EP0206843A1 - Packaging method for cut cheese and package so obtained - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for preparing an improved packaging, preferably for cheese, and a package for cheese thus obtained. This packaging for cheese comprises at least one packaging film (1) provided with different gas-/humidity-permeable zones, depending on the position of the zones of the film relative to the cheese, and is characterised in that the packaging film is provided with a gas- /humidity-barrier zone (22, 24) with low gas/humidity permeability opposite, or in contact with, each cut surface of the cheese (26, 28); and with a gas-/humidity-permeable zone (12, 14) with high gas/humidity permeability opposite, or in contact with, each rind surface of the cheese (16, 18, 20). The invention produces an aerobic environment on the rind surfaces of the cheese, whilst producing an anaerobic environment on the cut surfaces of the cheese where the product must not be exposed to the air. This ensures longer preservation or storage time, improving the quality of the cheese and the organoleptic properties thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention essentially relates to a process for the preparation of an improved packaging preferably for cheese having at least one cut surface and at least one rind surface; and a packaging preferably for cheese thus obtained.

FR-A-1 542 456 discloses a packaging for cheese comprising at least one packaging film comprising perforations 3 in an area intended to be opposite, or in contact with, the sides of the cheese so as to allow the penetration of air only on the sides of the cheese while the upper part 2 of the packaging film is free from perforation so that a print can be made on the upper zone of the film packaging. Cheese is a whole cheese with only rind surfaces, such as camembert or the like. This patent therefore relates to the technical problem avoiding the presence of perforations in the upper face of the cheese to allow printing of the information and drawing as is clear in particular from the drawings.

Also, FR-A-1 550 979 discloses at least one packaging film for cheese in which imperforations are provided along parallel lines on the entire surface of the packaging film which is glued to an internal sheet of paper which is intended to absorb moisture from cheese.

The size of the perforations of the outer packaging film is preferably of the order of 0.5 mm to 1 mm and their spacing in the same line is of the order of 4 to 8 mm and the spacing between two lines perforation is of the order of 8 to 20 mm.

In addition, FR-A-2 460 776 discloses a method, a machine and a flat product in sheet, roll or reel. This product obtained by the process or the machine comprises microperforations 28 regularly arranged on the entire product except on at least one zone 22, continuous or not, which is intended to include printing and / or inscriptions as is clear from in Figure 3.

Again, FR-A-2 531 682 relates to a flat product for the formation of a packaging for cheese, comprising perforations of varying density or dimension. According to a specific embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 4, the packaging has no perforation facing the upper face of the cheese and includes perforations facing the side faces.

There is no mention in this last document of the specific type of cheese and it is simply mentioned on page 1, lines 8 to 24, that the aeration of the cheese should be improved to allow gas exchange through the film of packaging to dissipate the humidity of the cheese in the atmosphere, in particular.

US-A-2 961 622 discloses a food package coated with a specific resin and a specific wax. The coating initially applied is permeable to gas and moisture to allow breathing and ripening of the food material, especially cheese.

When applied to a cheese for which the ripening must be stopped after a given period of storage, the coated packaging is heated to melt the wax and close the pores of the enveloping layer to stop breathing.

Thus, this coated packaging, at a given time, either allows breathing or prevents this breathing, in a uniform manner with respect to the packaged product, especially cheese.

Finally, US-A-3,060,035 relates to a packaging with a specific consumption size allowing salting or smoking of cheese consumption size cutting by coating the packaging film with a wax and sorbic acid. The packaging is made with edges with substantial overlap so as to allow the passage of air to allow the salting, smoking or fermentation of the cheese which is originally in the raw state, that is to say say without crust.

In view of the above, the prior art either provides packaging for cheese with only crust surfaces or cheese with only cut or dough surfaces.

The prior art has never concerned the specific problem of packaging cheese having simultaneously cut surfaces (dough surfaces) and crust surfaces.

The present invention therefore relates to the new technical problem constituted by the specific packaging of cheese having at least one cut surface and at least one rind surface, that is to say in particular rind cheese cut into portions and which is packed as is.

The present inventors have discovered that with cut cheese, specific packaging should be provided comprising areas intended to be facing, or in contact with, cut surfaces of cheese, having properties which are not the same as those of areas of the packaging intended to be facing, or in contact with, the crust surfaces of the cheese.

The present invention also relates to the technical problem of improving the shelf life or storage ("Shelf Life") of cheese.

The present invention further relates to the additional technical problem of improving the organoleptic properties of cheese.

All these technical problems are simultaneously solved for the first time by the present invention.

Thus, the present invention provides a process for the preparation of an improved packaging preferably for cheese having at least one cut surface and at least one rind surface, comprising the use of at least one packaging film provided with zones of gas permeability / different humidity depending on the position of the zones of the film facing the cheese, characterized in that it includes the provision of the packaging film with a gas / humidity barrier zone having a low permeability gas / humidity next to, or in contact with, each cut surface of the cheese; and with a gas / moisture permeable zone with a high gas / moisture permeability opposite, or in contact with, each crust surface of the cheese.

According to a specific embodiment of the method of the invention, this method further comprises providing a packaging film with a high barrier capacity to gas / humidity which is then perforated with perforations or microperforations in the areas thereof. these intended to be facing, or in contact with, the crust surfaces of the cheese.

According to another specific embodiment of the method of the invention, this method comprises providing a packaging film permeable to gas / humidity and which is treated in the areas intended to be facing, or in contact with, cut surfaces of cheese to have low gas / moisture permeability in said treated areas to prevent accessibility of gas / moisture to cut surfaces of cheese. Preferably, this treatment comprises coating said film with a coating or coating with a gas barrier / predetermined humidity property,

According to another specific embodiment of the method of the invention, this method comprises providing a packaging film forming a gas / moisture barrier which is perforated with perforations or microperforations over its entire surface and which is treated in areas intended to be in contact with cut surfaces of cheese to exhibit low gas / moisture permeability.

According to a preferred embodiment, the packaging film is shrinkable, and preferably heat-shrinkable so as to ensure the tight packaging of the cheese, thus achieving a physical separation between the cut surfaces of the cheese and the rind surfaces to avoid communication between them.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, said method comprises carrying out the perforation of the packaging in said areas after packaging of the cheese. In the latter case, preferably either the cheese is moved relative to a fixed perforating roller provided with perforating needles, or the cheese is fixed and the perforating roller moves relative to the cheese.

The diameter of said perforations or microperforations is preferably uniform in said perforated areas.

According to the currently preferred embodiments, said perforations are stopped at a predetermined distance from the dividing line between the crust surface and the cut or dough surface. This predetermined distance can for example be 0.5 mm.

The present invention also relates to a packaging film, preferably for cheese as defined above.

Thus, with the process of the invention, a new packaging film is provided which allows aerobic conditions in the crust surfaces while leading to anaerobic conditions in the cut surfaces of the cheese for which the dough must not breathe.

This ensures a longer shelf life or storage of the cheese.

In addition, since the cut surfaces will be prevented from breathing and will be in anaerobic conditions, no growth of mold, yeast, bacteria or microorganism will be present. On the contrary, in the crust surfaces, the exchanges of gas (oxygen) and humidity (water vapor) will be favored.

This will improve the quality of the cheese and its organoleptic properties.

• La figure 1 représente un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention incluant les étapes principales du procédé de l'invention pour la préparation de l'emballage selon t'invention, avec l'emploi d'une pellicule d'emballage unique.
• La figure 2 représente un second mode de réalisation dans lequel on utilise une pellicule d'emballage unique qui a été précédemment repliée pour former deux plis se superposant ; le fromage à emballer étant inséré entre eux, et
• Les figures 3A à 3C représentent un autre mode de réalisation de l'invention avec l'emploi de pellicules d'emballage supérieure et inférieure, montrant la perforation de celles-ci après l'emballage avec une variante.

Other objects, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description according to preferred embodiments of the invention given by way of example and which cannot therefore be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention , with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 represents a first embodiment of the invention including the main steps of the method of the invention for the preparation of the packaging according to the invention, with the use of a single packaging film.
• FIG. 2 represents a second embodiment in which a single packaging film is used which has been previously folded back to form two overlapping folds; the cheese to be packaged being inserted between them, and
• FIGS. 3A to 3C represent another embodiment of the invention with the use of upper and lower packaging films, showing the perforation thereof after packaging with a variant.

With reference to FIG. 1, representing a first embodiment of the invention, a single packaging film 1 is used which is, for example, unwound from a roll or reel 2 of the packaging film. In this first embodiment of FIG. 1, the packaging film is a packaging film with a gas barrier / high humidity capacity, for example a packaging film with the trade name Darfresh (registered trademark) of WR GRACE & CO. The thickness of this film is for example around 150 microns. This barrier packaging film is perforated during packaging, for example by laser radiation symbolized by arrows 4 or by a perforation unit 6 comprising a roller 8 provided with perforation needles 10. This perforation produces perforations or microperforations ( i.e. 0.3 mm in diameter) only in the areas of the packaging film which are intended to be facing, or in contact with, the crust surfaces of the cheese.

Simultaneously the packaging film can be cut to provide a sheet 1 of packaging film provided for example with perforated zones 12, 13, 14, 15 which will be facing, or in contact with, the crust surfaces 16, 18 and 20 of the cheese portion. At the end of the process, a packaging of the cheese is consequently obtained with gas / moisture barrier zones 22, 24 with a low gas / moisture permeability opposite, or in contact with, each cut surface of the cheese 26, 28 and with gas ^/ moisture permeable zones 12, 13, 14, 15 with high gas / moisture permeability opposite, or in contact with, each crust surface of the cheese 16, 18, 20.

Preferably, the packaging film is shrinkable and more preferably is heat shrinkable so as to ensure a narrow packaging of the cheese as shown at the right end of FIG. 1, thus resulting in a physical separation between the cut surfaces of the cheese. 26, 28 and the crust surfaces 16, 18, 20 to avoid communication between them. In other words, the packaging film must have a very good tackability.

With such packaging, the exchange of gas - (oxygen) and humidity (water vapor) will be favored in the crust surfaces while breathing will be prevented in the cut surfaces or dough which will be in conditions of anaerobically so that there will be no growth of mold, yeast, bacteria or microorganism in said cut surfaces.

Thus, one unexpectedly results in a longer conservation or storage period. Also, the cheese will be of improved quality, in particular will have improved organoleptic properties.

This is shown in Table 1 mentioned at the end of the description, representing the preservation or storage period obtained according to the invention in comparison with the prior art.

FIG. 2 represents an alternative to the method of FIG. 1 according to which the packaging film 100 has previously been folded up into an upper fold 102 and a lower fold 104, said packaging film and folded also being, for example, unwound from a support roll 106. As in the case of FIG. 1, this packaging film is a Darfresh film (registered trademark) with high barrier capacity to gas / humidity which is then also perforated for example either by laser radiation 108 or by unit of perforation 110. Naturally, other known means can also be used to perforate the packaging film 102 in specific areas. As a result, perforated zones 112 and 114 are obtained which will be opposite, or in contact with, the crust surfaces 116, 118, 120 of the portion of cheese 130 which will be inserted between the folds 102, 104. The end of the packing procedure is usual and may include vacuum sealing, cutting of excess film etc. The same naturally applies with respect to Figure 1.

Also, the film is preferably heat-shrinkable so as to ensure tight packaging or excellent plating of the cheese, as is the case with Darfresh film (registered trademark).

. FIG. 3 shows another embodiment according to which an upper packaging film 202 and a lower packaging film 204 are provided above and below a portion of cheese 230 respectively. The packaging is made so usual to provide a packaging 240 perfectly enveloping the portion of cheese 230. Here also, the film is a Darfresh film (registered trademark) with gas / moisture barrier capacity.

With the cheese wrapped, the areas that are facing, or in contact with, the crust surfaces of the cheese portion 230 can now be punctured.

FIG. 3B shows a first variant according to which the perforation unit 210 moves for example firstly with respect to the upper surface of the packaging of the cheese which is in contact with a crust surface, then with respect to a rear lateral zone of the packaging which is also in contact with a rear crust surface and finally with respect to a lower zone of the packaging film which is still in contact with the lower crust surface of the portion of cheese.

FIG. 3C represents a variant according to which all of the packaging zones facing, or in contact with, the crust surfaces of the cheese are simultaneously perforated, for example by laser radiation.

Other modifications are naturally possible. For example, cheese can be moved relative to a fixed punch roller. Also, the size of the perforations is not critical. This dimension can be of the order of 100 microns. The shape of the perforation can be circular or can be radial as well known in the art, in particular in the prior art previously mentioned in the introductory part of the description.

According to a still possible modification of the invention, the method may comprise providing a gas / moisture barrier packaging film which is perforated with perforations or microperforations over its entire surface and which is treated in the areas intended for be in contact with the cut surfaces of the cheese to have low gas / moisture permeability.

Another modification of the process includes providing a gas permeable / moisture wrap which is treated at areas intended to be facing, or in contact with, the cut surfaces of the cheese to exhibit low gas permeability / humidity in said treated areas to prevent gas / humidity exchanges at said cut surfaces of the cheese.

In each of the aforementioned modifications, the treatment preferably comprises coating or coating said film with a coating film or coating with a predetermined gas / moisture barrier property.

This coating or coating may for example comprise a wax or a resin as described either in US Pat. No. 2,961,322 or US 3,060,035.

Finally, in the present description and the claims, the terms "low gas permeability / humidity" are intended to indicate that the packaging essentially prevents the exchange of gas / humidity so that there is essentially no breathing and no mold / bacteria development.

The terms "high gas permeability / humidity" are intended to mean that the packaging film promotes gas / humidity exchanges so that the development of mold / bacteria is favored under aerobic conditions.

Claims (17)

1.-Process for preparing an improved packaging preferably for cheese having at least one cut surface and at least one crust surface, comprising the use of at least one packaging film provided with gas permeability zones / different humidity as a function of the position of said film zones relative to the cheese, characterized in that it comprises the provision of the packaging film with a gas / humidity barrier zone with low gas permeability / humidity opposite , or in contact with, each cut surface of the cheese; and with a gas / moisture permeable zone with high gas / moisture permeability facing, or in contact with, each crust surface of the cheese. 2.-A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises the provision of a packaging film with high barrier capacity to gas / humidity which is then perforated with perforations or microperforations in the areas thereof. these intended to be facing, or in contact with, the crust surfaces of the cheese. 3.-A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises providing a packaging film permeable to gas / moisture which is treated in areas intended to be opposite, or in contact with, the cut surfaces cheese to have low gas / moisture permeability in said treated areas to prevent gas / moisture accessibility to said cut surfaces of the cheese. 4.-Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises providing a gas / humidity barrier packaging film which is perforated with perforations or microperforations over its entire surface and which is treated in the areas intended to be in contact with the cut surfaces of the cheese to have low gas / moisture permeability. S.-Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the treatment comprises coating or coating of said film with a coating film or coating of gas barrier property / predetermined humidity, for example a wax or a resin. 6.-Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the packaging film is shrinkable, preferably heat shrinkable, so as to ensure a tight packaging of the cheese, thus resulting in a physical separation between the cut surfaces cheese and rind surfaces to prevent communication between them. 7.- Method according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that it comprises the perforation of the packaging in said areas after packaging of the cheese. 8.-Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the cheese is moved relative to a fixed perforation roller provided with perforation needles. 9.-A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the cheese is fixed and a perforation roller moves relative to the cheese. 10.-A method according to any one of claims 2, 4, 7 to 9, characterized in that the perforations are stopped at a predetermined distance from the dividing line between the crust surface and the cut surface or paste. 11.-Packaging, preferably for cheese having at least one cut surface and at least one crust surface, comprising at least one packaging film provided with zones of different permeability to gas / humidity depending on the position of said zones film relative to the cheese, characterized in that the packaging film comprises a gas / humidity barrier zone (22, 24) with a low gas / humidity permeability opposite, or in contact with, each cut surface of the cheese - (26, 28); and with a gas / moisture permeable zone (12, 14) with a high gas / moisture permeability opposite, or in contact with, each crust surface of the cheese (16, 18, 20). 12.-Package according to claim 11, characterized in that the film is a film with high barrier capacity to gas / humidity which is perforated with perforations or microperforations in the areas thereof intended to be opposite, or in contact with, the rind surfaces of the cheese. 13. Packaging according to claim 11, characterized in that the packaging film is a gas / moisture permeable packaging film treated in the areas intended to be facing, or in contact with, the cut surfaces of the cheese ( 26, 28) to have low gas / moisture permeability in said treated areas to prevent gas / moisture accessibility to said cut surfaces of the cheese. 14.-Packaging according to claim 11, characterized in that the packaging film is a gas / humidity barrier packaging film perforated with perforations or microperforations on its entire surface and treated in the areas (22, 24 ) intended to be in contact with the cut surfaces of the cheese (26, 28) to have a low permeability to gas / humidity. 15-Packaging according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the packaging film comprises a coating or coating of gas barrier property / predetermined humidity for example a wax or a resin. 16-Packaging according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that the packaging film is shrinkable, preferably heat shrinkable. 17.-Packaging according to any one of claims 12, 14 to 16, characterized in that the perforations are stopped at a predetermined distance from the line of separation between the crust surface and the cut surface or paste.

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