Microwaveable vacuum packed seafood package and process

• US 5,863,578 A
• Filed: 11/06/1996
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carnival Brand Seafood Company
• Original Assignee: Carnival Brand Seafood Company
• Inventors: Guarino, Nicholas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEINSTEIN, STEVEN L
• Application Number:
  US08/746,031
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 426/107, 426/114, 426/234, 426/129, 426/412, 426/396, 426/393, 426/113, 426/124, 426/92, 426/90, 53/434, 53/449, 53/444, 53/445, 206/778, 206/784
• US Class Current: 426/113
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/064 with packages or with shaping in the form of blocks or portions
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/061 of fish
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3424 Cooking fish or shellfish B65D2581/3413 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3455 Packages having means for improving the internal circulation of air
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3479 Other metallic compounds, e.g. silver, gold, copper, nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3489 Microwave reflector, i.e. microwave shield B65D2581/3487 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/002 in shrink films B65D71/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/02 Wrapped articles enclosed in rigid or semi-rigid containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/203 with one or several rigid inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3461 Flexible containers, e.g. bags, pouches, envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/00 Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials B65D71/00, B65D83/00 take precedence; hand implements or travelling equipment A45C; cosmetic or toiletry equipment A45D; packages for surgical knives, scalpels or blades therefor A61B17/3215; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; paint cans B44D3/12; oil cans F16N3/04; containers for carrying small arms F41C33/06; packaging of ammunition or explosive charges F42B39/00; containers for record carriers, specially adapted for cooperation with the recording or reproducing apparatus G11B23/00

Abstract

Packaging for seafood that may have been coated in sauce or marinated, including the optional use of pallet structure for positioning the product within the packaging to be vacuum sealed and flash frozen before being subsequently microwaved without rupture of the packaging until after microwaving.

Claims

1. A process for packaging seafood, comprising the steps of:

placing seafood and sauce for the seafood on a pallet, the seafood being placed in an ordered arrangement on the pallet;

sliding said palletized seafood into a microwaveable bag to enclose the palletized seafood;

applying a vacuum to the bag and the palletized seafood;

sealing the bag and the enclosed palletized seafood under said vacuum; and

then,

flash freezing said sealed bag,

wherein said pallet has a rough upper surface sufficient to restrain movement of said seafood and a smooth under surface sufficient to facilitate entry of said pallet into said bag, said seafood being placed on said rough upper surface and said ordered arrangement being such that the likelihood of the bag being penetrated or pierced by any parts of the seafood that is capable of doing so is diminished.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the steps of adding the sauce to the seafood before placing the seafood on the pallet.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of adding the sauce to the seafood after placing the seafood on the pallet.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of flattening the seafood on the pallet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the seafood is shrimp.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the seafood is lobster.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the seafood is fish.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the seafood is conch.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of placing the vacuum sealed palletized seafood in an outer carton having an opening for viewing the vacuum sealed seafood, said sealed bag being microwaveable and being adapted for removal from said outer carton prior to microwaving.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said vacuum sealed palletized bag is adapted for microwave cooking the seafood in the sauce without unsealing the bag.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of microwave cooking the seafood in the sauce in the sealed bag.

12. A process for packaging seafood, comprising the steps of:

placing seafood and sauce for the seafood on a pallet, the seafood being placed in an ordered arrangement on the pallet;

placing the palletized seafood on a lower sheet of plastic film;

placing an upper sheet of plastic film so that the extremities of the lower and upper sheets extend beyond the perimeter of the pallet and contact one another; and

then,

applying vacuum and sealing the upper and lower sheets to each other to seal the palletized seafood under vacuum between the sealed sheets;

wherein said pallet has a rough upper surface sufficient to restrain movement of said seafood and a smooth under surface sufficient to facilitate sliding said pallet onto said lower sheet, said seafood being positioned in the flat orientation on said rough upper surface such that the likelihood of the sheets being penetrated or pierced by any part of the seafood that is capable of doing so is diminished.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising the steps of adding the sauce to the seafood before placing the seafood on the pallet.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising the step of adding the sauce to the seafood after placing the seafood on the pallet.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising the step of flattening the seafood on the pallet.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the seafood is shrimp.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the seafood is lobster.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the seafood is fish.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the seafood is conch.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of placing the vacuum sealed palletized seafood in an outer carton having an opening for viewing the vacuum sealed seafood, said vacuum sealed palletized seafood being microwaveable and being adapted for removal from said outer carton prior to microwaving.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said vacuum sealed palletized bag is adapted for microwave cooking the seafood in the sauce without unsealing the bag.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of microwave cooking the seafood in the sauce in the sealed bag.

23. A vacuumized seafood package, comprising:

a pallet;

seafood and sauce for the seafood on the pallet, the seafood being positioned on said pallet in an ordered arrangement; and

,

a sealed bag enclosing said palletized seafood and sauce under vacuum; and

,

wherein said pallet has a rough upper surface sufficient to restrain movement of said seafood and a smooth under surface sufficient to facilitate engagement of said pallet and said bag, said seafood being positioned on said rough upper surface and said ordered arrangement being such that the likelihood of the bag being penetrated or pierced by any part of the seafood that is capable of doing so is diminished.

24. The package of claim 23, wherein said bag is formed from a plastic bag sealed except for an opening through which the palletized seafood and sauce is inserted.

25. The package of claim 23, wherein said bag is formed from upper and lower sheets of plastic film, the upper and lower sheets having extremities which extend beyond the perimeter of the pallet and are sealed to one another.

26. The package of claim 23, wherein the sauce is added to the seafood before the seafood is placed on the pallet.

27. The package of claim 23, wherein the sauce is added to the seafood after the seafood is placed on the pallet.

28. The package of claim 23, wherein the seafood is flattened on the pallet.

29. The package of claim 23, wherein the seafood is shrimp.

30. The package of claim 23, wherein the seafood is lobster.

31. The package of claim 23, wherein the seafood is fish.

32. The package of claim 23, wherein the seafood is conch.

33. The package of claim 23, further comprising an outer carton having an opening for viewing the vacuum sealed seafood, said sealed bag being microwaveable and being adapted for removal from said outer carton prior to microwaving.

34. The package of claim 33, wherein said vacuum sealed palletized bag is adapted for microwave cooking the seafood in the sauce without unsealing the bag.

35. The package of claim 23, wherein said vacuum sealed palletized bag is adapted for microwave cooking the seafood in the sauce without unsealing the bag.