초록 ▼

A sealed cooking pouch specifically designed for microwave cooking raw frozen protein entrees containing a raw meat protein portion, preferably beef, poultry, fish, pork or veal, along with starch, sauce and vegetable portions. The packaging material is manipulated into a pouch shape, meant to recei

A sealed cooking pouch specifically designed for microwave cooking raw frozen protein entrees containing a raw meat protein portion, preferably beef, poultry, fish, pork or veal, along with starch, sauce and vegetable portions. The packaging material is manipulated into a pouch shape, meant to receive the protein entree ingredients before sealing, during the manufacturing process. The packaging material is composed of a heat-sealable polyester layer with a thin layer of aluminum deposited on one side and a layer of water-repellant 20 lb-25 lb. structural paper stock, laminated together through the use of a water-based adhesive. The aluminum can be uniformly deposited centrally where maximum temperature concentration is desired, and deposited in patterns that allow for temperature attenuation in parts of the package where this is desirable. The structural paper outer layer is treated with a wax emulsion to repel water that forms from condensation on the outside of the cooking pouch.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A packaged microwaveable food product comprising a frozen block of food formed of raw protein and a liquid sauce, said frozen block sealed in a cooking pouch formed from a multilayer elongated sheet having a predetermined width defining free width edges, the width transverse

What is claimed is: 1. A packaged microwaveable food product comprising a frozen block of food formed of raw protein and a liquid sauce, said frozen block sealed in a cooking pouch formed from a multilayer elongated sheet having a predetermined width defining free width edges, the width transverse to the sheet length, said sheet comprising an outer paper layer with a water-repellent coating thereon, a plastic coating inner layer and a partially-metallized layer between the paper outer layer and the plastic coating inner layer, wherein said partially-metallized layer comprises a completely metallized central section located substantially centrally in the sheet and having a width less than the dimension of the frozen block, a pair of partially metallized sections lying one on either side of the completely metallized central section, each partially metallized section having a width sufficient to extend around the edge of the food block and overly the top of the food block, each of said partially metallized sections having a substantially uniform metallized coverage pattern between 40% and 60% of the overall area of each partially metallized section, and a pair of completely unmetallized edges extending from the pair of partially metallized sections to the free width edges of the sheet, wherein said pouch is formed by placing the frozen block upon the completely metallized central section with the edges of the block overlying portions of the partially metallized section, folding the sheet around the block such that the partially metallized sections lie adjacent the edges of the block and overly the top of the block, sealing the unmetallized edges together to form a fin seal, cutting the wrapped sheet transversely to form opposite ends of the pouch and sealing the ends transversely to form opposite end seals. 2. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 1, wherein the end seals have a greater resistance to internal pressure than the resistance of the fin seal such that a predetermined pressure built up in the cooking pouch will escape through ruptures in the fin seal while leaving the end seals intact. 3. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 2, wherein the width of the central section is less than the combined widths of the pair of partially metallized sections. 4. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 3, wherein said partially metallized layer is affixed to the paper outer layer by an adhesive. 5. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 4, wherein the adhesive is a water-based laminating adhesive. 6. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 1, wherein the plastic coating inner layer is a heat-sealable polyester layer. 7. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 1, wherein the metallized coverage pattern is a repeating geometric pattern. 8. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 1, wherein the metallized coverage pattern is a repeating company name, logo, or mark. 9. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 1, wherein said multilayer sheet is formed from continuous rollstock. 10. A flexible multilayer sheet structure for forming a packaging and cooking pouch for a microwave frozen food product, said structure comprising a multilayer elongated sheet having a predetermined width defining free width edges, the width transverse to the sheet length, said sheet comprising an outer paper layer with a water-repellent coating thereon, a plastic coating inner layer and a partially-metallized layer between the paper outer layer and the plastic coating inner layer, wherein said partially-metallized layer comprises a completely metallized central section located substantially centrally in the sheet, a pair of partially metallized sections lying on either side of the completely metallized central section, each partially metallized section having a width less than the width of the central section and greater than one-half the width of the central section, each of said partially metallized sections having a substantially uniform metallized coverage pattern between 40% and 60% of the overall area of each partially metallized section, and a pair of completely unmetallized edges extending from the pair of partially metallized sections to the free width edges of the sheet. 11. The sheet structure of claim 10, wherein the width of the central section is less than the combined widths of the pair of partially metallized sections. 12. The sheet structure of claim 10, wherein said partially-metallized layer is affixed to the paper outer layer by an adhesive. 13. The sheet structure of claim 12, wherein the adhesive is a water-based laminating adhesive. 14. The sheet structure of claim 10, wherein the plastic coating inner layer is a heat-sealable polyester layer. 15. The sheet structure of claim 10, wherein the metallized coverage pattern is a repeating geometric pattern. 16. The sheet structure of claim 10, wherein the metallized coverage pattern is a repeating company name, logo, or mark. 17. A packaged microwaveable food product comprising a frozen block formed of raw protein and a liquid sauce, said frozen block sealed in a cooking pouch formed from a multilayer elongated sheet having a predetermined width defining free edges extending along the length of the sheet, the width transverse to the sheet length, said sheet comprising an outer paper layer, a plastic coating inner layer and a partially-metallized layer between the paper outer layer and the plastic coating inner layer, wherein said partially-metallized layer comprises a completely metallized central section located substantially centrally in the sheet and having a width less than the dimension of the frozen block, a pair of partially metallized sections lying on either side of the completely metallized central section, each partially metallized section having a width sufficient to extend around the edge of the food block and overly the top of the food block, each of said partially metallized sections having a substantially uniform metallized coverage pattern between 40% and 60% of the overall area of each partially metallized section, the remaining area being unmetallized, and a pair of completely unmetallized edges extending from the pair of partially metallized sections to the free edges of the sheet, said frozen block lying upon the completely metallized central section with the edges of the block overlying portions of the partially metallized section, said partially metallized sections extending around the edges of the block and overlying the top of the block, the unmetallized edges sealed together to form a fin seal, and a pair of end seals formed in opposite ends of the pouch by heat sealing. 18. The packaged microwave food product of claim 17, wherein the paper layer is coated with a water repellant coating. 19. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 17, wherein the end seals have a greater resistance to internal pressure than the resistance of the fin seal such that a predetermined pressure built up in the cooking pouch will escape through ruptures in the fin seal while leaving the end seals intact. 20. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 17, wherein the metallized coverage pattern is a repeating geometric pattern. 21. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 17, wherein the metallized coverage pattern is a repeating company name, logo, or mark. 22. The packaged microwaveable food product of claim 17, wherein said frozen block has a predetermined length and width and a height substantially less than the length or width. 23. A method of making a packaged microwaveable food product for cooking the food product within the package in a microwave oven through the microwave energy, the buildup of steam pressure, and heat transfer comprising: forming a single frozen solid block food portion comprising a raw protein food product portion and a sauce portion by depositing a raw protein food portion and a liquid sauce portion on a contained surface, and then freezing the raw protein food portion and sauce portion to form said single frozen solid block dimensionally confined to the dimensions of said contained surface; removing said frozen solid block from said contained surface; forming a pouch around the frozen solid block by enclosing said block within a sheet material having a paper outermost layer and a plastic coated metallic susceptor layer located internally of said paper layer, said plastic coated metallic susceptor layer comprising a completely metallized central section located substantially centrally in the sheet material and having a width less than the dimension of the frozen block, a pair of partially metallized sections lying on either side of the completely metallized central section, each partially metallized section having a width sufficient to extend around the edge of the food block and overly the top of the food block, each of said partially metallized sections having a substantially uniform metallized coverage pattern between 40% and 60% of the overall area of each partially metallized section, and a pair of completely unmetallized edges extending from the pair of partially metallized sections, said forming step comprising placing the frozen solid block upon said completely metallized section and then wrapping the sheet material around the block such that the partially metallized sections lie adjacent the edges of the block and overly the top of the block, sealing the unmetallized edges together to form a fin seal, cutting the wrapped sheet transversely to form opposite ends of the pouch and sealing the ends transversely to form opposite end seals. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of maintaining the pouch filled with said frozen solid block in a frozen condition until cooking, wherein said frozen block is cookable in a microwave oven within the enclosed cooking pouch by microwave energy absorption, by steam pressure build-up, and by heat conducted from said metallic susceptor. 25. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one of said raw protein food product and said sauce contains a fat. 26. The method of claim 23, wherein said liquid sauce contains a fat.