WO1995034482A1

WO1995034482A1 - Environment-friendly packaging material prepared from a dough by baking, particularly for packaging fatty or oily foods

Info

Publication number: WO1995034482A1
Application number: PCT/HU1994/000019
Authority: WO
Inventors: József BORBÉLY; József BERTA; Gábor HOFFMANN
Original assignee: Borbely Jozsef; Berta Jozsef; Hoffmann Gabor
Priority date: 1994-06-14
Filing date: 1994-06-14
Publication date: 1995-12-21

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging material baked from a dough containing cereal grist, water and additives. The packaging material of the invention is baked to the desired shape in a baking device under a closing pressure of at least 6 bar at a temperature between 180 °C and 190 °C. Preferably, the dough contains 60 to 88 % by weight of cereal meal, 0.3 to 1.2 % by weight of fats, optionally up to 1.50 % by weight of cereal starch, 0.4 to 1.5 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.3 to 1.2 % by weight of yolk, 0.5 to 1.2 % by weight of milk powder and optionally up to 20 % by weight of ground cereal grist and water in an amount supplementing said ingredients up to 100 %, but at least 10.1 % by weight of water, with the proviso that the dough contains at least one of cereal starch and ground cereal grist ingredients; and said dough is baked under a closing pressure of at least 6 bar at a temperature between 180 °C and 190 °C by using a two-compartment baking device. The advantage of the packaging material according to the invention consists therein that it provides a packaging material, which can be prepared in a way not damaging the environment, is not environment-damaging as a waste, is particularly suitable for packaging foods, especially oily or fatty foods in a cold or hot state, and tolerates freezing and warming, too.

Description

ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY PACKAGING MATERIAL PREPARED FROM A DOUGH BY BAKING, PARTICULARLY FOR PACKAGING FATTY OR OILY

FOODS

The invention relates to an environment-friendly packaging material resistant to fats and oils.

More particularly, the subject of the invention is a packaging material, more specifically a casing prepared from a dough-like row material, which consists of cereal grist, water and additives and is baked by shaping. This casing can be used as packaging material due to its form- -retentive properties; and is especially useful in general for packaging foods, including fatty and oily foods due to its resistance to fats, including hot fats and due to its components of food-industrial quality.

Due to their environment-damaging effect occurring during the production and due to problems of placing the spent packaging material appearing as a waste, the various packaging materials, peculiarly plastics, significantly injure the environment. Much efforts were made to eliminate these harmful effects, e.g. to prepare degradable plastics (however, the waste materials of their preparation continue to load the environment whereas their decomposition frequently requires a long period) , as well as to utilize natural materials. From the natural packaging materials the water- and textile-based ones seem to be the most acceptable, however, due to teir physical characteristics, these can restrictedly or not at all be used for packaging certain products: e.g. they cannot be employed without using a special coting or an uneconomically thick layer of the material for the storage of fatty or oily and in addition, in several cases hot products.

The packaging of such, i.e. fatty, oily and in several cases hot foods in environment-friendly materials means a problem unsolved till now, despite of the fact that several environment-friendly casings are already known. The need for such casings is continuously growing because as the quick meals are spreading the amount of the environment-damaging, discardable packaging materials is continuously increasing.

In the European patent specification No. 0,293,552 a hollow product of baking industry, a "cake-bag" is disclosed, which is used for human consumption, has a consistency appropriate for consumption and is prepared from a dough similar to the pie commonly known in the Arabian cookery. This product is optionally fitted with an openable cover, has a box-like shape, is stored either in empty or in filled form and is offered for consumption, if desired, after warming up or optionally after subsequent filling.

The product and process described in the European patent specification No. 0,162,644 relates to a filled food composition having a bread-like outer casing; the casing is prepared from a yeast-containing or other dough and optionally, an edible layer is applied between the outer cake casing and the filling, which inhibits that the water enters the casing from the filling. According to a special embodiment, a prebaked, hollow casing is used, which can be closed after filling. The product is commercialized in a foil package meeting the hygienic demands in order to make possible the consumption of the cake together with the filling. The preparation of a packaging material consisting of organic substances, possessing an optional shape suitable for receiving foods is described in the European patent specification No. 0,265,745. Te substances used are well degadable, e.g. they are putrefied in compost or can again be utilized as animal feed. The packaging material is a baked, form-retentive casing shaped from a dough prepared from cereal meal; it is commonly wafer¬ like in character but it may be like pan-cake, pie or branny cake (a cake prepared from a ground whole meal) . It is obvious from the above summary of the prior art that the known solutions, independently, from whether they concern a filled food, casing of the food or the packaging material used as casing of foods, fall in each case within the scope of products possessing the usual consistency of food, in spite of the fact that the con¬ sistency of the product may be very varying, it ranges from the soft dough to the rigid wafer. Consequently, the water- and fat-permeability and heat-insulating capacity of these products can be enhanced only by increasing their thickness and only to a limited degree.

Other known materials are wafers, the chief utilization of which is the drug formulation. Due to their layer thickness and material structure, wafers are useful for packaging only light materials containing no moisture (water, fat and the like) . Simultaneously, the quality and shaping of wafers are determined thereby that they themselves are also intended for consumption as food together with the material stored in them.

The object of the invention is to develop a packaging material being useful for packaging different substances, especially fatty and oily, optionally hot substances, mainly foods which packaging material meets the hygienic requirements set up to packaging materials of such character and is environment-friendly. It has been recognized that a dough prepared from raw materials used in the food-industry, namely from cereal grist, water and additives, to be discussed hereinafter, and baked in a shape under pressure, is a useful packaging material (preferably useful as a casing to place food, especially hot, fatty or oily food therein. After consumption of the food or emptying, the packaging material can be discarded because it decomposes in the nature, does not contain any unnatural substances, therefore it has no environment-damaging effect. Due to its ingredients, this waste, especially when occurring in particularly large amounts, can be fed also to animals.

However, the packaging material of the invention is not consumed as a human food. Though, due to its ingredients and the way of the preparation, its hygienic harmfulnes is incontestable, it is not really attractive for the consumer due to its organoleptic properties. Since it is used as an outer casing, its consumption cannot be allowed without an outer coating layer because of a hygienic point of view, consequently, only the storage and packaging functions are to be taken into consideration in the determination of composition, dimensions and shape of the product; the flavouring has no important role.

Although the packaging material according to the invention serves not only for the packaging of foods, it can also be used to package other products, which are suitably enclosed in a shaped, form-retentive casing, its most important application field is connected with the food industry and food supply: e.g. the quick meal supply, the refrigerating industry, packaging of early greens and fruits as well as the catering activity e.g. of air companies belong to the scope of its preferred utilizations. One of its particularly advantageous uses comprises the packaging of fatty, oily and in several cases hot foods for the purpose of quick meal.

The packaging material according to the invention is form-retentive and, differently from other cake-like casings, it is, to a certain degree, water-proof. It does not get drenched by water and does not lose its shape on effect of water during 35 to 40 minutes. A preferred characteristic of the packaging material according to the invention is furthermore that it tolerates an extreme temperature range; e.g. after freezing at -18 °C it can be warmed up in a microwave oven.

These properties provide a wide-ranging utilization of the packaging material according to the invention since, if desired, the packaged product can be frozen, chilled and/or warmed together with the packaging material; cold or hot material to be packaged may be placed into the shaped packaging material according to the invention and in addition, the packaging material of the invention is useful for packaging wet and/or fatty or oily materials, too. As mentioned above, the packaging material according to the invention is prepared from a dough consisting of cereal grist, water and additives by baking under pressure. The baking is carried out in a baking device under a closing pressure of at least 6 bar. Fats, consistency-improving materials, milk powder, sodium hydrogen carbonate and optionally cereal starch and/or cereal grits are used as additives.

The term "cereal grist" as used herein means a grist of a grain size between that of the meal and grits of various cereals, e.g. wheat, rye, maize or barley. Cereal meal may be used alone; in this case cereal starch, preferably maize starch or potato starch are employed as additives. According to an other embodiment, the mixture of cereal meal and cereal grits may be used in a ratio providing dough consistency after the addition of water and other additives. The selection of a suitable ratio belongs to the knowledge of one skilled in the art.

As "cereal grist" cereal meal, preferably wheat meal, more preferably wheat meal of type BL 55 (according to Hungarian Standard No. 6622), maize meal, rye meal, wheat grits and/or barly grits are used.

The term "fats" as used therein means edible fats and oils. Preferably hog-fat and/or vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, pumpkin seed oil and/or rapeseed oil are employed.

Useful consistency-improving materials are e.g. fresh or powdered yolk and soy-lecithin.

From the cereal starches the use of maize starch and potato starch is preferred. A preferable realization of the packaging material according to the invention is a cake baked to the desired shape, which comprises 60 to 88 % by weight of meal, preferably of wheat meal; 0.3 to 1.2 % by weight of fats, preferably hog-fat; optionally up to 1.5 % by weight of maize starch; 0.4 to 1.5 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate; 0.3 to 1.2 % by weight of a consistency-im¬ proving material, preferably yolk; 0.5 to 1.2 % by weight of milk powder and optionally up to 20 % by weight of ground wheat grits; and an amount of water supplementing the above ingredients up to 100 % by weight, but at least 10.1 % by weight of water, with the proviso that the cake contains at least one of the maize starch and ground wheat grits ingredients; and the above dough is baked at a temperature between 180 °C and 190 °C, as well as under a closing pressure of at least 6 bar when a two- compartment baking device is employed.

"Ground wheat grits" as used herein mean a what grist obtained by grinding wheat grits and possessing a fineness between that of wheat meal and wheat grits. The processing of the dough may be carried out in a manner commonly used in the food industry. The baking of the dough is performed at a temperature of 180 °C to 190 °C in a baking device of a shape corresponding to the intended use or in a usual oven by using the appropriate shape. This shape may be e.g. a two-compartment box, which has a rectangular, quadratic or round cross-section, e.g. for packaging freshly roasted wiener-wurst or hamburger. Baking is carried out under pressure with a closing pressure of at least 6 bar of the baking device. The packaging material can be stored up to the limits of its icrobial durability; its possible drying raises no problem because the packaging is not consumed as a food.

When shaped to a two-compartment box with the appropriate selection of scale ratios and shape, respectively, the packaging material of the invention may be used e.g. for packaging hamburger or roasted wiener- -wurst (hot dog) ; for the storage, delivery and freezing of strawberry or raspberry; freezing of precooked foods and, if desired, subsequently, warming up them in a microwave oven, and the like.

When shaped to a multi-compartment, optionally coverable tray, the packaging material may be adapted for the storage of a whole menu; it is useful e.g. for the placement, storage and serving up of foods on an air¬ plane.

The packaging material of the invention may be formed also to simple trays or glasses or to any other suitable form. Seedlings needing a gentle treatment, e.g. flower seedlings or other plants needing a careful delivery may be packaged in the suitably shaped packaging material of the invention.

Hereinafter, the invention will be illustrated in detail by the following non limiting Examples. Embodi¬ ments being analogous to or equivalent with the embodi¬ ments described and shown herein fall within the scope of the invention. Example 1 A dough is prepared in a known way from 86 % by weight of wheat meal, 0.85 % by weight of hog-fat, 0.7 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.65 % by weight of corn starch, 0.85 % by weight of milk powder, 0.85 % by weight of yolk (from hen's egg) and an amount of water supplementing these ingredients to 100 % by weight. The dough is baked in a device of box shape under a device pressure of 6 bar. A hot oily or fatty food, e.g. hamburger is packaged into the baked shape. The form of the device may be changed as desired. Example 2

Example 1 is followed by using 85 % by weight of meal, 0.8 % by weight of hog-fat, 0.6 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.7 % by weight of maize starch, 0.8 % by weight of milk powder, 0.8 % by weight of yolk and water.

Example 3

Example 1 is followed by using 82 % by weight of meal, 0.8 % by weight of hog-fat, 0.6 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.65 % by weight of maize starch, 0.8 % by weight of milk powder and 0.8 % by weight of yolk.

Example 4

Example 1 is followed by using 85.8 % by weight of meal, 0.5 % by weight of hog-fat, 1.05 % by weight of maize starch, 0.8 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.9 % by weight of milk powder, 0.8 % by weight of yolk and water.

Example 5

Example 1 is followed by using 85.8 % by weight of meal, 0.9 % by weight of hog-fat, 1.2 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.65 % by weight of maize starch, 0.8 % by weight of milk powder, 0.4 % by weight of yolk and water.

Example 6 Example 1 is followed by using the ingredients described in Example 1, except that 0.65 % by weight of ground wheat grits are used instead of 0.65 % by weight of maize starch. Example 7 Example 1 is followed by using 67 % by weight of meal, 19 % by weight of ground wheat grits, 0.8 % by weight of hog-fat, 0.6 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.75 % by weight of maize starch, 0.8 % by weight of powdered milk, 0.9 % by weight of yolk and water.

Example 8

Example 1 is followed, except that rapeseed oil is used instead of hog-fat.

As it can clearly be seen from those said above, the advantage of the invention consists therein that it provides a packaging material, which can be prepared in a way not damaging the environment, is not environment- damaging as a waste, is particularly suitable for packaging foods, especially oily or fatty foods in a cold or hot state, and tolerates the freezing and warming, too. Due to its ingredients and to the technology of its preparation, namely, due to the baking carried out in a shape under a pressure of at least 6 bar, this packaging material is compact and difficultly permeable to water and fats.

It is characteristic of the specific structure ob¬ tained by baking the dough prepared from the given in¬ gredients under a relatively high pressure that it is water resistant. If water is poured to a box prepared from the packaging material of the invention it does not infiltrate into it even after 35 to 40 minutes; moreover, no loosening or soaking effect caused by the water occurs on the inside of the product after the water was poured out. The product according to the invention is similarly resistant to fats and oils, too.

Claims

1. Packaging material baked from a dough consisting of cereal grist, water and additives, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d thereby that the dough is baked to the desired shape in a baking device under a closing pressure of at least 6 bar, at a temperature between 180 °C and 190 °C.

2. A packaging material according to claim 1, which c o m p r i s e s a dough containing cereal meal, milk powder, water, fats, consistency-improving material, sodium hydrogen carbonate and, in addition to the said ingredients cereal starch and/or cereal grits.

3. A packaging material according to claim 1, which c o m p r i s e s a dough containing cereal meal, milk powder, water, hog-fat and/or vegetable oil, yolk and/or lecithin, sodium hydrogen carbonate and cereal starch and/or cereal grits.

4. A packaging material according to claim 1, which c o m p r i s e s a dough containing wheat meal, water, hog-fat, yolk and/or lecithin, sodium hydrogen carbonate, milk powder, as well as maize starch and/or wheat grits.

5. A packaging material according to claim 1, which c o m p r i s e s a dough containing 60 to 88 % by weight of cereal meal, 0.3 to 1.2 % by weight of fats, optionally up to 1.50 % by weight of cereal starch, 0.4 to 1.5 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.3 to 1.2 % by weight of yolk, 0.5 to 1.2 % by weight of milk powder and optionally up to 20 % by weight of ground cereal grits and water in an amount supplementing said ingredients up to 100 %, but at least 10.1 % by weight of water, with the proviso that the dough contains at least one of cereal starch and ground cereal grits ingredients; and said dough is baked under a closing pressure of at least 6 bar at a temperature between 180 °C and 190 °C by using a two-compartment baking device.

6. A packaging material according to claim 1, which c o m p r i s e s a dough containing 60 to 80 % by weight of wheat meal, 0.3 to 1.2 % by weight of hog-fats, optionally up to 1.50 % by weight of maize starch, 0.4 to 1.5 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.3 to 1.2 % by weight of yolk, 0.5 to 1.2 % by weight of milk powder and optionally up to 20 % by weight of ground wheat grits and water in an amount supplementing said ingredients up to 100 %, but at least 10.1 % by weight of water, with the proviso that the dough contains at least one of maize starch and ground wheat grits ingredinets; and said dough is baked under a closing pressure of at least 6 bar at a temperature between 180 °C and 190 °C by using a two-compartment baking device.

7. A packaging material according to claim 6, which c o m p r i s e s a dough containing 85 to 86.25 % by weight of wheat meal, 0.8 to 0.9 % by weight of hog-fat, 0.6 to 0.8 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.65 % to 0.75 % by weight of maize starch, 0.8 to 0.9 % by weight of milk powder, 0.8 to 0.9 % by weight of yolk and 10.1 to 11.35 % by weight of water.

8. A packaging material according to claim 6, which c o m p r i s e s a dough containing 67 % by weight of wheat meal, 19 % by weight of ground wheat grits, 0.8 % by weight of hog-fat, 0.6 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.75 % by weight of maize starch, 0.8 % by weight of milk powder, 0.9 % by weight of yolk, and 10.15 % by weight of water.

9. A packaging material according to claim 6, which c o m p r i s e s a dough containing 86 % by weight of meal, 0.85 % by weight of hog-fat, 0.7 % by weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 0.65 % by weight of ground wheat grits, 0.85 % by weight of milk powder, 0.85 % by weight of yolk and 10.10 % by weight of water.

10. A packaging material according to any of claims 1 to 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by being shaped to a two-compartment prismatic box of open or closed top.

11. A packaging material according to any of claims 1 to 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by being shaped to a two-compartment cubic box.

12. A packaging material according to any of claims 1 to 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by being shaped to a two-compartment cylindrical box of open or closed top.

13. A packaging material according to any of claims 1 to 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by being shaped to a one- or multi-compartment, optionally coverable tray.

14. Use of the packaging material according to any of claims 1 to 9 in the quick meal commerce for packaging cold or hot, optionally fatty or oily foods.

15. Use of the packaging material according to any of claims 1 to 9 for packaging foods to be frozen.

16. Use of the packaging material according to any of claims 1 to 9 for packaging early fruits and greens.

17. Use of the packaging material according to any of claims 1 to 9 for packaging plants, particularly seedlings to be delivered.