The present invention relates to a multi-compartment container for providing a comestible product to a consumer and to a method for providing a combination of a major component comprising a food or a beverage and an additive to a consumer utilizing a multi-compartment container of reduced cost based on a price differential between the wall material of the container for the major component and the wall material for the component of the additive. Background of the invention

Various types of foods and beverages are packaged in a way which combines a major component and an additive, which in many cases is added to the major component to give it a desired flavor, sweetness, nutritional properties, mouth feel and other desired properties. Some of these additives, also referred to herein as additives, are unstable under various conditions, such as elevated temperatures, irradiation, contact with oxygen, increased moisture and reaction with the major component. Others are permeable through the walls of typical containers or generate pressure in such containers. The instability of these additives leads to increased packaging costs of the combined food or beverage. These combined products are packed in a package constructed to protect them, e.g. via thicker and/or less permeable walls and/or less transparent walls. In addition to being more expensive to produce, these packages are, in many cases, more expensive to transport and/or are less recyclable.

There is, therefore, a need for a container and for a method that can provide to the customer a package comprising different compartments for a major component and for an additive having a desired flavor, or nutritional, nutraceutical or other characterizing features. Preferably, the container should have low shipping and production costs and should be recyclable. In addition, there is the desire for the system to provide the customer with other benefits, such as improved choice. It would be attractive to enable the customer to control the selection of the additive, e.g., exact type of flavor and its dose. Furthermore, there is a need for a method for at least one of extending the shelf life of a product and reducing the amount of preserving agent in a product as well as for removing a component from the final product to be consumed or used. Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a multicompartment container for providing to a consumer a combination of at least one major component and at least one additive, which container comprises a major compartment with a first-type wall for said major component and a separate minor compartment with a second-type wall for said additive or a precursor thereof, characterized in that said second-type wall differs in at least one physical or chemical property from said first-type wall.

According to a second aspect the present invention provides a method for providing a combination of a major component and an additive, which method comprises the steps of (a) providing a multi-compartment container comprising a major compartment with a first-type wall containing said major component and a separate minor compartment with a second-type wall containing said additive or a precursor thereof, characterized in that said second-type wall differs in at least one physical or chemical property from said first-type wall; and (b) combining said major component and additive or a precursor thereof, whereby a combination of the major component and the additive or precursor thereof is formed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention said second type wall is at least one of being thicker, less permeable, less transparent and a better insulator for at least one of heat and electricity compared to said first-type wall. According to another embodiment, said combination is selected from a group consisting of food, beverages, cleaning aids, home use chemicals, deodorants, and cosmetics.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of said first-type wall and said second-type wall is an external wall of said container. According to another embodiment, the container comprises a single external opening. According to still another embodiment, the container further comprises an internal communication means between said compartments, which communication means enables combining, at least partially, said major component and said additive or a precursor thereof before or without opening an external opening of said container.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said second-type wall is less permeable, compared with the first-type wall, to a group consisting of at least one of moisture, oxygen, carbon-dioxide, said additive and a precursor thereof. According to another embodiment, said second-type wall is less transparent to at least one of the group consisting of visible light, infra-red irradiation and ultraviolet irradiation, as compared to the first-type wall.

According to one embodiment, the container comprises a hollow section. In preferred embodiments, the hollow section is incorporated in at least one of a first wall of said container, a cap for said container suitable for storing the additive of the combination or a precursor thereof, a straw, a mixing device, a delivery device and combinations thereof. According to a further embodiment, said hollow section forms at least a segment of said minor compartment.

According to a preferred embodiment of said method, said combining is conducted within less than an hour before said combined product is to be consumed.

According to an embodiment, the additive is selected from a group consisting of sweeteners (e.g. natural ones, high intensity ones, etc.), flavorants, flavor enhancers, spices, colorants, compounds of nutritional value (e.g. fibers, bioactive cultures, vitamins, minerals), nutraceuticals (e.g. antioxidants, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids), enzymes, compounds that affect the sensory perception in the mouth, compounds that affect flavor perception, compounds that affect the texture, compounds that affect the temperature of the major component, CO ₂ , their precursors and various combinations of thereof. Thus, according to various embodiments, the system of the present invention, provides combined products, such as flavored water, coffee or cocoa flavored beverage, sweetened beverages, foods or beverages enriched with antioxidants, enzymes, bioactive cultures and various combinations thereof, foods enriched with fibers, texturiser, emulsifier, flocculants, vitamins and minerals and preparations thereof, beverages with creamers and various combinations thereof.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the additive is reactive with said major component.

According to still another embodiment, the additive is degradable on irradiation.

According to still another embodiment of the invention, the additive is reactive with oxygen. According to still another embodiment of the invention, the additive is such as to be permeable through said first type wall.

According to still another embodiment of the invention, the additive has, at atmospheric pressure, a boiling point lower than 2O ⁰ C, e.g. CO ₂ .

According to third aspect, the present invention provides a multicompartment container for providing to a consumer a carbonated beverage, which container comprises a major compartment and a minor compartment and wherein said minor compartment comprises a carbonate, a bicarbonate, or a mixture thereof.

According to a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a method for at least one of extending the shelf life of a product and reducing the amount of preserving agent in a consumable product, which method comprises the steps of (a) providing a multi-compartment container comprising a major compartment containing a consumable product and at least one minor compartment containing a preserving agent; and (b) combining said major component and said preserving agent at need. According to a preferred embodiment, said major compartment has a first-type wall and said minor compartment has a second-type wall and said second-type wall differs in at least one physical or chemical property from said first- type wall

According to a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a method for providing a product, which method comprises the steps of (a) providing a multicompartment container comprising a major compartment containing a combination of a major component and a minor component, and a minor compartment containing a means for selectively separating said minor component from said major component; and (b) combining said major compartment with said minor compartment, whereby said minor component is selectively transferred, at least partially, into said minor compartment, forming a minor-component depleted major component.

According to an embodiment of said fifth aspect, said minor component is lipophilic in nature, e.g. oil soluble and water-insoluble and said minor compartment comprises a hydrophobic adsorbent. According to another embodiment, said minor component is hydrophilic and said minor compartment comprises a hydrophilic adsorbent. According to a preferred embodiment, said means is an adsorbent approved for food contact and porous and/or of large surface area. According to still another embodiment, the minor compartment comprises at least one of a hydrocolloid, active carbon an anion-exchanger and a cation-exchanger. According to still another embodiment, said combining of the major compartment with the minor compartment exposes a selective filter or membrane between the two, and said minor component transfers, at least partially, through said filter or membrane into the minor component.

According to a preferred embodiment, said combination is a beverage selected from the group consisting of at least one of milk, flavored milk, water, flavored water, a fruit-based juice, a soy-based drink, a soup, a coffee-flavored beverage and a cocoa-flavored beverage.

According to another preferred embodiment, said combination is a food selected from the group consisting at least one of yogurt, cheese, a soy-based yogurt imitation, a soy-based cheese imitation, a dessert and an ice cream.

According to various embodiments, the additive or its precursor is a liquid, a solid, a solution, a mixture, a suspension, an emulsion or various combinations thereof.

The multiple-compartment container of the present invention can be of any type, e.g. it can have different external shapes, such as a cylinder, pyramid, sphere, box, etc. In most of the preferred embodiments of the present invention said container comprises at least two compartments differing, at least partially, in the composition of their walls and typically also in their volume.

The two compartments could be arranged in different forms. Thus, according to one embodiment the container comprises a cap with an internal volume and/or a cap separated from the major compartment of the container by a lid, so that a separate compartment forms between said cap and said lid. The major compartment of the container is suitable for the major component of the combined product (food or beverage), while the internal volume of the cap and/or the volume between the cap and the lid is suitable for the additive of the combination or a precursor thereof.

According to still another embodiment, at least one wall of the major compartment comprises a closed "pocket" which is suitable for storing said additive or a precursor thereof. According to still another embodiment, the minor compartment forms a small sack within the major compartment. Optionally, said sack is kept in place, e.g. by a strip welded to one of the walls of the major compartment or welded in a connecting point between at least two walls of the major compartment.

According to still another embodiment, the minor compartment forms a small sack outside the major compartment, but is connected via a closed delivery system into the major compartment. According to another embodiment, the minor compartment is composed of at least one "blister" on the wall of the major compartment, e.g. similar to the blisters used for packaging pharmaceutical tablets.

The container of the present invention may comprise multiple major compartments, multiple minor compartments or a combination of the two. According to an embodiment of the invention, the container comprises a single major compartment and multiple minor compartments. According to a related embodiment, the multiple minor compartments are of different sizes and/or are of different arrangements compared to the major compartment.

The major compartment of the container is preferably made of walls enclosing an internal volume wherein said major component of the composition is to be contained. The walls of the major compartment could be uniform in composition and/or properties or could be composed of different compositions. Said walls can be made of various materials, such as carton, a polymer (e.g. PET or polyethylene), a metal (e.g. an aluminum foil) and glass. The walls could be composed of a single material or of a combination of materials. Such multiple materials comprising said wall could be arranged in multiple layers. The major compartment of the container of the present invention can be of any volume, e.g. between 0.01 Lit and 10OLit, between 0.05Lit and 10Lit, or between 0.1 Lit and 1 Lit. According to some embodiments, the container also has a cap or another means of opening and optionally closing. The cap could be made of the same material(s) as the walls of the major compartment or of different material(s).

The minor compartment of the container is made of walls enclosing an internal volume wherein said additive of the composition or a precursor thereof is contained or is to be contained. As with said major compartment, the walls of the minor compartment could be uniform in composition and/or properties or be comprised of different compositions, made of various single materials or of combinations of materials, etc. According to various embodiments, the material(s) forming the wall of the minor compartment can be similar to that/those of the major compartment or can differ from them. The minor compartment of the present invention may have any form, including spherical, cylindrical and elongated.

Said minor compartment is smaller than the major compartment, e.g. less than 20% of its size, preferably less than 10% of its size, e.g. between 0.01ml and 200ml, more preferably between 0.1ml and 20ml.

According to various embodiments, while the minor compartment could be next to the major compartment, contained in it, touching it, or share a wall with it, their internal volumes are separated so that their contents, when said compartments are filled, don't mix, unless an opening between them is formed by will, e.g. of the consumer.

In some preferred aspects of the present invention, the container of the present invention is characterized in that at least one wall of the minor compartment differs in at least one physical or chemical property from the properties of at least one wall of the major compartment. In some preferred embodiments, they differ in at least one of transparency to light and permeability. Thus, according to one embodiment, the wall of the minor compartment is less transparent to electromagnetic irradiation, e.g. visible light, infra-red irradiation and ultra-violet irradiation. According to another embodiment, the wall of the minor compartment is less permeable than that of the major compartment. According to various embodiments, it is less permeable to moisture, to oxygen, to the additive, to a material contained in it, to its precursor and to a combination of the above.

According to various embodiments, such differences in properties result from differences in the materials forming the walls of the containers, in their thickness or a combination thereof. Thus, according to one embodiment, the additive or a precursor thereof is in a section within the cap or in a straw, and said cap or straw is made of a material different, e.g. a polymer, than that of the major compartment, e.g. a carton container. According to another embodiment, the minor compartment is a polymeric or metallic blister on a carton major compartment. According to still another embodiment, the minor compartment is a section between two aluminum foils forming a wall of the major compartment. According to various embodiments, out of the combined amounts of the major component and the additive or a precursor thereof (out of the combined product), the major component forms between 60% and 99.99% and the additive between 40% and 0.01%, preferably between 10% and 0.1%.

According to a preferred embodiment, said combining involves creating an opening between the major compartment and the minor compartment so that the content of one can mix with the content of the other.

According to various embodiments, creating such an opening involves at least one of applying pressure, applying mechanical force (including abrasion and shear force) and changing temperature.

According to one embodiment, the minor compartment is placed inside the major compartment, next to a band in the wall of that major compartment and an external pressure is applied to that band which bursts open the internal compartment. According to another embodiment, the minor compartment is a "blister" on the wall of the major compartment and is opened by pressing on the blister. According to other embodiments, the minor compartment is opened by pulling a thread and/or by introduction of a straw. According to another embodiment, the additive or a precursor thereof is an aqueous solution and it bursts the minor compartment open when cooled to below freezing temperature. According to still another embodiment, the minor compartment is external to the major compartment and connected with it via a blocked delivery system. In such case, applying a pressure to the external minor compartment leads to opening of the blockage in the delivery system and to the combination of the additive with the major component.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the additive or a precursor thereof is reactive with said major component. Optionally it is selected from the above-listed group. According to one example, the major component is a beverage of acidic pH, the additive or a precursor thereof comprises a protein and the protein denatures and/or precipitates with increasing time of contact with the acidic beverage. According to another example, the additive or a precursor thereof is a mineral provided in the form of a complex, which complex degrades at the pH of the major component. According to still another embodiment, the additive or a precursor thereof oxidizes in contact with the major component, or undergoes a Maillard reaction with it (e.g. when one of those comprises a reducing sugar and the other carries an amino group). According to still another embodiment, the additive or a precursor thereof is bioactive and undergoes changes due to contact with moisture of the major component. Moisture of the major component may also lead to hydrolysis of the additive or a precursor thereof (which hydrolysis could be catalyzed by low pH). In all these and other cases wherein the additive or a precursor thereof is reactive with said major component, the problem is solved by providing the major component in the major compartment of the container of the present invention, and providing the additive or a precursor thereof in a minor component of the present invention and combining these two components prior to consumption or during consumption by opening the minor compartment.

According to an embodiment of the invention said additive or a precursor thereof is selected from a group consisting of pH-dependent compounds and pH- dependent formulations. Such pH-dependent compounds and pH-dependent formulations tend to degrade chemically and/or to decompose in a pH other than optimal, e.g. complexes, emulsions, enzymes and proteins that tend to denature at a pH other than optimal, and formulations wherein an aqueous medium or a fatty medium is adsorbed on an adsorbent or a super-adsorbent, e.g. a dietary fiber.

According to an embodiment of the invention said additive or a precursor thereof is selected from a group consisting of moisture-interacting compounds and moisture-interacting formulations. Such moisture-interacting compounds and moisture-interacting formulations degrade on contact with moisture, e.g. hydrolyze or change structure or are activated by moisture, e.g. bioactive compounds and bacterial cultures. Such interaction with moisture is facilitated, according to various embodiments, by temperature changes, e.g. temperature elevation to above ambient, and/or by pH change.

For packaging components wherein elevated temperatures accelerate undesired reactions with the major component, e.g., reactions as in the previous embodiment (hydrolysis, Maillard reaction, etc.), the present invention provides for keeping the major component and the additive or a precursor thereof separate, particularly during shipment and storage at such temperatures. The present invention, according to this embodiment, provides for savings in volume, energy, and costs of refrigeration during storage and transportation. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the additive or a precursor thereof is degradable (or instable) on irradiation (i.e. is light sensitive), e.g. when exposed for days or more to daylight. Light induces loss of vitamins, especially riboflavin (which also acts as a photosensitizer) beta-carotene and vitamin C, production or degradation of free amino acids, increase of the peroxide value, formation of sensorally unpleasant volatile compounds (methonal, aldehydes and methyl ketones) as well as color changes. In a typical practice, a food or a beverage - comprising a combination of a major component that is not sensitive to light and an additive or a precursor thereof that is sensitive to light - is kept in a non-transparent container in order to protect it. Such non-transparent container is more expensive in some cases than a transparent one and/or has other disadvantages, such as blocking the visibility of the product. According to the present invention, the major component is kept in a transparent major compartment, the light-sensitive additive or a precursor thereof in a non- transparent minor compartment and the two are combined prior to consumption.

According to still another embodiment of the invention, the additive or a precursor thereof is reactive with oxygen (also referred to as oxidizable). Such additive or a precursor thereof includes antioxidant nutraceuticals, such as vitamin E, carotenoids and flavonoids, unsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 and/or omega-6, and triglycerides or phospholipids comprising them, some colorants and other oxidizable compounds. In a typical practice, a food or a beverage - comprising a combination of a non-oxidizable major component and an oxidizable additive or a precursor thereof - is kept in a container that is made impermeable to oxygen, e.g. via an increased thickness of the container wall and/or through the composition of a multi-component container wall. Such containers have many disadvantages, e.g. are more expensive, require more energy to produce and transport, are more difficult to recycle, block the visibility of the product and various combinations of these.

According to the present invention, the minor compartment comprising the additive or a precursor thereof is impermeable to oxygen, while the walls of the major compartment that comprises the major component have some oxygen permeability. The two components are combined prior to consumption. In this embodiment and in similar embodiments, the minor compartment can be in the form of a sealed straw containing the oxidizable additive or a precursor thereof which is packaged together with the major compartment. Thus, according to an embodiment of the invention, the additive or a precursor thereof is oxidizable and the wall of the minor compartment is less permeable to oxygen compared to the walls of the major compartment.

According to still another embodiment of the invention, the additive or a precursor thereof is one which is capable of permeating through a wall of certain types of containers. Examples for such permeable additives or precursors thereof are ones of the above list that are relatively volatile, e.g. having a vapor pressure greater than that of water at the same temperature. In a typical practice, a food or a beverage - comprising a combination of a non-permeable major component and a permeable additive or a precursor thereof - is kept in a container made impermeable to the additive or a precursor thereof, e.g. via an increased thickness of the container wall and/or through the composition of a multi-component container wall. Such containers have many disadvantages, e.g. are more expensive, require more energy to produce and transport, are more difficult to recycle, block the visibility of the product and various combinations of these. According to the present invention, the wall of the minor compartment comprising the additive or a precursor thereof is impermeable to the additive or a precursor thereof, while the walls of the major compartment that comprises the major component have some permeability to the additive or a precursor thereof. The two components are combined prior to consumption so that the time between combining and consumption is too small for a significant loss of the additive or a precursor thereof by permeation through the wall of the container. Thus, according to an embodiment of the invention, the additive or a precursor thereof is one which is capable of permeating through a wall of certain types of containers and the wall of the minor compartment is less permeable to that additive or a precursor thereof compared to the walls of the container.

According to still another embodiment of the invention, the additive or a precursor thereof, at atmospheric pressure, has a boiling point lower than 1O ⁰ C, e.g. CO ₂ . The additive or a precursor thereof according to this embodiment is gaseous in typical temperatures of filling in, transportation, storage or use, and generates pressure in a container containing it. According to a typical practice, a food or a beverage - comprising a combination of a non-gaseous major component and a gaseous additive or a precursor thereof - is kept in a container made to handle pressure and to avoid permeation of the gaseous additive or a precursor thereof, e.g. by an increased thickness of the container wall, by the composition of a multi-component container wall and/or by a special design of the bottom of the container. Such containers are more expensive, require more energy to produce and transport, are more difficult to recycle and various combinations thereof. In a system according to the present invention, the minor compartment comprising the additive or a precursor thereof is built to withstand the pressure of the additive or a precursor thereof or its precursor and to avoid its permeation, while the walls of the major compartment that comprise the major component are less so. The two components are combined prior to consumption. Thus, according to an embodiment of the invention, the additive or a precursor thereof is gaseous and the wall of the minor compartment is better capable of containing it compared to the walls of the major compartment.

According to another embodiment, the minor compartment contains a precursor of the additive, which precursor is not gaseous, but is convertible to the gaseous additive. According to a specific embodiment, the additive is CO ₂ and the precursor is a carbonate or a bicarbonate. Prior to use, the precursor in the minor component is contacted with an acidic medium, e.g. an acidic beverage, thereby forming gaseous CO ₂ .

As will be realized, the present invention provides a customer with better control of the product she or he is consuming, e.g. the nature of an additive, a selection between various options of the additive, the amount or dose of the additive, etc.

According to most of the above embodiments, the additive is an additive to the major component. Such additive adds a feature that is missing in the major component, e.g. enriches it with an important additive, such as a mineral, vitamin or a nutraceutical. According to other embodiments, there might not be a need for addition, since the major component already contains that desired component, e.g. an orange juice rich in vitamin C. In some cases, however, that desired component requires protection (e.g. from light, temperature, oxygen, loss by permeation, etc.) by using containers that are more expensive, less recyclable and/or having other disadvantages as explained above. In such cases, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a package of lower cost is used, the desired ingredient of the major component is allowed to degrade and another portion of the desired component is added as an additive or a precursor thereof in a minor component according to the practice of the invention. The extra cost of adding the desired component is more than compensated for by the savings on the package cost.

According to a further aspect the present invention also provides a method for at least one of extending the shelf life of a product and reducing the amount of a preserving agent.

According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, said preserving agent is selected from the group consisting of antimicrobial preservatives including; calcium propionate, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, sulfites such as sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, etc. and disodium EDTA and combinations thereof.

According to another preferred embodiment said preserving agent is selected from the group of Antioxidants including; BHA-Butylated hydroxyanisole ,BHT-Butylated hydroxytoluene, tocopherols, propyl gallate, and TBHQ-tertiary butyl hydroquinone and combinations thereof..

According to another preferred embodiment said preserving agent is selected from the group consisting of: formaldehyde, usually in solution, glutaraldehyde, ethanol and methylchloroisothiazolinone and combinations thereof.

According to still another preferred embodiment said preserving agent is selected from the group consisting of natural preservatives including: salt, sugar, vinegar diatomaceous earth, citric acids, and ascorbic acids and combinations thereof.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention said minor compartment is provided with a component selected from the group consisting of propellants, seasonings including herbs, spices, and other condiments, sequestrants, stabilizers, sweeteners, anti-foaming agents ,anti-caking agents and combinations thereof.

According to a preferred embodiment said minor compartment can be labeled with regard to its extended shelf life period based on the preservative amount incorporated therein. According to a preferred embodiment said extended shelf life time is achieved by using a plurality of minor compartments, each compartment containing equal or different amounts of preservatives or combinations thereof.

According to a preferred embodiment, combining said major component and said preserving agent at need can be done by: squeezing, impacting, shaking, tearing, or puncturing a wall of one of said compartments.

The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures so that it may be more fully understood.

With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1 there is seen a prismatic container 2 similar to the cardboard containers used for marketing milk and other liquid products, wherein said container is provided with a minor compartment 4 in the form of an additive- filled bag, wherein squeezing the triangular sides 3 of the upper area of the container results in the rupture of the minor container 4 and the introduction of the additive thereof into major container 2.

Referring to Figure 2, there is seen a further container 5 having a first compartment 6 and a second compartment 8 with an impermeable membrane 10 separating said compartments and wherein said membrane 10 has attached thereto a pull-string 12 which is adapted to disengage membrane 10 from the walls 14 of container 5 whereby the contents of upper compartment 6 are then free to fall under the influence of gravity into lower compartment 8.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments and examples be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.