food product thus treated or marked
US5897797A (en) * 1994-11-04 1999-04-27 Atrion Medical Product. Inc. Produce marking system
EP1747838A2 (en) * 2005-07-28 2007-01-31 B. LONGOBARDI G.m.b.H. Process and device for the marking of fruits through laser with, before the marking, a cleaning/drying step and, after the marking, a sealing of the marked area

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITBO20080647A1 (en) * 2008-10-21 2010-04-22 Ralo S R L METHOD FOR THE MARKING OF OLIVES AND EQUIPMENT TO IMPLEMENT THIS METHOD
WO2010046752A1 (en) * 2008-10-21 2010-04-29 Ralo' S.R.L. A method for marking olives and an apparatus for actuating the method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2008061909A3 (en) 2008-07-31
ITBO20060794A1 (en) 2008-05-23

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