How to sell bento boxes

Abstract

Bento boxes containing rice are frozen to a high standard, then thawed at room temperature in a high-quality manner while remaining unopened before being sold. [Solution] The method includes a manufacturing step S10 for processing and manufacturing a bento box containing rice and side dishes, a packaging step S20 for packaging the bento box, a freezing step S30 for freezing the bento box, a thawing step S40 for thawing the bento box by irradiating it with microwaves under a reduced pressure below atmospheric pressure using a vacuum microwave thawing machine 10, and a display step S50 for displaying the bento box in a refrigerated state in a location in the sales store 70 where it can be seen by purchasers after the thawing step S40. In the thawing step S40, the bento box is thawed so that it remains unopened and in a refrigerated state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present technology relates to a method for selling boxed meals.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been widely practiced that boxed lunches, which are combinations of cooked rice and side dishes, are manufactured in food manufacturing factories and the like and then delivered to sales stores located at remote locations. An example thereof is described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes that manufactured boxed meals are stored in a frozen state, and heated and thawed to a temperature of 10° C. or higher when shipped to sales stores. It also describes that at sales stores, the boxed meals are displayed while being maintained at a temperature of 25° C. or lower.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of the method for selling boxed meals described in Patent Document 1, frozen boxed meals are thawed when shipped from a manufacturing base to a sales store. For this reason, if demand suddenly increases, inventory replenishment to the sales store cannot be done in time, which may lead to loss of sales opportunities. Conversely, if the demand forecast is wrong and there is excess inventory, disposal loss will occur.

[0005] Therefore, in order to flexibly perform inventory replenishment according to demand, it is conceivable to ship boxed meals in a frozen state to sales stores and thaw them at the sales stores, but in reality it is difficult to thaw them with high quality in a short time. As thawing methods at sales stores, refrigerated thawing by storing in a refrigerator, room temperature thawing, and heating thawing using a microwave oven can be considered, but it is difficult to achieve high-quality thawing in a short time because these methods require a long time, cause drip (moisture containing salt and umami components) to flow out, or result in uneven thawing.

[0006] This technology was developed in consideration of the circumstances described above, and aims to thaw frozen bento boxes quickly and with high quality, and sell them in a refrigerated state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The sales method for bento boxes related to this technology is: A manufacturing step for processing and producing a bento box containing rice and side dishes, The packaging step of packaging the aforementioned bento box, The freezing step involves freezing the aforementioned bento box, A thawing step is performed after the manufacturing step, the packaging step, and the freezing step, in which the bento is thawed by irradiating it with microwaves under reduced pressure below atmospheric pressure using a vacuum microwave thawing machine. The process includes, after the thawing step, a display step of displaying the bento box in a refrigerated state in a location within the store where it can be seen by at least one customer. In the thawing step, the bento box is thawed in a refrigerated state while remaining unopened.

[0008] Furthermore, the manufacturing step, the packaging step, and the freezing step are carried out at a manufacturing site other than the sales store. The aforementioned bento boxes are transported from the manufacturing site to the sales stores in a frozen state. The thawing step may be performed within the sales store.

[0009] Furthermore, the manufacturing step, the packaging step, and the freezing step are carried out at a manufacturing site other than the sales store. The thawing step may be performed during delivery when the bento box is transported from the manufacturing site to the sales store.

[0010] Furthermore, the manufacturing step, the packaging step, and the freezing step are carried out at a manufacturing site other than the sales store. The aforementioned sales outlets include the first sales outlet and the second sales outlet. For the lunch box delivered to the first sales store, it is delivered in a frozen state from the production base to the first sales store, the thawing step is performed inside the first sales store, For the lunch box delivered to the second sales store, it is delivered in a refrigerated state from the production base to the second sales store, the thawing step may be performed inside the production base. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present technology, a frozen lunch box can be thawed to high quality in a short time and sold in a refrigerated state. [Brief Description of Drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure showing the flow of a lunch box sales method according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Front view of a vacuum microwave thawing machine [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view along line I-I of the vacuum microwave thawing machine in Figure 2 [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum microwave thawing machine in Figure 2 cut along line II-II in Figure 3 [Figure 5] Figure showing the flow of a lunch box sales method according to Embodiment 2 [Figure 6] Figure showing the flow of a lunch box sales method according to another embodiment [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0013] <Embodiment 1> A lunch box sales method according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The sales target of the present embodiment is a lunch box containing cooked rice and side dishes. However, the present invention is also applicable to foods other than lunch boxes, as long as they are so-called ready meals that can be eaten without additional cooking.

[0014] The bento selling method according to the present embodiment includes, as shown in FIG. 1, a manufacturing step S10, a packaging step S20, a freezing step S30, a first cold insulation step S35, a thawing step S40, and a display step S50. The manufacturing step S10 is a process of processing and cooking raw materials to manufacture a bento. The packaging step S20 is a process of packaging the manufactured bento. The packaging form may be either sealed or unsealed. The specific implementation details of the manufacturing step S10 and the packaging step S20 are not limited, and various conventionally known methods and implementation means can be used for carrying out the steps.

[0015] The freezing step S30 is a process of cooling the manufactured bento to a frozen state. In the present embodiment, the freezing step S30 is performed after the packaging step S20, but the order of the packaging step S20 and the freezing step S30 may be reversed for implementation. That is, the freezing step S30 is not limited to a process of freezing the bento after packaging, and may be a process of freezing the bento before packaging. Further, the packaging step S20 is not limited to a process of packaging the bento before freezing, and may be a process of packaging the bento after freezing.

[0016] In addition, in the freezing step S30, it is preferable to rapidly freeze (freeze) the bento. For example, it is preferable to perform quick freezing such that the starch contained in cooked rice enters a retrograded state, and passes through the retrogradation temperature range (0°C to 5°C) where cooked rice deteriorates within a short time (specifically, within 15 minutes). Further, for example, it is preferable to perform quick freezing such that the bento passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range (-5°C to -1°C) within a predetermined time (specifically, within 60 minutes). Such quick freezing can maintain the gelatinized state of starch contained in cooked rice, and can suppress ice from destroying tissues in the food.

[0017] The first cooling step S35 is a process that takes place after the packaging step S20 and the freezing step S30, and keeps the packaged and frozen bento box in a frozen state below a predetermined temperature. In the first cooling step S35, it is preferable to keep the cooked rice at -20°C or below at all times. Even if the food is frozen to a high quality by the freezing step S30 described above, if the temperature rises temporarily after freezing, there is a concern that thawing will progress and the quality will deteriorate. Specifically, repeated freezing and thawing can cause moisture to be lost and the food to become spongy. Keeping the cooked rice at -20°C or below at all times can reliably prevent this from happening.

[0018] The thawing step S40 is a process of thawing a frozen bento box using a vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 so that it remains unopened and is in a refrigerated state. In this specification, refrigeration refers to a temperature range of, for example, 5°C to 20°C, which is a cooling temperature range in which water does not freeze, unlike freezing. The vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 is a device that has a chamber 11 for containing food and thaws food in the chamber 11, which has been reduced to a vacuum state below atmospheric pressure, by irradiating it with microwaves. The vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 will be described in detail later.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the manufacturing step S10, packaging step S20, and freezing step S30 are performed at a manufacturing base 30 (such as a food manufacturing plant or central kitchen) that manufactures bento boxes for sale at multiple first sales outlets 70 in bulk. The thawing step S40 is performed at the first sales outlets 70. In this embodiment, the first sales outlets 70 are assumed to be, for example, convenience stores or supermarkets, but are not limited to any place where food can be sold. For example, the first sales outlets 70 may be sales booths inside train cars, sales spaces set up in baseball stadiums, or even mobile stores.

[0020] The bento boxes are delivered from the manufacturing base 30 to the first sales store 70 by transport equipment. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the transport equipment is exemplified as a transport vehicle 35, but the transport equipment is not limited to a transport vehicle 35 such as a truck, and may also be a railway vehicle, airplane, ship, etc. Furthermore, for deliveries to the first sales store 70 located on an island, in a sparsely populated area, or in a remote area, multiple types of transport equipment may be used.

[0021] Delivery to the first sales store 70 by the transport vehicle 35 is not limited to a direct route, but may also be made via an intermediate facility (e.g., a distribution center). The bento boxes delivered to the first sales store 70 may be thawed immediately after being unloaded from the transport vehicle 35 (i.e., thawing step S40 may be performed), or they may be stored frozen within the first sales store 70 and then thawed at any time depending on sales conditions, inventory conditions, etc. (i.e., thawing step S40 may be performed at any time after the first refrigeration step S35).

[0022] The first refrigeration step S35 is performed continuously between the freezing step S30 and the thawing step S40. In Figure 1, the locations where the first refrigeration step S35 is performed are the manufacturing base 30, the transport vehicle 35, and the first sales store 70. However, if the bento boxes are shipped from the manufacturing base 30 immediately after the freezing step S30, the first refrigeration step S35 does not need to be performed at the manufacturing base 30. Also, if the thawing step S40 is performed immediately after unloading from the transport vehicle 35, the first refrigeration step S35 does not need to be performed at the first sales store 70.

[0023] The bento boxes delivered to the first sales store 70 are thawed using a vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 for display at the first sales store 70. More specifically, the staff of the first sales store 70 place the frozen bento boxes into the chamber 11 of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 and operate the control unit 25 of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10, which will be described later. At this time, the bento boxes remain in their packaging and are not opened. The bento boxes are thawed by the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 so that they remain unopened and in a refrigerated state. The thawed bento boxes are then removed from the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 by the staff.

[0024] Display step S50 is the process in which the bento boxes are displayed in a refrigerated state within the first sales store 70. In display step S50, the bento boxes are displayed in a refrigerated display case or the like by an employee of the first sales store 70. The location where the bento boxes are displayed does not need to be a place where the customer can at least see the bento boxes, and is not limited to a place where the customer can directly touch the bento boxes. For example, it is acceptable for an employee to take the bento boxes from the display shelf upon the customer's request and hand them over to the customer. It is also acceptable for the customer's purchase request to be communicated to the employee using an information and communication terminal or the like.

[0025] Next, the configuration of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 and the thawing method will be explained with reference to Figures 2 to 4. The vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 broadly comprises a chamber 11, a door 12, a vacuum pump 13 for reducing the pressure inside the chamber 11, a control valve 14 for restoring (boosting) the pressure inside the chamber 11, a vacuum sensor 15 for measuring the pressure (vacuum level) inside the chamber 11, a magnetron 16 (microwave generator) for generating microwaves, a waveguide 17 for guiding microwaves from the magnetron 16 into the chamber 11, a control device 20, and an operating unit 25. The symbols F, B, L, R, U, and D shown in Figures 2 to 4 indicate the front and rear in the front-to-back direction, left and right in the width direction (left-to-right direction) when viewed from the front, and up and down in the vertical direction (up and down direction), respectively.

[0026] Chamber 11 is a horizontally elongated, roughly rectangular box made of metal such as stainless steel, and its interior serves as a thawing chamber for storing the bento box. Chamber 11 has a front opening 11S1 for storing and removing the bento box, and the front opening 11S1 can be opened and closed by a swing-type door 12.

[0027] The control device 20 includes at least a microcomputer and memory, and controls the operation of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 based on a control program. The operation unit 25 is provided for changing various settings and selecting operating modes by store employees, maintenance managers of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10, etc.

[0028] The vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 thaws the bento box without heating it to high temperatures by repeatedly irradiating the food with microwaves while performing a depressurization process and a repressurization process, causing the ice contained in the food to sublimate into water vapor. The ice in the food sublimates into water vapor without undergoing a phase transition to water.

[0029] Therefore, since the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 thaws food in a pressure and temperature range where water cannot exist, it can suppress the generation of drip (moisture containing flavor components, etc., that flows out of food) that occurs during thawing. As a result, bento boxes can be thawed at room temperature at a low temperature without becoming sticky. Furthermore, even if localized thawing progresses during the process, the water in the thawed area sublimes, generating a cooling effect due to latent heat, thus suppressing excessive heating and reducing uneven thawing (uneven heating). In addition, as the ice contained in the food passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, the ice sublimes and is removed as water vapor, making it less likely for ice crystals to damage the food's structure.

[0030] According to the bento sales method described above, frozen bento boxes can be thawed quickly and to high quality using a microwave thawing machine 10 and sold in a refrigerated state. Furthermore, since the bento boxes are delivered frozen and thawed in a refrigerated state at the first sales store 70, quality deterioration is less compared to when they are delivered refrigerated, and they can be stored for a longer period. This reduces the number of deliveries to the first sales store 70, improving logistics efficiency and alleviating the increasingly serious problem of driver shortages for transport vehicles 35. The effect of reducing the frequency of deliveries to the first sales store 70, which are located on remote islands, in sparsely populated areas, and in remote locations, is particularly significant. In addition, waste due to excess inventory can be reduced. Moreover, by having the staff at the first sales store 70 thaw the bento boxes according to sales, the loss of sales opportunities due to insufficient inventory can also be reduced.

[0031] <Embodiment 2> The method of selling bento boxes according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in that, in addition to the case where bento boxes are delivered in a frozen state, there is also a case where they are delivered in a refrigerated state, and the two cases are selectively executed. In Embodiment 2, redundant explanations of the same configuration and effects as in Embodiment 1 will be omitted.

[0032] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the bento boxes are delivered and sold not only at the first sales store 70, which is the same as in Embodiment 1, but also at a second sales store 170. The second sales store 170 is, for example, located at a distance from the manufacturing base 30 that is less than that of the first sales store 70.

[0033] For the bento boxes delivered to the first sales store 70, steps S10 to S50 are performed in the same manner as in Embodiment 1. On the other hand, for the bento boxes delivered to the second sales store 170, after the manufacturing step S10 and packaging step S20 are performed at the manufacturing base 30, a refrigeration step S25 is performed instead of a freezing step S30. The refrigeration step S25 is a process of cooling the manufactured bento boxes to a refrigerated state. After the refrigeration step S25, a second refrigeration step S135 is performed to keep the refrigerated bento boxes in a refrigerated state below a predetermined temperature.

[0034] The bento boxes are delivered to the second sales store 170 in a refrigerated state. Therefore, unlike in Embodiment 1, the thawing step S40 is not performed at the second sales store 170. The delivered bento boxes are displayed in a refrigerated state at the second sales store 170.

[0035] In this way, depending on the circumstances of the 70 or 170 sales outlets (for example, the distance from the 30 manufacturing bases), the delivery state of the bento boxes can be selected as either frozen or refrigerated, improving the flexibility and convenience of the sales method.

[0036] <Other Embodiments> This technology is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included in the technical scope of this technology.

[0037] (1) The thawing step S40 may be performed during transport to the first sales store 70, as shown in Figure 6. For example, the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 may be installed inside the transport vehicle 35, and the thawing step S40 may be performed inside the transport vehicle 35. Alternatively, if the transport by the transport vehicle 35 is carried out via a relay facility (e.g., a distribution center), the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 may be installed inside the relay facility, and the thawing step S40 may be performed inside the relay facility. In this way, the thawing step S40 can be performed using the transport time, making it more efficient.

[0038] (2) The configuration of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 is not limited as long as it can thaw food using the mechanism described above. For example, the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 shown in Figures 2 to 4 includes a stirrer 18 that diffuses microwaves into the chamber 11 to suppress uneven heating, and a motor 19 that rotates the stirrer 18. However, these are not provided, and a rotating table on which food is placed may be provided to suppress uneven heating. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 10: Vacuum microwave thawing machine, 30: Manufacturing site, 70: First sales store, 170: Second sales store, S10: Manufacturing step, S20: Packaging step, S25: Refrigeration step, S30: Freezing step, S40: Thawing step, S50: Display step

Claims

1. A manufacturing step for processing and producing a bento box containing rice and side dishes, The packaging step of packaging the aforementioned bento box, The freezing step involves freezing the aforementioned bento box, A thawing step is performed after the manufacturing step, the packaging step, and the freezing step, in which the bento is thawed by irradiating it with microwaves under reduced pressure below atmospheric pressure using a vacuum microwave thawing machine. The process includes, after the thawing step, a display step of displaying the bento box in a refrigerated state in a location within the store where it can be seen by at least one customer. A method for selling bento boxes, wherein in the thawing step, the bento box is thawed in such a way that it remains unopened and refrigerated.

2. The manufacturing step, the packaging step, and the freezing step are carried out at a manufacturing site other than the sales store. The aforementioned bento boxes are transported from the manufacturing site to the sales stores in a frozen state. The method for selling bento boxes according to claim 1, wherein the thawing step is performed within the sales store.

3. The manufacturing step, the packaging step, and the freezing step are carried out at a manufacturing site other than the sales store. The method for selling a bento box according to claim 1, wherein the thawing step is performed during delivery when the bento box is transported from the manufacturing site to the sales store.

4. The manufacturing step, the packaging step, and the freezing step are carried out at a manufacturing site other than the sales store. The aforementioned sales outlets include the first sales outlet and the second sales outlet. Regarding the bento boxes delivered to the first sales store, The products are delivered from the manufacturing base to the first sales store in a frozen state. The thawing step is performed within the first sales store. Regarding the bento boxes delivered to the second sales store, The products are delivered from the manufacturing base to the second sales store in a refrigerated state. The method for selling bento boxes according to claim 1, wherein the thawing step is performed within the manufacturing facility.

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