Implementations of the present invention extend to sanitary systems, methods, and devices configured to package food items with an even coating of an accurate amount of sanitizing agent, such as an antimicrobial agent. In one implementation, an exemplary system comprises a combination of air nozzles, anti-bacterial spray nozzles or spray headers, metering valves, and timers to achieve uniform distribution of an antimicrobial solution into a product package, and subsequently provide a uniform distribution of the antimicrobial solution to the food item.

Methods of manufacturing shelf stable pods containing food or drink to be rapidly cooled, include inserting a mixing paddle into an aluminum can through an open end of a body of the can and sterilizing the can and mixing paddle at temperatures below a stress relief temperature of the can in a first aseptic chamber. The method also includes filling the can with a sterilized food or drink in the aseptic chamber, sealing a sterilized base of the can to the open end of the body of the can with a food-safe adhesive to create a hermetic seal, removing the can from the first aseptic chamber while maintaining the hermetic seal outside the first aseptic chamber, and mechanically seaming the base to the can.

A package for containing liquid-exuding product is formed of a single sheet of film that is folded and sealed at certain locations. The package can include an active member, optionally in the form of absorbent, that is heat staked or otherwise attached to a portion of the sheet of film such that the active member is located on an interior surface of a bottom of the folded and sealed package.

A method of manufacturing a spouted pouch aseptically filled with contents includes a supplying process, a sterilizing process, a stopper opening process, a filling process, a tightly re-stopping process, and a capping process. The sterilizing process, the stopper opening process, the filling process, and the tightly re-stopping process are performed in an aseptic chamber.

The present disclosure proposes a contact lens package. The contact lens package includes a first substrate, a contact lens, and a guard ring. The contact lens is disposed on the first substrate. The guard ring is disposed on the first substrate and surrounds the contact lens, wherein the guard ring is fixed on a side surface of the first substrate. The contact lens and the guard ring are surrounded and sealed in the first substrate.

A method of heat-treatment of a product in a sealed container of a packaging material is described. The method includes placing the container in a treatment environment having a pressure (P) and a temperature (T), the pressure and the temperature having a ratio (P/T), and adjusting the temperature and/or pressure in the treatment environment to decrease the ratio over a duration in a time period. The time period starts at a time of cooking onset of the product and extends over a time of cooling onset at which time a temperature decrease is started, the time of cooking onset being preceded by a first time period of temperature ramping during which the temperature is increased. An apparatus for controlling heat-treatment of a product in a sealed container of a packaging material is also described.

An ice bagging and dispensing apparatus has at least one ice making machine; an ice hopper for receiving ice from the at least one ice making machine; an ice bagging machine for bagging ice from the ice hopper; an ice bag conveyor for conveying bagged ice from the ice bagging machine to an ice storage chamber, the ice bag conveyor positioned below the ice storage chamber; a carriage for moving and lifting the bag of ice into the ice storage chamber; one or more supports for supporting one or more bags of ice in the ice storage chamber above the ice bag conveyor; and, one or more consumer access doors to the ice storage chamber. This maintains first-in, first out (FIFO) principles.

An ice bagging and dispensing apparatus has at least one ice making machine; an ice hopper for receiving ice from the at least one ice making machine; an ice bagging machine for bagging ice from the ice hopper; an ice bag conveyor for conveying bagged ice from the ice bagging machine to an ice storage chamber, the ice bag conveyor positioned below the ice storage chamber; a carriage for moving and lifting the bag of ice into the ice storage chamber; one or more supports for supporting one or more bags of ice in the ice storage chamber above the ice bag conveyor; and, one or more consumer access doors to the ice storage chamber. This maintains first-in, first out (FIFO) principles.

The invention relates to a packaged frozen food product comprising a sealed package made of material that is impermeable to water vapour, said sealed package holding: 40-1,000 grams of one or more frozen breaded food products comprising 30-90 wt. % of a filling having a water content of at least 30 wt. % and an outer crumb coating, said one or more frozen breaded food products having a total water content of 25-75 wt. %; and silica gel desiccant in an amount of 1-20% by weight of the one or more frozen breaded food products;
wherein the packaged frozen fried food product is obtained by a process comprising: a. providing a water-containing filling composition; b. providing a plastically deformable farinaceous dough; c. enveloping a portion of the filling composition with a layer of the farinaceous dough to produce an enveloped filling; d. pre-coating the surface of the enveloped filling with an adhesion composition to produce a pre-coated product; and e. applying a crumb onto the surface of the pre-coated product to produce a breaded product; f. frying the breaded food product to produce a fried breaded food product; g. introducing the fried breaded food product into a freezer to produce a frozen breaded food product; h. introducing one or more of the frozen breaded food products and silica gel desiccant into a package; and i. sealing the package;
wherein the atmosphere within the sealed package is in direct contact with the one or more frozen breaded food products and the silica gel desiccant.

The frozen breaded food product of the present invention can be reheated in a microwave or oven to produce a ready-to-eat product with a crispy outer coating even after it has been subjected to frozen storage for a prolonged period of time.

A sealing machine and method for sealing a preformed tray (2) with a plastic film (26), the method comprising a cooling step in which, by acting on the outside of the tray (2), heat is removed at least from the bottom wall (3) of the tray (2) while the heated plastic film (26) is applied over the tray (2) and a food product (25), and the sealing machine (1) comprising a supporting element which defines a housing (7) which has a fixed bottom surface (9) suitable for making contact, in use, with the bottom wall (3) of the tray (2), a plurality of ducts (19) which define a flow path (20) for a cooling fluid in the supporting element, and a cooling system (17) configured to cool the cooling fluid bringing it to a temperature equal to or less than 10° C., and preferably equal to or less than 6° C.