Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B2/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general
  • A23B2/70—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general by treatment with chemicals
  • A23B2/704—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general by treatment with chemicals in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
  • A23B2/708—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general by treatment with chemicals in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B4/00—Preservation of meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/14—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12
  • A23B4/16—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/18—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/18—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient
  • B65D81/20—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/18—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient
  • B65D81/20—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
  • B65D81/2069—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas in a special atmosphere
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/24—Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants
  • B65D81/26—Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants with provision for draining away, or absorbing, or removing by ventilation, fluids, e.g. exuded by contents; Applications of corrosion inhibitors or desiccators
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/24—Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants
  • B65D81/26—Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants with provision for draining away, or absorbing, or removing by ventilation, fluids, e.g. exuded by contents; Applications of corrosion inhibitors or desiccators
  • B65D81/264—Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants with provision for draining away, or absorbing, or removing by ventilation, fluids, e.g. exuded by contents; Applications of corrosion inhibitors or desiccators for absorbing liquids

Definitions

• the present invention relates in general to a procedure for the preservation of perishable fresh foods in a container as well as to the container that performs such a procedure.
• the object of the invention is a procedure for preserving fresh perishable foods, especially for meat and meat products, in a package, where the procedure eliminates the need to incorporate a modified and / or protective atmosphere, being the container itself that generates said protective atmosphere from a chemical reaction of carbon dioxide generation that begins with the natural exudate of the packaged product and that extends over time, so that the generation of gases in the gas is effectively controlled. inside the container and the accumulation of exudate in contact with the food inside said container is avoided. It is likewise an object of the invention to generate a protective atmosphere for the fresh perishable product packaged in accordance with said procedure.
• the shelf life of refrigerated meat packaged in the air is approximately 5-7 days, the main mechanisms of deterioration affecting the conservation time being the development of microorganisms, the oxidation of fats and the color change of the meat. Therefore, the most commonly used technique for the conservation of this type of products consists in the use of modified atmospheres, with an approximate composition of 20-70% CO2, which has proven to be an effective antibacterial.
• this modified atmosphere packaging process has numerous advantages compared to conventional air packaging processes, among others, it allows to extend the shelf life of the food delaying and / or avoiding microbial development and chemical and enzymatic deterioration responsible for such deterioration during storage and commercialization; reduces the intensity of other complementary conservation treatments; Improves the optimization of warehouse management, since being hermetically sealed containers different foods can be stored in the same enclosure and allows a better presentation of the food since it contributes to providing an image of freshness and natural product. Other factors such as low storage temperature and different compositions of the modified atmosphere of the container are also important to prolong the shelf life of the product, reducing microbial growth and favoring the conservation of its organoleptic properties.
• the modified atmosphere packaging also presents a series of drawbacks, such as a high initial investment in equipment, high maintenance and operating costs, gas costs for the generation of the modified atmosphere, the need for qualified personnel to handle the machines, possibility of collapse of the containers, etc.
• fresh meat packaged in a modified atmosphere may suffer from exudate problems due to too high levels of CO2 inside the package. This exudate phenomenon is caused by the excessive dissolution of this gas in the tissues, negatively affecting the texture and presentation of the product and also contributing to microbial development (loannis S. Arvanitoyannis & Alexandros Ch.
• CO2-emitting packaging systems in the form of bags or labels, which are used alone or in combination with O2 absorbers.
• An example of a CO2 emitter is the Verifrais® container (manufactured by SARL Codimer, Paris, France), which is mainly used to extend the shelf life of fresh meat and fish.
• Verifrais® container manufactured by SARL Codimer, Paris, France
• these independent devices inside the package, can present problems of food safety in In the event of an accidental rupture of the bag, they require an additional operation in the packaging process and generate some rejection by the consumer.
• no suitable commercial development has been identified that incorporates the active agent generating CO2 in the packaging material itself, without the need for an external element.
• WO / 2013/180013 "Oxygen-generating / C02-gas-absorbing agent composition, packaging for oxygen-generating / C02-gas-absorbing agent, and transported method for live fish and shellfish" describes a prepared composition from an oxygen generating component and a CO2 absorber that includes a solid peroxide, a peroxide decomposition catalyst and an alkali metal carbonate.
• Method of rapid carbon dioxide absorption comprises providing a package containing a product that releases CO2, arranging calcium hydroxide in the package and sealing it.
• Oxygen-releasing inserts discloses an oxygen-releasing insert that allows active control of the medium inside a package in order to maintain a predetermined gaseous composition, the hydrogen peroxide insert comprising.
• the present invention solves the problems set forth above by providing a preservation procedure for perishable fresh products in a package where the package itself constitutes a CO2 generating system by incorporating CO2 generating assets from a coating present in the package and which is active with the exudate itself of the packaged product.
• perishable food products are used interchangeably in reference to the contents of the package described here.
• the corresponding definitions are those published in the Spanish Food Code ( Decree 2484/1967, Last update, published on 02/15/1985, effective as of 02/16/1985).
• perishable foods are considered to be those that, due to their characteristics, require special storage conditions during their storage and transport periods.
• the generic name of meat includes the edible part of the muscles of bovids, eggs, sweats, caprids, equids and healthy camelids, slaughtered in hygienic conditions. By extension, it also applies to poultry, hair and feather hunting and marine mammals.
• the definition given by said Code for the terms “container” is considered, that is, any container intended to contain a food with the specific mission of protecting it from deterioration, contamination or adulteration, and “coating", the cover that is intimately linked to Some of the materials protect and preserve them.
• the invention relates to a procedure for preserving fresh perishable foods in a container, especially for meat and meat products, including the procedure: a) Providing a container that generates a protective atmosphere from a reaction non-stoichiometric between the active agents generating carbon dioxide citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, incorporated in the form of a polymeric coating in the constituent material of the package; b) Arrange the fresh perishable product inside the container;
• Fig. 1 shows schematically how the CO 2 generator package works.
• the exudate from the food comes into contact with the reagents incorporated in the polymeric coating of the constituent material of the package, so that the reaction between these reagents, which are in non-stoichiometric quantities, begins thus being able to generate CO 2 in a gaseous state, which is released to the head space of the container. Because the release of CO 2 gas is Slow and continuous in time, no harmful excess of this protective gas is generated inside the container.
• polymers for the polymeric coating applied to the generator container of a CO2 protective atmosphere are polyamide, polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL) or polystyrene.
• suitable solvents for the polymers mentioned above are ethanol, acetone or ethyl acetate.
• a polystyrene-based polymer such as crystal polystyrene or high impact polystyrene (HIPS) dissolved in ethyl acetate.
• HIPS high impact polystyrene
• polystyrene, crystal polystyrene or high impact polystyrene (HIPS) in ethyl acetate is used at a concentration, by weight percentage, of 4-20%, preferably 5-15 % and with special preference of 7-12%.
• the method of application of the polymeric coating is not particularly limited, its application being possible by dissolving in lamination (casting) or spraying, for example. In one embodiment of the invention, spraying is used as a method of application to the polymeric coating container.
• a non-stoichiometric mixture of active agents is used in a proportion by weight, with respect to the mixture of active agents, of 30-50% sodium bicarbonate and 50-70% citric acid .
• the amount of citric acid incorporated into the coating ranges from 0.002 to 0.8 grams of citric acid per gram of food.
• the amount of sodium bicarbonate incorporated into the coating ranges from 0.001 to 0.008 grams of sodium bicarbonate per gram of food.
• the protective atmosphere generator package for the fresh perishable product packaged in accordance with the aforementioned method is also object of the invention, the package itself generating a protective atmosphere to from a non-stoichiometric reaction between the active agents generating carbon dioxide citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, incorporated in the form of a polymeric coating in the constituent material of the package and where the package allows contact between the exudate generated by the packaged product and the coating, preventing at the same time the return to the food of said exudate.
• any high-medium barrier polymeric material suitable for food use can be used as a constituent material of the package.
• the protective atmosphere generating container of the invention is not limited in its form, a container constituting any container intended to contain a food with the specific mission of protecting it from deterioration, contamination or adulteration as mentioned above. Therefore, the polymeric coating can be applied to any constituent material of the container, be it in the form of a boat, tray, bag, etc., provided that it meets the double functionality of the container with respect to the described procedure, that is, in addition to release CO 2 from a built-in coating, facilitate contact between the coating and the exudate and prevent the return of the exudate to the packaged food.
• the package of the invention takes the form of a tray or a boat whose bottom is formed by a pattern of cells and is covered throughout its inner part of the CO 2 generating coating described above.
• the boat includes a separating sheet on which the food is arranged, thus defining a double bottom in the boat.
• Said separator sheet has funnel holes in its opposite face to the food, holes that allow the exudate to pass through the separator sheet only in the direction towards the bottom of the boat and collect it in the pattern of cells at the bottom of it, with that the reaction of generation of CO 2 is initiated by the coating of the container.
• the funnel shape of the holes in the separator sheet prevents it from returning to the food.
• the container can be closed by any suitable closure element, for example with a lid or with a wrap-around film surrounding the package assembly and the food contained therein.
• the package of the invention can also be designed to be re-closable by means of the use of suitable closing-opening means, for example of zip or side zipper type, by removable covers, etc. This type of closable container according to the invention allows the consumer to open the package, consume part of the product and close it again, again generating an atmosphere rich in CO 2 inside and extending the shelf life of the food.
• the selection of the base polymer and the solvent, as well as the active agents are the most relevant aspects of the development of the active coating. After several studies, these aspects were optimized, resulting in the selection of a polymeric coating formed by glass polystyrene / HIPS dissolved in ethyl acetate, where the active components sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are incorporated in amounts relative to 150% by weight with respect to base polymer weight.
• the active components are incorporated in the form of a mixture at the rate of 2-3 g of mixture of assets per container to reach values of% CÜ 2 within the values required for this application (20-30% CO 2 in the headspace of the container).
• the method of application of the polymeric coating was carried out in two steps: a) spray with liquid gun of the glass / HIPS polystyrene solution dissolved in ethyl acetate and b) application of the mixture of the solid active components by means of a solid gun or gravimetric methods.
• a) spray with liquid gun of the glass / HIPS polystyrene solution dissolved in ethyl acetate and b) application of the mixture of the solid active components by means of a solid gun or gravimetric methods.
• the evolution of CO 2 in the headspace of active containers of PS (polystyrene) and PLA (polylactic acid) with increasing amounts of active components (sodium bicarbonate and citric acid) is shown in Fig.
• the barlets, in this example intended to contain chicken developed with the active coatings generating CO 2 and packed in air (21% O2 and 79% N 2 ) reached 20% of CO2 on the first day of the test, keeping in equilibrium at approximately 23% of CO2 during the 1 1 days that it lasted.
• chicken packaged in a modified atmosphere (70% O2 and 30% CO2) decreased its CO2 content in the package during the same period to reach a percentage similar to that of active barlets. This is due to the absorption of gas in chicken meat that causes CO2 to gradually decrease in the case of modified atmosphere packaging, favoring microbiological growth.
• Fig. 4 the percentage of CO2 emitted in a chicken packaging with polystyrene coating in ethyl acetate is shown. As can be seen in this figure, values similar to those achieved with the use of modified atmosphere (MAP) are achieved, keeping them constant over time.
• MAP modified atmosphere
• the design of the container was deepened from the functional point of view of the application of the coating on the boat. Initially it was based on two conceptual designs from which the only viable design was finally selected considering food safety. The selected option was developed at the prototype level to validate its functionality, in this case a double bottom design.
• Variables related to manufacturing were also taken into account, such as that it can be manufactured by conventional methods or with slight variations (thermoforming and punching), that the arrangement of the coating does not hinder spraying and this can be applied by conventional methods with slight modifications and that It adapts to any packaging line.
• Citric acid sodium mixture (g) citrus (g) (g) / g chicken (g) / g chicken

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
• Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
• Wrappers (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Citations (2)

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• 2014
  • 2014-06-13 CN CN201480079629.8A patent/CN106659207A/zh active Pending
  • 2014-06-13 BR BR112016028969A patent/BR112016028969A8/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2014-06-13 MX MX2016016274A patent/MX2016016274A/es unknown
  • 2014-06-13 WO PCT/ES2014/070494 patent/WO2015189441A1/es not_active Ceased
  • 2014-06-13 EP EP14894521.5A patent/EP3155905B1/en active Active
  • 2014-06-13 JP JP2017517420A patent/JP2017518771A/ja active Pending
  • 2014-06-13 ES ES201430908A patent/ES2556249B1/es not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2014-06-13 ES ES14894521T patent/ES2788667T3/es active Active
• 2016
  • 2016-12-13 US US15/377,538 patent/US20170086484A1/en not_active Abandoned

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