Food preservation method, food film, food container, and food handling method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10980255-B2
Application number	US-201515539631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2015
Priority date	Dec 25, 2014
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A food preserving method is a method for preserving food using a food film ( 34 A), ( 34 B). The food film ( 34 A), ( 34 B) has a surface which has a plurality of raised portions ( 34 Ap), ( 34 Bp). The two-dimensional size of the plurality of raised portions ( 34 Ap), ( 34 Bp) is in a range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm when viewed in a direction normal to the food film ( 34 A), ( 34 B). The method includes bringing the food into direct contact with the surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A food film having a surface comprising:
a plurality of first raised portions, wherein:
a two-dimensional size of the plurality of first raised portions is in a range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm when viewed in a direction normal to the food film;
a plurality of second raised portions is superimposedly formed over the plurality of first raised portions;
a two-dimensional size of the plurality of second raised portions is smaller than the two-dimensional size of the plurality of first raised portions and does not exceed 100 nm;
the plurality of first raised portions includes a first raised portion on which two or more second raised portions of the plurality of second raised portions are formed; and
the surface has a microbicidal effect.

2. The food film of claim 1 , wherein a static contact angle of the surface with respect to hexadecane is not more than 51°.

3. The food film of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of nitrogen element included in the surface is not less than 0.7 at %.

4. The food film of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second raised portions include a generally conical portion.

5. The food film of claim 1 , wherein a height of the plurality of second raised portions is more than 20 nm and not more than 100 nm.

6. A food container having a surface comprising:
a plurality of first raised portions over an inner wall or bottom surface, wherein:
a two-dimensional size of the plurality of first raised portions is in a range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm when viewed in a direction normal to the surface;
a plurality of second raised portions is superimposedly formed over the plurality of first raised portions;
a two-dimensional size of the plurality of second raised portions is smaller than the two-dimensional size of the plurality of first raised portions and does not exceed 100 nm;
the plurality of first raised portions includes a first raised portion on which two or more second raised portions of the plurality of second raised portions are formed; and
the surface has a microbicidal effect.

7. The food container of claim 6 , wherein a static contact angle of the surface with respect to hexadecane is not more than 51°.

8. The food container of claim 6 , wherein the concentration of nitrogen element included in the surface is not less than 0.7 at %.

9. The food container of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of second raised portions include a generally conical portion.

10. The food container of claim 6 , wherein a height of the plurality of second raised portions is more than 20 nm and not more than 100 nm.

11. A method for preserving food using the food film as set forth in claim 1 , the method comprising bringing the food into direct contact with the surface of the food film.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the food film is in the form of a sheet.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the food film is in the form of a tube or bag and has the surface inside the tube or bag.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the food is hermetically preserved.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the food is hermetically preserved in a wrapping film whose water vapor transmission rate is less than 10 g/(m 2 ·24 h) and whose oxygen permeability is less than 100 ml/(m 2 ·24 h·MPa) in such a state that the food is in direct contact with the surface of the food film.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein a static contact angle of the surface with respect to hexadecane is not more than 51°.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the concentration of nitrogen element included in the surface is not less than 0.7 at %.

18. A method for preserving food using the food container as set forth in claim 6 , the method comprising bringing the food into direct contact with the surface of the food container.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the food is hermetically preserved.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the food is hermetically preserved in a wrapping film whose water vapor transmission rate is less than 10 g/(m 2 ·24 h) and whose oxygen permeability is less than 100 ml/(m 2 ·24 h·MPa) in such a state that the food is in direct contact with the surface of the food container.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein a static contact angle of the surface with respect to hexadecane is not more than 51°.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the concentration of nitrogen element included in the surface is not less than 0.7 at %.

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Yamada Miho
• Minoura Kiyoshi
• Nakahara Takahiro
• Kusumoto Kouji

Classifications

• A23B2/00 Primary

  Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general · CPC title

• B65D81/28

  Applications of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants · CPC title

• A23B7/00

  Preservation of fruit or vegetables; Chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables · CPC title

• A23B4/10

  Coating with a protective layer; Compositions or apparatus therefor · CPC title

• A23B7/16

  Coating with a protective layer; Compositions or apparatus therefor (A23B7/08 takes precedence) · CPC title