TWI530257B - Packaging methods for ready - to - eat fruits and vegetables and their packaging - Google Patents

Description

Packaging method for ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables and packaging thereof

The present invention relates to a package of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, and more particularly to a package of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables shipped to a display store in which the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables are kept fresh, displayed and sold to the final consumer in the same package. .

In the era of knowledge economy, consumers are demanding fruits and vegetables, pursuing new functions such as freshness, safety, convenience and health. In recent years, the proportion of China's national food consumption has steadily increased year by year. With the diversified needs of consumers, the food industry has become more diversified and has changed quite rapidly. In particular, the fast-food type of food industry like convenience stores also sells convenience, and also combines home delivery. Started to sell fresh produce.

With the rapid development of information technology and the popularity of the Internet, the product form and service type of agricultural products and marketing will create a new and creative development space. The increase in consumption patterns and direct sales channels of agricultural products, and even the emergence of online marketing, will challenge the role and function of the wholesale market.

If the fruits and vegetables are not properly sealed and kept in contact with the air for a long time, they will be oxidized by the oxygen in the air, but not everyone knows how severe the oxidation affects the food. Everyone should have experience: half of the apples that are eaten are actually discolored! In addition to the color change, after a series of chemical reactions, the so-called peroxide is produced, and the process is rancid. Other substances produced by rancid will not only destroy the vitamins in the food, but the peroxides that are eaten will continue to oxidize, and the harm to the human body is self-evident.

Therefore, in order to effectively reduce the transportation of fruits and vegetables from the place of origin to the place of consumption The preservation of the process, many seaweed fruits and vegetables are sprayed with a large number of anti-mold bactericidal agents; if you do not use anti-mold bactericidal agents, you may have to use air transport to reduce the transport time, but the fruits and vegetables will still be exposed to oxygen in the air during transportation.

The most common use in the current food industry is to block the contact of oxygen in the air with food, because it achieves antioxidant effects, is more natural, healthier and has no side effects than the original deoxidizers, preservatives, etc. The vacuum protection that has been used for a long time has always been the preservation method of most manufacturers. The principle of preservation is to take away the air inside the package, which can prevent the fruits and vegetables from deteriorating due to oxidation, but in view of the vacuum process, it is impossible to remove all the air in the package. In addition, due to the different materials of the packaging, even if a vacuum is drawn, a package of dry bags must be placed in the package to prevent moisture, so the preservation effect is less than ideal.

Therefore, there has been a vacuum nitrogen filling technology in which the air in the package is first drawn out, and then the "nitrogen gas" which is an inert gas which does not react with the food ingredients is filled into the package, and finally sealed and packaged. This way, before the food is opened, it can be confirmed that the freshness of the food is as fresh as the day of manufacture.

However, the existing vacuum-filled ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables are packaged in individual packages or in small quantities in soft bags, but for fruits and vegetables that are easily damaged by some skin or pulp, such as cherries, grapes, strawberries, fresh berries, lettuce salads, etc. Exquisite agricultural products, in the process of vacuuming, the soft packaging bag will be inwardly compressed due to the air in the packaging bag, and the skin or pulp of the fruits and vegetables may be compressed by the soft packaging bag after being compressed inward. Broken or injured; or transported to a stacked configuration in a shipping container. According to current practice, the packaging of flexible bags cannot withstand collisions during shipping. Therefore, individual packaging or small quantities of fruits and vegetables in soft packaging bags are not suitable for shipping configuration. It is used directly for display and sold directly to consumers after the show.

Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned deficiencies, the object of the present invention is to provide a packaging method for ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables and a package thereof, which can package and store ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables in an edible and protected state, and the packaging method is suitable for ready-to-eat food. The fruit and vegetable delivery configuration is displayed on the display and sold directly to the consumer.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention discloses a packaging method for ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables and a package thereof, and the main technical feature of the packaging and packaging method is that the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables are first placed in a container filled with a hard material; The inner space of the container for ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables is filled with an inert gas instead of the original air in the internal space, and the inert gas system is preferably nitrogen; finally, a ready-to-use vegetable and fruit and inert gas are sealed in the container by a sealing cover. Finish the packaging inside.

Wherein, before the inert gas is filled in the inner space of the container, the inner space of the container may be evacuated, and the inner space of the container having the ready-to-eat edible fruits and vegetables is filled with an inert gas.

Wherein, the container is a plastic cup/box or a cardboard cup/box; the sealing cover may be one of a plastic sealing film, an aluminum film or a plastic cover.

The invention has the advantages that the container filled with the hard material protects the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables in the process of filling the inert gas and vacuuming, such as cherry, grape, strawberry, fresh berry, lettuce salad, etc., high-priced exquisite agricultural products, fruits and vegetables The skin or pulp is not ruptured or injured by compression; the container of hard material is also provided during the shipping process to protect the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables in the container. Inert gas is used to increase the shelf life of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, reducing the cost of wear and tear caused by the manufacturer's short shelf life. The whole package will be ready for food and vegetables to be packaged and preserved in an edible and protected state. It will be displayed directly after the display of the store and can be sold directly to consumers.

Step 110‧‧‧Install ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables in containers

Step 120‧‧ Filling with inert gas

Step 121‧‧‧ Vacuum

Step 130‧‧‧ Sealed cover sealed container

200, 210‧‧‧ containers

201, 211‧‧‧ internal space

202, 212‧‧‧ Upper edge

300, 310‧‧‧ Sealed cover

301‧‧‧The Peripheral Department

311‧‧‧Feng Department

400‧‧‧ ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables

500‧‧‧Inert gas

1 is a schematic flow chart 1 of a packaging method of the present invention.

2 is a schematic flow chart 2 of the packaging method of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic view of the implementation of the package of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic view of the implementation of the package of the present invention.

The detailed description of the present invention and the technical description of the present invention are further illustrated by the embodiments, but it should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a schematic diagram 1 of an implementation flow of the present invention. The invention discloses a packaging method and a packaging method of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, and the packaging method and packaging thereof are as follows:

Step 110: The ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable 400 (in the figure, cherries are illustrated) is placed in a container 200 made of a hard material, wherein the container 200 can be a plastic cup, a plastic box, a cardboard cup, and a hard paper. The box is used in a container with a sealable and airtight condition.

Step 120: The inert gas 500 is filled in the inner space 201 of the containing container 200 in which the ready-to-eat edible fruits and vegetables 400 are filled, instead of the original air in the inner space 201 of the containing container 200, the displacement effect is used to fill the inert gas 500. At the same time, the original air in the internal space 201 is discharged. The inert gas 500 is preferably nitrogen gas, because the inert gas 500 increases the shelf life of the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables 400, and reduces the loss cost of the manufacturer due to the shelf life, and the concentration of the nitrogen gas can be 50% to 99%. The concentration of nitrogen can be adjusted according to the type of fruits and vegetables to increase the freshness preservation effect.

Step 130: Finally, the ready-to-eat vegetable and vegetable 400 and the inert gas 500 are sealed in the containing container 200 by a sealing cover 300 to complete the packaging.

Referring to FIG. 2, the implementation may further increase before step 120. In step 121, step 121: vacuuming the internal space of the container 200 of the ready-to-eat edible fruit and vegetable 400; in step 120, directly filling the inert gas 500 into the container 200 having the ready-to-eat edible fruits and vegetables 400 Space 201 (at this time, since the internal space 201 has been evacuated first, there will be no crowding effect). The process and equipment for filling the inert gas 500 by the crowding effect, or the process and equipment step of vacuuming and refilling the inert gas are known techniques, and are not the focus of this patent, and will not be further described herein.

In an application, the container 200 may be a cup-shaped plastic cup or a cardboard cup (as shown in FIG. 3), or the container 201 may be a square box-shaped plastic box or a carton (as shown in FIG. 4). ), in a container with a sealable and airtight condition as necessary conditions.

As shown in FIG. 3, the container container 200 is described in the shape of a cup, and the best implementation is a transparent plastic cup, so that the consumer can directly see the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables 400 contained in the inner space 201 of the container 200. The current state; of course, the container 200 can also be used with a cardboard cup printed with product related information.

The sealing cover 300 can be one of a plastic sealing film or an aluminum-plated film, such as a PP plastic film; and the aluminum-plated film mainly has the most widely used polyester aluminized film (VMPET) and CPP plating. Aluminum film (VMCPP). The surface of the film is plated with aluminum to prevent light and ultraviolet radiation, which prolongs the shelf life of the contents. The plastic sealing film is preferably a transparent material, especially when the container 200 is a hard paper cup, the transparent plastic sealing film enables the consumer to see the current ready-to-eat vegetable and fruit 400 inside the container 200 by the sealing cover 300. status. When the sealing cover 300 is a plastic sealing film or an aluminum-plated film, the peripheral portion 301 of the sealing cover 300 and the container 200 can be passed through a hot pressing device (not shown) in a known thermal packaging process. The upper edge portion 202 around the opening is subjected to a heat sealing step, so that the sealing cover 300 can be The food and vegetable 400 and the inert gas 500 are sealed in the container 200 to complete the packaging.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4, the container 210 is embodied in the shape of a box, and is preferably used as a transparent plastic box, so that the consumer can directly see the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables contained in the inner space 211 of the container 210. The current state of 400; of course, the container 201 can also use a carton printed with product related information. The sealing cover 310 can be a plastic cover, and the plastic cover used is preferably a transparent material, so that the consumer can change the transparent plastic cover when the container 210 is a cardboard box. The interior of the container 201 can be in the current state of the ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable 400. When the sealing cover 310 is a plastic cover, the sealing portion 311 around the sealing cover 310 and the upper edge portion 212 of the opening of the container 201 can be sealed and sealed to provide ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables 400 and inert gas. The 500 is sealed in a box-like container 210 to complete the packaging. In a preferred embodiment, the sealing portion 311 around the sealing cover 310 and the upper edge portion 212 around the opening of the container 210 may be heat-sealed by the heat sealing step to perform the sealing process. The lid 301 seals the ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable 400 and the inert gas 500 in a box-shaped container 210 to complete the packaging.

One of the prerequisites for maximum nutrition is to eat the freshest and most natural fruits and vegetables. Poor storage conditions tend to spoil the fruits and vegetables, lose the nutrients of fruits and vegetables, or lose their unique taste. The invention is filled with nitrogen in a container, and the nitrogen is used to replace the oxygen-containing air, and the colorless, odorless and non-toxic characteristics of nitrogen are used to replace the used agent to avoid the harm of the latent poison to the human body, so as to ensure the packaging. Ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables are better preserved and preserved, and the shelf life is increased directly through inert gas, reducing the cost of wear and tear caused by the manufacturer's short shelf life.

Moreover, the packaging method of the present invention improves the packaging method of the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, especially for fruits and vegetables which are easily damaged by some skins, such as cherries, grapes, strawberries, Fresh berry, lettuce salad and other high-priced exquisite agricultural products, so that the fruits and vegetables are not in the process of vacuuming, the surface of the fruits and vegetables may be broken or injured, or colliding in the stacking configuration delivered to the shipping container damage. The invention provides a ready-to-eat vegetable and fruit which is different from the existing packaging method and packaging thereof, and can package and freshly eat ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables in an edible state directly under the protected state, and the package is also convenient for displaying the direct display of the store and the display. Sold directly to consumers.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, that is, the simple equivalent changes and modifications made by the scope of the invention and the description of the invention are All remain within the scope of the invention patent.

Step 110‧‧‧Install ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables in containers

Step 120‧‧ Filling with inert gas

Step 130‧‧‧ Sealed cover sealed container

Claims (10)

The invention relates to a method for packaging ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, which comprises at least the steps of: firstly installing the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables in a container filled with a hard material; and filling the inner space of the container with the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables into an inert gas, using the crowding The method replaces the original air in the internal space; finally, the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables and the aforementioned inert gas are sealed in the container by a sealing cover to complete the packaging. The packaging method according to claim 1, wherein the container is a plastic cup/box. The packaging method according to claim 1, wherein the container is a cardboard cup/box. The packaging method according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas system is preferably nitrogen. The packaging method according to claim 1, wherein the sealing cover is one of a plastic sealing film, an aluminized film, and a plastic cover. The invention relates to a package of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, comprising: a container for installing ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, and replacing the inner space with an inert gas in the interior of the container, the original air is filled in the container containing the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables. a space; and a sealing cover for sealing the ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables with an inert gas in the container. The package of claim 6, wherein the container is a plastic cup/box. The package of claim 6, wherein the container is a cardboard cup/box. The package of claim 6, wherein the inert gas system is preferably nitrogen. The package of claim 6, wherein the sealing cover is one of a plastic sealing film, an aluminized film, and a plastic cover.