A packaging article (10, 110, 210) is disclosed. In an embodiment, the packaging article (10, 110, 210) includes (A) an insulation container (12, 112, 212) having side walls (14, 114, 214) and a bottom wall (16, 116, 216), the walls defining a compartment (20, 120, 220), (B) a cold source (22, 122, 222) in the compartment (20, 120, 220), and (C) a sheet of 3-dimensional random loop material (3DRLM) (30,130, 230) in the compartment (20, 120, 220).

An active/passive freezer system includes the capability to both actively cool a payload bay and passively maintain close to that temperature for extended periods of time; a freezer unit with a payload bay that can rapidly reduce its internal temperature; a thermal battery; a heat exchanger where liquid Nitrogen flows through; insulation that significantly reduces heat gain from external sources; and the capability to have separate units for cooling the payload bay and maintaining the temperature within the payload bay.

A system for supercooling a product is provided, the system comprising: a chamber containing a supercooling medium; and disruptors that emit sound waves, ultrasound waves, and/or electromagnetic waves in the chamber; wherein during a cooling cycle the chamber reaches a cooling temperature below 0 C. and during a warming cycle the chamber reaches a warming temperature greater than the cooling temperature. The supercooling system may be used to supercool perishable products below freezing to extend shelf life and freshness of the products. Other embodiments of the supercooling system, and methods for its use, are described herein.

Methods for producing brewed beverages include brewing the beverage, degassing the beverage prior to storing the beverage in a sealed container, and freezing the beverage. A frozen brewed beverage is configured to be reheated prior to consumption and does not require reconstituting. A brewed beverage is in a sealed container, has a dissolved oxygen content less than about 2 ppm, is configured to be reheated prior to consumption, and does not require reconstituting.

A method for calculating a dry ice block necessary to preserve a product during transport, includes calculating a surface area:weight ratio needed for the dry ice block to preserve the product in at least one of a chilled condition and a frozen condition, and forming the dry ice block into a shape having said surface area:weight ratio. A related apparatus is also provided.

There is disclosed a plate freezer apparatus. The plate freezer apparatus comprises a first frame member configured to support a plurality of vertically disposed freezing plate members arranged to define a freezing cavity therebetween and a flooring system configured to extend below the freezing plate members to form a base for the freezing cavities, wherein the flooring system is configured to be raised so as to lift any frozen material present in freezing cavities out of the freezing cavities so that the frozen material extends from the freezing cavities to project above an upper edge of the freezing plate members. A second frame member is mounted above said first frame member so as to extend substantially a length of the first frame member, the second frame member having a plurality of paddle members mounted therein that are individually actuable to extend between a horizontal axis where the paddle members extend substantially parallel with the second frame member, and a vertical axis where the paddle members extend from the second frame member to be received between the frozen material raised from the freezing cavities. The first frame member further comprises a lifting mechanism adjacent a proximal end thereof, the lifting mechanism being actuable to raise the proximal end of the first frame member so as to tilt the first frame member towards a distal end and wherein the paddle members are actuable to facilitate controlled release of the frozen material such that upon release the frozen material is able to slide along the upper edges of the plates and off the distal end of the first frame member for collection.

A method of using a fluid-immersion storage and cooking device having a thermal container that defines a first volume and a second volume includes disposing a first food item in the first volume. A second food item and a third food item are disposed in the second volume in a first position and a second position, respectively. A volume of fluid having a first temperature is circulated through the first volume to transfer thermal energy to the first food item. After a predetermined time, at least a portion of the volume of fluid is heated to a second temperature. A portion of the volume of fluid is conveyed to the second volume such that (1) the second food item is substantially submerged in the portion of the volume of fluid and (2) the third food item is disposed substantially outside of the portion of the volume of fluid.

A packaged food product processing machine. The machine comprises a food consumer interface configured to receive a food consumer selection identifying an end state of a food product, a package cooling sub-system comprising a chilled fluid bath, a gripper component configured to agitate a package containing the food product in the chilled fluid bath and to sense a physical parameter of the food product, and a controller configured to command the gripper to control the rate of heat transfer from the package to the chilled fluid bath based on receiving an input identifying an end state selection from the food consumer interface and based on receiving an input containing a value of the physical parameter of the food product from the gripper component.

A contact interfacing conductive receptacle is provided. The contact interfacing conductive receptacle includes a housing sized to receive an object including water. The housing includes one or more non-transfer material pieces and two or more transfer material pieces. Each transfer material piece is configured to provide conductivity and provides a field to a different portion of the object. The transfer material pieces are integrated with the non-transfer material pieces.

A brewed beverage product is provided that, in some embodiments, may comprise an oxygen permeable container containing a frozen deoxygenated brewed beverage, the frozen deoxygenated brewed beverage including a coffee or tea based beverage or concentrate having been its dissolved oxygen content reduced to less than 2.0 parts per million (ppm) in order to reduce oxidation of coffee or tea-based flavor compounds in the degassed coffee or tea based beverage or concentrate. The frozen deoxygenated brewed beverage may further have an exterior surface formed from a frozen deoxygenated liquid so as to be substantially void-free in order to limit the ingress of oxygen into the frozen deoxygenated brewed beverage.