This disclosure relates to packaging for food products, and more particularly to reclosable food packages for foodstuffs such as shingled bacon slices.
Bacon has long been available to retail consumers in sliced form, often within sealed packages containing sliced bacon in a shingled array. In making their purchasing decisions, many consumers would like to be able to visually inspect more of the bacon slices through the packaging, e.g., to obtain an indication of their relative lean and fat contents. Typically, a provision is made for viewing a portion of some of the shingled bacon slices, including portions of both the front and back of the array. However, the bacon arrays can vary significantly in size, with lengths of between about 7.75 and 10.25 inches, widths of between about 4.25 and 7 inches and depths of between about 0.625 and 1.625 inches. These variations in size of the array can present challenges in packaging. For example, if the array is not properly positioned, the visibility of the array can be hindered.
These bacon packages are often vacuum-sealed. A prior bacon package of this type is shown, e.g., in Seiferth et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,332. A stack of bacon slices is arranged in a shingled relation on a backing board, which usually is non-transparent, and the bacon slices are enclosed between transparent top and bottom flexible plastic wrapper sheets having their perimeter portions sealed to each other about the periphery of the backing board. The space between the wrapper sheets typically is vacuumized. For merchandising, the wrapped bacon typically is placed in a paperboard sleeve having a cut-out window for viewing the plastic wrapped bacon. In such prior bacon packaging arrangements, much of the surface area of the packaged bacon slices is not visible to store customers.
Prior bacon packages of the type described above also can lack the ability to be resealed, once opened, as they do not have positive means by which the package can be reclosed in order to sealingly contain the remaining bacon strips within the package once it has been opened. Storing unused bacon can require provision of wrapping film or a separate container.
A reclosable food package for packaging and displaying a foodstuff, such as a shingled stack of sliced bacon, in a highly visible manner, including a generally rigid tray for receiving the foodstuff, a flexible film for covering the foodstuff and contacting adjacent areas of the tray uncovered by the foodstuff to generally secure the foodstuff in a preferred orientation, and a generally rigid lid member that manually reclosably attaches to the tray, wherein at least one of the tray member and lid member is transparent.
Amongst other benefits and advantages of the reclosable food package, the food product loaded into the tray is generally immobilized for optimal display through transparent packaging to prospective customers at the grocery store or other retailer, while the flexible film also maintains the food product in a vacuum sealed condition on the tray member and generally prevents foodstuff oils or juices from migrating away from the foodstuff onto the tray. This makes it easier to identify leakage of food product fluids. The rigid overcap allows for simple yet secure manual reclosure of the package after the flexible film has been removed to access the foodstuff.
In one particular embodiment, a reclosable food package includes a generally rigid tray having a tray base, generally upstanding tray sidewalls, and generally upstanding tray endwalls, and a tray peripheral ridged flange which surrounds an opening generally opposite the tray base. The tray base has a generally flat central base portion disposed between two inclined base portions which merge with the generally upstanding tray sidewalls at respective locations below the tray member peripheral ridged flange. A peripheral ledge portion extends along an inner surface of the sidewalls and endwalls adjacent the opening of the tray member. A foodstuff is disposed within the tray, such as resting on the tray base. A flexible film is conformably vacuum sealed upon the food product and adjacent areas of the tray that are uncovered by the foodstuff. A generally rigid lid is inserted partly within the opening of the tray and above the foodstuff conformably covered with the flexible film to reduce air space within the packaged enclosure, and is releasable securable onto the tray. The lid includes a lid peripheral slotted edge portion surrounding a central lid panel portion that is inset relative to the slotted edge portion. The lid peripheral slotted edge portion is adapted to engage and be seated on the tray peripheral ridged flange, such that the lid is reclosably attached to the tray. The cover panel and tray base define an interior volume for enclosing the foodstuff supported on the tray base when the lid peripheral slotted edge portion is seated on the tray member peripheral ridged flange. The flexible film and at least one of the lid and tray are transparent to permit visible inspection of the foodstuff enclosed within the package.
In one aspect, the film and/or tray materials are selected to facilitate separation therebetween to open the package and access the foodstuff. In another aspect, protuberances are provided on the tray base of the tray member facilitate manual release of the flexible film from areas of the tray base not covered by the foodstuff. The integral protuberances may extend downward from the tray base. In a particularly embodiment, the protuberances have progressively smaller diameter and height in a direction extending from a tray member sidewall towards the central base portion thereof.
In one aspect, the upper surface of the lid and bottom surface of the tray are respectively configured to allow nested stacking of a tray of one food package on the lid of another food package stacked beneath it, and so forth until as many separate food packages are stacked in a stable manner as desired. For example, integral feet can be provided on the bottom surfaces of trays which fit or “nest” within an inset region provided in the upper surfaces of adjacent lids effective to prevent undue shifting of an overlying food package relative to an underlying food package in a stack of the food packages all having these tray and lid features. This nested tray arrangement facilitates maintaining stacked food packages upright and stable on-shelf.
As will be appreciated, the aforementioned reclosable food packages are provided for foodstuffs, such as meat slices, for example, shingled bacon slices or other bacon products, and cheese slices, which are displayable with high product visibility, and which may be repeatedly opened and securely reclosed. These advantages, among others, may help to increase consumer interest in and satisfaction with the packaged product.
A method is also provided for packing foodstuffs, such as shingled bacon slices, using the aforementioned reclosable container. In one embodiment, the method steps may include providing a reclosable package as described herein, introducing foodstuff, such as shingled bacon slices, into the rigid tray having a tray base, covering the foodstuff and adjacent tray areas uncovered by the foodstuff with a flexible film, covering the rigid tray with a lid for releasably closing together the lid and the tray.
Reclosable food packages are illustrated in
Referring specifically to the embodiment of
The tray 11 and lid 12 may provide a protective display package for a shingled stack of bacon slices 14. The shingled stack of bacon slices 14 is sealed within the package 10, which bacon slices may be uncooked, partially cooked or fully cooked. The flexible film may be removed by the customer after being unsealed for the first time, or otherwise kept as a loose covering with the package. The term “bacon,” as used herein may refer to meat-containing or meatless bacon. Although bacon slices are illustrated, it will be appreciated that other types of foodstuffs can be packaged in the food package 10.
The flexible film 13 preferably is transparent. At least one of the lid member 12 and tray member 11 also is preferably transparent to the extent that portions of bacon 14 supported within the package 10 can be readily viewed and inspected by a consumer prior to purchase. Preferably, at least the lid member 12 and flexible film 13 are transparent. In the food package illustrated in
One or more labels 20 may be included in order to satisfy marketing and regulatory labeling needs and requirements. The labels may comprise opaque backings including legible print thereon. Alternatively, one or more of such labels may be partially transparent or maybe partially or entirely translucent. In one embodiment, pressure sensitive labels are used, which may be affixed to an exterior side of the lid member, tray member, or both. Alternatively, the labels may be affixed to an interior (food side) surface of transparent package components. In another alternative, print is affixed directly on a layer of a film comprising a package component.
Referring to
A plurality of space apart discrete integral protuberances 134 extend downward from the upper surface 135 of the tray base 130. In this illustration, the protuberances 134 have progressively smaller diameter and height in a direction extending from a tray member sidewall towards the central base portion. That is, the protuberances or release elements may be arranged on the upper surface of the tray in a “fade out” scheme in which the diameter and height of the protuberances gradually and progressively becomes larger nearer the tray sides. The release elements are illustrated as discrete substantially rounded dimples, but also may have other shapes. For instance, the protuberances may have a cross-sectional geometric shape that is selected from amongst circles, ovals, elongated drops, squares, triangles, and the like and/or any combination thereof. In this manner, the texture of the tray surface is designed to facilitate release of the flexible film 13 from the food-side upper surface 135 of tray member 11 where the two components may come into contact. The optimal sizing of the protuberances may vary depending on a number of variables, such as the plastic type and thickness of the flexible film 13, the slope of inclined tray base portions 131 and 132, and so forth. In general, the protuberances will present sufficient size to make it easier for a consumer to peel the flexible film 13 off the tray member where it contacts tray areas not supporting the foodstuff, while not being excessively large to make it difficult to provide a vacuum sealed product within the tray using the flexible film in vacuum skin packaging. The protuberances 134 can be integrally formed in the tray member 11, such as by plastic molding or thermoforming techniques.
The flexible film 13 is vacuum sealed upon the upper exposed surfaces of the bacon slices 14 and uncovered areas of the upper surface 135 of the tray base 130. A peripheral slotted edge portion 15 of the lid 12 is seated on the ridged flange 140 of tray member 11. The slotted edge portion of the lid 12 is appropriately sized to slidingly engage and interfit with the ridged flange 140 of the tray member 11. In this illustration, the flexible film 13 is interposed between slotted edge portion 15 of the lid and the ridged flange 140 of the tray member 11. Due to the small thickness of the flexible film 13, it does not substantially interfere with the initial mechanical interfit made between the lid and tray at their peripheral edge portions. In this illustration loose ends of the flexible film 13 extend outside the interfit slotted portion 15 of the lid and the ridged flange 140 of the tray member 11. The shingled bacon 14 stacked on the base 130 that the bacon 14 is readily visible through either the front or rear sides of the food package.
As illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
In one embodiment, a structural feature is included as an integral part of the flange of either the tray 11 or the lid 12 components to facilitate initiation of manual separation of the components apart at their flanges. For instance, outward-extending, easy-open “thumb-tabs” 143 and 144 may be provided on the outer periphery of the tray 11 and the lid 12 for this purpose (e.g., see
In these non-limiting illustrations, the tray 11 has a generally rectangular-shaped profile (from a top view perspective). Other package profiles may be used, depending on the dimensions of the shingled stack of bacon slices or other foodstuffs and to the extent a profile accommodates the multi-contoured tray base used in accordance with this invention to help display the package contents. For example, if the shingled stack of bacon strips has a size similar to that of the lengths of the individual bacon strips, then a more squared-shaped profile may be suitable for the tray 11. The profile of the lid 12 usually generally corresponds to that of the tray 11.
With this arrangement, improvements include the addition of the vacuum film and, if necessary, the tray textural design elements that facilitate release of the film from areas of the tray not covered by product. The vacuum film provides a hermetic seal between the product and the tray 11, and maintains the food product in position on the tray. The food product loaded into the tray member is immobilized by the film for optimal display through transparent packaging to prospective customers at the grocery store or other retailer, while the flexible film also maintains the food product in a vacuum sealed condition on the tray member and prevents foodstuff oils or juices from migrating away from the foodstuff onto the tray member. This can make it easier to identify leakage of food product fluids. More bacon slices are visible to the consumer prior to purchasing and opening the package of bacon. The rigid lid member or overcap allows for simple yet secure manual reclosure of the package after the flexible film has been removed to access the foodstuff. The reclosable package helps keep product fresh after opening. The combination of rigid plastic tray member and rigid plastic lid, as described herein, allows reclosure of the package after the consumer opens the hermetic seal of the vacuum sealed flexible film. The generally rigid constructions of both the tray and lid members, together with the provision of the above-noted closure features at the flanges of the components, also may permit a consumer to open and reopen the package with minimized manual effort.
The aforementioned improvements can also be achieved with the recloseable packages 210 and 310 of the embodiments of
Referring to
In a vacuum forming method, a web is heated, e.g., by a contact heater and a vacuum is applied beneath the web causing the web to be drawn or pushed by atmospheric pressure down into a preformed mold. In a plug-assist vacuum forming method, after the first or forming web has been heated and sealed across a mold cavity, a plug shape similar to the mold shape impinges on the opposite side of the forming web and, upon the application of vacuum, the forming web transfers to the mold surface. A web thermoformed into the tray member may be deep drawn in this manner to form a receptacle having the base surface contour described herein for receiving shingled bacon (step 201). A separate web is thermoformed into the lid member (step 202).
The tray member (and lid member) may be thermoplastic or thermosetting materials that can be shaped into the desired tray or lid configuration. The tray and lid members may also be made of materials suitable for injection molding. The tray member (and lid member) independently can be made from a variety of materials including homogenous plastic films, multi-layered film laminates, and/or co-extruded films, and the like. In one embodiment, packaging material useful for the tray member and lid member is polyester, and particularly, a polyester film construction suitable for packaging of refrigerated meat products. Preferably, at least the tray member has a construction that has sufficient structural characteristics so that the laminate is sufficiently rigid for shape retention during handling and is substantially impervious to oxygen. In one example, the tray and lid members are made from Curform 9413, having an APET layer, such as about 14 mils, and an ionomer layer, such as about 2 mils, to facilitate denesting and made by Curwood, Inc., Oshkosh, Wis. Additionally, the tray member may have a sealant layer made from 9108-0, such as about 4 mils, made by Curwood.
The forming web which is shaped into the tray member structure is positioned in a manner suitable to receive a predetermined amount of shingled bacon, which is placed therein by manual or automated loading (step 203).
After a food product is loaded into an open tray, the loaded tray is advanced through a packaging machine to apply a flexible sealing film to the food product on the tray member (step 204). A flexible film is conformably drawn over the shingled bacon and exposed tray areas with vacuum skin packaging techniques and equipment. In general, the flexible sealing film is drawn down onto the food product and free peripheral edges of the film are drawn onto the tray surface dimples or protuberances and the bottom surfaces of the tray. The flexible film closely conforms to the adjoining surfaces of the bacon and exposed tray areas, and adheres to the exposed tray areas. The packaging machine used may be a vacuum-skin tray sealer packaging machine, such as a Consolidated Food Systems (CFS) TWINSTAR packaging machine.
A lid is mechanically joined, such as by a snap-fit, to the tray supporting the foodstuff that has already been packed within the flexible film (step 205). In an alternative arrangement, the lid is heat-sealed to the tray at juxtaposed flanged surfaces thereof.
A second separately thermoformed web corresponding to the lid member may be thermoformed into the appropriate shape with a similar method. The stiffness of the lid member may optionally be enhanced by embossing patterns into it, such as a rhomboid pattern. The lid member web is positioned over the tray member web preloaded with foodstuff covered by flexible film. The tray member, as filled with bacon, is then attached to the lid member, which has been separately formed, at their respective mating peripheral ridged flange of the tray member and slotted edge portion of the lid member (step 205). For example, the lid member peripheral slot portion is seated upon the tray member peripheral ridged flange in a contiguous manner.
The lid member and tray member do not need to be heat sealed at their aligned and contacting peripheral flanges and edge portions, since the flexible film seals the foodstuff upon the tray base in a hermetic sealing manner. Therefore, the tray member and lid member can be configured for reclosable mechanical interconnection without the need for heat sealing them. Although not required, heat sealing or other one-time releasable attachment is not excluded. In this manner, the flexible film, lid member, and tray member form a substantially gas- and debris-impermeable enclosure for the shingled bacon. The mechanical attachment of the lid member and tray member can be sufficiently strong to withstand the expected handling and use conditions of the container.
The loaded and covered packages may be labeled (step 206), such as using conventional pressure sensitive food package labeling. In this embodiment, the individual sealed packages are then trimmed out of the superposed tray and lid webs (step 207), and may be packaged, shipped, and or shelved in any convenient manner. Snap fit projections, such as described herein, are used to assist and enhance mechanically reclosure of the container after it has been opened at the flanges and the flexible film has been removed.
In an alternative method 300 illustrated in
The flexible film or skin may be a thin pliable ionomer material. Commercially available products in this respect include roll stock for vacuum skin packing applications, such as the CURLON series films, such as CURLON 610, by Curwood Inc., Oshkosh, Wis. The flexible skin may have a thickness of about 3-4 mils or other suitable thickness for the vacuum packing operation. In addition to the above and subject to any requirements indicated herein, one or more of the flexible film, lid and/or tray plastic materials may also include one or more additives useful in packaging films, such as, antiblocking agents, slip agents, flavorants, antimicrobial agents, meat preservatives, antioxidants, fillers, radiation stabilizers, and antistatic agents, and so forth. Such additives, and their effective amounts, are generally known in the art.
In side-by-side comparisons to pre-existing commercial bacon package products, the reclosable food packages of the present invention have been found to provide a better visibility of the enclosed food product in combination with ease of opening/closing the package for enhanced food access and a better resealable lid.
While described with specific reference to particular process and product embodiments, it will be appreciated that various alterations, modifications and adaptations may be based on the present disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the following claims.