GB2325449A

GB2325449A - A Food Wrapper With Adhesive On The Non-Food Side

Info

Publication number: GB2325449A
Application number: GB9710516A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Ernest Golledge; Neville Treaton
Original assignee: P & W Printers Ltd
Current assignee: P & W Printers Ltd
Priority date: 1997-05-23
Filing date: 1997-05-23
Publication date: 1998-11-25
Also published as: GB9710516D0

Abstract

A wrapper 1 comprises sheet of flexible material which has areas of adhesive 9 (22, fig 2) printed onto the side which will not be in contact with the item of foodstuff to wrapped. The pattern of adhesive is such that when the wrapper is folded to form a package overlapping portions of the non-food side are bonded together as shown in figure 3. An existing wrapping technique may be used where flaps (12, fig. 3) are secured in a folded position. The adhesive may be cold seal adhesive which can form a resealable seal, a permanent seal or a tamper proof seal, and is preferably disposed so that no adhesive is exposed to the outside of the wrapper once the wrapping has been completed. A method of wrapping an item of foodstuff using a wrapper which has adhesive applied only on the non-food side comprises coating one side of the wrapper with the adhesive, wrapping the item of food and closing the package by adhering overlapping portions of the wrapper together. The coating may be applied by gravure or flexographic printing, and additional information may also be applied during the printing process.

Description

A FOOD WRAPPER The present invention relates to a food wrapper and particularly, although not exclusively, to a folded type food wrapper for wrapping solid fat food products, for example butter and margarine.

In an existing arrangement butter and other solid fats are packed into flexible paper or foil laminate wrapper using packaging machinery, for example as manufactured by Ben hill, Sig and other companies. The principle of operation of such packaging equipment involves softening the fat product, extruding it into a mould and then wrapping the moulded product in a flexible wrapping material which is supplied to the packaging equipment in the form of reels, the production of individual sheets of material takes place on the packing machine. The package is closed by making folds in the flexible wrapping material. There are a number of different ways in which wrapping material can be folded to form a package although they all result in there being at least one flap of the material being exposed on the outside of the wrapped product. In one popular arrangement butter is formed into an approximately cuboid shape, a flexible wrapper is folded around the cuboid and final folds are made to leave flaps exposed on the two smaller faces on opposite ends of the cuboid. This existing type of wrapping is referred to as deadfolded and relies on the tendency of the flexible wrapping material to retain its folded shape in order for the wrapper to remain closed.

The existing form of deadfolded wrapping presents a number of problems.

Occasionally and particularly when the wrapped product is being handled, for example when being put on display in a shop, the wrapping begins to unfold.

This is undesirable as it renders the product less attractive to potential customers who will prefer to select a product with wrapping intact. Unfolding wrapping may also lead to contamination of the wrapped product. In addition, where a wrapping is only secured by means of folds it is possible to unwrap and rewrap the product undetected. Such wrapping is thus not tamper evident.

Non-tamper evident packaging is vulnerable to interference and can compromise the safety of the consumers of the wrapped product.

In another existing arrangement an attempt has been made to solve the problems described above by affixing self adhesive labels over the exposed flaps of a deadfolded wrapper in order to secure them in place. This technique, however, involves the use of additional materials and an extra step in the wrapping process. This increases the cost of the wrapping process, particularly if existing automated packaging equipment requires modification or replacement to perform the additional step of attaching adhesive labels to the wrapped products Another existing technique for wrapping food products, although not generally solid fat food products, is flow wrapping. Flow wrapping is widely used for wrapping confectionery products and involves encircling the product in a continuous sheet of wrapping material, usually a polypropylene film which has an 'outer' printed side and an 'inner' food side. A cold seal adhesive is applied to the food side of the wrapper. When the product is encircled in the wrapper the inner, adhesive coated, surfaces of the wrapping material are brought together to form a seal. The wrapping material is then cut, after sealing. Polypropylene film is unable to retain a deadfold. Flow wrapping is generally unsuitable for deformable food products, such as solid fats, as a nonfolded wrapper does not help retain the shape of the product. Also, flow wrapped products have a different appearance to deadfolded wrapped products.

Flow wrapping is difficult to reclose when compared to deadfolded wrapping.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved folded type of wrapping which will make it apparent if a wrapped product has been tampered with and also maintain the integrity of a wrapped product, despite mishandling, and thereby overcome the principle problems associated with existing deadfolded wrappers. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved form of wrapping which can be utilised by existing packaging equipment and so retains the familiar appearance of existing deadfolded wrappers.

A still further object of the present invention to facilitate the use of alternative wrapper substrates (e.g. film) which would not normally have the characteristics to maintain pack integrity, and also to facilitate variation in pack design (e.g. rolls) without an added manufacturing step or machine modification.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a wrapper for foodstuffs comprising a sheet of flexible wrapping material having two sides, one of which is intended to be exposed to a wrapped product, the food side, and the opposite side of which is intended to be exposed to the outside of a package formed by the wrapper, the non-food side, wherein at least part of the non-food side of the wrapper is coated with an adhesive.

In a preferred embodiment the adhesive coats the non-food side of the wrapper in a predetermined pattern, so arranged so that when the wrapper is folded to form a package the adhesive is operative to bond together predetermined portions of the non-food side of the wrapper that overlap.

Particularly, the adhesive is disposed on the non-food side of the wrapper so as to secure flaps formed by a packaging process, in the folded position. More preferably the adhesive is disposed so as to be compatible with an existing wrapping technique, therefore enabling improved packages to be produced by existing packaging equipment. Further, the adhesive is preferably only applied to those areas of the non-food side of the wrapper that are intended to overlap, in order that no adhesive is exposed to the outside of a package formed by the wrapper. The flexible wrapping material preferably comprises a flexible material able to retain a deadfold, for example greaseproof paper or foil laminated paper, however the flexible wrapping material may comprise a material which, because of its lack of deadfold properties, has not traditionally been used for folded wrap applications. A design and/or information may also be applied to the non-food side of the wrapper by a printing process, for example gravure or flexographic printing. The adhesive is preferably one approved for food use (preferably F.D.A. approved), suitable adhesives being cold seal adhesives, for example water based emulsions of latex or spirit based solutions of latex. Suitable products include product numbers IP7188, lP7890 and IP7418 sold by Swale Process Ltd, product number 7790 sold by Scottish Adhesives Ltd and product numbers NC6264 and NC6049 sold by Novacote Flexpack Ltd.

In one preferred embodiment the adhesive forms a releasable seal which enables a package formed by the wrapping to be conveniently opened and released. In another preferred embodiment the adhesive forms a permanent bond in order that those parts of the wrapper so joined cannot be separated without the wrapper being torn. Alternatively other known techniques can be employed to make the adhesive bond tamper evident, for example, by printing patterns of different strengths of adhesive.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of wrapping a food product in a flexible wrapper having a food side and a non-food side comprising the steps of: 1. coating at least part of one side of a flexible wrapper with adhesive; 2. wrapping the product by folding the wrapper around the product to form a package; 3. closing the package by adhering overlapping portions of the folded wrapper together, wherein the adhesive coating is applied on the non-food side of the wrapper.

Preferably one side of the flexible wrapping material is coated with an adhesive in a predetermined pattern, so arranged that when folds are made in the wrapper those portions of the adhesive coated side of the wrapper that are brought together adhere to each other, particularly, to secure flaps formed by the folding process in a folded position. The adhesive coating is preferably restricted to those areas of the wrapper that are intended to come into contact with each other as a result of the folding process, so as not to expose adhesive to the outside of the wrapped product. The adhesive coating is preferably applied to the wrapper by means of a printing process, for example gravure of flexographic printing, the adhesive coated side of the wrapper may also be printed with a design, information or similar during the same process. The flexible wrapping material preferably comprises a material able to retain a deadfold, for example greaseproof paper or foil laminated paper. The adhesive is preferably one approved for food use and may form either a releasable or permanent bond, suitable adhesives are, for example, water based emulsions of latex or spirit based solutions of latex. Suitable products include product numbers lP7188, lP7890 and lP7418 sold by Swale Process Ltd, product number 7790 sold by Scottish Adhesives Ltd and product numbers NC6264 and NC6049 sold by Novacote Flexpack Ltd.

The present invention represents an improvement over existing deadfolded wrappers. The provision of an adhesive improves both the integrity and resistance to tampering of a package formed from such a wrapper. A further advantage of the present invention is that it can be used by existing packaging equipment, without modification, yet enables a significantly superior package to be produced. Moreover, a product wrapped in a wrapper of the present invention still retains the familiar appearance of a conventionally wrapped product, and is therefore easily identified by a customer. Where a wrapping material which lacks deadfold properties is employed the present invention enables this material to be used in folded wrap appiications as the adhesive can be employed to retain desired folds in the material.

Coating part or all of the non-food side of the wrapping material conveys a number of advantages over alternative wrapper configurations. As the adhesive is applied to the side of the wrapper that would usually be printed with product information or similar, also printing adhesive to this side is convenient, as compared with the additional step involved with printing both sides of a wrapper. Also, where adhesive is only applied to the non-food side this reduces the possibility of a wrapped food product being contaminated by the adhesive.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig.1 is a plan view of a sheet of wrapping material of the present invention, so marked as to show the pattern of adhesive applied in relation to predetermined fold lines; Fig.2 shows an alternative adhesive pattern to that illustrated in Fig. 1; and Fig.3 shows a perspective view of a partially wrapped product.

Referring to Fig.1, there is illustrated the non-food side of a sheet of wrapping material, in plan view 1. The edges of the wrapper are depicted by the solid line 2.

The wrapper illustrated is intended for use by an existing 'Sig' type packaging machine, used for the wrapping of solid fat products. The lines along which the wrapper will be folded, around a product, by the packaging machine are drawn as dashed lines 3. The illustrated wrapper is intended for the wrapping of a substantially cuboidal product, the parts of the wrapper that will form the faces of the cuboid are shown as rectangles which will form the main panel 4, side panels 5 and 6, the underpanel 7 and overlap panel 8 of the wrapped product. The panels may carry printed information for example product details, a trade mark, best before date etc.

Also printed onto the non-food side of the wrapper are four areas of a cold seal adhesive 9. These areas are so arranged that when the wrapper is folded around a product, then parts of the adhesive coated surface come into contact with other areas of the same or a different patch of adhesive coated surface and form a permanent bond. This retains the wrapper in the desired folded configuration, preventing the wrapper from being inadvertently opened during handling. Also, the permanent bond ensures that the wrapper is able to form a tamper evident package as opening of the package leads to tearing of the wrapper.

Alternatively in another embodiment a releasable adhesive is used to enable a pack to be opened and re-sealed. With this embodiment there is still an element of tamper evidence as it is unlikely that someone could re-seal a package with the same precision as packaging machinery.

The illustrated wrapper is produced by the printing of an adhesive by a gravure or fiexographic process onto a continuous sheet of wrapping material, during the same process a design may also be printed onto the wrapping material. A plurality of individual wrapping sheets are printed onto a single reel of wrapping material, from which they are subsequently cut during the packing process.

Referring to Fig.2 there is also illustrated the non-food side of a sheet of wrapping material 1 5 in plan view This sheet of material is similar to that illustrated in Fig.1, and is intended for use by an existing 'Sig' type packaging machine.

Similarly to the wrapper illustrated in Fig.1 the wrapper 15 is also intended for wrapping a substantially cuboid product and the parts of the wrapper that will form the main panel 16, side panels 17 and 18, the underpanel 19 and overlap panel 20 of the wrapped product.

The lines along which the wrapper is to be folded are the same as for the wrapper illustrated in Fig.1 and are shown by dashed lines 21.

Also printed onto the non-food side of the wrapper are four areas of a cold seal adhesive 22 bordered by a solid line. These areas are larger than those illustrated on the wrapper depicted in Fig. 1 although they are provided for the same purpose. Essentially Fig.2 illustrates an alternative adhesive pattern for use with Sig machines.

Referring to Fig.3 there is illustrated a wrapper 11, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, which has been used to partially wrap a pat of butter. The wrapper is incompletely folded, showing flaps of the wrapper material. A design is printed onto the side panel 13. The illustration shows the location of the adhesive coated surface 14 and its function in retaining the finally wrapped product.

The above embodiment enables an existing Sig packaging machine to produce an improved wrapped product, without modification of the packaging equipment itself. The adhesive surfaces act to secure the flaps which result from the folding of the wrapper. This improves the package's integrity during handling and also provides improved evidence of tamper with the package.

The above embodiment is referred to by way of example only, many modifications are possible without departing from the invention. For example, different arrangements of folds and different adhesive print patterns may be employed for use with different designs of packaging machinery.

Claims

1. A wrapper for foodstuffs comprising a sheet of flexible wrapping material having two sides, one of which is intended to be exposed to a wrapped product, the food side, and the opposite side of which is intended to be exposed to the outside of a package formed by the wrapper, the non-food side, wherein at least part of the non-food side of the wrapper is coated with an adhesive.

2. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in claim 1, in which the adhesive is disposed in a predetermined pattern such that, when the wrapper is folded to form a package the adhesive is operative to bond together predetermined overlapping portions of the non-food side of the wrapper.

3. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the adhesive is disposed on the non-food side of the wrapper so as to secure flaps formed by a packaging process in the folded position.

4. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in c!aim 1,2 or 3, in which the adhesive is disposed so as to be compatible with an existing wrapping technique.

5. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in any preceding claim, in which adhesive is only disposed to those areas of the non-food side of the wrapper that are intended to overlap so that no adhesive is exposed to the outside of a package formed by the wrapper.

6. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the flexible wrapping material is able to retain a deadfold.

7. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in claim 6, in which the flexible wrapping material is either greaseproof paper or foil laminated paper.

8. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in any preceding claim, in which print is applied to the non-food side of the wrapper.

9. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in any preceding claim, in which, in operation, the adhesive forms a releasable seal enabling a package formed by the wrapping to be conveniently opened and released.

10. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, in which, in operation, the adhesive forms a permanent bond such that bonded parts of the wrapper cannot be separated without the wrapper being torn.

11. A wrapper for foodstuffs as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the adhesive is arranged so that the corresponding bond may be made tamper evident.

12. A wrapper for foodstuffs substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 3 or to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of wrapping a food product in a flexible wrapper having a food side and a non-food side comprising the steps of coating at least part of one side of a flexible wrapper with adhesive; wrapping the product by folding the wrapper around the product to form a package; closing the package by adhering overlapping portions of the folded wrapper together, wherein the adhesive coating is applied on the non-food side of the wrapper.

1 4. A method of wrapping a food product as claimed in claim 13, in which the flexible wrapping material is coated with an adhesive in a predetermined pattern so arranged that when folds are made in the wrapper those portions of the adhesive coated side of the wrapper that are brought together adhere to each other to secure flaps formed by the folding process in the folded position.

1 5. A method of wrapping a food product as claimed in claim 13 or i t, which only those areas of the wrapper that are intended to come into contact with each other as a result of the folding process are coated with adhesive so as not to expose adhesive to the outside of a wrapped product.

16. A method of wrapping a food product as claimed in claim 13, 14 or 15, in which the adhesive coating is applied to the wrapper by means of a printing process.

17. A method of wrapping a food product as claimed in claim 16, in which the coating is applied by gravure or flexographic printing.

18. A method of wrapping a food product as claimed in claim 16 or 17 in which additional information is applied during the same printing process.

19. A method of wrapping a food product substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 3 or to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.