Dispensing system for food products

A package for storing and dispensing a viscous edible product, the package comprising:

• a flexible tube made of food grade material;
• and
• a rigid spout onto which the dispensing end of the tube is connected, the rigid spout comprising an elongated rigid tube portion around which an emptied portion of the tube is stored after dispensing;
• the package suitable for storage in a storing unit of a dispensing system for the viscous edible product, the dispensing system comprising the storing unit for storing the viscous product, and a dispensing unit, the dispensing unit comprises:
• compression means comprising at least upper and lower pairs of jaws for pinching a linear portion of the tube, the compression means being movable in substantially perpendicular and parallel directions relative to the longitudinal axis of the tube, and actuation means for reversibly moving the compression means first in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube to releasably pinch at least one portion of the tube, and second in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube towards its dispensing opening, so as to dispense at least one portion of the product stored in the tube.

A method of dispensing a viscous food product from a dispensing device comprising compression means comprising upper and lower pairs of jaws, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a viscous food product in a flexible packaging tube comprising a rigid spout onto which a dispensing end of the packaging tube is connected;
• placing a dispensing extremity of the flexible packaging tube in a dispensing device, such that a portion of the tube is positioned between the upper and lower jaws in a substantially linear position adjacent a dispensing opening of the tube;
• actuating the compression means so that:
• the upper and lower pairs of jaws move in a perpendicular direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the packaging tube, so as to pinch the flexible packaging tube, and then the upper and lower pairs of jaws move in a parallel direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the packaging tube, so that the product contained in the portion of the tube comprised between the upper pair of jaws and the dispensing opening of the tube is pushed outside through the dispensing opening,
• moving the upper and lower pairs of jaws of the compression means back into their initial position, and
• after dispensing, disposing of the emptied portion of the packaging tube around a rigid tubular portion of the rigid spout connected to the dispensing end of the tube.