US2007212461A1PendingUtilityA1

Microbial oxygen absorber

42
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Nov 21, 2005Filed: Nov 21, 2006Published: Sep 13, 2007
Est. expiryNov 21, 2025(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Soren K. LillevangGrith MortensenMette Nortoft KristensenHenrik Skou PedersenTorben Lohse FriisNiels Kristian Sorensen
A23B 11/65A23B 2/729A23B 2/717A23B 2/783B65D 81/266B65B 25/001A23V 2002/00A23V 2400/231
42
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Claims

Abstract

Improved packaging and method for prolonging the shelf life and quality of packaged foods.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . Food product packaged in a packaging material together with a microbial oxygen absorber.  
   
   
       2 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein any gas within the packaging has a reduced or equal content of oxygen as compared to atmospheric air, such as less than 1% oxygen, less than 0.05% oxygen or less than 0.01% oxygen.  
   
   
       3 . The food product according to any one of claims  1 - 2 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is bacteria.  
   
   
       4 . The food product according to anyone of claims  1 - 3 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is selected from oxygen absorbing strains of  Lactococcus  spp.,  Streptococcus  spp.,  Lactobacillus  spp.,  Leuconostoc  spp.,  Brevibacterium  spp.,  Propionibacterium  spp.,  Bifidobacterium  spp, and yeast spp.  
   
   
       5 . The food product according to any one of claims  1 - 4 , wherein the microbial oxygen absorber is  Lactococcus lactis.    
   
   
       6 . The food product according to  claim 5 , wherein said  Lactococcus lactis  consumes oxygen and does not produce lactic acid.  
   
   
       7 . The food product according to any one of claims  1 - 6 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber does not produce significant amounts of organic acids and carbon dioxide.  
   
   
       8 . The food product according to any one of claims  1 - 7 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is a strain having the phenotype Ldh − , e.g.  Lactococcus lactis  subsp.  lactis  DN-224 deposited as DSM 11037.  
   
   
       9 . The food product according to  claim 8 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is a strain having the phenotype Pfl − , e.g.  Lactococcus lactis  subsp. lactis DN-223 deposited as DSM 11036.  
   
   
       10 . The food product according to any one of claims  1 - 8 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is a strain which overexpresses NADH oxidase, e.g. a strain of  Lactococcus lactis  subsp.  lactis.    
   
   
       11 . The food product according to any one of claims  1 - 10 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is a lactic acid bacterium which has been cultured in the presence of at least one porphyrin compound.  
   
   
       12 . The food product according to any one of claim  1 - 11 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is  Lactococcus lactis  subsp.  diacetylactis.    
   
   
       13 . The food product according to any of the preceding claims, said packaging material being wrapped around said food product.  
   
   
       14 . The food product according to any of the preceding claims, the packaging including a space between said packaging material and the food product.  
   
   
       15 . The food product according to  claim 14 , wherein the volume of said head space is from 10 mL to 200 mL, and the weight of said food product is from 100 grams to 1000 grams, and the amount of microbial oxygen absorber applied to said food product is from 10 3  to 10 9  CFU.  
   
   
       16 . The food product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is applied to the surface of the food.  
   
   
       17 . The food product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is incorporated into the food product.  
   
   
       18 . The food product according to claim any one of claims  1 - 10 , wherein said packaging material is a coating, e.g. Dutch plastic coating, paraffin wax, or other lipid-based coatings, applied directly onto the surface of the food product with said microbial oxygen absorber between said food product and said coating, or with said microbial oxygen absorber incorporated in said coating.  
   
   
       19 . The food product according to  claim 14 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is applied to a sachet, label, capsule, or as freeze-dried powder pellets placed within said space.  
   
   
       20 . The food product according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is arranged on a surface of said packaging material facing said food product.  
   
   
       21 . The food product according to any one of claims  1 - 20 , which is a solid food product.  
   
   
       22 . The food product according to any one of claims  1 - 21 , which is a dairy product.  
   
   
       23 . The food product according to  claim 22 , which is a fermented food product, such as cheese.  
   
   
       24 . The food product according to any one of claims  1 - 21 , which is selected from the group consisting of a sliced meat product, a ready meal incl. a sous-vide product, and a bakery product.  
   
   
       25 . The food product according to any one of the preceding claims, packaged in a modified atmosphere.  
   
   
       26 . The food product according to any one of the preceding claims, packaged in atmospheric air.  
   
   
       27 . The food product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the amount of the food product within said packaging is in the range from 100 grams to 1000 grams, such as from 100 grams to 700 grams, or from 200 grams to 500 grams, and wherein the amount of microbial oxygen absorber which is added to said food product during manufacturing is from 10 3  to 10 10  CFU.  
   
   
       28 . A method for the preservation of a food product by packaging said food in a packaging material, preferably a material defining a barrier adapted to prevent or to minimize in a conventional manner entry into the packaging of air, together with a microbial oxygen absorber.  
   
   
       29 . The method according to the preceding claim, wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is applied to the surface of said food or incorporated in said packaging material.  
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is applied in an amount from 10 2  CFU/cm 2  to 10 7  CFU/cm 2 , such as from 10 3  CFU/cm 2  to 10 6  CFU/cm 2 , or from 10 4  CFU/cm 2  to 10 5  CFU/cm 2 .  
   
   
       31 . The method according to the preceding claim, wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is applied by spraying a slurry containing said microbial oxygen absorber onto the food product or onto said packaging material, said slurry optionally comprising one or more nutrients for the microbial oxygen absorber, e.g. a carbon and/or nitrogen-source.  
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is applied to a sachet, label, capsule, or as freeze-dried powder pellets placed in a space between said food product and said packaging material.  
   
   
       33 . Sachet, label, capsule, or freeze-dried powder pellets comprising a microbial oxygen absorber and necessary substrates for the microbial oxygen absorber to assimilate oxygen upon exposure to water vapour.  
   
   
       34 . A packaging for food, comprising a packaging material and a microbial oxygen absorber.  
   
   
       35 . The packaging according to  claim 34 , said microbial oxygen absorber being ap plied, such as by a spraying operation, on a surface of said packaging material adapted to face a food storage compartment of said packaging.  
   
   
       36 . The packaging according to any of claims  34 - 35 , wherein said packaging material comprises at least two layers, one defining a barrier and another layer comprising said microbial oxygen absorber.  
   
   
       37 . The packaging according to any of the preceding claims, said packaging material comprising a gas-permeable layer, said layer comprising said microbial oxygen absorber being arranged between said barrier and said gas-permeable layer.  
   
   
       38 . The packaging according to any of claims  34 - 37 , said packaging material being shaped, such as by injection moulding or deep-drawing.  
   
   
       39 . The packaging according to any of claims  34 - 38 , said packaging material being flexible.  
   
   
       40 . The packaging material according to  claim 37 , said gas-impermeable layer being glass or metal.  
   
   
       41 . The packaging or packaging material according to any of claims  34 - 40 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is selected from oxygen absorbing strains of  Lactococcus  spp.,  Streptococcus  spp.,  Lactobacillus  spp.,  Leuconostoc  spp.,  Brevibacterium  spp.,  Propionibacterium  spp.,  Bifidobacterium  spp, and yeast spp.  
   
   
       42 . The packaging according to any one of claims  3441 , wherein the microbial oxygen absorber is  Lactococcus lactis.    
   
   
       43 . The packaging according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said  Lactococcus lactis  consumes oxygen and does not produce lactic acid.  
   
   
       44 . The packaging according to any one of claims  34 - 43 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber does not produce significant amounts of organic acids and carbon dioxide.  
   
   
       45 . The packaging material according to any one of claims  34 - 44 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is a strain having the phenotype Ldh − , e.g.  Lactococcus lactis  subsp.  lactis  DN-224 deposited as DSM 11037.  
   
   
       46 . The packaging material according to  claim 45 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is a strain having the phenotype Pfl − , e.g. of  Lactdcoccus lactis  subsp.  lactis  DN-223 deposited as DSM 11036.  
   
   
       47 . The packaging material according to any one of claims  34 - 46 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is a strain which overexpresses NADH oxidase, e.g. a strain of  Lactococcus lactis  subsp.  lactis.    
   
   
       48 . The packaging material according to any one of claims  34 - 47 , wherein said microbial oxygen absorber is a lactic acid bacterium which has been cultured in the presence of at least one porphyrin compound.  
   
   
       49 . The packaging material according to any one of claims  34 - 44 , wherein said microbial oxygen,absorber is  Lactococcus lactis  subsp.  diacetylactis.

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