The invention concerns packages for the retail sale of foods and beverages which more and more frequently comprise additives and supplements aimed at making the basic product more attractive to secure the favour of consumers.

For each bas£. product,. such as-milk,-mir-er-al--waterM3asta, rice-and-a- wide variety of others, a similar variety of supplements is offered to diversify flavour and colouring.

This means that each basic product is accompanied by numerous others whose only difference may consist in associating to the basic product during manufacture additives to vary flavour, chopped fruit, energisers, colouring matter and many other substances besides.

Each variety of a single product clearly requires a product code, separate storage, and sufficient shelf space for all the varieties of the basic product.

This situation presents considerable drawbacks as costs are heavily increased compared with those for sale of the basic product alone, both because of the extra work entailed in classifying, storing, checking and presenting the extras but also because failure of a single one to please customers may result in considerable losses to manufacturers and shopkeepers.

To reduce these risks only a small variety reaches the market, limited to classic flavours even though manufactures of flavouring and colouring material could produce enormous quantities of each variant of a basic product.

The smaller producers who cannot face such risks are therefore penalised and this results in a limitation of the flavours and aromas available to consumers.

For example, the niche products, for which there is less-demand even though they may be essential to health, such as decaffeinated tea or coffee or soya based products, are not offered in any great variety in order to avoid the related high risks.

The above disclosure overcomes these problems offering as it does considerable advantages to manufacturers, shopkeepers and consumers, as will now be explained.

Subject of the disclosure is a system of retail selling of foods and thirst- quenching drinks, provisions in general.

The_food__items_present-packaging-compri-sing--a-quantity ---of--bas-ic- products associated to an assortment of individually-portioned means for conferring flavours and aromas and for increasing attractiveness in a general sense.

Such food items can be offered at ambient temperature or frozen.

Advantageously each single portion is provided in a packet.

Packaging comprises a first space allocated to basic products and a second space allocated to the means for improving their attractiveness.

The first and second spaces can be created by compartments in a single container, or there can be a first and a second container, one for each space.

The first container can be used for selling the basic product.

The second container can contain boxes, one for each set of single- portion packets of the same type of means for improving

attractiveness, or can comprise compartments to house each set of the same type as before.

The user gains access to the contents of compartments by detaching the front secton along a previously prepared tear-off area.

The outside of each compartment is coloured to indicate the type of appetising means contained.

The external walls of boxes, compartments and packets are reinforced to prevent deterioration of the contents over time. This protection is multi-layer and consists of an inner sheet of plastic material, a middle sheet of metal and an outer one of paper.

The lateral walls of containers can be flat to facilitate association.

Containers of the basic product and of the means for improving them are held together by glueing or by heat-retractable plastic, or again by packaging to contain both together.

The basic product can be sold ready for consumption or ready for cooking.

The quantit_of basic p oduct can covevsevecalwor-tior-s--or-car-l-be-- already singly portioned out.

If the basic product is in a dry form, the portions will be packaged in packets; if fluid, in hermetically sealed disposable containers.

The main basic products are milk, mineral water, yoghourt, tea, cream, custards, pasta, rice, polenta, soya, beverages, deep frozen foods such as fish, meat, potatoes, vegetables, other raw or precooked frozen foods.

The means for improving attractiveness of basic products may be additives or supplements.

The additives are associated to specific colouring.

The additives are advantageously associated to a sweetener to facilitate mixing them into the basic fluid product.

The additives are preferably encapsulated.

Additives are encapsulated by covering their particles with a protective soluble shell of carbohydrates, gelatine and vegetable gums or pig

gelatine, or that of other animals, or can be obtained by means of liposomes of lecithin of soya.

The chief flavouring additives are aniseed, mint, barley, herbs, lemon, orange, peach, bergamot, strawberry, mixed fruits, cocoa, milk, coffe, tea, vanilla, acquavite, brandy, whisky, fernet, bitters.

The supplements may be flavourings, energisers, diet products, or else ginseng, chopped fruit, chopped chocolate and many others.

Appetising means may be condiments especially sauces, ingredients for vegetable or other soups, and for custards.

The components for condiments, sauces, soups, custards may be dried and lyophilised or deep frozen.

The invention offers evident advantages.

The user can choose from among an extremely wide variety of aromas, appetising means in general, without creating problems of display space for shopkeepers or too heavy an outlay for some variety that does not prove popular with customers using the basic product which can thus remain in its natural state and its cost be recovered.

Aromas, sauces and the like to increase attractiveness, if considered unsuitable for one basic product can be used for others.

A natural basic product can be taken out and used just as it is without altering the flavour or aroma..

Varities can even be offered of those such as decafeinated coffee or tea, and soya, for which there is less demand.

Instead of having to choose from among basic products whose flavour and aroma cannot be altered, or others that have been unpleasingly flavoured, the consumer has access to an assortment of basic products that can be flavoured as desired by adding packets of aromas and flavours of any other basic product purchased.

Singles living alone will now be able to add their favaourite condiments to any product from the basic food range, especially from the precooked frozen foods available.

The above invention in no way obliges consumers to choose from among already modified basic products; rather, in choosing a preferred aroma or flavour, can they now improve the basic products they buy.

To sum up these benefits: the invention offers a new selling mode able to offer important economic advantages and great satisfaction to both producers and consumers.

Producers of aromas and flavourings since it enables them to offer a much wider variety; to small firms because they can offer the same range as a large supermarket.

Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made still clearer from the following examples of its execution illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures.

Fig. 1 Container with two compartments, one for porous tea bags and the other for small boxes of packets containing a variety of additives, perspective.

_g. 2 Small boxopen, perspectivo Fig. 3 Packet of additive, perspective.

Fig. 4 Cup of hot water and tea bag when additive and sweetener are being added, perspective.

Fig. 5 Box formed by association of two containers, respectively one with tea bags and the other with smaller boxes of packets containing a variety of additives, perspective.

Fig. 6 Container for four tubs of yoghourt, perspective.

Fig. 7 Container with four compatments for additives and supple- ments, perspective.

Fig. 8 Tub of yoghourt while additive is being added, perspective.

Fig. 9 The containers in Figures 6 and 7, glued together.

Fig. 10 Commercially packed milk cartons with box and compartments for additives and supplements, perspective.

Fig. 11 As above, with one compartment opened, perspective.

Fig. 12 Packet of additive and sweetener being put into a cup of milk, perspective.

Fig. 13 Bottle of mineral water with glued-on container for packets of additives and supplements, perspective.

Fig. 14 Commercially packed spagheti associated to a box of packets containing a variety of sauces, perspective.

Fig. 15 Packet of"four cheeses"sauce, perspective.

Fig. 16 Commercially packed rice associated to a box with compart- ments containing packets of a variety of sauces, perspective.

Fig. 17 Pan for cooking a portion of the rice in Figure 16 to which a packet of"four cheeses"sause is being added, perspective.

Figure 1 presents a pack 10 consisting of a container 11 with compartment 12 and compartment 13 of similar sizes.

Compartment 12 contains twenty porous-sided bags 20, of the basic product tea 14, compartment 13 containing four boxes 21-24 each of which holds sets 40-43 of five single-portion packets containing sugar ind encapsulated additi-v-esHheseReir-Ig respectiwly-ftavouretwith peach 34, bergamot 35, vanilla 36, strawberry 37.

Each box 21-24 is made with internal sheets 30 (Figure 2) of polyethylene, external sheets 32 and intermediate sheet 31 of aluminium to ensure that the additives contained are well protected and will maintain their properties over time.

The box 21 in Figure 2 has been opened by detaching the lid 27 at the prepared tear-off line 28 and pulling on the tongue 26 to expose the packets 40.

Figure 3 shows one packet 40 in the box 21 with welded areas 44,45.

Figure 4 presents a cup 50 of hot water 51 with a bag 20 of basic product tea 14, the packet 40 being shown open while its contents of sweetener and peach additive 34 are being poured in.

Figure 5 shows a pack 60, subtantially the same as pack 10, except that its two containers 61 and 62 are associated by glue 63.

Figure 6 illustrates an open container 70 to hold four plastic tubs 73-76 of single portions of yoghourt 79.

Each tub, made from a sheet of polyethylene, presents a rim 77 onto which the lid 78 is glued.

Figure 7 illustrates a pack 80 of four compartments 81-84 with lid 85 to be torn off at the prepared line 87, by means of the tongue 86.

Each compartment holds two packets 90, 91, coffee flavoured 92, vanilla flavoured 93, and two packets of supplement respectively of chopped chocolate 94 and chopped fruit 95.

Each compartment is made of material able to provide adequate protection and preserve the contents over time.

Figure 8 presents one 73 of the tubs of yoghourt 79 when the contents (sugar and coffee additive 92) of a packet 90 taken from the compartment 81 is being poured into the tub from which the lid 78 has been removed.

In Figure 9 the two containers 70,80 are associated by glue.

Alternatively the containers can be associat@Xy a-sheet-oFplasticnr- even be made of a single sheet of card.

Figure 10 shows a pack 100 comprising a parallelepiped container 101 of milk 103, substantially like a commercial pack, associated to the container 102 with its three compartments 105-107.

These compartments have a lid 110 to be pulled open by the tongues 111 along a prepared tear-off line 112.

The material used to make the container 102 assures a hermetic seal to each compartment 105-107 for long-term keeping of the additives and supplements in packets stored therein.

Figure 11 presents a container 101 and open compartment 105 showing the packet 116.

Figure 12 shows an opened packet 115, taken from compartment 105, being poured into milk 122 from the container 101 into the cup 121, the packet containing sweetener associated to an encapsulated strawberry-flavoured capsule.

The other compartments 106, 107 hold packets of sweetener associated to other additives and possibly to energisers.

Figure 13 shows a bottle 130 of mineral water 132 of a squared cross section, there being glued onto one face a container 131, substantially the same as container 102 already shown in Figure 10, with compartments 135-137 each of which contains packets of additives or supplements.

Compartment 136 is seen open and shows the packets 138 of a ginseng supplement 139.

On purchasing the described bottle, the consumer can add whatever flavour or supplement is preferred, choosing from among those contained in the compartments of the container 131.

Figure 14 shows a box 140 substantially similar to commercial packages of spaghetti 141.

The container 150, comprising compartments 151-154, is associat-ed to one side of the box. These hold packets like 160 and 161, visible in CQmpartmettts)-52-and) 54rOpeHed-t3y-pu)) tt') g-on-the"tongQes'155-1'58" in prepared tear-off areas 159.

Each packet is filled with ingredients to make the condiments considered suitable for spaghetti.

For example, packet 160 of adequate size, taken from compartment 152 and shown separately in Figure 15, contains the dehydrated ingredients 166 for making a"carbonara"sauce for some of the spaghetti 141 contained in the box 140.

The sauce comprises malt dextrine, salt, dried bacon, melted and powdered cheese, egg yolk, starch, aromas, lactose..

The packets contained in the other compartments 151,153, 154 respectively contain dehydrated ingredients 165, 167,168 for preparing portions of spaghetti respectively dressed with"pesto", "Mediterranean"and"carretiera"sauces.

Ingredients for makng spaghetti with"pesto"sauce comprise powdered Parmesan cheese, walnuts, basil, wheat flour, potato flour, parsely, pine-seeds, garlic.

Ingredients for making spaghetti with"Mediterranean"sauce 167 comprise salt, tomato, capers, garlic, aromas, lactose, basil, onion, cheese, olive oil.

Ingredients for making spaghetti with"carrettiera"sauce 168 comprise tomato, leek, rice flour, ham, onion, cheese, garlic, salt, cream, aromas, white wine, pepper, saffron.

With the package described containing, for example, about 500 g of spaghetti, servings can therefore be prepared dressed respectively with"pesto","Mediterranean","carrettiera"and"carbonara"sauce s.

It is widely known that to make portions of spaghetti with the desired sauce, all that has to be done is cook the spaghetti for a few minutes and then add the sauce.

Figure 16 shows a box 170 of rice 172 completed with a container 171 sub_tantialsinilar-to--te-eortirer--50-ir-Figare-14 tolding he spaghetti.

The three compartments 175-177 comprise dehydrated ingredients for sauces to go with portions of rice in the box 170, choosing from among the kinds in the three comparments.

The open compartment 176 shows the packets 180,181 of dehy- drated ingredients for the"four cheeses"sauce 185, comprising four sorts of cheese, salt, onion, sugar, sodium glutammate, aromas.

Figure 17 shows the pan 190 with water 191 boiling in it.

The ingredients for sauce 185 in the packet 180 can be poured in and cooked to obtain a"four cheeses"risotto.