Apparatus for preserving cooked food palatability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016100595-A1
Application number	US-201514974926-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 15, 2011
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The rate of degradation of a cooked food product that is maintained at an elevated temperature can be reduced by the use of an encapsulated environment food holder. The encapsulated environment is a small, airtight or semi-airtight containment vessel that retains compositions that escape from a cooked food product over time. The volume of an encapsulated environment is greater than one hundred percent but less than one-thousand percent of the cooked food product volume. By holding single servings or portions of a cooked food product in a small, encapsulated environment palatability or taste of a cooked food product can be extended.

First claim

1 - 8 . (canceled)

9 . An apparatus for preserving the palatability of a cooked food product having a predetermined volume, the apparatus comprising:
a food holding cabinet having a plurality of food holding compartments, at least one of the food holding compartments including a heating element that maintains a temperature of the food holding compartment at an elevated, food holding temperature of 140° F. or greater; a food holding tray disposed within one of the food holding compartments; and an encapsulated environment device disposed within the food holding tray, the encapsulated environment device being made from a material impermeable to liquids and gases emitted from a cooked food product that is disposed within the encapsulated environment device, the cooked food product displacing a first volume, wherein an interior volume of the encapsulated environment device encloses the cooked food product within a predetermined headspace volume, the headspace volume being greater than one hundred percent of the first volume but less than one-thousand percent of the first volume.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the encapsulated environment is comprised of at least one vent.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the encapsulated environment is configured to maintain a cooked food product in contact with compositions from the cooked food product.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the encapsulated environment is configured to maintain a cooked food product separated from compositions from the cooked food product.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the heating device comprises the food holding tray.

15 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the heating device is a grill surface.

16 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the heating device is comprised of a source of infrared energy configured to direct infrared energy downwardly.

17 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the heating device is comprised of a solar oven.

18 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the encapsulated environment device has an interior shape that is substantially cylindrical.

19 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the encapsulated environment device has an interior shape that is substantially a parallelepiped.

20 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a timer configured to measure a time period, prior to the expiration of which the cooked food product is served, after the expiration of which the food product is discarded.

21 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cooked food product comprises a cooked patty and wherein the encapsulated environment device comprises a substantially cylindrical base portion having a closed bottom and an open top, the encapsulated environment device further comprising a top, which is configured to fit over and close the open top of the base portion such that when the base portion and the top are assembled, they provide an enclosed volume.

22 . A method of preserving the palatability of a cooked food product, the method comprising:
cooking a food product, the food product displacing a first volume; placing the food product into an encapsulated environment device, the encapsulated environment device being made from a material impermeable to liquids and gases emitted from the food product, an interior volume of the encapsulated environment device enclosing the cooked food product within a predetermined headspace volume, the headspace volume being greater than one hundred percent of the first volume but less than one-thousand percent of the first volume; and maintaining the food product at an elevated temperature of at least 140° F. within the encapsulated environment device.

23 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
venting some, but not all, of the compositions released from the food product out of the encapsulated environment device.

24 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
starting a timer after placing the food product into the encapsulated environment device; and discarding the food product if the timer reaches a predetermined maximum holding time.

25 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the predetermined maximum holding time is greater than 15 minutes, but less than 1.5 hours.

26 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
placing the encapsulated environment device into a food holding cabinet, the food holding cabinet including a plurality of food holding compartments.

27 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
placing the encapsulated environment device into a food holding tray.

28 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
placing the encapsulated environment device onto a grill.

29 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
placing the encapsulated environment device under a heat lamp.

Assignees

• Prince Castle LLC

Inventors

• Veltrop Loren
• Grisham Phillip
• Grisham Brook
• Rainone Michael
• Thompson Clint
• Presley Talbot

Classifications

• A23B2/05

  by heating using irradiation or electric treatment (drying or kilning A23B2/90) · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A47J36/2488

  having infrared radiating elements · CPC title

• A47J39/006

  for either storing and preparing or for preparing food on serving trays, e.g. heating, thawing, preserving · CPC title

• A23B4/16 Primary

  in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor · CPC title