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US 2004/0163973 A1Published application
Self-absorbing gas-barrier receptacle for food packaging and food package obtained therefrom
AssigneeCryovac, Inc.
InventorEugenio Longo
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCryovac, Inc.
InventorEugenio Longo
Estimating the term…
A receptacle (110, 112) suitable for food packaging which comprises a bottom or base portion (111, 121) defining a storage compartment or zone and a flange (113,123) circumferentially extending all around the receptacle contour providing an area for the closing lid to be sealed, said receptacle being made of a multi-layer thermoplastic structure comprising at least i) an upper liquid absorbent layer (1) that is devised to be either in direct contact with the food product to be packaged in the receptacle or separated therefrom by one or more liquid pervious layers (5,6) allowing passage of liquids from the receptacle inner surface into the absorbent layer, and ii) a non-perforated liquid and gas-barrier thermoplastic film (2), and being characterized in that the surface exposed along a closed line in the circumferential flange (113,123) is of the lower non-perforated liquid and gas-barrier thermoplastic film (2). By sealing a liquid- and gas-barrier lid to the exposed surface of the liquid- and gas-barrier film of the receptacle along said closed line in the circumferential flange, it is then possible to obtain a self-absorbing, gas-barrier, package.
1) A receptacle suitable for food packaging which comprises a bottom or base portion defining a storage compartment or zone and a flange circumferentially extending all around the receptacle contour providing an area for the closing lid to be sealed, said receptacle being made of a multi-layer thermoplastic structure comprising at least
4) The receptacle of any of the preceding claims wherein the multi-layer thermoplastic structure comprises, in addition to a liquid absorbing layer and a liquid- and gas-barrier thermoplastic film, also a structural support layer that is preferably “lower” with respect to the liquid- and gas-barrier thermoplastic film, and a liquid-pervious, food-contact layer.
5) The receptacle of any of the preceding claims wherein the liquid absorbing layer is made of an open cell foam material.
7) The receptacle of any of the preceding claims wherein the liquid- and gas-barrier film is a multi-layer film comprising at least a gas-barrier layer and an upper heat-sealable layer and the surface of the liquid- and gas-barrier film that will be exposed in the flange of the receptacle of the invention is that of said heat-sealable layer.
9) A method of packaging a food product that tends to exude fluids, by loading it into the storage compartment of a receptacle as in any of the preceding claims, optionally vacuumizing and/or gas flushing the receptacle with a suitably selected gas or gas mixture that would extend the shelf life of the packaged product and closing said receptacle by means of a gas-barrier film or lid sealed to the exposed surface of the liquid- and gas-barrier film along a closed line in the circumferential flange of the receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.