Packaging for steaming and related methods

Abstract

A strainable bag with a hook-and-hook closure can include walls formed of a material having multiple layers of polymer or paper or mixtures thereof, and which can include at least one gusset. The hook-and-hook closure allows for liquids or gases to be vented from the bag, as well as for liquids to be removed from the bag interior. The bag can be formed into a full open mouth configuration for ease of filling and ease of dispensing product. The hook-and-hook closure also allows for an imprecise alignment of the closure track to substantially close the bag around the gusset area. Methods of using and manufacturing a strainable bag with a hook-and-hook closure for preparing various food products are also presented.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing a product, comprising:
 heating a bag containing a product, wherein the bag comprises:
 a tube body that defines a front wall, a back wall, a top end and a bottom end, wherein the front and back walls and the top and bottom ends define at least a portion of a cavity that is configured to retain the product therein, wherein the front wall and the back wall at least partially define an opening into the cavity; and 
 a hook-and-hook closure element that is configured to transition between an open orientation and a closed orientation, wherein the hook-and-hook closure element is attached around at least a portion of the perimeter of the tube body at the top end of the tube body; and 
   venting the bag to release a gas from within the bag, wherein the hook-and-hook closure element, when in the closed orientation, is configured to permit venting of the gas from within the bag through the hook-and-hook closure element.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is generated during the heating step. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises steam. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tube body is configured to sealed such that the cavity is entirely enclosed after the product has been introduced therein, and subsequently unsealed so as to permit access to the product, and
 wherein an end of the bag that is closest to the hook-and-hook closure element is configured to be unsealed without affecting the ability of the hook-and-hook closure element to transition between the open and closed orientations.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of:
 straining a liquid out of the bag through the hook-and-hook closure element while retaining at least a portion of a non-liquid portion of the product within the bag.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the straining step comprises:
 inverting the bag and allowing the liquid to drain from the bag, wherein the hook-and-hook closure element, when in the closed orientation, is configured to permit the liquid to be strained out of the bag through the hook-and-hook closure element.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heating step comprises heating the bag in a microwave oven. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 adding a liquid to the bag, wherein the liquid is added prior to the heating step.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hook-and-hook closure element comprises hooks, wherein the density of the hooks ranges from between about 1 hook per cm 2  to about 120 hooks per cm 2 . 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product comprises a food product. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hook-and-hook closure element has a track width of between about 5 mm to about 50 mm, and wherein the hook-and-hook closure element comprises hooks, wherein the distance between adjacent hooks is between about 3% of the width of the track to about 30% of the width of the track. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hook-and-hook closure element comprises hooks with a thickness of between about 0.25 mm to about 5.0 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the hook-and-hook closure element comprises hooks wherein the distance between adjacent hooks is between about 1 mm to about 10 mm. 
     
     
         14 . A method of processing a product, comprising:
 obtaining a bag that defines a cavity, wherein the bag comprises:
 a hook-and-hook closure, and 
 a product positioned within the cavity; 
   heating the product; and   venting the bag to release a gas through the hook-and-hook closure and out of the bag.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the gas is generated during the heating step. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the gas comprises steam. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising a step of:
 straining a liquid out of the bag through the hook-and-hook closure while retaining at least a portion of a non-liquid portion of the product within the bag.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the bag further comprises a seal at an end of the bag, and wherein the method further comprises a step of removing the seal. 
     
     
         19 . A bag, comprising:
 a tube body that defines a front wall, a back wall, a top end and a bottom end, wherein the front and back walls and the top and bottom ends define at least a portion of a cavity that is configured to retain a product therein, and   a hook-and-hook closure that is configured to transition between an open orientation and a closed orientation, wherein the hook-and-hook closure is attached around at least a portion of the perimeter of the tube body at the top end of the tube body,   wherein the tube body is configured to be sealed such that the cavity is entirely enclosed after a product has been introduced therein, and subsequently unsealed so as to permit access to the product,   wherein an end of the bag that is closest to the hook-and-hook closure is configured to be unsealed without affecting the ability of the hook-and-hook closure to transition between the open and closed orientations,   wherein the hook-and-hook closure, when in the closed orientation, is configured to permit gas to be vented out of the bag through the hook-and-hook closure.   
     
     
         20 . The bag of  claim 19 , wherein the hook-and-hook closure, when in the closed orientation, is configured to permit a liquid to be strained out of the bag through the hook-and-hook closure while retaining at least a portion of a non-liquid portion of the product within the bag.