Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coated – fluid encapsulated – laminated solid...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-23
2004-07-06
Bhat, N. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coated, fluid encapsulated, laminated solid...
C426S576000, C426S650000, C426S138000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06759069
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Different types of spreadable, squeezable, and pourable food condiments are known for use in preparing cold-cut sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs, bagels, pitas, English muffins, muffins, fish sandwiches, tortillas, crackers, croissants, cold cuts, noodles, and many other types of sandwiches or food products. Such spreadable, squeezable, and pourable food condiments include catsup, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, barbeque sauce, steak sauce, tartar sauce, peanut butter, jellies, jams, preserves, cheeses, cheese spreads, butter, honey butter and other flavored butters, margarine, marinades, creamers, syrups, spaghetti sauces, gravy sauces, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, glazes, salad dressings, or any other types of spreads, or food dressings. When making sandwiches using the squeezable, pourable, or spreadable condiments as mentioned, the spreadable, squeezable, and pourable condiments which are distributed onto or in sandwiches are often absorbed into the sandwich bread causing the bread to loose its texture, forming a sloppy, soggy, and doughy result. The taste of the bread also suffers. Because of the absorption of the condiments into the bread and the bread becoming soggy and mushy, the sandwich bread often falls and/or tears apart during handling. Also, individuals using the spreadable, squeezable, and pourable condiments oftentimes must contend with the condiment leaking or dripping from the food item during eating. In addition, outdoor activities, such as camping, picnics, and vacations in which food is packed and carried generally includes the packing of condiments such as those recited above. The packing and carrying of the condiments often requires use of a cooler with ice to maintain the temperature of the cooler at a temperature which will insure that freshness of the condiments and other items is maintained. A drawback of packing the bottles and jars of condiments in the cooler is the space taken up in the cooler by the bulky bottles and jars used in packaging the condiments. Smaller versions of bottles and jars used to package condiments have been introduced. However, these smaller versions do not overcome the problems noted above because several types and shapes of jars and bottles must be packed and carried. The present invention overcomes the drawbacks noted above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new and improved forms for condiments which are applied to sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs, bagels, pitas, English muffins, muffins, fish sandwiches, tortillas, crackers, croissants, cold cuts, and any other types of sandwiches or other food products. The food condiment of the instant invention is provided for sale in plastic or cellophane packages containing a plurality of stacked individually wrapped hermetically sealed, sandwich-sized, single-serve slices. Alternative packaging for the sandwich-sized, single-serve, slices of food condiment involves providing a plurality of face-to-face stacked food condiment slices with each slice separated from the other using paper separator sheets on the face surfaces of each of the food condiment slices. These paper separated food condiment slices may then be further wrapped and packaged in a box or wrapped in cellophane or other desired materials, as an outer packaging material. The packages containing a plurality of food condiment slices can be sold in grocery stores, super markets, and convenience stores to the general public. Also, other establishments, such as delicatessens, convenience stores, sandwich shops, and restaurants may also use the food condiment articles of the instant invention to prepare sandwiches for sale. The form, shape, and consistency of the food condiment article of the instant invention allows the sandwich to be prepared at a time in advance of the sale because the individually sliced food condiments of the instant invention will not affect the texture of the bread used to make the sandwich when the sandwich is stored for an extended period of time.
When preparing a food item, for example, using the individually wrapped sandwich-sized, single-serve slices of food condiment of the instant invention, the individual wrapping is first removed from the food condiment by opening the wrapping and removing the sandwich-sized, single-serve, slice of food condiment. The sandwiched-sized, single-serve, sliced food condiment is then placed on a sandwich, bagel, pita, English muffin, muffin, fish sandwich, tortilla, cracker, croissant, cold cuts, or any other types of sandwiches or food items, without the requirement and inconvenience of spreading, pouring, or squeezing the food condiments onto the food item. The consistency of the sandwich-sized, single-serve, sliced food condiment produced by the instant invention is flexible or limber, has a smooth texture, has a non-sticky feel, and retains the definite sandwich-sized shape or other shape provided to it by the manufacturing process during handling. That is, it can be removed from the hermetically sealed protective wrapping, picked up and handed with fingers, and used in preparing a food item by transferring it whole to the food item being prepared without destroying or breaking-apart the single-serve food condiment slice. The food condiment formed and used in the instant invention is intended to melt or soften when exposed to heat. Thus, individuals using the instant invention would not have to contend with the dripping of the food condiment from the food item during eating, as is often the case when using the spreadable, pourable, or squeezable condiment forms.
As a specific example, an individual preparing a sandwich desiring mayonnaise would remove an individually wrapped, hermetically sealed, sliced food condiment of mayonnaise from a hermetically sealed wrapper, and place the sliced mayonnaise food condiment on a first slice of sandwich bread used in preparing the sandwich. The sliced mayonnaise food condiment can be placed on the slice of sandwich bread in contact with the bread without causing the bread to become soggy. That is, the bread does not appreciably or substantially absorb moisture from the sliced mayonnaise food condiment which would cause the bread to loose its texture and become weakened due to sogginess or mushiness. The individual preparing the sandwich can prepare the sandwich at a time in advance of consumption without the worry of the sandwich becoming soggy or mushy during its storage.
An additional advantage of the sliced food condiments of the instant invention includes elimination of the tedious burden of packing and carrying bulky bottles and jars on outings, such as picnics, barbeques, and vacations. Individuals using the instant invention would carry the desired food condiments in the form of sandwich-sized, single-serve, hermetically sealed, individually wrapped slices. A plurality of these individually wrapped, hermetically sealed, sandwich-sized, single-serve food condiment slices may be further packaged in cellophane or plastic. Such packaging containing the plurality of sandwich-sized, single-serve, hermetically sealed, individually wrapped food condiments is easily stored in a cooler without taking up a significant amount of cooler space. Also, use of the sandwich-sized, single-serve, food condiment forms of the instant invention provides for easy use of food condiments without the messy clean-up required when using spreadable, squeezable, or pourable condiments.
An additional use for the food condiments of the instant invention is barbeques, wherein a sheet layer barbeque sauce food condiment of the instant invention can be placed over the food being cooked, as in an oven, or on a grill. The food being cooked or grilled may also be wrapped in a sheet of barbeque sauce food condiment. When the food wrapped in the food condiment, or when a food condiment having the condiment thereon, is placed on the grill or in an oven, the sheet layered barbeque sauce food condiment melts and coats the food as it cooks. There is no longer a need to apply pourable, squeezable, or spreadable barbeque
Bhat N.
Gray Robin S.
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