Claims
- 1. A method of forming a packaged, cooked food product comprising:enclosing a food product within a package comprising a thermoplastic, heat-shrinkable film having a total free shrink at 85° C. of at least about 2% and comprising an inside layer comprising a polymer comprising mer units derived from a C2-C4 α-olefin, said package having at least one seal which defines an arc, said arc comprising at least four segments, each of said segments having a radius of curvature differing from the radius of curvature of any adjoining segment; and subsequently heating the packaged food product to shrink the film and to cook said food product to form a packaged, cooked food product conforming to the shape of the package.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the food product comprises meat.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said film further comprises a barrier layer with an oxygen permeance of no more than about 150 cm3/m2.atm.24 hours at about 23° C. and 0% relative humidity.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said arc comprises at least five segments.
- 5. The method of claim 4 wherein each of said segments has a radius of curvature of no more than about 2500 cm.
- 6. The method of claim 5 wherein each of said segments has a radius of curvature of no more than about 250 cm.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least two of said segments have radii of curvature of no more than about 50 cm.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein at least two of said segments have radii of curvature of no more than about 25 cm.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said inside layer has a surface energy of at least about 0.0325 J/m2.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said surface energy is at least about 0.0350 J/m2.
- 11. The method of claim 9 wherein said surface energy is at least about 0.0450 J/m2.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein said polymer has a Vicat softening point of at least about 70° C.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein said Vicat softening point is at least about 95° C.
- 14. The method of claim 1 wherein said film has a shrink tension of at least about 700 kPa at 85° C.
- 15. The method of claim 1 wherein said C2-C4 α-olefin comprises propylene.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein said polymer comprising mer units derived from a C2-C4 α-olefin further comprises mer units derived from one or more of at least one C6-C12 α-olefin, a C3-C18 ethylenically unsaturated ester, and a C3-C18 ethylenically unsaturated acid.
- 17. The method of claim 1 wherein:the film comprises: an inside layer comprising at least 10 weight percent of a copolymer selected from ethylene/α-olefin copolymer and propylene/α-olefin, said copolymer having at least 2 weight percent mer units derived from a C3-C18 ethylenically unsaturated acid, wherein said copolymer has a Vicat softening point “V” in ° C., of V>111° C.-2.78° C.(mA) where mA is the weight percent of mer units in said copolymer derived from said C3-C18 ethylenically unsaturated acid with mA ranging from about 2 to about 25, inclusive, and a barrier layer with an oxygen permeance of no more than about 150 cm3/m2.atm.24 hours at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity, said barrier layer comprising a polymer selected from ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, and ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer; said film has a surface energy of at least about 0.0325 J/m2, a shrink tension of at least about 700 kPa at 85° C.; and said arc comprises at least five segments, each of said segments having a radius of curvature differing from the radius of curvature of any adjoining segment, each of said segments having a radius of curvature of no more than about 2500 cm.
- 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said copolymer comprises propylene/α-olefin copolymer.
- 19. The method of claim 1 wherein said arc comprises at least five segments, each having a radius of curvature of no more than about 2500 cm and said film has a shrink tension of at least about 700 kPa at 85° C.
- 20. The method of claim 1 wherein the inside layer comprises at least 10 weight percent of an interpolymer comprising mer units derived from at least one C2-C4 α-olefin and at least about 2 weight percent mer units derived from at least one C3-C18 unsaturated acid.
- 21. The method of claim 20 wherein said interpolymer has a Vicat softening point, V, ofV>111° C.-2.78° C.(mA) where mA is the percent of mer units in said copolymer derived from said C3-C18 ethylenically unsaturated acid with mA ranging from about 2 to about 25, inclusive.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein mA ranges from about 4 to about 15, inclusive.
- 23. The packaged, cooked food product formed by the method of claim 1.
- 24. The method of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic, heat-shrinkable film has a free shrink at 85° C. in at least one direction of at least 5%.
- 25. The method of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic, heat-shrinkable film has a free shrink at 85° C. in at least one direction of at least 10%.
Parent Case Info
This application is the National Stage (35 U.S.C. §371) of International Application No. PCT/US99/05995 filed Mar. 18, 1999, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/080,098 filed Mar. 31, 1998.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US99/05995 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO99/59817 |
11/25/1999 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (14)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2022839 |
Mar 1991 |
CA |
9959817 |
Nov 1999 |
WO |
0058093 |
Oct 2000 |
WO |