Package making – Methods – With contents treating
Patent
1985-03-12
1987-08-11
Culver, Horace M.
Package making
Methods
With contents treating
53453, 53511, 53559, B65B 3104, B65B 3106, B65B 4710
Patent
active
046852743
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to improved packaging and relates particularly but not exclusively to improved packaging suitable for the packaging of meats and other foodstuffs which can deteriorate in air.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Hitherto, fresh meat has been packed in packages which comprise an expanded POLYSTYRENE foam tray or like plastics foam tray, and a covering of clear plastics material wrapping such as of P.V.C. or POLYETHYLENE. A problem with such prior art packages is that a purchaser can not inspect the underneath of the meat because the tray is not transparent.
It is desirable but not essential to package fresh meat in packaging where at least two sides of the meat can be viewed by an intending purchaser. When meat is packaged, meat juices can be expelled from the meat and can detract from the appearance of the meat when viewed from the underside. Thus if transparent packaging is envisaged care will have to be exercised in the design of the packaging to minimise the visual effect of any such juices which may be expelled from the meat.
In overseas countries, it is common to package meat products and/or other food products into a tray which is made from a plastics material which comprises three layers of the plastics material. The tray is semi-rigid and is usually composed of layers of P.V.C. and POLYETHYLENE or alternatively P.V.C./P.V.D.C. and polyethylene. Meat is placed in the tray and then the tray is packaged with a flushing gas which preferably comprises 80% O.sub.2 and 20% CO.sub.2. The package has a clear lid which is a co-extruded film of NYLON and SURLYN (Trade Mark) or a laminated web of POLYESTER, P.V.D.C. and POLYETHYLENE. The lid material is sealed to the top edges of the tray and inhibits the escape of the gas from the package.
In the prior art packaging of fresh meat which is described above there are particular problems in adapting it to Australia. Two of the problems are that: always viewable. rigid but only semi-rigid and in order to prevent accidental damage such as by kinking of the tray which can then cause rupturing of the tray a more rigid container is required. If the tray or lid is ruptured the inert flushing gas can escape and then the contents can be contaminated by the outside atmosphere. The shelf life of the packaged products is then substantially reduced. Because the tray must be made thicker the cost then becomes prohibitive and further, as the cost of fresh meat in Australia is relatively inexpensive compared to that in other countries, the cost of such a tray represents a significant part of the overall cost of the package and this is commercially undesirable.
STATEMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide improved packaging. Certain embodiments overcome all the aforementioned problems.
Accordingly one form of the present invention may provide an improved packaging, particularly but not exclusively, for fresh meat, comprising a substantially rigid tray of plastics material such as polypropylene, said tray having strengthening formations therein, some of the formations being on the base of the tray and being such as to support and space any products therein above the lowermost portion of said strengthening formations, products in said tray, said tray being enclosed in a plastics material hermatically sealed closed transparent outer covering, said covering being such as to substantially exclude atmosphere from contacting the products.
Most preferably the products which are packaged are fresh meat products and the gas is a gas which maintains the freshness and also the colour of the meat within the packaging whilst restricting the prolific growth of bacteria.
The strengthening formations are preferably corrugations in the tray, which apart from providing strength to the tray also support the products above the lowermost portions of the strengthening formations. Thus, the troughs of the corrugations provide channels to assist the draining of any juices from the undersurfaces of the products.
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Culver Horace M.
Garwood Ltd.
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