Packaged food product

Abstract

A packaged food product may incorporate an angled back card to improve stability by providing an enlarged footprint when the package is standing upright, i.e., vertically oriented. The angled back card can provide a wider base of support between the front of the product and the back card to improve the ability of the package to be self-supporting in an upright position, i.e., to stand up reliably on a shelf without leaning on other structures for external support. The package may be generally dumbbell-shaped as viewed from the front and / or from other angles, and may comprise a center portion that is narrower and / or shallower than adjacent end portions. This may facilitate handling of the product by the consumer and also may help to provide the product with an impactful appearance and theme at retail when the product is viewed from the front and / or from other angles. The product may include high-protein food items, consistent with the theme established by the shape, and may include prominently-displayed information about the protein content of the food items.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 745,915, filed on Dec. 26, 2012, entitled “Packaged Food Product,” the entire disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This application relates generally to food packaging, and more particularly to a packaged food product that may be displayed in an upright position.BACKGROUND[0003]Packaged food products include meal kits that contain various ready-to-eat (“RTE”) food items to provide an essentially complete meal, as well as snack kits that contain fewer components and / or smaller quantities than meal kits. Such kits may include, for example, farinaceous items such as crackers and breads; proteinaceous items such as meats, nuts and Cheeses; sauces; dips; dessert; beverages such as juice drinks; and / or other food and beverage items.[0004]Upstanding packaged food products that comprise a tray with one or more cavi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a packaged food product with an angled back card to improve stability when upright. The angled back card provides a wider base of support between the front and back of the product, allowing it to stand up reliably on a shelf without leaning on other structures. The product has a dumbbell-shaped design with a recessed midsection for intuitive handling and impactful appearance at retail. It includes three cavities or compartments with good standability, product access, and product view. The methods facilitate precise placement of the angled back card. The tray has a weak area between the first and second portions for easy separation. The food product includes protein-based items such as cheeses, meats, and nuts, and the tray has compartments with gas flushed to reduce or eliminate oxygen. The product has a mass in the upper compartment that is less than the mass in the lower compartment to enhance stability, or equal to or greater than the mass in the lower compartment with an angled back card providing stability despite the higher center of gravity associated with this arrangement.

Problems solved by technology

In the past, some upstanding packaged food products of the types described above have proven to be somewhat unstable, or susceptible to tipping in response to minor disturbances.

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