Packaged Dough Product and Method of Packaging

Abstract

A packaged food product includes a container having therein a cup for a food ingredient, at least one dough product and a plastic separator interposed between the cup and the at least one dough product. The separator includes a main body portion seated upon a rim of the cup, with the main body portion having a peripheral side surface in frictional engagement with an inner sidewall of the container. The separator also includes a column support extending from the main body portion and abutting a bottom of the cup. In a preferred embodiment, the column support takes an inverted frustoconical shape and is hollow, thereby enabling multiple separators to be nested for shipping and storing purposes. When the dough product(s) proof within the container, forces applied to the separator from the developed pressure are transferred through the main body portion and the column support to the bottom of the cup.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.