GB2187702A

GB2187702A - Improvements in or related to food packaging

Info

Publication number: GB2187702A
Application number: GB08703918A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald Charles Alfred Ives
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-03-13
Filing date: 1987-02-19
Publication date: 1987-09-16
Also published as: GB8703918D0; GB8606223D0

Abstract

Meat or fish products are packaged by vacuum sealing in a gas permeable plastics film with the film tightly enclosing the product to form an inner package, enclosing the package within an outer package made of a gas impermeable clear transparent plastics film, and filling the space between the packages with a controlled gas which is selected to give desired storage and/or appearance qualities for the meat product. The gas may be carbon dioxide or an oxygen/carbon dioxide mix.

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or related to food packaging The present invention relates to food packaging and more particularly to a packaging method and a package for meat and fish products.

A problem which exists in the packaging of meat orfish is in the presentation ofthe product to the consumer. A known package uses a plastic tray with an absorbent member placed on top, the product being placed on the absorbent member. The tray is then covered with an impermeable layer, the atmosphere within the tray being selected to retain the condition and colour of the product. A disadvantage ofthis type of package is that the fluid from the produce " leaks" i nto the a bsorbent materia I giving a poor appearance to the product and also losing effective weight in the product.

The present invention seeks to avoid the above disadvantage by providing a package which keeps the product in good condition and also retains its attractive appearance.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of packaging a meat product including vacuum skin packaging the meat product in a plastics film which is permeable to gases to form an inner package, enclosing the inner package in an outer plastics package which is impervious to gases and filling the space between the inner and outer package with a controlled gas.

Preferably the controlled gas mixture includes oxygen and carbon dioxide in a desired ratio.

Alternatively the controlled gas may be 100% carbon dioxide.

The present invention also provides a meat package including a vacuum skin inner package tightly enclosing a meat product, the skin being permeable to gases, an outer package enclosing the inner package, the outer package being constructed from a gas impermeable clear plastics membrane, the space between the inner and outer package being filled with a controlled gas mixture.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in which the product to be packaged will be described as meat, which is intended to include all meat, fish and similar products.

The meat product is packed when fresh and is firstlyvacuum packed in a plastics material which is permeable to gases. The vacuum skin packaging packs the product tightly thereby preventing any unsightly loss of liquid from the product.

The vacuum pack forms an inner package which is enclosed within an outer package. The outer package which may be of any convenient shape, for example, rectanguloid (for ease of carriage), is made from a plastics material or other material which is impermeable to gases. The outer package is provided with advertising or descriptive information relating to the product.

There is a space between the inner and outer package which is filled with a gas mixture which is carefullycontrolledtoprovidetherequired characteristicforthe package.

The advantage of the inner package is that by vacuum sealing the product (meat orfish)this product is confined and is kept in a good condition forviewing by a customer.

The outer package provides a controlled environmentforthe inner package. The gas mixture may be selected to provide sufficient oxygen to ensurethatthe meat product retains and maintainsa good colour which is attractive to the customer.

The combined package may be placed on a cold shelffor several days without deterioration ofthe product. The product will retain its original colour(or acolouracceptabletothe consumer) and will stay freshfora prolonged period oftime.Thetimefor which the product will stay fresh can be determined by the gas mixture between the inner and outer package. The inner plasticsfilm is made permeable to oxygen to keep the appearance of the product, but the amount of oxygen needs to be carefully controlled in relation to the permeability of the plastics film used to vacuum packthe meat product so that only sufficient oxygen is presentto maintain the appearance.A preferred ratio is 80% oxygen with 20% carbon dioxide.

By allowing the ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide tovarythe "shelf" life of the product can be changed.

Thus, with a greater percentage of carbon dioxide the shelf life will increase although the meat product may not look as fresh. With the percentage of carbon dioxide at 100% and therefore with no oxygen present the storage life will be at a maximum.

If the meat product is fresh fish then it may not be necessaryto provide any oxygen in the gas mixture sincethefish does not need to retain a "red" colour.

In this case, a gas mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen could be used to maintainthefish in good condition, the appearance of the fish being enhanced by the vacuum packaging which prevents thefluid from oozing outofthefish.

Where a meat product with sharp corners is required to be packaged, the inner pack can be formed by using a vacuum shrink bag. A "bone guard" material comprising thick plastics material can also be used and once placed within thevacuum shrink bag and evacuated, sealed and shrunk, this material cannot be seen within the bag.

The bag forming the inner package is placed within the outer plastic case and the space between filled with a controlled gas atmosphere. The artwork is placed on the outer package and since the outer package can, within reason, be the same shape and size or one of a progressive series of sizes regardless ofthe inner package, the artwork can be standard.

The packaging and method thereby provide a product which has a prolongesheiflike on a cold shelf(0 to +4 C) becausethe meat product is surrounded by its own controlled atmosphere. Thus, the "sell by" date can be considerably extended.

Also the appearance of the product is good during the whole of the display period.

Thus, though the cost of the packaging is considerably higher than a "single wrap" package, the packaging and method will be advantageous especially where the meat product is an expensive one - such as Aberdeen Angus (Scottish) Beef - by maintaining the quality and fresh appearance over a longer period, thereby enhancing the appeal of the productto the customer and extending the sell by date.

In a preferred form the meat product maybe vacuum packed onto a "silvered" plastictrayand this will provide the shape for the outer film to be wrapped round. The vacuum skin film preferred is available presentlyfrom TRIGON LTD a Japanese company.

Claims

1. Amethod ofpackaging a meat product including vacuum skin packaging the meat product in a plastics film which is permeable to gases to form an inner package, enclosing the inner package in an outer plastics package which is impervious to gases and filling the space between the inner and outer package with a controlled gas.

2. A method of packaging a meat product as claimed in Claim 1 in which the controlled gas includes oxygen and carbon dioxide in a desired ratio.

3. A method of packaging a meat product as claimed in Claim 1 in which the controlled gas comprises 100% carbon dioxide.

4. A method of packaging a meat product as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the gas is a mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide in a ratio of 80% to 20%.

5. A method of packaging a meat product as claimed in anyone of Claims 1 to 4 in which the outer plastics package is formed from a tray or box covered with a plastics film which is impervious to the gas, the tray of box providing a defined shape for the package.

6. A meat package including a vacuum skin inner package tightly enclosing a meat product, the skin being permeable to gases, an outer package enclosing the inner package, the outer package being constructed from a gas impermeable clear plastics membrane, the space between the inner and outer package being filled with a controlled gas.

7. A meat package as claimed in Claim 6 in which printed matter is superimposed on top of the outer package plastics material.

8. A method of packaging a meat product substantially as described.

9. A meat package substantially as described.