WO1997035764A1

WO1997035764A1 - Packaging meat product

Info

Publication number: WO1997035764A1
Application number: PCT/AU1997/000187
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven Philip Mcaleer; Philip Henry Hutchison; Roy Noel Tucker Robinson; Gary Donald Livermore
Original assignee: Amcor Limited; Meat Research Corporation
Priority date: 1996-03-22
Filing date: 1997-03-21
Publication date: 1997-10-02
Also published as: AR006343A1; UY24496A1

Abstract

A process for packaging a meat product in a diced, minced, ground or other viscous form, the process comprising the steps of: (a) supplying the meat product to a flexible bag having at least one generally planar face and having a closable filling port communicating between the interior of the bag and a supply of the meat product, (b) disconnecting the inlet port from the supply, (c) closing the inlet port, and (d) freezing the bag and its meat product contents. A bag suitable for packaging a meat product is also described and comprises a first wall (12) and a second wall (14) and at least two flexible side walls (16, 18). Each side wall extends between the first and the second wall and is seamed therewith. The bag has a filling port (20) communicating between the bag interior and exterior through wall (12). Filling port (20) is suitable to allow meat to be pumped into the bag and is adapted for closure. The side walls are sufficiently flexible that the bag has a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. A filling port suitable for the described bag comprises a flange portion for mounting to a wall of the bag and a hollow tubular spout portion having a lip at its distal end. The spout portion is connected to the flange portion by bistable connecting means whereby the spout portion is capable of movement between a relatively stable retracted position in which, in use, the lip is substantially flush with or below the wall of the bag to facilitate stacking, and a relatively stable protruding position. The connecting means is joined with the spout portion at or near the proximate end of the spout portion whereby the spout portion does not intrude substantially further into the bag interior than the connecting means.

Description

TITLE: PACKAGING MEAT PRODUCT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of packaging meat and meat products

to a package and suitable for the transport and storage of such products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Meat is exported from Australia to the USA in cardboard cartons each

comprising a corrugated board base having a polyethylene lining and a corrugated board

lid. Typically a carton contains about 27 kg of meat. The meat is usually diced into 50

mm cubes, filled into a carton base lined with sheet polyethylene, wrapped over with

polyethylene, and then frozen. The carton needs to be sturdy to withstand the rigours of

freezing, handling, transport and storage.

The existing packaging suffers from a number of disadvantages. Although the

end user would be capable of processing the meat while it is frozen, in practice the meat

needs to be thawed because the polyethylene liner freezes into the product during the

freezing step. This is known as "poly inclusion". Secondly, because the cardboard is a good thermal insulator, the freezing step takes longer than is desirable. A third

disadvantage is that the cardboard and polyethylene, after thawing, become

contaminated with blood and become a voluminous waste product which presents

disposal problems.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a package and a process for

packaging for meat which avoids or at least ameliorates some of the above

disadvantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect the invention consists in a process for packaging a

meat product in a diced, minced, ground or other viscous form, the process comprising

the steps of:

a) supplying the meat product to a flexible bag having at least one generally

planar face, and having a closable filling port communicating between the interior of the

bag and a supply of the meat product,

b) disconnecting the inlet port from the supply,

c) closing the inlet port, and

d) freezing the bag and its meat product contents.

In a preferred embodiment the closable filling port has a projecting

configuration and a retracted configuration and the freezing is conducted with the port in

its retracted configuration. With the filling port retracted, the resulting package is in the

form of a substantially rectangular, stackable, frozen slab. It is highly desirable that the

filling port not be trapped within the frozen contents after freezing while retracted. Preferred embodiments of the method thus allow the meat to be packaged by

simple means, to be more rapidly frozen than previously, to be conveniently stacked,

palletised, and handled in transport and storage. Likewise preferred embodiments of the

invention permit the bag to be easily slit open and separated from the frozen content.

This in turn permits meat packaged according to the method of the invention to be

further processed, for example to undergo grinding, while frozen and without the

necessity to thaw the product merely in order to separate it from packaging materials.

According to further aspects the invention consists in a package suitable for use

in a process for packaging a meat product.

According to a second aspect the invention consists in a flexible bag comprising

a first wall; a second wall; at least two flexible side walls, each side wall extending

between the first wall and the second wall and being seamed therewith; the bag having a

filling port communicating between the bag interior and exterior through one of said

walls, the filling port being suitable to allow meat to be pumped into the package and

being adapted for closure, the side walls being sufficiently flexible that the package has a

collapsed configuration such that the internal volume is negligible and an expanded

configuration in which the first and second walls are generally planar.

In preferred embodiments of the invention the first wall and the second wall are

seamed together at respective ends. In preferred embodiments the filling port is situated

at or near the centre of the first or second wall. It is highly preferred that the pouch

should be constructed from a polypropylene-polyethylene co-extension or laminate and

in its expanded configuration is substantially block shaped for efficient packaging and

palletising. Preferred embodiments according to this aspect of the invention significantly

shorten freezing time, provide an excellent packaged product shape for handling, avoid

poly inclusion and simplify waste disposal of the packaging.

According to a third aspect the invention consists in a filling port for a bag

suitable for use in a method according to the first aspect comprising

a flange portion for mounting to a wall of the bag;

a hollow tubular spout portion having a lip at its distal end. said spout portion

being connected to the flange portion by bistable connecting means whereby the spout

portion is capable of movement between a relatively stable retracted position in which,

in use, the lip of the filling port is substantially flush with or below said wall of the bag

to facilitate stacking, and a relatively stable protruding position;

the connecting means being joined with the spout portion at or near the

proximate end of the spout portion whereby the spout portion does not intrude

substantially further into the bag interior than the connecting means.

The connecting means is desirably of a frustroconical form. Because the

retracted spout portion does not intrude substantially further into the bag than the

connecting means, and the connecting means is of a smooth form the filling port does

not become trapped within the frozen product. In consequence the package may readily

be separated from the frozen content without thawing it.

In preferred embodiments, the filling port further comprises a closure for

sealingly engaging the spout portion and which in the retracted position of the spout

portion is also substantially flush with or below the container sidewall. More preferably,

the closure is generally plug shaped and is adapted to seal with a tubular wall extending interior of the spout, the plug having at least one formation adapted for snap engagement

with an interengageable formation of the spout tubular interior wall. Desirably the plug

has at least two snap engaging formations spaced at intervals in the axial direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example

only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package according to one aspect of the

invention;

Figure 2 shows the bag in cross-section on line 2-2 when the bag is in its

expanded configuration.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the package corresponding to Figure 2, but with

the bag in a collapsed configuration.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cut-away perspective view showing the filling port of

Figure 1; Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the filling port of Figure 1 in a protruding

position; and

Figure 6 is a schematic view showing the filling port of Figure 1 in a retracted

position.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cut away perspective view of part of a second embodiment of a filling port.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a first embodiment of a bag according

to one aspect of the invention. The bag generally designated 10, is depicted in Figure 1 in its expanded (full) condition and is of a generally rectangular or hexahedral form

having a first wall 12, a second wall 14 and at least two flexible side walls 16 and 18,

respectively. First wall 12 defines a filling aperture 15 having a filling port 20 mounted

therein. Side wall 16 extends between first wall 12 and second wall 14 and has seams

along edges 1 1 and 13, respectively. Side wall 18 is similarly seamed at edges 11 A and

13 A. Each seam comprises a margin along which the interior side of side wall 16 is

adhered and sealed face to face with the interior side of first wall 12 and second wall 14.

Similarly, the interior side of side wall 18 is seamed with first wall 12 and second wall

14 at a margin along edges 1 1 A, 13 A. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 first wall

12 and second wall 14 are sealed with each other at the package ends 17 in a similar

manner.

Figure 3 shows the bag in cross-section corresponding to Figure 2 but with the

bag in a partially collapsed configuration, with side walls 16 and 18 flexibly folding

inwards about a fold line 19.

In use, as bag 10 is filled, side walls 16 and 18 extend, the degree of extension

being limited by seams at edges 1 1, 13, 1 1 A and 13A so that the package shape in the

expanded configuration is of a generally rectangular shape when filled. In the example

illustrated the package 10 is approximately 530 mm in length, 350 mm in width and 162

mm in depth. With reference to Figures 4 to 6, there is shown a first embodiment of a filling

port 20. which is positioned at or near the centre of the first wall 12, and is adapted to

communicate between the interior and exterior of package 10. Filling port 20 comprises

an annular mounting boss 40 having a radially outwardly directed flange portion 22 for engaging first wall 12 of the package and a spout portion 24. Flange portion 22 is

provided with "energy directors" or beads 23 which extend around the peripheral

circumference to ensure a strong heat seal between flange portion 22 and package 10 and

prevent occlusion of package contents between the flange and bag wall. Optionally boss

40 may be grooved (not shown in Figures 4-6) to receive the surrounding edge of bag

wall 12.

Mounting boss 40 extends through aperture 15 and is connected with a spout

portion 24 by means of a resiliency deformable web 26. In the embodiment described

web 26 is frustroconical in shape.

Spout portion 24 comprises a generally tubular portion having an inner tubular

wall surface 27, an outer tubular wall surface 42, and a radially outwardly directed lip 28

at its distal end.

Inner cylindrical wall 27 extends axially from lip 28 to a neck 32 at its

proximate end, stepping inwardly in diameter at a shoulder 43 spaced slightly below lip

28 and tapering inwardly down to neck 32. Inner wall 27 is provided with a radially

inwardly directed bead formation 30 at below shoulder 43.

Resiliently deformable web 26 is of a stiffness such that when the spout portion

is in its protruding position, downward pressure on spout portion 24 (urging the spout

portion towards the plane of package wall 12) causes web 26 to buckle so as the permit

spout portion 24 to pass through the opening 15 in place of wall 12. Once neck 30 of

spout 24 is below the plane of wall 12, web 26 is relatively unstable and tends to

restraighten and pops the assembly into the configuration shown in figure 4. Resilient web 26 thus acts as a bistable connection between neck 30 of spout

portion 24 and flange portion 22, snapping between a stable protruding position and a

relatively stable retracted position. Importantly web 26 is connected with spout portion

24 at or near proximate spout end 32 consequently the spout does not become frozen into the bag contents when retracted.

With reference to Figures 4 to 6, filling port 20 further includes a generally

cylindrical shaped closure 34 for sealingly engaging interior wall 27 of spout portion 24.

Closure 24 comprises a slightly tapered side wall 39 and end wall 44, plug side wall 39

having first and second snap engaging formations 36 and 38 adapted to engage with bead

30 and neck 32 on spout portion 24. In the embodiment of figures 5 and 6, formation 36

is a recess and 38 is a rib.

In figure 3 the closure is shown prior to engagement with the spout portion 24

inner tubular wall 27 and in figure 4 the closure is shown snap locked into sealing

engagement with inner tubular wall 27.

It will be understood that although the embodiment described uses two

interengaging formations, one or more than two may be used and the formations may be

of different interengaging cross section. For example the closure could have two

protruding ribs and the spout portion two complimentary grooves.

The closure is desirably made from a resilient plastic material adapted to

slightly deform under pressure so as to facilitate snap engagement.

In use of the method of the invention, for example, to prepare diced meat for

transportation and storage, spout portion 24 of filling port 20 is extended into a

protruding (see Figure 4) position and connected by means of a pump (not shown) for example a Hantmann meat Pump to a storage vessel (not shown) containing diced meat.

Package 10 is initially in a collapsed configuration. The diced meat is then pumped from

the storage vessel into package 10 until the package 10 adopts an expanded

configuration. Filling port 20 is then disconnected from the pump line. Closure 34 is

next inserted into spout portion 24 so that formation 36 of closure 34 snaps into sealing

engagement with first shoulder 43 of spout portion 24, bead formation 38 snaps into

sealing engagement with neck 32 and, upon application of further force, spout position

24 snaps into the retracted position (see figure 4). In this position lip 28 is substantially

flush with or below first wall 16 of package 10 and closure 34 is below lip 28.

Generally, the force required to insert closure 34 into the filling port 20 is less then the

force required to retract the spout portion 24.

The bag together with contents is then frozen. Desirably the bag is slightly

compressed between two parallel plates or the like during freezing. The avoids the upper

surface doming outwardly during freezing and results in a flatter, better shaped frozen

package which is more easily stacked and palletised. One or both of the plates may be plate freezers to provide good heat conduction.

The frozen packaged meat product may be shipped and stored in a conventional

manner.

The end user can easily remove the frozen content from the bag for example by

slitting a portion of the bag and removing the meat product as a frozen block. That is

possible because no part of the bag or spout is occluded in the meat during freezing.

The frozen product may be further processed while frozen - for example may

undergo griding or other operations. It would be understood by those skilled in the art that the package of the

invention may be manufactured in a number of ways. One option would be to punch a

hole in the bag blanks and insert the filling port and seal it to the inside of the blank prior

to forming the package. Alternatively, the hole can be punched and the package formed

leaving one end open. The filling port can be then be inserted mounted and the package

sealed.

In another embodiment the bag is 400 mm by 210 mm wide and 1 15 mm high

and can contain in excess of 8 litres of meat product. A second embodiment of the

filling port is shown in Figure 7 in which parts having a function corresponding to parts

of the embodiment of Figures 4-6 are identified by corresponding numerals. In the

embodiment shown in Figure 7 closure 34 is provided with a radially extending flange

45 which has an axially extending skirt 46 adapted to resiliently grip onto the cylindrical

outer edge of lip 28 and which has a formation 38 adapted to engage a corresponding

groove near the proximate end of spout 24. The inner surface 35 of the closure is

smooth, inwardly convex and adapted to avoid inclusion in the content. Flange 31 is

weakened adjacent the radially inner edge at 39 so that it breaks off in the event of any

attempt to remove the closure to indicate tampering. Boss 40 is grooved at 47 to receive

the surrounding edge of a bag wall 12.

A variety of construction materials may be used in the manufacture of the

package. Typically, the nature of the material of construction may be either of a

laminate, co-extrusion or single web. In a preferred aspect the package is a laminate

such as a polyester-polyethylene or polypropylene polyethylene having the ethylene on

the inner surface. In a highly preferred aspect a polyester-polyethylene laminate is used. The polyethylene layer is typically 150 microns and the polypropylene layer is typically

30 microns in thickness.

Laminates such as polypropylene-polyethylene with polypropylene available

from ICI or Sharko and Polyethylene available from Exthene or Transpak Industries may

be used.

Polypropylene-polyethylene laminates used could typically have a minimum

tensile strength at break of 207 Mpa and elongation of 75%. These measurements are as

per Australia standard 1145-1972.

In another preferred aspect the inner side of the flange portion is made of

polyethylene so that it is compatible with the meat and is heat sealable.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art other package materials may also

be used. For instance an outer nylon layer could be employed to increase strength and

reduce thickness.

Various alterations and modifications to the processes described herein may be

incoφorated. For example, to reduce air or gas pockets forming in the corners of the bag when being filled, the bags may be initially evacuated when first coupled to the supply

connector so that there is no significant gas space in the bag at commencement of filling

and hence no entrapped gas likely to form gas pockets. Furthermore, the bag may be

vibrated or massaged during filling to inhibit formation of gas packets. The bags may be

filled while in an open topped position as shown in the drawings, or may be filled while

"inverted", ie. filled from below the inlet opening located in the bottom planar face of

the bag.

The bags may be filled by means other than pumping. Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred

embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be

embodied in many other forms.

Claims

CLAIMS:-

1. A process for packaging a meat product in a diced, minced, ground or other

viscous form, the process comprising the steps of:

a) supplying the meat product to a flexible bag having at least one generally

planar face and having a closable filling port communicating between the interior of the

bag and a supply of the meat product,

b) disconnecting the inlet port from the supply,

c) closing the inlet port, and

d) freezing the bag and its meat product contents.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the closable filling port has a projecting

configuration and a retracted configuration and wherein the step of supplying is

conducted with the port in its projecting configuration and the step of freezing is

conducted with the port in its retracted configuration.

3. A process according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein during freezing the at least

one generally planar face and the opposite face of the bag are confined between opposing

substantially parallel plates.

4. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the meat

product is pumped to the filling port.

5. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bag is

evacuated or purged with a gas prior to filling the bag with the meat product.

6. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bag is

subjected to vibration during filling.

7. A process comprising the steps of: a) removing the bag of a frozen package produced by a method according to

any one of claims 1 to 7 from the frozen meat product content while maintaining said

content in a substantially frozen condition, and

b) feeding the frozen meat content to a further processing step while frozen.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the further processing step comprises

mincing or grinding.

9. A filling port for a bag suitable for use in a method according to claim 1

comprising:

a flange portion for mounting to a wall of the bag,

a hollow tubular spout portion having a lip at its distal end, said spout portion

portion is capable of movement between a relatively stable retracted position in which, in use, the lip is substantially flush with or below the wall of the bag to facilitate

stacking, and a relatively stable protruding position,

the connecting means being joined with the spout portion at or near the

proximate end of the spout portion whereby the spout portion does not intrude

substantially further into the bag interior than the connecting means.

10. A filling port according to claim 9 wherein the bistable connecting means

comprises a frustroconical resiliently deformable web.

11. A filling port according to claims 9 or 10 wherein the spout portion has a

radially outwardly directed flange adapted for connection with a filling conduit.

12. A filling port according to any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the mounting boss

is provided with engagement means accessible from outside the bag whereby the

mounting boss may be gripped while a load is applied to the spout portion.

13. A filling port according to any one of claims 9 to 12 wherein the mounting boss

is provided with a radially extending flange portion adapted for engaging and heat

sealing with a wall of the bag.

14. A filling port according to any one of claims 9 to 13 further comprising a

closure which is adapted for snap engagement with the interior wall of the spout portion

by means of interengaging formations.

15. A filling port according to claim 14 wherein the closure has a convex surface at

its proximate end.

16. A bag suitable for use in a process according to any one of claims 1 to 8

comprising:

a first wall;

a second wall;

at least two flexible side walls, each said side wall extending between the first

and the second wall and being seamed therewith;

the bag having a filling port communicating between the bag interior and

exterior through one of said walls, the filling port being suitable to allow meat to be

pumped into the bag and being adapted for closure, the side walls being sufficiently

flexible that the bag has a collapsed configuration such that the internal volume is

negligible and an expanded configuration.

17. A bag according to claim 16 wherein the seam between a first or second wall

and a side wall comprises face-to-face contact along a strip.

18. A bag according to claim 16 wherein the bag is a laminate or co-extrusion

having a polyethylene inner layer.

19. A bag according to claim 18 wherein the laminate or co-extrusion has a

polypropylene outer layer.

20. A bag according to claim 16 wherein the bag is of a plastics material having a

tensile strength in excess of 207 Mpa.

21. A bag according to claim 16 having a filling port according to any one of claims

9 to 15.

22. A bag according to claim 21 wherein the filling port is mounted to the first or

second wall.

23. A bag according to claim 21 wherein the filling port is at or near the centre of

the first or second wall.

24. A bag according to any one of claims 16 to 18 wherein the first and second wall

is substantially flat over the majority of its area when the bag is in its expanded

configuration.

25. A bag according to any one of claims 16 to 24 when containing a frozen meat

product.

26. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the bag is in

accordance with any one of claims 16 to 25.