Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Packaged food product and method for packaging fresh food
products
The subject matter of the invention is a packaged fresh food product,
especially a meat product, and a procedure for the production thereof, as a
result of which packaged vegetables, fish, meat, carcase meat, poultry,
processed meat, for instance sausage can be produced with a better shelf life
than that of packaged products of the art.
The use of such trays is widespread for packaging meat products and
other grocery products, wherein the meat product is placed then tightly sealed
with a foil. In some cases a moisture absorbent insert is placed beneath the
meat product, especially carcase meat or poultry, which absorbs the moisture
leaking out from the meat product after packaging. The moisture absorbent
insert may be the tray itself, and there are several solutions for this
purpose,
disclosed e.g. in WO 0046125, DE 1 972 5949, EP 115 0901, and US 3 384
606. The advantage of this solution is that the tray absorbs the moisture from
the meat product so that it remains invisible.
In case of processed meat products another kind of packaging can be
used if the moisture content of the meat product is relatively low. In such
case
the meat product is placed in a bag, and the bag is closed under vacuum. This
solution may be hardly used in case of meat products having greater moisture
content. Also in case of other meat products a certain amount of moisture will
leak out, which disadvantageously affects the appearance of the packaged
p rod u ct.
The consumability period of packaged meat products is greatly
influenced by the cleanliness of the meat product, the number of microbes in
it.
It is a very important aspect, particularly in case of fresh, i.e. not frozen
meat
products, that how long the meat product may be stored. Other circumstances
influence the consumability of meat products. Commercial distribution and
transportability are disadvantageously affected by the limited period of
consumability.
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The aim of the invention is to extend this consumability period and to
improve the aesthetical appearance of several kinds of fresh products, such as
untreated, seasoned, pickled, heat treated or smoked meat products, sausages,
especially red meat, poultry, venison meat, fish, as well as vegetables and
fruits,
that are stored, transported, and distributed without freezing.
The aim of the invention is achieved by providing a fresh grocery product
that is placed in a packaging means, optionally a tray, furnished with a
moisture
absorbent insert and sealed air-tightly under vacuum, which packaging means
includes a vacuum foil clinging to the product, and a fenestrated moisture-
impermeable layer, e.g. a perforated foil separates the product and the
moisture
absorbent insert from one another.
The moisture absorbent insert absorbs, closes in the moisture leaking out
from the product during vacuuming and/or storing, while at the same time, the
moisture impermeable layer prevents the moisture absorbent insert from
directly
touching the surface of the product, and both from drying it and keeping it
too
moist. The moisture absorbent insert has to be formed - i.e. its moisture
capacity
has to be determined - in such a manner that during the consumability time of
he
product it will be able to absorb and keep the moisture leaking out from the
product. The moisture absorbent insert may be made of paper, or other moisture
absorbent material applicable in the food industry, e.g. of the material known
from the referred documents.
The packaged fresh food product of the invention is protected from both
the air and the moisture that may leak out from itself, therefore its
consumability
time and quality, its preservation time is improved, its delectableness,
gastronomical value is raised by the gentle protection provided by the
packaging,
and this can be proven by sense perception, i.e. touching, smelling, visual
inspection, as well as by microbiological measuring.
According to the invention, we have also developed a method for
producing packaged fresh food product, especially meat product, i.e. for the
packaging of the product. According to the method of the invention, the raw
material having suitable hygienic condition and cleanliness is prepared in the
desired manner, cut to pieces if necessary and seasoned as desired, then the
product so prepared is placed in a suitable sized tray. According to the
invention,
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either a moisture absorbent tray, e.g. a foamed plastic tray made at least
partly
of a moisture absorbent material and formed with a perforated moisture
impermeable surface layer or a moisture absorbent insert formed with a
perforated moisture impermeable surface layer is used. The meat product placed
in the tray is sealed with air-tight foil, e.g. by placing it in a vacuum-bag
then
sealing it under vacuum, and if necessary, the parts of the packaging material
extending over the tray are welded around the tray, and the part outside the
welding is removed by trimming. The packaged product so produced is stored at
the usually applied temperature, e.g. at 0 - +5 grade Celsius, and labelled as
io necessary.
The invention will be explained below with reference to the attached
drawings. In the drawings
Fig. I shows a tray used for assembling the packaged product according to
the invention;
Fig. 2 shows a product placed in a tray and prepared for being packaged
according to the invention;
Fig. 3 shows a packaged product according to the invention;
Fig. 4 shows a cross section of the packaged product according to Fig. 2
taken along the plane marked by arrows III-III.
2o The packaged food product according to the invention comprises a tray 20
incorpotaring a moisture absorbent insert. The tray 20 may be made of a
moisture absorbent material itself, thereby the material of the tray 20
constituting
the moisture absorbent insert 22. Such trays may be known from the documents
referred to above. Those trays that include a moisture absorbent material at
least
in their bottom while provided with a moisture impermeable layer on their
surface
and having holes 21 on such moisture impermeable layer were found as
perfectly suitable. Such type of trays are produced by LINpac, for packages
under 300 grams under the trade name LiNdri produced by Linpac Plastics Ltd.
company (Knottingley, West Yorks, GB). The size and shape of the tray 20 has
to be chosen so that the product 10 to be packaged will fill it almost
completely,
which is indicated by a dotted line on Fig. 1 and shown from the side on Fig.
2.
The tray 20 and the product 10 placed therein are covered by a bag 30 made of
an airtight foil or vacuum-foil and sealed under vacuum.
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As a result of removing the vacuum applied at packaging, the product 10 placed
in the tray 20 is pressed to the tray 20, if it is soft; it flattens out and
protrudes
from the level of the edge of the tray 20 only slightiy.
Keeping the shape of soft sausages may be improved by superficial heat
treatment, for instance by dipping into hot water, as a result of which the
outer
layer of the sausage hardens.
In course of the method developed for producing the packaged meat product of
the invention, the meat, or meat product constituting the product 10 to be
packaged, e.g. cut fresh meat, minced meat, sausage, seasoned meat on sticks
1o prepared for grilling, is placed in the tray 20 then put into a bag 30
suitable for
vacuum packaging.
The bag 30 may be formed on site, or may be substituted with one or two foils
that may be used to cover the product 10 placed in the tray 20. Subsequently
it is
placed into a traditional, for instance a double chamber KOMET Plusvac 25
type,
or other type of machine applicable for vacuum packaging that usually works in
such a manner that the creation of vacuum starts only after its lid is closed.
After
the suitable value of vacuum usually used for vacuum-packaging is reached, and
a normal vacuuming time has lapsed, the machine forms a sealing weld 31
around the tray by welding a bag 30 placed onto a trimming-welding edge
formed with an appropriate shape, then it trims the part of the bag falling
outside
thereof as necessary. After trimming the vacuum may be stopped, the lid may be
opened, and at this time the material of the bag 30 is air-tightly drawn onto
the
product 10 in the tray 20 due to the pressure of the surrounding air and the
vacuum inside the bag 30, and only such wrinkles 32 are formed that are
relatively small depending on the size of the bag 30 compared to the tray 20,
but
do not prevent the placing of the individual packages beside or onto one
another.
The wrinkles 32 may be removed or decreased if the bag 30 is made of a heat
shrinking foil, and the surface of the prepared package is heat treated
subsequently to packaging under vacuum by dipping it into water having an
appropriate temperature or blowing hot air onto it for a short period. During
heat
treatment the shape of the package may be preserved by placing into an
appropriate shaped and sized basket. In case of applying hot air, the foil may
be
smoothed away, adjusted by hand using protecting gloves, the shape of the
package may be formed. The vacuuming may be combined with and/or
substituted by filling up with protecting gas, e.g. nitrogen.
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Fig. 4 shows the cross sectional view of the packaged product of the
invention,
from which it is clearly visible that the product 10 placed in the tray 20
fills out the
tray 20 almost entirely. The atmospheric pressure transmitted by the bag 30
slightly flattens the product 10, as a result it fills out the tray 20 even
better, so
the product 10 bulges out only a little. The material of the bag 30 is
slightly
pressed into the interim space between the edge of the tray 20 and the product
10.
Packaging may be performed into plastic bowls produced by vacuum forming
injection moulding or another suitable manner, or even into metal bowls
provided
with appropriate surface finish, wherein a moisture absorbent insert provided
with a perforated moisture impermeable surface layer is placed at first, then
the
product to be packaged is placed onto this insert. In this case such bowl
takes
the role of the tray 20 where the bowl itself does not have to be packaged for
separating the product from the surrounding air, but it is sufficient to seal
it with a
foil in an airtight manner. Subsequently to vacuuming - and/or flushing with
protective gas - the bowl and the product placed into it may be covered with
e.g.
plastic foil, then closed by heat sealing or bonding.
The moisture oozing out from the product 10 during a subsequent storing under
the effect a of the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere and the vacuum will
2o be absorbed by the moisture absorbent insert through the holes 21 of the
tray
20, and therefore the moisture will not accumulate on the surface of the
product
10.
Surprisingly, it was found that the period of the fresh product packaged with
this
method remains consumable has significantly extended. Experiences in
connection with the consumability of products packaged with several different
methods gained through sense perception are summarised in the table at the
end of the specification.
Microbiological examinations have also proved the sensually well perceptible
improvement of the quality of the packaged product after several days of
storing,
and it has been proven that the product packaged in such manner keeps its
perfect condition from a microbiological aspect, even after 15 days of
storing.
Numerous tests were conducted with raw meat, poultry, fish, as well as with
processed meat products, and in case of all products the period of
consumability
has extended substantially; if compared to packaging only in foil without
vacuum,
the consumability period has increased very significantly even to as much as
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three times of its value, while compared to packaging using vacuum, generally
by 30-50%. At the same time the quality is improved as well, including the
general appearance, colour, taste, touch of the packaged product. There is no
substantial amount of excess moisture on the product neither in the packaging
nor after its removal from the packaging.
In order to check consumability and preservation of freshness, we have
conducted comparative sensual examinations on boned pork chop, beef neck,
salmon fillet, and pepper (capsicum) cut into pieces. We have packaged these
products using the traditional methods and the method of the invention, then
stored them at +5 1 C temperature for different periods, and after said
periods
the quality of the products packaged by different methods were inspected and
compared by sensual perception, by vision, touch and smelling.
The results are included in the table below.
Samples numbered 1, 5, 7 and 9 were placed into a simple tray and closed it
with polyethylene foil. Sample No. 2 was placed in a simple tray and closed
under vacuum. Samples Nos. 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 were packaged using the method
of the invention, for which method a tray, vacuum-foil bag and packaging
machine were used, as mentioned above. After sealing under vacuum, the
packages were dipped into water having a temperature of +75 5 C and were
pushed downwards to submerge below the surface of water otherwise they
floated onto the surface of the water because of the foamed plastic tray. Then
the packaged samples were stored at +5 0,5 C temperature until the
examination has been carried out. The results refiect clearly the substantial
extension of the consumability period of the fresh product.
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