Patent Application
20080251406
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of packaged crustaceans, more particularly, sealed packaged lobsters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Crustacean meat has a short shelf life and if it is not contained properly will quickly spoil. On average, a refrigerated lobster or crab has a shelf life of one to two days, but if frozen, can last for two to three months. For this reason, lobsters and crabs are often fully cooked, shucked and frozen before being transported to another location. Reheating the meat may alter the taste of the seafood and, as time wears on, the meat may become odorous, tough and overall less appealing.
The sale of whole lobster, live or cooked, requires expensive storage and shipping practices. Live lobsters must be stored in water tanks. When they are sold, it is assumed they will be consumed within a very short period of time, and no special packaging is generally provided, except for possibly placing the live lobster in a container with dry ice to cool it, yet keep the lobster alive for a transportation time of up to 24 hours. Cooked whole lobster are also sold, and, here, too, it is usually assumed that the lobster will be eaten in the very near future and no special packaging is provided. It is known to freeze a cooked lobster for later sale and consumption. It is very difficult, however, to properly package a lobster with conventional packaging materials, because of its irregular shape and spiny protrusions on its shell.
Vacuum sealing is a well-known simple packaging process in the food industry and is frequently used to expand the shelf life of meats, seafood, vegetables, oils, nuts and many other types of food. Vacuum sealing prevents the growth of bacteria by removing the atmospheric oxygen and excessive moisture, and also prevents moisture and flavor from evaporating from the sealed product. This allows the food to retain its natural flavor longer and extends its shelf life. For example, fish typically have a shelf life of six months if frozen, but it may be extended to two years if properly vacuum-sealed.
Vacuum sealing with plastic film is also highly desirable in the food industry, because typical vacuum-sealing machines are inexpensive and the process is simple. Until now, however, it has not been practical to vacuum-seal a whole lobster or crab because of spines, spikes and other protuberances on the shell that may pierce or otherwise negatively affect the integrity of the plastic film. Parts of the lobster shell, particularly the claw shells, are easily cracked or broken during packaging and shipping processes. The lobster tail, however, has fewer protuberances and is less irregularly shaped than the remainder of the lobster and, currently, is the only portion of the lobster that is vacuum packaged in its shell. This method of packaging lobster tail has a relatively high failure rate, though, because protuberances on the bottom of the tail often puncture through the film of the vacuum package.
In some cases, crustaceans are first frozen in bulky containers or blocks of ice and then encased in a vacuum-sealed package. This type of packaging is referred to in the industry as a “popsicle pack”. This method requires substantial amounts of energy to freeze the large amount of water necessary to encase the lobster. It also increases the shipping weight of the lobster significantly and requires a long thaw period, both resulting in greater cost and inconvenience to the consumer.
Other packaging processes, such as “form, fill, and seal packaging” use some type of tray, cup, or molded container. A film is typically used over the top of the package to form a seal. This type of packaging has a disadvantage in that it frequently requires application of additional processing steps or use of additional tools. The use of heat and/or pressure may be needed to form the molded tray. The irregular shape of the lobster makes it difficult to secure it in this type of package, so that it is not free to move around inside the package. Furthermore, the lobster can be damaged and/or the seal be broken by one of the many sharp protuberances of the lobster.
Therefore, what is needed is a protective sealed package for preserving a whole crustacean. What is further needed is such a package that is rugged enough to withstand the stresses of shipping and handling, yet does not damage the crustacean shell. What is yet further needed is such a package that uses conventional, inexpensive packaging materials and packaging methods.
The present invention is a sealed package for protecting and preserving a crustacean. The sealed package comprises one or more pads of compressible material and a plastic film that encloses the crustacean. The crustacean, either in whole or in part, is placed between the pads and then vacuum-sealed in the plastic film. The primary intended purpose of the invention is to package and preserve a lobster, the most difficult crustaceans to package, because of its spiny, breakable shell and its irregular shape. The inventive packaging is illustrated together with a lobster. It is understood, however, that other crustaceans or any food containing spines, spikes or sharp, spiny protuberances may be packaged in this manner. Thus, the use of the word “lobster” is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the use of the inventive packaging to use with a lobster.
The one or more pads may be provided in different sizes and varying thicknesses. The thickness of the pad to be used is ideally selected to accommodate the height of the spikes and spines. Thus, the thickness of the pad may be determined by the longest protrusion on the shell. The width and length dimensions are ideally selected to accommodate the size of the lobster, or the portion of the lobster to be padded. The pads are compressible and conform to some extent to the contour of the lobster's exoskeleton. The pads may be made of polyolefin foam, commonly used in the field of dentistry, or other food-safe, compressible material. Polyvinylchloride film (PVC), known in the food-packing industry as “bone shield”, may be used in conjunction with the plastic film either separately or laminated to the foam pad, to make the package more resistant to puncture damage.
The plastic film is of the kind typically used in the vacuum-sealing process such as laminated pouches with an inner layer of polyethylene and an outer layer of nylon. The plastic film may be on a roll or pre-cut into sheets. PVC may also be used in conjunction with the laminated pouches to reinforce the package. The sealed package may be full or partially vacuum-sealed, depending on the crustacean being packaged. For example, the exoskeleton of a soft-shelled crab may be sealed with a partial vacuum, with air, nitrogen, or another non-reactive gas providing a cushion for the soft shell, whereas a hard shell lobster is ideally sealed under with a full vacuum.
The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
The present invention will now be described more fully in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention should not, however, be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, it is provided so that this disclosure will be complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
The pad 110 may be made of any compressible, flexible padding or foam, such as polyolefin foam, which is suitable for food packaging. The pad 110 may be a single large pad that is folded to substantially cover the top and bottom of the lobster 112 or may include multiple pads. The pad 110 may cover the entire lobster 112, or just those parts that have a shell susceptible to cracking or breaking, or to parts that have sharp protuberances or spikes. The pad 110 may be any shape suitable for covering the lobster 112, such as, rectangular or oval, or it may be shaped more specifically to the product that is to be sealed, for example, it may have the general outline of a lobster or a crab, or may be closed on two or three sides to form a pocket-like enclosure. The pad 110 may also be designed to fit a particular anatomical part of the lobster 112. For example, the pads 110 may be shaped like mitts 118 that are slipped over the claws, or shaped like a skirt or sleeve that is slipped over the tail.
In the embodiment shown, the pad 110 includes at least two pads, a top pad 110A and a base pad 110B. The base pad 110B may be a standard thickness that will accommodate the size of most lobsters, whereby the top pad 110A may be selected according to the largest dimension of the spiny protuberances on the particular lobster 112. The lobster 112 is placed on the base pad 110B and covered with the top pad 110A. The unit is then vacuum-sealed in plastic film 116, forming the sealed crustacean package 100 according to the invention, which provides an airtight seal around the lobster or crustacean 112.
The plastic film 116 may be a bag, pouch, or tube, or separate sheets that are cut as needed to accommodate the length of the lobster. Plastic film 116 typically used to vacuum seal food is appropriate, such as laminated pouches with an inner layer of polyethylene and an outer layer of nylon. Film having a high oxygen transmission rate, such as CRYOVAC® 10K OTR bags or vacuum skin package, may also be used to package the unit. The plastic film 116 may be any suitable shape, size and thickness conventionally used to vacuum-seal food. At any rate, the plastic film 116 is sealed on all sides surrounding the lobster 112 to provide the vacuum seal. It is understood that other plastic materials, such as PVC sheet material, referred to in the food packing industry as bone shield 114, may be used in conjunction with the plastic film 116 to reinforce the sealed crustacean package 100.
In another embodiment, the base pad 110B may be a replaced by a disposable food tray 210. The food tray 210 may be made of paper board or polystyrene foam, or may be a thin plastic tray, and may also be covered with some absorbent material to absorb liquid from the crustacean. For example, the lobster 112, split in half lengthwise, may be placed with the split side down on the disposable food tray 210. This split side doesn't have the spiny protuberances of a whole lobster, nor a shell that is susceptible to cracking. Thus, it is not necessary to pad the bottom of the package 100 with the foam pad 110B.
When the air is removed from the sealed crustacean package 100, the plastic film 116 forms a tight seal against the foam pad or pads 110 or the disposable food tray 210. The top pad 110A conforms to the shape of the lobster 112, which aids in distributing the pressure evenly over the entire surface of the lobster, thereby avoiding any one pressure point that may crack the shell. The pads 110 also accommodate and cushion any spikes or spines, preventing them from damaging the plastic film 116. The use of the pads 110 thereby enables the use of conventional vacuum-sealing plastic to seal such irregularly shaped and spiny creatures.
It may be desirable to provide a selection of pads in varying thicknesses so that, in an effort to conserve material, the pad with a thickness that is just sufficient to cover the highest spiny protuberance on the shell is selected. For example, to package a lobster with smaller protuberances, one would select a thinner pad 110 and conversely, a thicker pad 110 for a lobster with greater protuberances. The pad 110 may be laminated with the plastic film 116, or may be laminated with the PVC bone shield 114 and the plastic film 116.
It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention. Variations in the construction of the sealed crustacean package may be contemplated by one skilled in the art without limiting the intended scope of the invention herein disclosed and as defined by the following claims.
