U.S. patent application number 12/195509 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-25 for energy-differential microwaveable food package.
This patent application is currently assigned to Kraft Foods Global Brands LLC. Invention is credited to Kathryn M. Birchmeier, Leonard S. Scarola.
Application Number | 20100047402 12/195509 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41382191 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100047402 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Birchmeier; Kathryn M. ; et
al. |
February 25, 2010 |
Energy-Differential Microwaveable Food Package
Abstract
A food package is provided having two different food products
disposed within a common flexible film wrapper. A portion of the
flexible film wrapper adjacent a first of the food products is
adapted to at least partially shield microwave radiation from the
first food product to a greater degree than the second food product
when both are heated together in the film wrapper in a microwave
oven.
Inventors: |
Birchmeier; Kathryn M.;
(Glenview, IL) ; Scarola; Leonard S.; (Basking
Ridge, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITCH EVEN TABIN & FLANNERY
120 SOUTH LASALLE STREET, SUITE 1600
CHICAGO
IL
60603-3406
US
|
Assignee: |
Kraft Foods Global Brands
LLC
Northfield
IL
|
Family ID: |
41382191 |
Appl. No.: |
12/195509 |
Filed: |
August 21, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/107 ;
426/234; 426/412 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2581/3456 20130101;
B65D 2581/3425 20130101; B65D 81/3461 20130101; B65D 2581/3489
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/107 ;
426/234; 426/412 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/34 20060101
B65D081/34 |
Claims
1. An energy-differential microwaveable food package containing at
least two different food products, the food package comprising: a
first food product; a second food product different from the first
food product; and a common flexible film wrapper surrounding the
first and second food products, the film wrapper having a
microwave-influencing segment positioned adjacent the first food
product and spaced from the second food product such that there is
an energy differential input between the first and second microwave
food products during microwave heating in the film wrapper.
2. The food package of claim 1, wherein the microwave-influencing
segment includes a microwave shielding material.
3. The food package of claim 2, wherein the microwave shielding
material is disposed between an inner layer and an outer layer of
the film wrapper.
4. The food package of claim 2, wherein the microwave shielding
material includes one or both of a plurality of separated portions
and non-shielded zones surrounded by shielding material.
5. The food package of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first
and second food products are supported by a rigid support disposed
in the film wrapper.
6. The food package of claim 6, wherein the rigid support has feet
to elevate the support.
7. The food package of claim 1, wherein the microwave-influencing
segment is adjacent a portion of the first food product and spaced
from another portion of the first food product.
8. The food package of claim 1, wherein the film wrapper includes
means for venting moisture from within the film wrapper during
microwave cooking.
9. The food package of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first
and second food products is disposed in containment means.
10. A method of packaging at least two different food products in
an energy-differential microwave package, the method comprising:
providing a first food product and a second food product different
from the first food product; positioning a microwave-influencing
segment of a common flexible film wrapper adjacent the first food
product and spaced from the second food product such that the
segment results in an energy differential input between the first
and second microwave food products during microwave heating; and
sealing the first and second food products in the film wrapper.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing the first
and second food products further includes the step of positioning
at least one of the first and second food products on a rigid
support.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rigid support includes
elevating means.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of positioning a
microwave-influencing segment of a common flexible film wrapper
adjacent the first food product and spaced from the second food
product further includes the step of surrounding the first and
second food products with the film wrapper.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing a first
food product and a second food product further includes the step of
providing at least one of the first and second food products in
containment means.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing a first
food product and a second food product further includes the step of
providing each of the first and second food products in separate
containment means.
16. A method of microwave heating a first and second food product,
the method comprising: placing a package having an outer flexible
film wrapper at least partially surrounding separate first and
second food products in a microwave oven; heating the first and
second food products together in the microwave oven while the first
and second food products are disposed in the film wrapper; and
limiting the microwave energy input to the first food product to a
different degree than the second food product during heating of the
first and second food products together in the microwave oven at
least in part using the film wrapper.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the outer flexible film wrapper
has a microwave-influencing segment adjacent the first food product
and spaced from the second food product such that microwave
radiation is at least partially blocked from the first food
product.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of placing a package
in a microwave oven further includes placing a package in a
microwave oven where the package includes a rigid support for both
the first and second food products disposed in the film wrapper.
Description
FIELD
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to an energy-differential
microwaveable food package, and in particular to a food package for
differential energy input to two different food products both
contained within the same food package.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Two or more different food items are often packaged together
in the same container and then frozen, refrigerated or
shelf-stabilized before use. The frozen food package can then be
reheated in a microwave to thaw the food items and bring them to a
preferred consumption temperature. Different frozen, refrigerated
or shelf-stable foods that are packaged together often require
different energies, or differential energy inputs, to reheat the
food items in the microwave prior to consumption. However, despite
this differential in energy requirements for heating, the foods
often are placed in the microwave oven and cooked together for the
same amount of time, which can result in one or more food items
being overcooked or undercooked.
[0003] Often the first and second food products have different
energy requirements when cooking or heating, such that if both food
products are placed in a microwave for the same amount of time at
least one food product may be overcooked while the other may be
undercooked. For example, if stored in a frozen condition, one food
product may thaw faster than another food product and once thawed
that food product continues to cook and receive more energy, and
thus cook faster than the other food product, resulting in
non-uniform cooking of the two food products. To solve this problem
where two or more different food items are to be simultaneously
heated in a microwave and one food item requires more heat than
another food item, a shielding and/or susceptor material has been
applied to generally rigid packaging, such as paperboard trays,
thermoformed containers and the like.
[0004] When a frozen, refrigerated or shelf-stable food product
like a sandwich is to be reheated in a microwave where the multiple
food items make up the whole of the product, it can be desirable to
obtain different temperatures. One such attempt to heat a sandwich
product is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,305, where a package
for a sandwich separates the bread from the non-bread (i.e., the
fillings of a sandwich) portion so that upon reheating the frozen
sandwich, the non-bread container can be removed to allow only
heating of the bread component. This can create two heating steps
if the non-bread component is also required to be heated, as well
as requiring a further step to reheat the bread component if it has
cooled off while heating the non-bread component.
[0005] Multi-component containers are known that store two or more
different food items and allow for sections of the container to be
exposed to microwave energy while shielding other sections from the
microwave energy, where the different sections correspond to the
different food requirements. Various shielding techniques are known
that shield or prevent microwave energy from heating one food item,
while allowing microwave energy to heat another food item in the
same package. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,304, one such shielding
apparatus is used with a frozen pizza, where the shield is in the
shape of a ring and is wrapped around the periphery of the pizza to
help provide an improved uniformity of cooking, whereas without the
shield the crust could possibly overcook, since it thaws before the
rest of the pizza and then continues to absorb energy at a higher
rate than the rest of the frozen pizza. Another shielding technique
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,618, where a shield shaped like
a sleeve fits around a cup-like container which contains ice cream
and a sauce or other food item to be warmed or heated. The sleeve
is fitted such that it only shields the ice cream part of the
container during microwave heating, keeping the ice cream frozen
while allowing the sauce or other food item to be heated. Another
similar ice cream container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,934,829, where a container with an ice cream and a food item to
be heated is wrapped along the outside of the container with a
shield, such as aluminum foil. The foil wrapping covers the top and
sides, stopping just short of the bottom of the container where the
food item to be heated is located, thus allowing the bottom portion
to be heated while keeping the ice cream from being heated. In each
of these examples, though, the generally rigid packaging can
disadvantageously add to the costs, as well as limit the shapes and
configurations available for the packaging. Moreover, there can be
additional costs associated with attaching the shielding to the
rigid packaging, such as when performed using in-mold labeling.
[0006] There are other multi-component containers that can contain
a susceptor zone, which is a zone that absorbs microwave energy, or
both a susceptor zone and a shielding zone. U.S. Pat. No. 6,903,320
discloses a multi-component molded microwaveable container having
at least two sections, where at least one section has a susceptor
zone. This container can similarly be used for an ice cream food
product and a cake or sauce. The container can also include a
shielding zone.
[0007] Paperboard or other generally rigid containers or trays have
several disadvantages. Such containers or trays can be costly.
Also, they can have limitations on the sizes and shapes into which
it can be configured. Further, different configurations can require
different tooling, and not be readily adjustable to accommodate
differently-shaped products.
SUMMARY
[0008] An energy-differential microwaveable food package is
provided that addresses the aforementioned disadvantages of the
prior art. Instead of having a shielding layer disposed on a
generally rigid compartment or on a generally rigid tray disposed
within an outer packaging, shielding for at least one of the two
different food products is provided on an outer film wrapper. This
advantageously can reduce the costs of packaging by eliminating a
requirement for additional outer packaging, as well as a
requirement for rigid packaging having shielding thereon. Further,
the flexible film can be readily adapted to the desired size of the
food products, and can also be adapted, such as by trimming, to
accommodate differently-sized products.
[0009] In one aspect, a temperature-differential microvaveable food
package is provided that contains at least two different food
products, including a first food product and a second food product
different from the first food product. A common flexible film
wrapper surrounds the first and second food products. The film
wrapper has a microwave-influencing segment, such as a microwave
shielding material, positioned adjacent the first food product and
spaced from the second food product such that there is a
temperature differential between the first and second microwave
food products following microwave heating in the film wrapper.
[0010] In another aspect, a method is provided for packaging at
least two different food products in a temperature-differential
microwave package. The method may include providing a first food
product and a second food product different from the first food
product. The method may further include positioning a
microwave-influencing segment of a common flexible film wrapper
adjacent the first food product and spaced from the second food
product such that the segment results in a temperature differential
between the first and second microwave food products following
microwave heating. The method may also include sealing the first
and second food products in the film wrapper.
[0011] In another aspect, a method is provided for microwave
heating a first and second food product. The method may include
placing a package having an outer flexible film wrapper containing
separate first and second food products in a microwave oven,
heating the first and second food products together in the
microwave oven while the first and second food products are
disposed in the film wrapper, and limiting the microwave heating of
the first food product to a different degree than the second food
product during heating of the first and second food products
together in the microwave oven at least in part using the film
wrapper.
[0012] One or both of the first and second food products may
optionally be supported by a rigid support disposed in the film
wrapper. The rigid support may have feet to elevate the support
above the bottom of a microwave oven.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outer film wrapper
containing two different food products;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and
showing both a shielded region of the outer film wrapper adjacent
one of the food products and a non-shielded region of the outer
film wrapper adjacent the other of the food products;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an outer film wrapper
containing a tray which is supporting two different food
products;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a section view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and
showing both a shielded region of the outer film wrapper adjacent
one of the food products and a non-shielded region of the outer
film wrapper adjacent the other of the food products, as well as
the tray supporting the two food products;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a detailed section view of region V of FIG. 4,
showing details of the construction of the shielded region of the
outer film wrapper; and
[0018] FIG. 6 is a detailed section view similar to that
illustrated in FIG. 5, but showing an alternative construction of
the shielded region of the outer film wrapper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The food package illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 and described
herein includes two different food products disposed within a
common flexible film wrapper. A portion of the flexible film
wrapper adjacent a first of the food products is adapted to at
least partially shield microwave radiation from heating the first
food product to the same degree as the second food product is
heated when both are heated together in the film wrapper in a
microwave oven. This advantageously permits the film wrapper and
the first and second food products to be placed in a microwave oven
for the same time period, but can reduce the microwave energy input
to one of the food products to a different degree than the other of
the food products. The use of the flexible film wrapper eliminates
the need for additional outer packaging, as well as reduces the
costs associated with providing generally rigid packaging having
the shielding thereon. Also, it can be more cost-effective to
adjust the size of the film, such as by trimming excess film, to
accommodate different product shapes than having to create tooling
for differently-shaped rigid packaging. Although such outer
packaging and rigid packaging are not necessary, they may
nonetheless be used with the food package described herein.
[0020] The food package 10 of the first exemplary embodiment has a
flexible film wrapper 20 which encloses a first food product 12 and
a second food product 14, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The film
wrapper 20 includes a microwave shielding layer 28 adjacent the
first food product 12 but not adjacent the second food product 14,
as illustrated in FIG. 2. During microwave heating of the food
products 12 and 14 together in the film wrapper 20, the shielding
adjacent the first food product 12 will at least partially restrict
microwave radiation from heating the first food product 12 to the
same degree as the second food product 14. Thus, both food products
12 and 14 may be heated together in the film wrapper 20 in a
microwave oven for the same period of time, with the first food
product 12 receiving a different microwave energy input than the
second food product 14.
[0021] The food package 110 of the second exemplary embodiment has
a first food product 12 and a second food product 14 with are
supported by a generally rigid tray 140, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
The film wrapper 120 includes a microwave shielding layer 128
adjacent the first food product but not adjacent the second food
product 14, as illustrated in FIG. 4. As in the first embodiment,
the shielding adjacent the first food product 12 will at least
partially restrict microwave radiation from reaching the first food
product 12 to the same degree as the second food product. This can
permit both food products 12 and 14 to be heated together in the
film wrapper 120 in a microwave oven for the same period of time,
with the first food product 12 having received a different energy
input following microwave heating as compared to the second food
product 14.
[0022] The microwave shielding layer 28 and 128 may be integrally
formed with the wrapper 20, or may be separately applied. As shown
in FIG. 5, the shielding layer 28 may comprise a laminate having an
outer and an inner protective sheet 34 and 30 with a shielding
sheet 32 disposed therebetween. The outer sheet 34 may be adhered
to the inner surface of the wrapper 20. Alternatively, as shown in
FIG. 6, the shielding layer 28 may comprise a laminate having an
inner protective sheet 30 and a shielding sheet 32 attached to the
inner surface of the wrapper 20. The sheet 30 (FIG. 6) or sheets 30
and 34 together (FIG. 5) may cover any otherwise exposed edges of
the shielding sheet 32. Moreover, the laminate shielding alone may
be applied to the outerwardly-facing surface of of the film instead
of the illustrated inwardly-facing surface. The shielding layer can
also be applied using deposition techniques, such as printing or
spraying. Other permutations can also be used. Types of suitable
shielding are disclosed in PCT publications WO2005/068321 and
WO2003/043474, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by
reference in their entireties. The outer wrapper 20 can be in the
form of flow wrap a bag, or a sleeve, although other flexible
configurations can be used. Further, the outer wrapper 20 may be
formed of a laminate having an inner heat seating layer to
facilitate sealing of the outer wrapper 20 to itself in order to
form a sealed package. In one example, the heat sealing layer of
the outer wrapper 20 may be the inner protective sheet 30 for at
least one of the seals of the outer wrapper 20. That is, the heat
sealing layer of the outer wrapper 20 may be sealed, such as an end
seal, to the inner protective sheet 30 having heat sealing
properties.
[0023] By way of example, the film of the outer wrapper may be
formed from polypropylene, polyethylene teraphalate, or other
materials suitable for contact with food and microwaving. The
shielding layer may include aluminum or other shielding metals.
When a laminate is used, the laminate layers may include the same
materials as the film, and could also be ethylene vinyl alcohol
polymer or polyethylene.
[0024] The film forming the wrapper 20 and 120 has the microwave
shielding layer 28 and 128 positioned adjacent the first food
product 12. Although depicted as being only adjacent the first food
product 12 in FIGS. 1-4, the shielding layer may be adjacent both
food products 12 and 14, with a lesser degree of shielding adjacent
one of the food products as compared to adjacent the other. For
example, the shielding layer may have perforations or other
patterns and/or decreased thickness adjacent the one of the food
products requiring less microwave heating as compared to the other
of the food products.
[0025] The film wrapper 20 may be the only outer packaging, or
other outer packaging may also be provided in addition to the film
wrapper 20. The film wrapper 20 has a seal 22 about its periphery
to enclose the two food products 12 and 14. An easy-open feature,
such as a thinned die line, a score line, or another area of
weakness as well as an aligned starter notch, may be provided to
permit the consumer to readily open the film wrapper 20 to gain
access to the food products 12 and 14. The film wrapper 20 may be
opened prior to microwave heating to permit venting and restrict
the build-up of gasses within the sealed wrapper 20, and/or a
pressure relieving vent (such as a one-way valve) may be provided
to permit venting during and after microwave heating.
[0026] Turning now to details regarding the tray 140 of the second
exemplary embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tray 140
includes a food product support surface 142 elevated using multiple
legs 146. An opening 144 may optionally be provide for receiving
the lidded cup 16 containing the second food product 14. A
susceptor surface (not shown) may also be provided on the food
product support surface 142 for browning and/or crisping of the
adjacent surface of the food product(s). The legs 146 can
advantageously elevate the food product 14 to permit microwave
radiation to reflect off of the bottom wall of a microwave oven and
onto the bottom surface of the food product 14 for additional
microwave heating. In one example, the shielding layer 128 may be
absent or reduced from beneath the first food product 12 as
compared to above the first food product 12. This, in combination
with the elevated food product support surface 142, can be used to
heat one side of the first food product 12 a greater degree than
the other side. The generally rigid tray, which may be formed of
paperboard, plastic or the like, can facilitate handling of the
food products, particularly following microwave heating.
[0027] The first and second food products are preferably, though
not necessarily, different from each other. They may be frozen,
shelf-stable or refrigerated. In the illustrated example, the first
food product 12 is a sandwich and the second food product 14 is a
liquid food product, such as a soup disposed in a lidded cup 16.
The second food product 14 may tend to require a greater amount of
energy compared to the first food product 12 to bring each product
from its initial state to the desired heated states, for example.
Therefore, little or no shielding adjacent the second food product
is necessary to provide the desired cooking results of the first
food product. The first food product 12 can comprise a non-liquid
food product, such as a bread-based food product like a sandwich,
that tends to require a lesser amount of energy to bring the bread
and its fillings from a frozen state to that of a preferable warm
temperature for consumption. As a result, less microwave energy is
needed, thus requiring shielding or a greater degree of shielding
adjacent the first food product 12 as compared to the second food
product 14 to prevent or restrict the same amount of microwave
radiation from heating the first food product 12.
[0028] The food products that can be contained in the package 10
may all initially be in a frozen, refrigerated, or shelf-stable
state, but can be heated to any state preferable for consumption.
For example, food products can be consumed in a liquid state (i.e.,
melted or thawed in the container) or can even remain in a
relatively frozen state after heating, for consumption. Possible
food products may include combinations as crackers and cheese dip,
different types of nuts which require different energy inputs,
popcorn and soy nuts, a soup and a sandwich, a brownie and a
whipped cream, a brownie and ice cream, chili with cheese and sour
cream, soup and uncooked bread, sandwich and cottage cheese,
vegetables and entrees (such as chicken breast, pasta, etc.),
dipping sauce and pizza, macaroni and cheese, cooked bun and hot
dog and foods such as caramel or chocolate in cookies, and a
grilled cheese sandwich.
[0029] To heat the two different food products 12 and 14 using a
microwave oven, the food package 10 or 110 containing the first and
second food products 12 and 14 can be placed in a microwave oven.
The food package 10 or 110 can optionally be opened for venting.
The microwave oven can then be operated for a preselected time
period to heat the first and second food products 12 and 14. Due to
the adjacent shielding layer, the first food product 12 will not be
exposed to the same amount of microwave radiation as the second
food product 14, resulting in a different energy inputs to the
first and second food products 12 and 14 during heating in the
microwave oven. For instance, the first food product 12 may not be
heated the same amount as the second food product 14. In the
example where the first food product 12 is a frozen sandwich and
the second food product 14 is a frozen soup, following microwave
heating the frozen soup can be thawed into a heated liquid, while
the frozen sandwich can also be thawed but not heated the same
amount as the soup. Following microwave heating, the package 10 or
110 can be removed from the microwave oven, the film wrapper 20 or
120 opened (if not already opened or not fully opened), and the
first and second food products 12 and 14 removed therefrom for
consumption. If the tray 140 is present, then it can be used to
remove the first and second food products 12 and 14 from the film
wrapper 120.
[0030] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated a microwaveable
food package is provided that allows for temperature differential
microwave heating of at least two different food products contained
within a common flexible film wrapper. However, the disclosure is
not limited to the aspects and embodiments described hereinabove,
or to any particular embodiments. Various modifications to the
microwaveable food packages described herein can result in
substantially the same food package.
* * * * *