The present invention relates to improved manually openable self-venting ovenable packages which include a rigid or semi-rigid tray having a single thermoplastic overwrap comprising a polymeric laminate surrounding the tray and having a front panel and an opposing back panel. The inventive packages also include a continuous seal circumscribing a recessed cavity of the tray which comprises a heat seal formed by heat sealing a portion of the front panel to the peripheral flange of the tray. The packages of the present invention are self-venting whereby a venting region comprising a release coating applied between the inner surface of the front panel and the inner surface of the back panel permits the overwrap to rupture and release steam in response to heat and/or overpressure generated during heating of a food item in a microwave oven. The inventive packages also includes a manual tear opening feature provided by at least one line of weakness in the front panel positioned between the peelable seal and the first side edge of the front panel. The tear opening feature is configured to permit partial or complete removal of the overwrap from the tray.

A biodegradable, recyclable and heat-sealable material suitable for food use, and to a recyclable food container made of the material are provided. The material (1) includes a lower cardboard layer (2), an intermediate gluing layer (3), and an upper paper layer (4) with a surface coating (41) as a waterproof barrier made of a non-plastic, silicone-free, non-stick varnish of vegetable origin; and the container (10), which is suitable for conventional ovens, microwave ovens and freezing, has the shape of a tray, bowl or similar and is made of a material (1) that includes a lower cardboard layer (2), an intermediate gluing layer (3) and an upper paper layer (4) with a surface coating (41) as a waterproof barrier made of a non-stick varnish of vegetable origin, which can have a heat-sealed closing lid (11) made of plastic film, paper or cardboard.

Several embodiments include a cooking instrument. The cooking instrument can select a food cooking recipe and identify relative areas in a cooking chamber to place at least two portions of food. The relative areas would match the food cooking recipe. The cooking instrument can display information associated with an instruction to place the at least two portions of food over the relative areas. The cooking instrument can then determine a heating sequence in accordance with the food cooking recipe and control, based on the heating sequence, a heating system to directionally transfer heat under different heating characteristics respectively to the at least two portions of the food at the identified relative areas in the cooking chamber.

The invention relates to a package (10) of a foodstuff cooking device, the package (10) for containing foodstuff and comprising on a surface thereof an arrangement of separate codes encoding foodstuff information related to phases of a preparation process for cooking the foodstuff, at least one code encoding information on at least one foodstuff parameter significantly influencing the preparation of the foodstuff, which considers the deviation of the real value of this at least one parameter with respect to a reference value of it. The at least one parameter measured is one or a combination of the following: weight of the foodstuff; weight of one or several ingredients in the foodstuff; geometrical distribution of one or several ingredients in the foodstuff; foodstuff initial temperature; foodstuff age; foodstuff uniformity; proportion and/or shape dimension of one or several ingredients in the foodstuff.

The invention further relates to a foodstuff cooking system (100) comprising a package (10) as the one described and a cooking device (20). Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method of cooking a foodstuff using the system (100) described.

A method for cooking and presenting a food product is described. A ready to eat warm food product is provided in an attractive configuration while keeping handling simple. A method comprises the steps: providing the food product in a frozen form in a packaging; cooking the food product in an oven wherein the food product is arranged in the packaging during the cooking; presenting the cooked food product in a provided heating arrangement to a customer wherein the food product is arranged in the packaging during the presenting, and the packaging including the cooked food product is retrievable by the customer from the heating arrangement, the method comprising the preceding steps: producing the food product, arranging the food product in at least one packaging, freezing the food product in the packaging.

The invention relates to a bottom part intended to receive food thereon, and a container part where the said bottom part and the container part are intended to enclose the said food. The package is provided with means to hold the bottom part and the container part together in a detachable fashion and means to separate the said bottom part from the container part fully or partially. Separating takes the form of removing the said bottom part with the bottom part of the package standing in an essentially horizontal position on a serving surface so that the food is so arranged as to come into contact with the serving surface, as a consequence of which the said container part is essentially retained in its position enclosing the said food. The invention also relates to a method for transferring food from a package to a serving surface.

In a method for manufacturing a seasoning bag, an edible adhesive is applied to a panel of a bag, and a granular seasoning is applied to the panel of the bag such that the granular seasoning adheres to the edible adhesive pattern to produce a seasoning layer. The granular seasoning forms air channels when the panel of the bag is vacuum sealed against a foodstuff inserted into the seasoning bag, to assist in egress of air from the bag during the vacuum sealing process.

Several embodiments include a cooking instrument. The cooking instrument can select a food cooking recipe and identify relative areas in a cooking chamber to place at least two portions of food. The relative areas would match the food cooking recipe. The cooking instrument can display information associated with an instruction to place the at least two portions of food over the relative areas. The cooking instrument can then determine a heating sequence in accordance with the food cooking recipe and control, based on the heating sequence, a heating system to directionally transfer heat under different heating characteristics respectively to the at least two portions of the food at the identified relative areas in the cooking chamber.

Several embodiments include a cooking instrument. The cooking instrument can select a food cooking recipe and identify relative areas in a cooking chamber to place at least two portions of food. The relative areas would match the food cooking recipe. The cooking instrument can display information associated with an instruction to place the at least two portions of food over the relative areas. The cooking instrument can then determine a heating sequence in accordance with the food cooking recipe and control, based on the heating sequence, a heating system to directionally transfer heat under different heating characteristics respectively to the at least two portions of the food at the identified relative areas in the cooking chamber.

A laminate structure includes a base layer, a thermally stable adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the base layer, and a thermally stable film overlying the base layer and the adhesive. The thermally stable film and the thermally stable adhesive are configured such that the laminate structure substantially resists deformation at a temperature of about 400 F. (204 C.) and above.