[001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/817959, filed March 13, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

Field

[002] This application relates generally to packaged consumer goods, and more particularly to packaged food products, and methods of making them in commercial production.

Background

[003] Among the challenges associated with commercial production of certain high-quality packaged food products is the need to insert food components into packaging on high-speed production lines while preventing or limiting spillage. One more specific problem is that when filling cup-shaped containers with multi-piece, solid food components, the kinetic energy and momentum associated with impacts between individual pieces during filling can potentially result in a portion of the individual pieces bouncing out of the containers. Even a gravity feed from a short distance above the top of the container can potentially result in loss of an undesirably high portion of food components, unless countermeasures are taken.

[004] Another challenge is presented by dimensional constraints on package food products imposed by retailers. For example, for some retail settings, packaged food products must fit within a height limit of, e.g., 8.5 in., and it can be desirable that a stack of packaged food products have a height slightly less than the shelf height limit, in the interest of efficient use of shelf space.

[005] Another challenge is the need to prevent or limit instances in which packaging components become unstable. Cup-shaped containers and the like can be susceptible to instability while they are being transported on high-speed conveyors or while they are on shelves on display in retail locations, such that a container may tip onto its side or become inverted.

[006] Another challenge associated with some packaged food products is that certain packages can negatively impact product accessibility. More specifically, some packages include features which are useful from the standpoint of providing stability and/or providing other functional benefits, but which tend to hinder product removal by restricting access to portions of the product. For example, some cup shaped containers have a bottom that is configured to (1) provide stability on flat surfaces, and (2) engage the overcap of another identical container in a way that enhances stability for stacking purposes. In some such containers, the bottom configuration may create difficulty in removing portions of food components at the bottom of the interior cavity. Limiting or avoiding difficulty in removing significant portions of a product can be very important for certain ready-to-eat (RTE) packaged food products, particularly products that are useful as "on-the-go" snacks, intended to be opened, in some cases assembled, and consumed quickly and easily.

[007] Another challenge in providing high-quality RTE packaged food products is the need to maintain desirable organoleptic properties, e.g., maintenance of desirable flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel, over a desired shelf-life, e.g., multiple weeks or months. Certain components may be very stable over a desired shelf life in isolation but may be undesirably affected by the presence of other components of a multi- component product. For example, in products that include components with very different water activity (a _w ) or free water content, moisture migration can lead to absorption of water by components with lower a _w . This can often have undesirable effects on the texture of the components that initially have lower a _w .

[008] One way to limit or prevent undesirable moisture migration is to package components separately, e.g., with high a _w components and low a _w components in separate containers. For some food products, however, it can be too difficult and/or time-consuming for a user to combine the high and low a _w components in such a way that the resulting combination provides the desired result. For example, it is desirable for some food products such as certain types of cheesecakes and pies to have a crust with a relatively low a _w , and a filling with a much higher a _w . Some such products also include a topping that may have a different a _w . Assembly of a crust with a filling and optionally a topping is of course beyond the degree of difficulty that is generally desirable for on-the-go convenience foods. Packaged snack food products typically require much less effort on the part of the consumer.

[009] Another way to limit moisture migration is to include an edible moisture barrier in the food product itself between high and low a _w components. Such edible moisture barriers may include fat-based moisture barrier compositions and/or heterogeneous moisture barrier compositions, both of which may contain crystalline fats. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 10,178,870. This approach can eliminate the need to package high and low a _w components separately, but the addition of the moisture barrier ingredients may be undesirable due to economic, organoleptic and/or other factors.

[0010] There is a continuing need for improvement in the areas discussed above.

Brief Description of Drawings [0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a packaged food product.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a front elevation thereof.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a side elevation thereof.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a bottom view thereof.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a packaged food product assembly comprising two of the packaged food products of FIG. 1 in a stack, and an outer sleeve.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a section thereof, taken at 7-7 in Fig. 6.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a section thereof, taken at 8-8 in Fig. 6.

[0019] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 8.

Detailed Description

[0020] Described herein are packaged food products, methods of producing and using them, including methods of forming, filling and sealing them, and related technologies.

[0021] As used herein, the term "filling" refers to insertion of one or more items such as food components into an item such as a cup or other packaging component, without implying that an internal volume of the packaging component is completely occupied by the food item.

[0022] Terms implying a direction or orientation such as "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," and the like are used herein to described relative locations or orientations of various components or items relative to one another, and are not intended to be absolute or limiting. It is contemplated that the items described herein can be used in various orientations, and can be inverted, rotated and otherwise manipulated, and the terms herein are not intended to imply otherwise.

[0023] Terms such as "first" and "second" may generally be used interchangeably, and are not intended to imply limitation to a particular order, unless context indicates otherwise.

[0024] All terms used herein are intended to have their ordinary meanings to persons skilled in the art, unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0025] Figs. 1-5 illustrate a packaged food product 20, and Figs. 6-8 illustrate a packaged food product assembly 22. [0026] In the embodiment of Figs. 1-5, each packaged food product 20 comprises a base cup 24 having a bottom wall 26 and a peripheral wall structure 28 comprising a plurality of peripheral walls extending upward therefrom and cooperating with the bottom wall 26 to define a generally cup-shaped interior 32. The illustrated peripheral walls comprise front 34, rear 36 and side walls 38. In other embodiments, another peripheral wall structure may be provided, comprising, e.g., more or less than four peripheral walls.

[0027] In the embodiment of Figs. 1-5, a sealing flange 40 extends outward about the top of the peripheral wall structure 28 to define a sealing surface 42 on the top of the sealing flange 40. A flexible lid 44 is peelably sealed to the top of the sealing flange 40. In some embodiments, the flexible lid 44 may comprise one or more polymeric layers, and/or one or more metal foil layers. One or more of the polymeric layers may function as a sealant layer to seal the flexible lid to the sealing flange 40, or alternatively, a separate layer of glue or other sealant may perform this function.

[0028] In some embodiments, the interior 32 of the base cup 24 may be provided with a modified atmosphere using modified-atmosphere-packaging (MAP) techniques, which may include gas flushing to reduce or eliminate oxygen and replace it with one or more of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or another suitable gas. The base cup may have a volume capacity of, e.g., 4 to 7 fl. oz., 5 to 6 fl. oz., 5.2 to 5.4 fl. oz., about 5.3 fl. oz., or another suitable volume.

[0029] In some embodiments, the base cup 24 is made from a polymeric material such as 0.040-gauge polypropylene, e.g., by a thermoforming or vacuum forming process. In other embodiments, the base cup 24 may be made of thicker or thinner materials, or may be made by other methods, e.g., injection molding. In some embodiments, the polymeric material has a generally uniform thickness. In other embodiments, the thickness is not generally uniform throughout the base cup 24.

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall 26 includes a central, downward protrusion 46 on its exterior, bottom surface, and a complementary corresponding recess or cavity in its interior bottom surface. To facilitate removal of contents, and to provide stability while also facilitating automated stacking and manual destacking, the protrusion/cavity 46 is relatively large and has a flat bottom 48 and downwardly converging front 50, rear 52 and side portions 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the downwardly-converging sides 50, 52, 54 extend upward from the bottom 48 at an angle of 40°to 80° from the horizontal. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the sides 54 of the protrusion 46 extend at an angle b of 40° to 80°, or 50° to 70°, or about 60° from the horizontal. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 4, the front 50 and rear 52 of the protrusion 46 may form an angle a of 40° to 80°, or 50° to 70°, or about 60° to the horizontal. In some embodiments, the vertical dimension H _p of the protrusion 46 is 0.05 in. to 0.25 in; 0.1 in. to 0.2 in.; or about 0.15 in. If the vertical dimension of the protrusion is too great relative to its width, overall stability of the product or a stack of products when standing on a flat surface may be adversely impacted. Conversely, if the vertical dimension of the protrusion is insufficient, stack stability, i.e., resistance to undesired destacking, may be adversely impacted. The protrusion height can affect stability of the empty cup prior to filling, as well as stability of (1) the filled cup; (2) the complete packaged food product; (3) an assembly of two stacked packaged food products; and (4) a stack of two or more two- product assemblies. Protrusion dimensions may be selected with the centers of mass of these items taken into account, In some embodiments, a stack of two of the two-product assemblies described herein may be displayed on a shelf in a retail establishment, such that a total of four of the individual packaged food products 20 may be stacked on a shelf with an 8.5 in. height limit, with each of the top three products having its base locked into the overcap of the product beneath it. Thus, in some embodiments, the packaged food products described herein should provide stability for a 4-high stack.

[0031] In some embodiments, the height of the packaged food product 20 may be between 2 in. and 2.5 in., between 2.1 in. and 2.4 in., between about 2.1 in. and 2.3 in., or about 2.2 in. In some embodiments, the width of the packaged food product 20 may be between 3.8 in. and 4.4 in., between 3.9 in. and 4.3 in., between 4.0 in. and 4.3 in, or about 4.15 in. In some embodiments, the depth of the packaged food product 20 may be between 2.8 in. and 3.2 in., between 2.9 in. and 3.1 in, between 3.0 and 3.1 in., about 3.05 in., or about 3.0 in.

[0032] In some embodiments, the width W _p of the protrusion 46 (i.e., its maximum dimension measured parallel to the depth of the packaged food product, and perpendicular to the width of the packaged food product) may be, e.g., 1.3 to 1.7 in., 1.4 to 1.6 in., or about 1.5 in. Insufficient protrusion width W _p may adversely impact overall stability of individual and stacked products while they are supported on horizontal shelves or conveyors, or in other contexts. However, excessive width of the protrusion can adversely impact manufacturability of the recess in the overcap with which the protrusion fits. More specifically, if the periphery of the top of the overcap around the recess is too narrow: 1) unacceptably high variations in material distribution during thermoforming may occur, resulting in unacceptably high variations in wall thickness.; and 2) the volume of a channel around the recess may be insufficient to contain a particulate food item, which results in loss of available volume in the overcap for the particulate food item. [0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusion 46 has a generally racetrack-shaped flat bottom surface 48, with rounded sides 56 separated by the width W _p of the protrusion, and straight front 50 and rear edges 52 separated by the width W _p of the protrusion extending between the rounded sides 56. A line extending from one of the front 58 and rear edges 60 to the center of mass 62 of the packaged food product 20 would intersect the flat bottom 48 of the protrusion 46 at an angle Q of less than 70°. In some embodiments, Q is less than 65°, less than 60°, less than 55°, less than 50°, or less than 45°.

[0034] In some embodiments, the protrusion may have different shapes including, but not limited to, oblong, rectangular, circular, and oval. The edges of the protrusion may have rounded corners and/or angled walls to facilitate seating the protrusion properly and consistently in the recess on an automated, high-speed production line.

[0035] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the base cup 24 contains at least one base cup food item 64. The illustrated base cup food item 64 contains a first layer 66 and a second layer 68. In some embodiments, the first layer 66 may comprise a topping, i.e., a food item having a composition and/or organoleptic properties similar or identical to a conventional topping for a cheesecake or other dessert item. By way of example, the topping may comprise a flowable, spoonable, fruit-based or berry-based topping comprising, e.g., one or more of lemon, lime, pineapple, strawberry, blueberry, cherry or other components or flavors, with or without sugar, sugar alcohols, and/or other sweeteners; a topping containing chocolate; a topping containing caramel; a topping containing inclusions; a nut-based topping; or a combination of one or more types of topping.

[0036] In some embodiments, the second layer 68 may comprise a flowable, spoonable comestible comprising aerated or whipped cream cheese, a cheesecake filling, and/or other suitable components.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the overcap 70 has a top wall 72 defining an upwardly-opening recess 74 shaped and sized to completely surround and receive the protrusion 46 of a base cup 24 in locking engagement in a snug fit to facilitate stable stacking. The overcap 70 further includes peripheral front 76, rear 78 and side walls 80 extending downward about the periphery of the top wall 72, and a flexible overcap closure 82 peelably sealed to the overcap 70, wherein the overcap 70 and the overcap closure 82 define an enclosed overcap interior 84. The overcap may have an interior volume capacity of, e.g., 1 to 4 fl. oz., 2 to 3 fl. oz., 2.2 to 2.4 fl. oz., about 2.3 fl. oz., or another suitable volume capacity.

[0038] In some embodiments, the peripheral wall 86 of the overcap 70 has a tapered and stepped configuration comprising an upper portion 88 that extends steeply downward and slightly outward, a stacking shoulder 90 to facilitate separation of nested overcaps, a flange 92 that extends outward to provide a sealing surface 94 for an overcap closure 82, a depending wall 96 extending downward and inward about the periphery of the flange 92, and a lip 98 extending outward about the bottom of the depending wall 96. In some embodiments, a lip may not be present depending on how closely the overcap can be trimmed following thermoforming.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, an overcap food item 100 is disposed within the overcap interior 84. The illustrated overcap food item 100 comprises a plurality of discrete, non-liquid pieces that occupy less than half of the interior volume of the overcap 70, e.g., cheesecake crust pieces. In some embodiments, the overcap food item will be in a substantially single layer. In some embodiments, the overcap 70 is at least partially transparent or translucent, and the overcap food item 100 is at least partially visible therethrough.

[0040] In some embodiments, the base cup food item 64 comprises a first layer 66 comprising a topping component, and a second layer 68 comprising a cheesecake filling component, and the overcap food product 100 comprises a disassembled cheesecake crust, or a plurality of cheesecake crust pieces, such that the packaged food product 20 can be assembled into an upside-down cheesecake food item by removing the cheesecake crust pieces 100 from the overcap 70, and placing them on the base cup food item 64. In one approach, the base cup 24 has sufficient volume to fully contain the base cup food item 64 and the overcap food product 100 when the overcap food product is added to the base cup. In other embodiments, the overcap food product 100 may reside partially outside the volume of the base cup 24 when added to the base cup. In some embodiments, the volume of headspace in the base cup 24 is equal to or greater than the volume of overcap food item 100.

[0041] As illustrated in Fig. 8, the assembly 22 comprises a first packaged food product 104, a second packaged food product 106 stacked thereon, and an outer sleeve 108 that prevents destacking, without covering the bottom 110 of the first packaged food product 104 or the top 112 of the second packaged food product 106. In some embodiments, the vertical dimension of the assembly 22 is less than 4.25 in., e.g., between 3.25 and 4.25 in., between 4.0 and 4.25 in., 4.15 and 4.25 in., or about 4.2 in., such that two of the assemblies of claim may be stacked, with the bottom of the upper assembly in locking engagement with the top of the lower assembly, without exceeding an 8.5 in. shelf space height limit. A line extending from one of the front 58 and rear edges 60 of the first packaged food product 104 to the center of mass 114 of the assembly 22 would intersect the flat bottom 48 of the protrusion 46 at an angle W. In some embodiments, W may be less than 80°, less than 75°, less than 70°, less than 65°, less than 60°, less than 55°, less than 50°, less than 45°, between 50° and 70°, or about 60°.

[0042] As mentioned above, in some cases, the assembly 22 may be stacked on another identical assembly 22 on a store shelf. Where this type of use is contemplated, to provide stability for a stack of two assemblies 22 comprising a total of four of the packaged food products 20 arranged in a vertical column, each of the products 20 is provided with sufficient strength and rigidity to support three products 20 stacked thereon. Fig. 8 illustrates a point 115 representing the center of mass of a stack of two assemblies, including the illustrated assembly 22 and a second assembly (not shown) stacked thereon. To provide stability for two stacked assemblies having a center of mass at 115, the protrusion width and height are such that a line extending from one of the front and rear edges of the protrusion up to the center of mass 115 intersects the flat bottom 48 of the protrusion 46 at an angle f which, in various embodiments, may be less than 85°, less than 80°, less than 75°, less than 70°, less than 65°, or less than 60°.

[0043] In one approach, the method of making an assembly of packaged food products may include providing a base cup with a downwardly-protruding protrusion and an overcap with a central recess shaped and sized to completely surround and receive the protrusion of a base cup to facilitate stable stacking. The method may further include providing an inverted overcap and pre-filling the interior of the inverted overcap with solid crust pieces to less than half a depth of the inverted overcap, to avoid the solid, crust pieces bouncing out or otherwise spilling during pre-filling. In some approaches, the solid crust pieces may be volumetrically pre-filled with a cone, filling spout, or other apparatus that restricts or prevents pieces from exiting the interior of the overcap.

[0044] After the overcap is pre-filled with solid crust pieces, an overcap closure may be coupled to an open portion of the inverted cap.

[0045] The method may include filling an interior portion of the base cup with a continuous phase, spoonable cheesecake-filling component. In some embodiments, the cheesecake-filling component may level out after filling. In other embodiments, the cheesecake-filling component may not level out after filling but leave a slight peak in the layer.

[0046] In some embodiments, the base cup may be pre-filled with another component such as a topping component, (i.e., a food item having a composition and/or organoleptic properties similar or identical to a topping for a cheesecake or other dessert item) so that the topping occupies a bottom portion of the base cup, and the cheesecake filling component is layered above the topping. The filling and topping may be filled at any suitable temperature, e.g., cold-filled or hot-filled. A flexible lid may then be coupled to an open portion of the base cup. In some embodiments, a peak on the cheesecake-filling layer, may contact the flexible lid and may help keep the flexible lid in place prior to sealing. The closed overcap may then be coupled to the lidded base cup to form a packaged food product. In some embodiments, the closed overcap and the lidded base may be coupled by a snap fit.

[0047] In some embodiments, the overcap food item has a different moisture content or water activity from the base cup item such that if the overcap food item and the base cup food item were to be in contact for a significant amount of time prior to consuming the food, moisture would migrate from the cheesecake-filling component and the topping component in the base cup to the low moisture content solid, crust pieces in the overcap. To help prevent water migration and subsequent sogginess of the overcap food item, each of the base and the overcap may be individually sealed prior to being coupled together.

[0048] In some embodiments, the overcap closure 82 and the flexible lid 44 may be made of the same material. In other embodiments, the overcap closure and the flexible lid may be made from different materials including, but not limited to, polymeric materials, ethylene vinyl alcohol resin, foil, other moisture barriers, other oxygen barriers, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, each of the overcap closure and/or the flexible lid may have a tab to allow a consumer to easily tear away the overcap closure and/or the flexible lid from the overcap and/or the base, respectively. In one approach, the overcap closure and/or the flexible lid may have a sealant layer, and be heat-sealed to the corresponding overcap or base.

[0049] In one approach, a first packaged food product may be transported along an assembly line, such as an automated, high-speed production line, to form a multiple-food product assembly. A first packaged food product may be inserted into an opening of an opened outer sleeve. The sleeve opening receives a lower portion of a base cup in a close fit so that the base cup is gripped by the opening, and constrained against downward movement beyond a certain depth. A second packaged food product may be stacked on the first packaged food product, prior to, simultaneously with, or after insertion of the lower portion of the first base cup into the sleeve opening, with the protrusion of the second packaged food product fitting snugly into the central recess on top of the of the first packaged food product to form a locked stack. The fit of protrusion and the recess may be tight enough as to help ensure that the second packaged food product does not inadvertently destack from the first packaged food product. The sleeve is then wrapped over the top of the two-product stack, with an upper portion of the upper product protruding through a second opening in the sleeve so that the recess in the top of the upper product is exposed, and ends of the sleeve are brought together in an overlap and joined to maintain the sleeve in a closed configuration. The speed of the production line may be, e.g., 10 to 400 units per minute, 100 to 120 units per minute, or another rate.

[0050] Additional embodiments are contemplated beyond those described above and shown in the drawings. For example, the outer sleeve may entirely or partially cover the bottom wall of the base cup and/or the central recess of the second packaged food product. Also, although not shown in the accompanying drawings, conveyors and other supports for the packaged food products may have recesses or channels to accommodate the bottom protrusion. In addition, variations on the shape, size and capacity of the packaged food products and the sleeve as described herein are contemplated.