PACK CONTAINING A FOOD PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR PACKAGING FOOD PRODUCTS

Abstract

A pack comprising a supporting tray (3), a protective film (4) fixed to the supporting tray (3), and a food product (2) placed on the supporting tray (3) and covered by the protective film (4), wherein the supporting tray (3) is constituted of a flat sheet of multi-layer material and comprises at least one paper-based lower layer and one plastic material upper layer, wherein the protective film (4) is sealed to the upper layer of the flat sheet and together with it delimits an inner space (6) of the pack (1) in which the food product (2) is inserted, and wherein a protective atmosphere is present in the inner space (6).

Claims

1. A pack containing a food product comprising: a supporting tray (3); a protective film (4) fixed to the supporting tray (3); and a food product (2) placed on the supporting tray (3) and covered by the protective film (4); wherein the supporting tray (3) is constituted of a flat sheet of multi-layer material and comprises at least one paper-based lower layer and one plastic material upper layer, wherein the protective film (4) is sealed to the upper layer of the flat sheet, wherein the supporting tray (3) and the protective film (4) delimit, in an oxygentight way, an inner space (6) of the pack (1) in which the food product (2) is inserted, and wherein a protective atmosphere is present in the inner space (6).

2. The pack according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in the inner space (6) of the pack (1) is equal to an atmospheric pressure.

3. The pack according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in the inner space (6) of the pack (1) is greater than the standard atmospheric pressure.

4. The pack according to claim 1, wherein the upper layer is constituted of polypropylene or polyethylene, and wherein both the multi-layer sheet and the protective film (4) comprise at least one layer of material suitable for constituting a barrier to oxygen.

5. The pack according to claim 2, wherein the upper layer is constituted of polypropylene or polyethylene, and wherein both the multi-layer sheet and the protective film (4) comprise at least one layer of material suitable for constituting a barrier to oxygen.

6. The pack according to claim 3, wherein the upper layer is constituted of polypropylene or polyethylene, and wherein both the multi-layer sheet and the protective film (4) comprise at least one layer of material suitable for constituting a barrier to oxygen.

7. The pack according to claim 1, wherein the supporting tray (3) and the protective film (4) delimit the oxygentight inner space (6).

8. The pack according to claim 2, wherein the supporting tray (3) and the protective film (4) delimit the oxygentight inner space (6).

9. The pack according to claim 3, wherein the supporting tray (3) and the protective film (4) delimit the oxygentight inner space (6).

10. The pack according to claim 4, wherein the supporting tray (3) and the protective film (4) delimit the oxygentight inner space (6).

11. The pack according to claim 5, wherein the supporting tray (3) and the protective film (4) delimit the oxygentight inner space (6).

12. The pack according to claim 6, wherein the supporting tray (3) and the protective film (4) delimit the oxygentight inner space (6).

13. A method for packaging food products (2) comprising the operating steps of: taking a supporting tray (3) constituted of a flat sheet of multi-layer material which in turn comprises at least one paper-based lower layer, one plastic material upper layer and, optionally, one middle layer suitable for constituting a barrier to oxygen; positioning a food product (2) on the upper layer of the supporting tray (3); positioning a protective film (4) over the food product (2) and the supporting tray (3); creating a protective atmosphere at an inner space (6) located between the protective film (4) and the supporting tray (3); and maintaining the protective atmosphere between the protective film (4) and the supporting tray (3), sealing the protective film (4) to the upper layer of the supporting tray (3) at least along an annular frame (5) that completely surrounds the food product (2).

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein, during the steps of creating a protective atmosphere and of sealing the protective film (4), an atmospheric pressure is maintained in the inner space (6).

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein, during the steps of creating a protective atmosphere and of sealing the protective film (4), a pressure greater than the standard atmospheric pressure is maintained in the inner space (6).

Description

[0013] Further features and the advantages of this invention are more apparent in the detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate several preferred, non-limiting embodiments of a pack containing a food product and a method for packaging food products, in which:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a pack containing a food product which is made according to this invention;

[0015] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the detail II of FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a vertical section of a detail of FIG. 1 at the moment of completion of the packaging method according to this invention.

[0017] With reference to the above-mentioned figures the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a pack containing a food product 2 according to this invention.

[0018] As shown in the accompanying figures and similarly to many prior art packs, the pack 1 comprises a supporting tray 3, a protective film 4 fixed to the supporting tray 3 (a non-heat shrink protective film 4), and a food product 2 placed on the supporting tray 3 and covered by the protective film 4. Although this technology may be used for various types of food products 2, it particularly advantageous when the food product 2 is constituted of meat, cold cuts, cheeses or other foods in slices.

[0019] However, according to this invention, the supporting tray 3 is constituted of a flat sheet of multi-layer material and comprises at least one paper-based lower layer (usually made of paperboard) and one plastic material upper layer. Moreover, advantageously, the upper layer is constituted of polypropylene or polyethylene or another food-safe plastic material. Depending on requirements, the multi-layer sheet may also comprise a middle layer made of material suitable for constituting a barrier to oxygen, such as a layer of EVOH, or other middle layers. Moreover, depending on requirements, the paperboard layer may also be printed on one or both sides with information about the food product 2 or with simple promotional graphics.

[0020] Also according to this invention, the protective film 4 is sealed to the upper layer of the flat sheet at least along a frame 5 that surrounds the food product 2.

[0021] Depending on requirements, the protective film 4 may also be single-layer or multi-layer and may comprise, in addition to a layer of food-safe plastic material facing the food product 2, at least one layer of material suitable for constituting a barrier to oxygen (EVOH).

[0022] Furthermore, the supporting tray 3 and the protective film 4 delimit, in an oxygentight way, an inner space 6 of the pack 1 in which the food product 2 is inserted. According to one of the main aspects of this invention, in the inner space 6 there is a protective atmosphere, preferably a protective atmosphere at atmospheric pressure, although packaging may also be created with a pressure different to the atmospheric pressure.

[0023] As is usually the case in the packaging sector, in the context of this invention too the definition protective atmosphere means a mixture of gases containing less oxygen than atmospheric air or even no oxygen.

[0024] Therefore, in the pack 1 according to this invention, the protective film 4 may either be resting on the food product 2 or may have a dome shape relative to the flat supporting tray 3 (in other words, it may be more or less inflatedsee FIG. 3 where the product is not illustrated).

[0025] Finally, as shown in FIG. 2, the protective film 4 may have at least one tab 7, projecting relative to the tray and suitable for being gripped by the fingers of the user in order to detach the film from the tray at the moment of opening the pack 1.

[0026] The pack 1 described up to now may advantageously be obtained with the method for packaging food products 2 according to this invention.

[0027] That method comprises first the operating step of taking a supporting tray 3 of the type described above, that is to say, in general, a supporting tray 3 constituted of a flat sheet of multi-layer material which in turn comprises at least one paper-based lower layer, one plastic material upper layer and, in case, one middle layer made suitable for constituting a barrier to oxygen.

[0028] Then the method comprises the operating steps of positioning a food product 2 on the upper layer of the supporting tray 3 and of positioning the protective film 4 over the food product 2 and the supporting tray 3 so as to cover them.

[0029] Before, during or after positioning the protective film 4, the method comprises the operating step of creating a protective atmosphere at the inner space 6 of the pack 1, that is to say, at the area between the protective film 4 and the supporting tray 3 (usually that can advantageously be achieved by working in a fluidtight chamber isolated from the outside and in which the protective atmosphere is created).

[0030] Whilst the protective atmosphere is maintained between the protective film 4 and the supporting tray 3, the method comprises sealing the protective film 4 to the upper layer of the supporting tray 3 at least along an annular frame 5 that completely surrounds the food product 2 (FIG. 1).

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, in order to perform the sealing step it is possible to use a suitable apparatus which comprises two parts 8, 9 at least one of which is movable relative to the other between an apart position (FIG. 3) and a clamping position in which in use they clamp the protective film 4 and the supporting tray 3 between them at the sealing frame 5 (at least one of the two parts 8, 9 is equipped with heating means which allow them to operate as a sealing unit for sealing the protective film 4 to the supporting tray 3).

[0032] Moreover, the protective film 4 may be obtained by cutting a larger sheet, advantageously a continuous sheet, by means of a shaped blade 10 joined to the apparatus and in turn movable between a projecting cutting position (not illustrated) and a withdrawn home position (FIG. 3).

[0033] This invention brings important advantages.

[0034] In fact, thanks to this invention it has been possible provide a pack containing a food product and a method for packaging food products which allow optimum preservation even of sliced food products, such as meat, cold cuts, cheeses or other foods.

[0035] Finally, it should be noticed that this invention is relatively easy to produce and that even the cost linked to implementing the invention is not very high.

[0036] The invention described above may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept.

[0037] All details may be substituted with other technically equivalent elements and the materials used, as well as the shapes and dimensions of the various components, may vary according to requirements.