Abstract: A process is provided for the production of dehydrated potatoes which when reconstituted are similar in texture and taste to freshly prepared mashed potatoes. The process includes washing fresh potatoes, dividing the washed potatoes into two groups with one group being cooked, riced, peeled and cooled while the other group is peeled, sliced, blanched, cooled, cooked, riced and then cooled. The two groups of potatoes, after the initial processing steps as separate groups, are then combined and further processed to produce dehydrated potato flakes. The thus produced dehydrated potatoes can be packaged for distribution to the ultimate consumer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the processing, sterilization and packaging of a food product starting from a raw material basically consisting of Krill, in order to obtain a protein rich food product with good taste, consistency, structure, preparing abilities and keeping properties. Said method includes the steps of breaking down the whole Krill into small particles, sterilization of the broken down Krill, cooling and grinding the sterilized product into liquid or semi-liquid form and packaging the liquid substance under aseptic conditions, whereby the liquid substance is solidified in the aseptic packages.

Abstract: A package for temporarily hand-packing a rice-ball of triangular shape together with a sheet of dry laver until the former is field-wrapped with the latter so as to prepare a laver-wrapped rice-ball or "Onigiri". The package includes a packing sheet of square shape folded along a fold extending through a pair of opposite angles to form a pair of folded sheets of equilateral triangular shape for holding the dry laver inbetween. The packing sheet is made of a moisture-proof material such as paraffine paper or vinyl sheet. Further inclusive is a pull-out sheet which extends from one of the vertical angle portions of the folded sheets and which is folded back toward the fold of the packing sheet. The pull-out sheet thus provided is sized to have such a sufficient margin, when the rice-ball is placed thereon for the temporary hand-packing operation, as can facilitate its hand pull-out operation at its margin before the rice-ball is wrapped with the dry laver.

Abstract: Dressed poultry without giblets in the breast cavity are chilled in an ice water bath or the like to 32.degree.-35.degree. F. The giblets are frozen and are then inserted into the carcass thereby providing refrigeration and enabling shelf life of the carcass to be maintained for up to 30 days or greater without the use of water ice or dry ice in packing cartons.

Abstract: A method of packaging, and the package so produced, for maintaining living organisms viable for a long period of time. The living organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, algae, etc., are mixed with a carrier, such as peat. The organism-carrier mixture is then disposed in a package, such as a heat-sealable plastic envelope, and a gaseous atmosphere is provided in the package effective to induce and maintain substantial nonvegatative state formation of the organisms. Some organisms will form cysts, others spores, but whatever nonvegetative state is assumed, the organisms will be much less susceptible to heat, cold, starvation, and other adverse environmental factors. Suitable gaseous atmospheres include nitrogen, helium, and argon gases. The package is then sealed to prevent contamination of the atmosphere therein.

Abstract: A method of increasing the durability of fresh milk when filling the same into containers and packages, in which the fresh milk is pasteurized with a short-term preheating to approximately 100.degree. to 120.degree. C. for killing pathogenic germs and subsequently processed at 70.degree. to 80.degree. C. The thus treated milk is packaged at a temperature from 70.degree. to 80.degree. C. within an aseptic protective gas atmosphere into heat resistant, substantially gas-tight synthetic foil packages and immediately after closing of the packages the milk is cooled in several stages, first rapidly to 50.degree. to 60.degree. C. and thereafter to a predetermined storage temperature.

Abstract: In the preparation and storage of cooked, bulk packaged food in flexible receptacles, the quality of the food is increased, the cooking conditions are closely controlled, the growth of bacteria is restricted, and the storage time is increased by reducing the interior temperature of the food from its filling temperature of at least 180.degree. F. to below 45.degree. F. in less than a half hour. Said temperature reduction is preferably achieved by filling the receptacle so that the food therein is flowable or mobile and then tumbling the receptacle in a cooling medium so that the food flows or moves within the receptacle. After storage at 28.degree. F. to 32.degree. F., the food may be heated by tumbling the receptacle in a heating medium in order to bring the food quickly to serving temperature thereby avoiding overcooking.

Abstract: A method for straightening elongated articles such as sausage links. A pair of horizontal endless belt conveyors operate at slightly different speeds. The lower belt conveyor has a greater length than the upper belt conveyor so that the end of the lower conveyor projects beyond the corresponding end of the upper conveyor. Chilled sausage links are conveyed upwardly by an elevator and deposited on the projecting end of the lower conveyor and passed between the belts. As the sausage links pass between the belts, they are rotated to thereby straighten the links.

Abstract: A cellulosic food casing includes an internal coating comprising a water soluble cellulose ether and a cationic thermosetting resin.

Abstract: A heat-shrinkable multilayer film suitable for use in the packaging of a frozen poultry, includes a first outer layer comprising a blend of propylene-ethylene copolymer having a high isotactic molecular structure with less than about 6% by weight being ethylene and having a melt flow of from about 1.5 to about 18 decigrams per minute; a (butene-1)-ethylene copolymer having a high isotactic molecular structure with less than about 10% by weight ethylene and having a melt flow of from about 0.1 to about 5.0 decigrams per minute, and a thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene-propylene copolymers and ethylene-propylene diene terpolymers, the ratio by weight of the propylene-ethylene copolymer to the (butene-1)-ethylene copolymer being from about 2:1 to about 1:2 and the thermoplastic elastomer being present from about 10% to about 50% by weight, and a second outer layer comprising an ethylene-(butene-1) copolymer having a melt flow of from about 0.1 to about 1.

Abstract: A container structure for carbonated beverages is described formed of a multiple wall structure having an inner wall and an outer wall. The inner wall is formed of a material through which a gas such as carbon dioxide from the retained beverage can migrate and become trapped in a chamber between the inner and outer walls. The outer wall is formed of a material which is sufficiently impervious to carbon dioxide so that a gaseous thermally insulative chamber is maintained around the inner wall. The inner and outer walls may be formed of thin heat sealable sheet material to provide a flexible thermally insulated carbonated beverage container.

Abstract: A cellulosic food casing includes an internal coating comprising a water soluble cellulose ether and a cationic thermosetting resin.

Abstract: A composite strip for producing a sterile package comprises two superposed individual strips, the inner surfaces of which are sterile, and at least one of which comprises a thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material is such that after the separation of the two individual strips, the individual strip comprising thermoplastic material can be sealed to a part of itself or to the other strip by welding or glueing with the application of heat and pressure. A first part of one individual strip and another part of the same strip or of the other individual strip are joined at their edges in a sealed manner to form a hollow and sealed packing.

Abstract: A layer of foamed material and an oxygen impervious surface covering are interposed between areas of a meat portion and a wrapper film where puncture is likely to occur.

Abstract: A process for packaging bulk commodities such as meat comprises vacuum sealing the commodity into a bag of plastics material and then causing the material of the bag to expand by a further reduction in pressure of the environment surrounding the bag. The material expands into contact with heaters which heat the material and when the environment surrounding the bag is returned to normal pressure, the material closely encloses the commodity.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method of and system for packaging commercially sterile foods by placing the sterile food in a plastic container tending towards opacity to visible light radiation and tending towards transparency to ultraviolet radiation. The container is open and the food product is cooled to a temperature slightly above the freezing point of water preparatory to and while in a chamber having an atmosphere of cooled, dry inert, sterile gas. In the chamber, the inert gas and food product are irradiated by ultraviolet energy that propagates through the container. The container is sealed in the chamber, whereby the inert atmosphere is maintained on the surface of the food product while stored in the container, at temperatures slightly above the freezing point of water for prolonged time periods.

Abstract: Air or other fluid is removed from a container by placing the mouth of the container inside a nozzle and having air or other fluid flow between the mouth of the container and the nozzle so as to extract the air of fluid from the container.

Abstract: Disclosed is an extensible composite laminar film useful for packaging which includes a first layer of elastomeric polymeric composition and one or more extensible sealable layers of polymeric composition including an interpolymer of ethylene and alkenoic acid or ionomeric salt thereof. In an embodiment the film has a tensile secant modulus of from about 1,000 to about 30,000 and preferably from about 1,000 to about 14,950 pounds per square inch. The film is prepared advantageously by hot blown coextrusion. When stretch wrapped about a variety of products the film typically exhibits a high degree of elastic recovery. Also disclosed is an elastomeric film-forming composition including an ethylene-vinyl acetate interpolymer and an ethylene-propylene interpolymer desirably having a density of not more tha 0.92. The first layer of the film may effectively be prepared from the composition.

Abstract: An instant milk-containing coffee is disclosed. The instant milk-containing coffee includes dried coffee, cream powder and sugar together contained in a single elongated bag. They are sealed and tightly packed so as not to move from their original positions and mix with each other.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for packaging of ground coffee or a like material are provided in which an inert gas such as carbon dioxide is supplied to surround discrete quantities of the material carried in a longitudinally moving folded trough-like web of impervious material, the gas being supplied into a region in which the discrete quantities of material enter a sealing region in which portions of the folded web are sealed together ahead of, above and behind the discrete quantity of material. Important features relate to the covering over of the folded web to enclose a space therein as it enters the sealing region, to the guiding of the edges of the web to cause them to converge as they approach the sealing region and to the injection of the gas at an angle and with a flow rate and velocity such as to cause the gas to completely surround the material without displacing the material relative to the web.

Abstract: A process of packaging a solid gas evolving product by filling a plurality of pouches with the product, partially sealing each pouch mouth by a heat seal to leave a relatively small tortuous passage for the escape of gas from the product, transferring the pouches to a storage chamber containing oxygen at atmospheric conditions of temperature and pressure, storing the filled pouches in the chamber until substantially all of the gas capable of evolving from the product has evacuated the pouches, removing the pouches from the storage chamber and thereafter hermetically sealing the pouches against oxygen containing atmosphere by completely sealing each tortuous passage.

Abstract: Raw red meat is excised from a carcass within 1/2 to 8 hours after the animal's death and vacuum packed in synthetic, air impermeable plastic bags which are then placed in a cooling environment which has a temperature maintained at 23.degree. F to 60.degree. F for a sufficient length of time for the meat to fall to a temperature in this range, the rate of cooling of the muscle being such that a substantially consistent rate of temperature fall is achieved throughout the muscle. After cooling the packed meat can be stored at 28.5.degree. F to 45.degree. F, without freezing, for up to 6 weeks.

Abstract: A flexible packaging film formed of two layers of transparent film joined together along superimposed inner faces wherein the inner face of each layer includes printed indicia, to thereby enable indicia to be legible from either side of the film. A particularly useful method for the manufacture of the film is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for preparing a protein-containing food wherein the use of a carbon dioxide packaging atmosphere is found to unexpectantly increase the effectiveness of polyhydric alcohol, especially propylene and butylene glycol, stability agents employed for antimicrobial purposes. In the preferred embodiment, an intermediate moisture pet food, containing cooked meat and employing propylene glycol at a level less than that otherwise effective against mold or bacterial growth, is packaged in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide to provide a pet food stable against mold and bacterial growth.

Abstract: Dried and comminuted hop strobiles are mixed with an inert inorganic adsorbent, such as bentonite, and pressed to form cubes, slabs, pellets etc. which may be stored in containers under vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere. The addition of the adsorbent improves the storage life of the pressed hops in terms of preserving the bitter substances, and further accelerates the disintegration of the pressed hops during wort boiling.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for preparing a protein-containing food wherein the use of a carbon dioxide packaging atmosphere is found to unexpectedly increase the effectiveness of edible aliphatic acids and their edible soluble salts, especially sorbate salts, employed for antimicrobial purposes. In the preferred embodiment, an intermediate moisture pet food containing cooked meat and employing a sorbate salt at a level less than that otherwise effective against mold or bacterial growth, is packaged in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide to provide a pet food stable against mold and bacterial growth.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of packaging prepared piecrust dough that may be required to remain within its package for relatively long periods of time and within which thereafter the dough may be rolled into piecrust form while still in its packaging receptacle.

Abstract: A container for packaging fluids under superatmospheric pressure comprises a length of flexible tubular plastics film, which at one end or at each end is flattened and folded transversely through 180.degree. around a rod and is rigidly enclosed along the fold around the rod by a strip of malleable material, the length of the strip and the rod being at least as great as the lay-flat width of the tubular film.

Abstract: A firm container is fed with a plastic material which surrounds the firm container along a portion of its length. The firm container has an open end which is closed off by a pair of welding jaws which welds the plastic material together and forms the bottom of a container that holds a pulverized material. Pulverized material is then fed to the bottom of the container and after feeding is over, the plastic material is allowed to fall from the firm container by moving a support table downwardly. After the support table has moved downwardly a certain distance, the welding jaws are operated again and weld a new piece of plastic material to the open end of the firm container, thus forming a bottom for a new container and closing off the top of the previously-made container. A piston is provided within the firm container for compressing the pulverized material fed into the interior of the firm container.

Abstract: Producing packages of carbonated beverages in plastics film containers by a method in which the container is brought to a fully inflated state before filling and maintained in such state during filling and sealing.

Abstract: A package for pressurized material comprises an inner container of plastics and a shell of non-extensible material. The plastics inner container is in the form of a tube, and is sealed along two seals spaced from each other, the length of the seals is greater than the distance between them.

Abstract: An evacuateable bag is provided for use as a casing about articles to be stored. The bag is of thin flexible material having one end thereof provided with a large opening through which articles are inserted. After the bag is filled, the large opening is closed and the bag will partially conform to the shape of the article. Oral evacuation means is provided to remove entrapped air from the bag and cause the bag to substantially completely collapse about the article and more closely conform to its shape. After evacuation, seal means is provided on the oral evacuation means to maintain the bag in the evacuated condition.

Abstract: Meat shrouds comprised of inherently low moisture regain filament provide non-shedding durable meat shrouds suitable for conditioning meat carcasses without excessive dehydration.