GB2301810A

GB2301810A - A container for infants food

Info

Publication number: GB2301810A
Application number: GB9511542A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kathryn Julie Bryant
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-06-07
Filing date: 1995-06-07
Publication date: 1996-12-18
Also published as: GB9511542D0

Abstract

A food product comprising a container (1) containing fresh food for consumption by a baby or young child, the container (1) being sealed. There is also disclosed a food product comprising a container (20) which defines a plurality of receptacles (21). Each receptacle (21) contains a respective dish of fresh food for consumption by a baby or young child, each receptacle (21) being sealed.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A FOOD PRODUCT" THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a food product and more particularly, relates to a food product intended for consumption by babies and young children.

Babies, when they have been weaned and young children, tend to eat a specific type of solid food, which, typically, has been purled or macerated.

Whilst parents, in many cases, pure a portion of food that has been prepared for family consumption, this is sometimes impossible and/or inconvenient.

A range of foodstuffs have been developed for this particular market, but such foodstuffs, as commercially available, are preserved either by canning or bottling or by freezing. It is known that preserved foodstuffs are not as nutritious as fresh foodstuffs.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved food product.

According to this invention there is provided a food product, the food product comprising a container, the container containing fresh food for consumption by a baby or young child, the receptacle being sealed.

The food may preferably be in a pureed or macerated form.

The container may comprise a tub which is sealed with a foil such as a foil of aluminium or plastics material.

Preferably the tub is provided with a cover, which may be a transparent cover. The cover may be sealingly connected to the container by means of a tamper-evident seal which may incorporate a tab adapted to be pulled in order to release the seal.

The food product may incorporate a spoon which may be provided within a sealed sachet, the spoon being trapped between the cover and the receptacle. The spoon may be sterilised.

The food product may incorporate a bib or serviette, sealed within a sachet, which may be trapped between the cover and the receptacle.

The receptacle may be provided with temperature responsive means to indicate the temperature of the food.

The temperature responsive means may comprise a liquid crystal element on the exterior of the receptacle.

The container may comprise a combination of a plurality of receptacles, the receptacles containing different respective dishes.

The invention also relates to a food product comprising a container defining a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle containing a respective dish of fresh food for consumption by a baby or young child, each receptacle being sealed.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a food product in accordance with the invention, FIGURE 2 is a partially exploded view of the embodiment of Figure 1, FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a food product in accordance with the invention, and FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the embodiment of Figure 3.

The present invention seeks to provide a food product suitable for use by a baby or young child. In a simple embodiment the food product comprises a sealed container which contains fresh food in a form suitable for consumption by a baby or young child. The food may thus be purled or macerated, so that the food does not contain any substantially large food particles. The food is fresh in that the food has not been preserved by canning, bottling or freezing, and the food product is contained within a sealed container so that, at the point of sale, it can be seen that the food has not been tampered with and also to assist in ensuring that the food is itself only subject to hygienic conditions between manufacture and the point of use. It is envisaged that a product of this nature would be available, at the point of sale, in a so-called "chiller cabinet".

Turning now to Figure 1 and Figure 2, a food product in accordance with the invention comprises a hollow receptacle or tub 1 formed of an appropriate plastics material. The tub 1 is generally circular when viewed in plan. The tub 1 is provided with a cover 2 which may be formed of a transparent plastics material. The cover 2 comprises an upper portion 3 which overlies the tub and a depending side wall 4. The depending side wall 4 carries a tamper-evident seal 5 which secures the cover 2 to the tub 1. The tamper-evident seal 5, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a tab 6 projecting from the lower edge of the depending wall 4 of the cover 2. The tab 6 is connected to a portion of the cover that initially engages a projecting flange (to be described with reference to Figure 2) present on the tub 1 to secure the lid 2 to the tub 1.In order to release the lid from the tub 1, the tab 6 is grasped and is pulled, thus tearing away the lower part of the depending wall 4 around the entire circumference of the tub 1. This permits the lid 2 to be removed from the tub 1.

Referring now to Figure 2, the cover 2 is shown separated from the tub 1, but the tamper-evident seal 15 is illustrated in its initial condition.

The tub 1, as can be seen more clearly in Figure 2 has, at the upper part of the side wall 7 a radially outwardly extending flange 8. This is the flange that is engaged by the tamper-evident seal of the cover 2.

Extending across the upper surface of the flange 8, totally sealing the tub 1, is a sheet 9 of foil which may be an aluminium foil or a transparent plastic foil.

When the cover 2 is initially secured to the tub 1 trapped between the cover 2 and the tub 1 is a sealed sachet 10 containing a plastic spoon 11, which may be sterilised by exposure to radiation or intense light of an appropriate wavelength, and a further sealed sachet 12 containing a bib or serviette 13. Printed on the sachet 12 or on a separate piece of paper located above the sachet 12 may be instructions to heat the product as in a microwave oven, for example. Alternatively, such instructions may be printed on the base or on the side wall of the tub 1.

The exterior of the tub 1 may be provieed with a temeprature rspoinsive element such as a peripheral band 14 of liquid crystal material.

Contained within the tub 1 is a portion of fresh food for consumption by a baby or young child, the food being in the purled or macerated state. The food may, for example, comprise a meat dish, such as lamb hotpot or chicken and rice, or may alternatively comprise a fish dish such as salmon mouse or cod mornay, which is made of cod, potato and cheese. Alternatively, the tub 1 may contain a vegetable dish, such as mixed carrot, broccoli and potato, mixed spinach, carrot and couscous; or celery, apple and potato. The tub 1 may, alternatively, contain a "fruit" dish such as strawberries, honey and custard or mangoes and apple. Alternatively again the tub 1 may contain a "sweet" dish such as chocolate pudding or lemon whip.

It is envisaged that the food product, as illustrated and described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 may be offered at a point of sale in a chiller cabinet.

A person purchasing the food may use the food immediately, if it does not require heating, to feed a child or infant, or, if the food does require heating, the food product may be taken to the purchaser's home for heating appropriately, for example in a microwave oven. When the food within the tub 1 is at an appropriate temperature for consumption by a baby or young child, the band 14 of liquid crystal will be at a predetermined colour, the liquid crystal material being different colours if the food is too hot or too cold.

When the food is to be eaten, the foil 9 is broken, and the food can be eaten from the tub, or can be turned out onto a plate or into a bowl.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of Figure 1 comprises a single food product, that is to say a single dish. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention where a single item to be purchased may contain a plurality of dishes, that is to say up to four different dishes, Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the illustrated food product comprises a container 20 which consists of a plastics moulding defining four individual receptacles or "tubs" 21. Each "tub" 21 (as can be seen most clearly from Figure 4) has an upstanding side wall 22 which terminates, at its upper end, in an outwardly directed flange 23. The flanges for the four tubs 21 form a common web. However, at points between the tubs, the web is provided with a line of mechanical weakness 24 enabling the tubs easily to be torn apart and separated.A sheet of foil 25, for example, an aluminium foil or a transparent plastics material foil is secured to the flanges 23 thus sealing the individual tubs.

A cover 26 is provided which may be transparent, the cover 26 having a substantially rectangular upper wall 27 adapted to overlie the four tubs 21 and a depending side wall 28 provided with a tamper-evident seal 29. The tamper-evident seal 29 comprises a manually graspable tab 30 which is connected to the lower portion of the depending side wall 28. The lower portion of the depending side wall 28 is, when the product is initially sold, in engagement with the outer periphery of the flange 23, thus securing the cover 26 to the container 20 which defines the four tubs 21. By grasping the tab 30 and tearing away the lower part of the depending side wall 21, the cover 26 may be separated from the container 20.

When the product is sold, there may be provided, trapped between the container 20 and the cover 26, four sachets, such as the sachet 31 containing sterilised plastic spoons, such as the spoon 32, and also four sachets such as the sachet 33, containing bibs or aprons, such as the bib or apron 34. A sheet of paper may be provided visible through the cover 26, carrying instructions as to how each individual "tub" may be heated, for example, in a microwave oven, although such instructions may be printed on the side or base of each tub. Each tub 1 may be provided with a band of liquid crystal temperature responsive material as described above.

It is envisaged that a food product such as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 would contain four different dishes, one dish being contained within each of the four "tubs" 21.

It is to be appreciated that whilst the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 shows four tubs 21, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, two tubs would be provided containing, for example, a "main" dish and a "fruit" or "sweet" dish.

It is believed that the present invention will provide substantial advantages as compared with food products for babies or young children as presently available. The food contained within the tub or tubs would, as has been explained, be fresh food, that is to say food that has not been preserved by freezing, bottling or canning. It is believed that such food will provide more nutrition for a baby or child eating the food. Since the food will be freshly prepared and stored in a chiller cabinet, the food would be provided in a substantially sterile form, suitable for re-heating and consumption by a baby. However, it is to be understood that the person purchasing the product may choose themselves to freeze the product and store it until it is needed in a domestic freezer.

Whilst various typical "dishes" have been identified above as being suitable for use in a food product in accordance with the invention, the food product of the invention is not restricted to such dishes, but may utilise many other dishes including, where appropriate, ethnic speciality dishes. Since the product, as described, is provided with a cover with a tamper-proof seal, customers will be confident, in buying the product, that the food contained within the product has not been tampered with in any way. In any event, as has been described above, each individual tub containing food is sealed with a seal made of aluminium foil or plastic foil. Thus again, further evidence is provided for the consumer that the contents of each tub have not been contaminated or tampered with in any way.

The foil would, of course, be removed from the tub after heating (if heating is necessary) and the food may be consumed directly from the tub, if so desired, or the food may be transferred to a plate or bowl for consumption.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A food product, the food product comprising a container, the container containing fresh food for consumption by a baby or young child, the receptacle being sealed.

2. A food product according to Claim 1 wherein the food is in a pureed or macerated form.

3. A food product according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the container comprises a tub, the tub being sealed with a foil.

4. A food product according to Claim 3 wherein the tub is sealed with a foil of aluminium.

5. A food product according to Claim 3 wherein the tub is sealed with a foil of plastics material.

6. A food product according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the tub is provided with a cover.

7. A food product according to Claim 6 wherein the cover is a transparent cover.

8. A food product according to Claim 6 or 7 wherein the cover is sealingly connected to the container by means of a tamper-evident seal.

9. A food product according to Claim 8 wherein the tamper-evident seal incorporates a tab adapted to be pulled in order to release the seal.

10. A food product according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the food product incorporates a spoon.

11. A food product according to Claim 10 wherein the spoon is provided within a sealed sachet.

12. A food product according to Claim 10 or 11 wherein the spoon is trapped between the cover and the receptacle.

13. A food product according to any one of Claims 1 to 12 wherein the food product incorporates a bib or serviette.

14. A food product according to Claim 13 wherein the bib or serviette is sealed within a sachet.

15. A food product according to Claim 12 or 13 wherein the bib or serviette is initially trapped between the cover and the receptacle.

16. A food product according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the receptacle is provided with temperature responsive means to indicate the temperature of the food.

17. A food product according to Claim 16 wherein the temperature responsive means comprise a liquid crystal element on the exterior of the receptacle.

18. A food product according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the container comprises a combination of a plurality of receptacles, the receptacles containing different respective dishes.

19. A food product comprising a container defining a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle containing a respective dish of fresh food for consumption by a baby or young child, each receptacle being sealed.

20. A food product substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A food product substantially as herein described, with reference to and as shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

22. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.