Multi-compartment products containing wet and dry food components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071844-B2
Application number	US-201313733564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2013
Priority date	Apr 4, 2012
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure provides multi-component food products having a wet food component and a dry food component. The multi-component food product is shelf-stable and does not include any artificial preservatives. Methods for providing a shelf-stable multi-component food product having a wet food component and a dry food component without artificial preservatives to a consumer are also provided, as are methods for marketing such a shelf-stable multi-component food product.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A multi-component food product, consisting of:
a single unitary tray of one piece construction comprising a top surface and at least a first compartment and a second compartment separate from each other;
a wet, flowable food component positioned within and in direct contact with the first compartment in a way that the wet, flowable food component wets the unitary tray of one piece construction;
a dry, solid food component positioned within and in direct contact with the second compartment; and
a single lid secured to the top surface of the tray to seal the first compartment and the second compartment in a way to prevent cross-contamination between the wet food component and the dry food component,
wherein each of the wet food component and the dry food component is free of any artificial preservatives.

2. The product of claim 1 , wherein a food component selected from the group consisting of the wet food component, the dry food component, and combinations thereof, does not contain any preservatives.

3. The product of claim 1 , wherein a food component selected from the group consisting of the wet food component, the dry food component, and combinations thereof, contains only natural preservatives.

4. The product of claim 1 , wherein the wet food component comprises a property selected from the group consisting of a pH that is less than about 4.6, a water activity ranging from greater than or equal to about 0.70 to less than 1.0, and combinations thereof.

5. The product of claim 1 , wherein the wet food component is a food product selected from the group consisting of a fruit sauce, oatmeal, fruit pieces, a yogurt product, a dairy product, a cheese product, a savory product, a vegetable sauce, an ethnic sauce, and combinations thereof.

6. The product of claim 1 , wherein the wet food component comprises at least about 50% by weight of a fruit product.

7. The product of claim 1 , wherein the wet food component comprises an age appropriate viscosity.

8. The product of claim 1 , wherein the food product comprises an ingredient selected from the group consisting of a sodium content that is less than about 100 mg per serving size of the product including a combination of the wet food component and the dry food component, a sugar content that is less than about 12 g per serving size of the product including a combination of the wet food component and the dry food component, and combinations thereof.

9. The product of claim 1 , wherein the dry food component is a food product selected from the group consisting of a cookie, a cracker, an extruded and dried product, an extruded and baked product, a waffle, a rusk, a wafer, a chip, a coated product, an uncoated product, a granola bar, a biscuit, a freeze-dried product, a puff, and combinations thereof.

10. The product of claim 1 , wherein the dry food component has a hardness value sufficient to allow (i) the dry food component to be dipped at least once into wet food component and maintain structural stability, and (ii) the dry food component to dissolve in a consumer's mouth when consumed.

11. The product of claim 1 , wherein the product is a packaged food product.

12. The product of claim 1 , wherein the tray comprises a property selected from the group consisting of a shape to promote age appropriate feeding; a size to promote age appropriate feeding; a size to be gripped by small hands; a surface characteristic selected from the group consisting of a thumb groove, a raised surface pattern, and indented surface pattern, and combinations thereof; a shape selected from the group consisting of round, square, rectangular, triangular, oval, hemi-spherical, and combinations thereof; and combinations thereof.

13. The product of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the tray comprises a property selected from the group consisting of a surface characteristic selected from the group consisting of a thumb groove, a raised surface pattern, and indented surface pattern, and combinations thereof; a shape selected from the group consisting of round, square, rectangular, triangular, oval, hemi-spherical, and combinations thereof; and
combinations thereof.

14. The product of claim 1 , wherein the at least first and second compartments have the same shape.

15. The product of claim 1 , wherein the at least first and second compartments have different shapes.

16. The product of claim 1 , wherein the lid comprises a property selected from the group consisting of a surface characteristic selected from the group consisting of a thumb groove, a raised surface pattern, and indented surface pattern, and combinations thereof; a shape selected from the group consisting of round, square, rectangular, triangular, oval, hemi-spherical, and combinations thereof; and
combinations thereof.

17. The product of claim 1 , wherein neither the wet food product nor the dry food product is pre-packaged.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa

Inventors

• Chappell Jr Russell Leon
• Dzikowicz Jr Anthony Edward
• Mann Jason Everett
• Mishra Dharmendra Kumar
• Peterson Scott David
• Sarachman Michael John

Classifications

• A23L33/40

  Complete food formulations for specific consumer groups or specific purposes, e.g. infant formula · CPC title

• B65B3/00 Primary

  Packaging plastic material, semiliquids, liquids or mixed solids and liquids, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars · CPC title

• A23L35/00

  Foods or foodstuffs not provided for in groups A23L5/00 - A23L33/00; Preparation or treatment thereof (preservation thereof A23B) · CPC title

• B65B1/00

  Packaging fluent solid material, e.g. powders, granular or loose fibrous material, loose masses of small articles, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars · CPC title

• B65B9/00

  Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages · CPC title