Patent Application
20080026114
The present invention can provide embodiments of a combination of a food product 10 and a flow-capable topping 20, such as a butter-based topping, in a package. Each of the food product 10 and the flow-capable topping 20 can be microwavable. As used herein, a “microwavable” food product means that the food product can be heated for consumption using microwaves in a short period of time without the container of the food product being heated. As used herein, “food product” may refer to an edible material for human or animal consumption, for example, a griddle-type food product such as pancakes, a butter-syrup mix, and/or any other foods or edible ingredients in a package 30 as described herein.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the food product 10 can be a griddle-type food product. As shown in
The food product 10 can be provided in a variety of forms or configurations. For example, in the particular embodiment shown in
The pancake food product 10 can be made with different ingredients and/or have various textures. Pancakes 10 made with buttermilk and/or wheat flour are examples of the pancake food product 10 useful in some embodiments of the present invention. As an example, one embodiment of the pancake food product 10 can include enriched unbleached flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, buttermilk, sugar, eggs, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), and monoglycerides. One embodiment of the butter-syrup mix 20 can include cream, salt, and real maple syrup. The pancake food product 10 can have a variety of flavor profiles, including, for example, blueberry, strawberry, apple, cinnamon, and other flavors desirable in pancakes 10. Such flavor profiles can be provided by natural ingredients, such as bits of fruit, or by flavorings added to the food product 10. Other food products can be added to the primary food product 10. In one embodiment, pre-cooked sausage and/or bacon can be packaged with the pancake food product 10. Sausage can be packaged with another food product, such as the pancakes 10, in the form of separate links or patties, or can be mixed in as “bits” with the pancake food product 10.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the flow-capable topping 20 packaged with the food product 10 can be a butter-based topping 20. The butter-based topping 20 can comprise a mixture, or compound, of a butter component and a non-butter component. In certain embodiments, the butter component of the compound 20 can be 100% pure, fresh butter. That is, the compound 20 can be referred to as “made with real butter” and/or as a “butter spread.” In certain embodiments, the butter component can be non-dairy. The non-butter component can be a syrup component, for example. The syrup component may be a maple syrup component. In certain embodiments, the syrup component can be pure, natural syrup, such as natural, or “real,” maple syrup. The butter-based compound 20 can be heated, for example, in a microwave oven, with the co-packaged food product 10, such that the butter-based compound 20 can become flowable when heated the recommended period of time, for example, less than one minute. When heated in a microwave oven for the recommended period of time, the butter-based compound 20 can flow over and about the food product 10. Thus, particular embodiments of the present invention can include a microwavable food product 10, such as a griddle-type food product 10, packaged with a flow-capable topping 20 that includes pre-mixed, substantially pure butter and substantially all natural syrup ingredients.
In one illustrative embodiment, the butter-syrup compound 20 can comprise about 50% butter and about 50% maple syrup component. In certain embodiments, the maple syrup component can comprise about 80% natural maple syrup and about 20% of a mix of an imitation maple syrup and/or a maple seasoning powder. That is, the butter-syrup compound 20 can comprise about 50% pure, fresh butter, about 40% natural maple syrup, and about 10% of a mix of an imitation maple syrup and/or a maple seasoning powder.
Conventional commercial butter compounds often comprise about 80-90% butter and only less than about 10-20% non-butter components. Thus, as compared to conventional butter compounds, an embodiment of the butter-syrup compound 20 of the present invention can include a higher concentration of a non-butter component. A higher concentration of non-butter component, such as natural maple syrup, can provide a more natural (syrup) flavor profile relative to the butter-syrup compound 20. Thus, in some embodiments of the present invention, the butter-syrup compound 20 can include a higher relative concentration of maple syrup to provide a desirable syrup flavor profile, while maintaining the butter-syrup compound 20 in a solid consistency or form, that is, without separation of the butter and syrup components, or without the compound 20 penetrating into the food product 10. In certain embodiments, the highest optimal concentration of natural maple syrup in the butter-syrup compound 20 to maintain an unseparated solid compound may be about 50-60% by weight.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the butter-syrup compound 20 can comprise a homogenous mixture of butter and non-butter components. Homogeneity of the compound 20 mixture can help assure that the components maintain a consistency such that the individual components do not separate from each other or undesirably stick to a mold or a wrapping material, such as paper.
In some embodiments, the butter component can comprise “whipped” butter. Whipped, or aerated, butter can provide better mixing capabilities with the syrup component, melt more quickly than non-whipped butter, and increase the flowability of the butter-syrup compound 20. In addition, whipped butter can allow the use of less butter and thus may be more cost-effective than non-whipped butter.
In some embodiments, the non-butter component can include ingredients other than, or in addition to, a syrup component. For example, the non-butter ingredients may include natural and/or artificial flavorings to provide various flavor profiles for the butter-syrup compound 20. Examples of flavor profiles useful in an embodiment of a butter-syrup mix 20 of the present invention include strawberry, blueberry, maple, apple, and cinnamon, among others. In some embodiments, the non-butter component may include a starch or a modified starch, that can facilitate the agglomeration, or sticking together, of all of the components to enhance the homogeneity of the mixture and help maintain the compound 20 as an unseparated mixture, at least when in sold form. In some embodiments, the non-butter component of the butter-syrup mix 20 can include salt and/or cream as additives. When such other ingredients are included in the non-butter component, the concentration of the non-butter component in the butter-syrup compound may be greater than about 50-60% by weight.
The butter-syrup compound 20 can be flow-capable, that is meltable, or flowable, when exposed to, for example, microwave energy in a household microwave oven. When the compound 20 melts from solid consistency, or form, the butter component and the syrup component can separate slightly from each other. In such a separated condition, the butter may have a yellowish and slightly frothy appearance, while the syrup component may have a typical caramel-colored appearance of natural syrup. Thus, when the butter and syrup components melt from the initial solid consistency of the butter-syrup compound 20, the consumer can visualize both butter and syrup components, which may enhance the taste of the individual and/or combined flavors and the overall eating experience.
In some embodiments, the butter-syrup compound 20 can be packaged in direct contact with the food product 10. The butter-syrup compound 20 can be in the form of a solid, geometric configuration, such as a round or square portion of the compound 20, or another suitable configuration. The butter-syrup compound 20 can be molded into such a solid, geometric configuration. Such a molded configuration of the butter-syrup compound 20 can be referred to as a “pattie” or “pat.” A “pat” of the butter-syrup compound 20 can be packaged on top of a stack of individual food products 10, such as a stack of pancakes 10, or between individual pancakes 10 in a stack. Alternatively, a “pat” of the butter-syrup compound 20 can be packaged both on top of a stack of pancakes 10 and between individual pancakes 10 in the stack. In some embodiments, the butter-syrup compound 20 can maintain a solid consistency at various temperatures, for example, while, at refrigerated temperatures such as between 33 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or at room temperature. As a result, the compound 20 can be capable of not penetrating, or soaking into, the pancakes 10 prior to re-heating. Thus, some embodiments of the present invention can provide the microwavable food product 10 having the topping 20 packaged in direct contact with the food product 10 that may not penetrate the food product 10 prior to heating.
In alternative embodiments, the butter-syrup mix topping 20 can be packaged with the food product 10, such as pancakes 10, out of direct contact with the food product 10. For example, the topping 20 can be contained in a separate compartment in the package from the food product 10, or in a sealed container within the food product package.
The butter-based compound mixture 20 can be or refrigerated until use. For example, the butter-based compound 20 can be made and stored separately from the food product 10 until packaged with the food product 10 for sale to a consumer. Certain embodiments of the butter-syrup compound 20 include no preservatives. When at temperatures of about minus 10 degrees F., some embodiments of the compound 20 can have a shelf life of about one year.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the food product 10 can be packaged with the flow-capable topping 20 in a package suitable for microwaving. In an exemplary embodiment, the package can be made from a blank 30 comprising paper. The package can be constructed so as to contain the food product(s) 10, including the butter-syrup mix 20 after it is melted. Such a package construction can include a polymeric coating on the inside of the package. A polymeric coating can allow the package to be leak-proof and can help prevent the food product(s) 10 and/or topping 20 from absorbing into the package during storage, and particularly during heating in a microwave oven.
As shown in
The present invention can include other embodiments of a package. For example, certain embodiments of a package may include a cover (not shown), for example, a “top-seal” film, either in place of the top of the package, or tray, or underneath the top of the package/tray to further seal the food product 10 and topping 20 inside the package. In certain embodiments, the package can comprise a tray having a film sealing the top and/or sides of the package. For example, the food product 10 and topping 20 may be overwrapped with a plastic film, which can be sealed on each end and can include a “thin” seal between overlapping edges of the film for easy opening of the package. In other embodiments, the sealed tray can be inserted into an outer, or master, package, or sleeve. Alternatively, the food product 10 and topping 20 can be wrapped, for example, shrink-wrapped, within an inner wrapper and placed inside the package, and/or the entire exterior of the package can be shrink-wrapped. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the package can be transparent to provide a consumer a means for viewing the food product(s) 10 prior to purchase and/or during heating the package and food product(s) 10 in a microwave oven.
In yet another embodiment, the package can include at least two compartments (not shown) for containing various food products 10 in separate areas of the package out of contact with each other. For example, a doughnut-type dipping stick food product 10 can be placed in a first compartment and the butter-syrup mix 20 can be placed in a separate, second compartment. In this manner, when the package is sufficiently heated, the dipping sticks 10 can be picked up and dipped into the compartment containing the melted butter-syrup mix 20. In still another embodiment, the package can comprise a cup-shaped configuration (not shown). The package can be configured to fit into a cup holder in a vehicle. Such a package can include a lid of film sealed over the top opening of the cup-shaped package. In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention can include two pre-cooked pancakes 10 and two pats of the butter-syrup mix 20 comprising 100% pure, fresh butter and all natural, or “real,” maple syrup in a microwavable package. For embodiments comprising individual-sized serving portions, the total net weight of the pancakes 10 and butter-syrup mix 20 in such portions can be, for example, about 3.2 ounces for “mini-pancakes,” 4.0 ounces for two pancakes, and 5 ounces for pancakes and sausage. In one particular embodiment, the two pancakes 10 together can weigh about 2.8 ounces, and the two pats of butter-syrup mix 20 can weigh about 0.8 ounces. In other embodiments, the weights of each of the food product(s) 10 and the toppings 20 can vary. In certain embodiments, the package and food product(s) 10, 20 contained therein, may be heated in a microwave oven for less than about one minute to sufficiently warm the food products 10, 20 for readiness to eat. In other embodiments, the package and food product(s) 10, 20 may be heated in a microwave oven for more than about one minute to sufficiently warm the food products 10, 20 for readiness to eat. In embodiments comprising pancakes 10 and the butter-syrup mix topping 20 in direct contact with the pancakes 10, heating the package can cause the butter-syrup compound 20 to flow over and into the pancakes 10, while containing the butter and syrup in the package. In this manner, a consumer can quickly “heat and eat” a package of pancakes 10 having the butter-syrup mix 20 in the package and heated with the pancakes 10.
Embodiments of the present invention can be useful for providing microwavable food products 10 to consumers in various settings. For example, an embodiment of a microwavable package containing the food product 10 and the pre-mixed butter-syrup compound 20 can be provided in retail outlets, such as convenience stores, fast food restaurants, and grocery stores, as well as through vending machines. One embodiment of the present invention is currently available commercially as GoStax™ Buttermilk Pancakes from Cathead Foods™ in Morganton, N.C. Alternatively, an embodiment of the present invention can be provided for consumers in an institutional setting, for example, a cafeteria. An embodiment of the present invention useful for an institutional setting can include, for example, the food product(s) 10, such as pancakes 10 and the butter-syrup mix 20, in a plastic package, without an external box-type package, in which the food product(s) 10 can be heated and consumed.
Some embodiments of the present invention can include a method of making the microwavable food product 10 packaged with the flow-capable topping 20. In one such embodiment, a microwavable package, or container, can be assembled. Such a package may be assembled manually and/or in an automated fashion using equipment designed to assemble such packaging. The package may be suitable for storing and heating the food product 10 and flow-capable topping 20. Such a package can provide a means for containing the topping 20 after being heated so that the food product 10 and topping 20 can be consumed from the package.
In such a method, the food product 10 can be, for example, a serving of pre-cooked pancakes 10 or waffles. The food product 10 can have various flavor profiles, textures, and/or configurations. The food product 10 can be pre-cooked and then or refrigerated.
In some embodiments of a method, the flow-capable topping 20 can be manufactured separately from the food product 10, or refrigerated, and then packaged in direct contact with the food product 10. In certain embodiments, the flow-capable topping 20 can remain solid while frozen, at refrigerated temperatures, for example, in the range of 33 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or at room temperature. In particular embodiments, the topping 20 can be adapted to remain solid while in direct contact with the food product 10, or other food product(s), so as to not penetrate into the food product 10 prior to heating. The flow-capable topping 20 can be a butter-based topping. The butter-based topping can comprise a mixture, or compound, of a butter component and a non-butter component. The non-butter component can be maple syrup, for example. In certain embodiments, the butter-syrup compound 20 can comprise about 50% butter and about 50% maple syrup. The butter component can be pure, fresh butter. The syrup component can be real, natural syrup. The butter-syrup compound 20 can be in the form of a molded “pat” or another suitable configuration. In such a method, the food product(s) 10 and flow-capable topping 20 can be packaged in a microwavable package that can contain the food product(s) 10 and topping 20 after the topping is heated and flows. In this manner, a consumer can “heat and eat” the food product, such the pancakes 10, and topping, such as the butter-syrup mix 20, directly from the package in a convenient manner. Such a method can provide consumers with the advantage of having butter and syrup pre-mixed and applied to the pancakes 10 or other food product. Such a method can provide consumers with the advantage of a pre-packaged, microwavable pancakes 10 and topping 20 having the flavor profile of fresh butter and natural syrup.
Some embodiments of the present invention can include a method of using the microwavable food product(s) 10, 20. Such a method can include providing a combination of the food product 10 and the flow-capable topping 20, such as a butter-based topping, in a package, each of which is microwavable. The food product 10 may be, for example, pre-cooked pancakes 10 or waffles, and can have various flavor profiles, textures, and/or configurations. The butter-based topping 20 can comprise a mixture, or compound, of a butter component and a non-butter component. The non-butter component can be maple syrup, for example. The butter-syrup compound can comprise about 50% butter and about 50% maple syrup. The butter component can be pure, fresh butter, and the syrup component can be pure, natural syrup. The butter-syrup compound 20 can be packaged in direct contact with the food product 10 or not in direct contact with the food product 10. The butter-syrup compound 20 can remain solid while or at refrigerated temperatures, and may not penetrate into the food product 10 prior to heating. The package may be constructed so as to contain the food product(s) 10, including the butter-syrup mix 20, after it is heated.
After purchasing such a microwavable food product 10, the consumer may readily place the package into a microwave oven and heat the package for the recommended time, for example, less than about one minute. After removing the heated package from the microwave oven, the consumer can open the package and eat the food product 10 having the topping 20 dispersed about and into the food product 10 directly from the package. In such a method, a consumer can advantageously use the microwavable food product 10 having the convenience of the topping 20 packaged directly, in contact, with the food product 10 and that may not penetrate the food product 10 prior to heating. In such a method, a consumer can use the microwavable food product 10 packaged with the butter-syrup topping 20 that includes pure, fresh butter and natural syrup ingredients.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it should be recognized that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that embodiments of microwavable food products and methods of the present invention may be constructed and implemented in other ways. Accordingly, the description herein should not be read as limiting the present invention, as other embodiments also fall within the scope of the present invention.
This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/833,720, filed Jul. 27, 2006, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60833720 | Jul 2006 | US |
