Tightly-fitting food package and food packaging method

Abstract

A food packaging method is provided in which food is packaged in a package with use of carbon dioxide to benefit from bacteriostatic effects and the food package contains the minimum reduced gas spaces and thereby has a volume substantially equal to the food volume. Tightly-fitting food packages are obtained by the method. A tightly-fitting food package is obtained by: placing at least one kind of foods selected from the group consisting of meats and processed meats in a plastic film package; blowing a carbon dioxide gas in the package to fill the package with the carbon dioxide gas in a volume of 10 to 45 cm 3 per 100 g of the food as measured at 0° C. and 1 atm; and sealing and refrigerating the package.

1 . A tightly-fitting food package comprising a plastic film package, a food and a carbon dioxide gas, which is obtained by:
 placing at least one kind of foods selected from the group consisting of meats and processed meats in a plastic film package;   blowing a carbon dioxide gas in the package to fill the package with the carbon dioxide gas in a volume of 10 to 45 cm3 per 100 g of the food as measured at 0° C. and 1 atm; and   sealing and refrigerating the package.   
   
   
       2 . The tightly-fitting food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the food has a water content of not less than 60 wt % as measured with an infrared moisture gauge by a normal pressure heat drying method. 
   
   
       3 . The tightly-fitting food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the food is an unheated food. 
   
   
       4 . The tightly-fitting food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerating is performed by keeping the food package at a temperature of 0 to 10° C. for 2 to 5 days. 
   
   
       5 . The tightly-fitting food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the package is a pouch type package or a pillow type package. 
   
   
       6 . A food packaging method comprising: placing at least one kind of foods selected from the group consisting of meats and processed meats in a plastic film package;
 blowing a carbon dioxide gas in the package to fill the package with the carbon dioxide gas in a volume of 10 to 45 cm 3  per 100 g of the food as measured at 0° C. and 1 atm; and   sealing and refrigerating the package.   
   
   
       7 . The food packaging method according to  claim 6 , wherein the food has a water content of not less than 60 wt % as measured with an infrared moisture gauge by a normal pressure heat drying method. 
   
   
       8 . The food packaging method according to  claim 6 , wherein the food is an unheated food. 
   
   
       9 . The food packaging method according to  claim 6 , wherein the refrigerating is performed by keeping the food package at a temperature of 0 to 10° C. for 2 to 5 days. 
   
   
       10 . The food packaging method according to  claim 6 , wherein the package is a pouch type package or a pillow type package.