Process and apparatus for packaging potato crisps, as well as the package obtained

A process for packing potato crisps into a box with a base, a lid and side-walls, the process comprising the steps of:

• (i) providing potato crisps, which are non-uniform thin slices of potato, deep fried until crisp and taken from differently sized and shaped potatoes and which have become even more non-uniform while being fried;
• (ii) weighing the potato crisps in a weigh head and dispensing the weighed potato crisps into the box, so that overfill occurs and the potato crisps are heaped above a top edge of the box;
• (iii) shaking the box to settle the potato crisps in the box while urging the crisps into the box using an urging force applied by the lid of the box, the urging force applying a compacting pressure sufficient to urge the crisps into a closer spatial association, so that the delivered potato crisps comprising the overfilled potato crisps are within the boundaries of the box;
• and
• (iv) foil-wrapping the box,
• so as to form, in a continuous line process, packs comprising (a) the box having a base and side-walls;
• (b) the potato crisps held within the box, and (c) a foil-wrapper about the box to hermetically seal the potato crisps in the box.