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Container for packaging perishable food items

a technology for packaging containers and food items, applied in the field of containers for packaging perishable food items, can solve the problems of wasting a great deal of space in current meat trays in retail display cases, and achieve the effect of minimizing the surface area of the container and high aspect ratio

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-01-18
CRYOVAC ILLC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] It has been found that the foregoing objects may be accomplished in accordance with this invention by providing a container and method for packaging perishable food items—particularly case-ready meats—incorporating the use of a container made from blow-molded or profile-extruded thermoplastic barrier material and sealing the open end. The uniqueness of the package is the type of container used, how the container is made and also how the container is loaded and displayed. In general, the container has a high aspect ratio and the open area of the container is smaller than the non-open portion of the container.
[0015] In a first embodiment of the invention there is provided a container for packaging a perishable food item such as meat. The container has a tubular body portion that is closed at one end. The other end of the tubular body portion has an open mouth for inserting the food product and has a cross-section preferably substantially equal to that of the body portion. The cross-section of the tubular body portion may take a variety of shapes but one preferred embodiment has a flat bottom. The flat bottom may have an undulating profile at each side forming trough-like areas to accumulate the juices from the meat. In another embodiment, the cross-section of the tubular portion has a bottom, sides that extend slightly outwardly and an arcuate top. Yet another embodiment has a more or less cylindrical shaped tubular body portion. A third embodiment is a container having a tubular body portion formed in a more or less rectangular cross-section. The tubular body portion is closed at one end. The other end of the tubular body portion has an open mouth. The container is filled through the open mouth with a food item. One example of such a filling process is by using a chute and plunger. The open mouth is closed by sealing a film of material over the opening and / or by an endcap that can be attached by screw threads or formed around the body of the container. When packaging meat, once the meat is inserted in the container, the atmosphere in the container may be manipulated to achieve desired storage and display conditions.
[0016] These containers have no flanges to waste display area. The invention is designed to minimize the surface area of the container needed to display a certain amount of meat in a display case. Accordingly, the container lacks large flanges that waste display case area. In one embodiment, the body portion of the container has a relatively small flange portion that projects from the periphery of the mouth opening so that a lid can be attached.

Problems solved by technology

Current meat trays typically waste a great deal of space in retail display cases.

Method used

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  • Container for packaging perishable food items
  • Container for packaging perishable food items
  • Container for packaging perishable food items

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

[0047] A blow molded container was made from PET. This container was trimmed to form a container of approximately rectangular cross section, with final dimensions of approximately 2.25×4.5×6 inches, the open end being approximately 2.25×4.5 inches. The aspect ratio of the container was thus 6 / 2.25=2.67. A section of this container was cut out, and measured per ASTM spec D 1003-97 using a Gardner Haze Guard Plus instrument, and the sample had a haze level of 3.1%. Product placed inside this sample was very visible.

[0048] Calculated permeation rates through the blow molded container described above were preformed to estimate the total permeation of oxygen into the container. Published permeation rates for oxygen through PET are 5 cc mil per 100 square inches of area. Thus, for a container having a thickness of 15 mils, the permeation rate of oxygen would then be 0.3 cc / 100 square inches, or approximately 4.65 cc per square meter. The net result would be an approximate permeation rate...

example 2

[0049] Containers as described in Example 1 are loaded with 1 pound of ground beef and stacked on a shelf in a standard 10 foot retail display case; the shelf holds 160 packages.

example 3

[0051] Fresh red meat in the form of ground beef was placed in a container as described in Example 1, and the open end was sealed with a PET lidding film. After the container was placed in a refrigerator maintained at 40° F., the inside of the container developed drops of condensation, which obscured the view of the meat product.

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PUM

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Abstract

There is provided a container for packaging a perishable food item, such as meat, particularly fresh red meat. The container has a tubular body portion that is closed at one end and has a tubular body portion. The other end of the tubular body portion has an open mouth and has a cross-section preferably substantially equal to that of the body portion. The cross-section of the tubular body portion may have a variety of shapes. In a preferred embodiment, the tubular body portion has a flat bottom. The flat bottom may have an undulating profile at each side forming trough-like areas to accumulate the juices from the meat. Another embodiment has a more or less cylindrical shaped tubular body portion. While a third embodiment is a container having a tubular body portion formed in a more or less rectangular cross-section. The open end serves as a mouth by which the container is filled with a food item, such as by using an automatic chute and plunger. The open mouth is closed by sealing a film of heat sealable material over the opening and / or by an endcap.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to containers for packaging perishable food items. More particularly, the present invention relates to a container for packaging case ready meats that maximizes product visibility, maximizes retail display case usage, can be easily opened or re-sealed, and provides for optimum usage of packaging material. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] In decades past, meat in grocery store display cases was typically store cut and ground on site. In contrast, case-ready meats are prepackaged in plants and delivered to supermarkets, which affords retailers several advantages. One of the main advantages of using case-ready meats is that it eliminates further processing at the store. This allows retailers to reduce labor costs and increase profitability. Retailers are able to keep meat counters stocked late at night, on holidays, and through weekends. Additionally, case-ready meats allow reta...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B65D6/00
CPCB65B25/067B65D39/00B65D1/16
Inventor OWENSBY, JOSEPH E.
Owner CRYOVAC ILLC
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