[00011 ETHYL ALCOHOL EMITTI G PACKAGE FOR BAKED GOODS FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[00021 The Invention relates to the increase In shelf life of food products by Improving the storage life. The Invention particularly relates to the decreasing of moid growth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

10003] The invention rel es to the Improving of the shelf Lie of products that are subject: to mold growth during their packaging,

[0004] Is Is known in the preparation of bread and other grain products to spray ethyl alcohol into a bag of the product or onto the product to prolong shelf life. fOOOS] It is known to package foods and pharmaceuticals In packages thai prolong the life of the materials by packaging these materials with oxygen absorbers or humidity control agents. It is also known to absorb carbon dioxide from packages. It Is known to flush food packages with nitrogen to reduce their oxyge content and thereby prolong shelf life during storage.

|0006j US 6, 1 3 ,935-Colln discloses an oxygen absorbing label that may be affixed to the inner surface of a package. US 6,5$8,S 7 ! -Powers discloses use of In oxygsrs absorbing material in extending food shelf life. US 7,549,2 /2- DeFederlds discloses a canister for use, with deslccants or oxygen absorbents, In packaging. The se of sachet was In packaging of water and oxygen absorbing materials for use in foods and medicinal products Is also known.

[00071 Laiou et al. In The journal of Cereal Science 52 (201 0). pages 457- 46S discloses treatment of bread w th an ethaool emitter alone or combined with an oxygen absorber. 000S] Saiminen et ah in Packaging Technology and Science Vol. 9 _t pages 29-42 (1996).. The use of etnanol and oxygen absorption to prolong the shelf life of rye bread,

10009] US Patent 7,387,205 - Wilson discloses a packaging system for perishable items that may include the use of ethanok

[001 Oj There is a need In the art for a method of preserving foods, such as baked goods, that are particularly- susceptible to the growth of mold. There's a need for a method of preserving these foods in a safe and low-cost way that does not require ew packaging techniques.

PROBLEM TO 8E SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[001 1] There Is a need for an improvement In moid growth control on packaged products. BRIEF SU MARY OF THE. INVENTION

[0012] The Invention provides a food package food comprising a container having moisture, arrier properties and containing a product subject to moid growth and further containing stabilized ethyl alcohol emitting composite mate rial

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[001 3] Figure 1 is cross-sectional schematic view of a label or patch with ethyl alcohol emitter of the invention.

[001 ] Figure 2 Is a cross-sectional schematic of a sachet containing the ethyl alcohol mi e of the Invention.

100 5] Figure 3 is a schematic view of an Invention package utilizing, the ethyl alcohol emitter In a label,

[00161 Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the use of an ethyl alcohol emitter sachet in package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The nvention has numerous advantages over prio practices for minimizing mold growth on food, particularly baked goods, The Invention provides a known method of packaging using carriers such as labels, sachets and canisters to contain a material that will minimize mold growth and prolong shelf life. The invention results In significant cost savings as and bread and produce will have a longer shelf life and therefore are less likely to e wasted by ecom ng outdated. These and other advantages will be apparent from the detailed description below,

[001 8] The Invention may fee utilized to Increase shelf life of any material that is subject to mold growth during, storage. While the Invention finds its primary use in food products it may also be utilized in storag of other materials that may be subject to mold such as pharmaceudcal products. With respect to food products the Invention typically could be utilized with hard sausage, otatoes, apples, nuts, wheat, oats _s cheese, and corn. It finds Its preferred use in baked products such as bread, rolls, cakes, and cookies.

[0019] The composition that may he utilized In the invention generally is a composition that has ethyl alcohol that has been stabilized and then the alcohol Is given off as a vapor during storage of the food product. The alcohol may be combined with a carrier such as silica gel or activated carbon. The ethyl alcohol is thickened b having an additive mix d with it to raise the viscosity to create a solid or highly viscous material. The ethyl alcohol also may be combined with a thickening agent such as cellulose. The cellulose may be wood fibers or a material such as ihydroxypropyl cellulose), oxyprop! cellulose or cellulose ether. These materials will thicken the alcohol such that It may be readily held in a carrier such as a label or sachet. Further, the thickened alcohol may be applied as print onto the Inner surface of the container. 10020] The package that utilizes the ethylene alcohol emitting material to prevent mold growth may be any suitable package that Is generally m ervio s to the atmosphere. Such materials include the conventional polyester and polyethylene bags that are utilized for baked goods and other materials, Further boxes containing a harrier sheet of plastic may he uti d- Further, the packages may he wrapped with an atmosphere impervious wrapp ng, in all Instances the ethylene alcohol emitter Is within the package at the time the product subject to mold growth, is packaged,

[0021 ] The carrier which holds the ethyl alcohol also may be provided with other materials that would act as fragrances, flavorants _> or as antimicrobial materials. Typical of flavorants would be flavor such as lemon. lime., chocolate, strawberry, cherry, bacon, smoke, butt ry and margarita. The fragrance could be a fresh baked fragrance for bread and other baked goods or a fruit fragrance. The flavorants or fragrances are added that correspond to the product being packaged, such as smoke for sausage, jerkys and some cheese, and fruit flavor for baked goods that have a fruit such as raisins or strawberries therein.

100223 in Fig 1 Is a schematic illustration of an absorber patch or label for ethyl alcohol emitting composite material The patch 1 0 would be adhered to the Inside of a covering forming a food package. The patch 10 Is comprised of a removable base 1 2 of a strippable material that will not adhere significantly to adhesive layer 1 4, The layer 1 5 is a paper or polymer sheet support for the patch. Layer 1 8 provides an adhes ve layer for heat sealing the cover layer 28 around Its edges 22. Cover layer 2.8 Is permeable to gases but not liquids, and attached to layer 1 8 at Its edges; 22. This type of label or patch Is generally disclosed I US patent 6,1 39,935-Ciiikn where the formation -of oxygen absorbing labels Is disclosed. The formation, of l el or patch of the Instant invention Is similar except that the material Is suitable for emitting ethyl alcohol not for absorbing ox ge . The ethyl alcohol emitter for 24 is shown as gloouals 24 within a fibrous material 26 such as filter paper. The alcohol emitting composite material may be either a solid particle or may be a thickened, and stabilized alcohol absorbed on a carrier such as paper. The solid particles 24 are thickened giobuals of ethyl alcohol. The giobuals may be thickened with a material such as guar gum or a earboxymethyl-cellulose, it is noted that although the giobyals are shown as embedded in a fibrous material st Is poss ble that the ethyl alcohol could be a solidified particle. The label co ld also contain a viscous composite of ethyi alcohol and a thickener, such as cellulose without the fibrous material,

[0023] f igure 4 Is a schematic cross-section of a package 50 for cake, bread or other mold-growing food with stabilized ethyl alcohol emitted by sachet 30, With the exception of the use of the sachet instead of the patch or label Figure 4 Is similar to figur 3.

[00241 While the permeable container of the i nvention that holds the stabilized ethylene alcohol emitting composite has been Illustrated as either a sachet 30 or a label or patch 1 0 the invention is not limited to these particular containers for stabilized ethyl alcohol emitting material. The cont iner also co id be a permeable tube or a container that has one permeable side. It further couid be formed of a polymer strip that had a stabilised ethyl alcohol emitting material embedded In the strip. 00251 The covering used In the package may he any polymer material that provides good odor and oxygen barrier properties. Typical of such materials are polycarbonate, polyvinyl alcohols, lactic acid polymers, polyesters, and polypropylene. A preferred material is polyethylene, particularly low density polyethylene because it is low cost and a good barrier layer for oxygen and odors,

[0026] The covering for the package may b wrapped onto the package and sealed, it may be a bag that is sealed, or may be a tube that is sealed at both ends. The formation of sealed substantially air tight food packages Is well known..

[0027J The water impermeable vapor permeable covering for at least a portion of the sachet, container or label or other ethyl alcohot emitting carrier of the Invention may be any material that will pass the ethyl alcohol and Inhibits passage of water or other liquids. Typical of such materials are microporous spun bonded materials and microporous materials derived from stretched porous materials. A preferred material is a spun bonded material that Is micropor us, such as Tyvek and stret ed m!croporaus material manufactured by Gore-Tex.

[0028] illustrated schematically m cross-section F¾ 2 is a sachet 30 that could be used to package sta ili ed ethyl alcohol emitting material The sachet 30 has a cover 32 which Is water impermeable and gas permeable. The sachet is sealed at 34 and 36, and formed from either a tubular sheet member or flat sheet that has been folded over and sealed to form tube. The tube is filled with the stabilised ethyl alcohol emitting material prior to both of the ends being sealed. The composite material is shown as gjobuals 38 which are thickened ethyl alcohol The ethyl alcohol also could be thickened with a materia! such as cellulose fiber.

|0029 ^' 1 Figure 3 Is a package 40 for preparing a food material such as bread or cake 46 for display or shipping prior to sale. The package comprises a covering 42 that Is the outer covering of the package. The covering comprises a bag 42 that is sealed shut at 48, The package 40 has a patch or label 1 0 fastened to the inner surface of the covering bag 42, The cake 46 is carried in tray 44. After the cake 46, tray 44 , and patch 1 0 have been placed Into the covermg it is sealed with seal 48. While illustrated as having the large space for gas the bag may be subjected to vacuum or a modified atmosphere in the bag to lower oxygen content to slow mold growth and result In a closely wrapped cake or other grain product. Conventional packing cannot completely eliminate oxygen and some mold growth is caused by enzymes. Th stabilized ethyl alcohol emitter 1 0 will lengthen the tim when the cake s suitable for consumer use as It .will delay any mold formation.

[0030] The stabilized ethyl alcohol may be stabilized and/or thickened with any suitable stabilizi g material. Typical of such materials are quar g m, (hydroxycel!ulose oxyce lulose, carboxy methyl cellulose and hydroxyp opyl cellulose and poly vinyl pyrrolldone. A preferred material Is cellulose In the form of fine fibers or a powder as it effectively thickens and is safe with foods. A stabilized ethyl alcohol will be thickened such that it will generally hold its shape without significant running when placed on a flat surface, The material may be mixed with the stabilizer material in any amount to achieve the desired properties for a particular use. For Instance If the material Is to be printed di ectly on the Inside of package or onto a strip of base material to be placed in the package the must viscosity must be such as to allow printing. If the material is to be placed in a sachet or patch the viscosity may be in a wider range as the packages are generally Impervious to liquids. Even with these sorts of packages, the viscosity should be high, because escape of the material from the package In the event the sachet or patch package Is punctured is not desirable.

[00311 The following examples are intended to be exemplary and not exhaustive of embodiments of the invention. Parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise indicated. |δ032] ixes used hi the Examples:

[0033] Mix 1

Mix 1 contains by weight 70% silica gel and 36% 200 proof sthanoL IS Is formed by mxing 243 grams of 13x molecular sieve and 23 grams, 200 proof ethanol mix and allowing the mixture to sit overnight prior to use

[0034] Mix 1

i 2 contains 25% ethyl alcohol and 75% activated carbon

(Calgen). It Is formed by mixing 9.4 grams of the ethyl alcohol and 28.8 grams of activated charcoal (Calgon) and allowing the mixture stand overnight.

[003 SI £xmle.I

[0036] A. sample from Mix 1 has 6.12 grams ethyl alcohol In 17,0 grams sample. The sample was placed In a desiccator with an excess of molecular sieve absorbent. Table I below shows the percentag of alcohol given off between 0 and 1 S days.

SMI SamjsJ^Gm _* ¾.rMfiS je _. ni^d

0 17,0 0%

1 12,6 71.9%

2 12.2 7$A%

5 11.91 83.2%

6 11.89 S3.8%

8 11,77 85, S¾

11 11,73 86.1% [00371 E¾ i je

[DQ3§] A sample from i 2 weighing 20.1 grams comprising about ethyl alcohol (30% by weight) and activated carbon (70% by weight) is tested. The sample comprises S3 grams of ethyl alcohol. The sample was placed in a desslcator with an excess of molecular sieve absorbent, The following Table 2 measures the alcohol given off over between 0 and IS d s.

TA8LE2.

D ys Sample . Grn. * Alcohol Removed

0 .30.1 0%

7 17.9 I Q$%

2 17.5 $1,7%

S 15,92 53,2%

6 16.7 67,6%

8 16,42 73,2%

■ 1 16.2 77.5%

15 15.77 86.7%

[0039] The Examples 1 and 2 above show that molecular sieve and activated carbon give up the alcohol during the storage time. Although molecular sieve gives op about 72% in one day, another 16% is given off over the time of the 15 day test. Carbon gives up the alcohol at a slower rate and would be preferred for storage of most baked goods. The ctv t d carbon gives up about 52% In two days and another about 34¾ over the next 1 days. The Examples show the suitability of these materials for storage of baked goods.