Packaging sheet for packaging of cheese, and associated packaging and manufacturing methods

Abstract

Disclosed is a packaging sheet for packaging of cheese, in particular white moulded soft cheese. The packaging sheet comprises: an inner surface and an outer surface of the packaging sheet, said inner surface being configured for facing the cheese in a packaged use position of the packaging sheet; a paper layer with a first surface and a second surface; a coloured layer provided on a first surface of the paper layer, an outer surface of the coloured layer establishing said outer surface of the packaging sheet; and a polymer layer with a water vapour transmission rate of at least 300 g/m2/24 hours at 38° C. and 90% atmospheric humidity. The polymer layer being coated on the second surface of the paper layer with a first surface of the polymer layer facing the paper layer and a second surface of the polymer layer establishing said inner surface of the packaging sheet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cheese package, comprising:
 cheese; and   a packaging sheet, wherein the cheese is wrapped in the packaging sheet, and wherein the packaging sheet comprises:
 an inner surface and an outer surface, at least part of said inner surface facing the cheese, 
 a paper layer with a first surface and a second surface, 
 a coloured layer provided at or on the first surface of the paper layer, an outer surface of the coloured layer establishing said outer surface of the packaging sheet, and 
 a polymer layer with a water vapour transmission rate of at least 300 g/m 2 /24 hours at 38° C. and 90% atmospheric humidity, the polymer layer being positioned at and being coated on the second surface of the paper layer with a first surface of the polymer layer facing the paper layer and a second surface of the polymer layer establishing said inner surface of the packaging sheet, wherein the polymer layer comprises at least 70% by weight polyolefin. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cheese package of  claim 1 , wherein the cheese is white moulded soft cheese. 
     
     
         3 . The cheese package of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer comprises at least 95% by weight polyolefin. 
     
     
         4 . The cheese package of  claim 1 , wherein said water vapour transmission rate of said polymer layer is lower than or equal to 1000 g/m 2 /24 hours at 38° C. and 90% atmospheric humidity. 
     
     
         5 . The cheese package of  claim 4 , wherein said water vapour transmission rate of said polymer layer is lower than or equal to 700 g/m2/24 hours at 38° C. and 90% atmospheric humidity. 
     
     
         6 . The cheese package of  claim 1 , wherein the paper layer is provided with a thickness corresponding to 25 to 50 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The cheese package of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer comprises pores of gas or air. 
     
     
         8 . The cheese package of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging sheet has an oxygen transmission rate of at least 2000 cm 3 /m 2 /24 hours/bar. 
     
     
         9 . The cheese package of  claim 1 , wherein an adhesive layer is provided between the paper layer and the polymer layer, the adhesive layer and the polymer layer being coextruded on the paper layer. 
     
     
         10 . The cheese package of  claim 9 , wherein the adhesive layer is substantially constituted by ethylene-acrylic ester-maleic anhydride (EMA) terpolymer. 
     
     
         11 . The cheese package of  claim 9 , wherein the coextruded adhesive and polymer layers are provided in the packaging sheet with an accumulated thickness corresponding to a weight of 5 to 9 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         12 . The cheese package of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer comprises an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer lacquer of a type which is obtained by emulsifying ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer in water. 
     
     
         13 . The cheese package of  claim 12 , wherein the polymer layer is provided with a thickness corresponding to 2 to 8 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         14 . The cheese package of  claim 12 , wherein the polymer layer is provided with a thickness corresponding to 2 to 6 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         15 . The cheese package of  claim 1 , wherein the paper layer extends over substantially an entirety of the first surface of the polymer layer. 
     
     
         16 . A method of wrapping cheese in a packaging sheet to form a cheese package, comprising:
 providing a piece of cheese, and   wrapping the piece of cheese in the packaging sheet so that at least part of an inner surface of the packaging sheet abuts the cheese, wherein the packaging sheet comprises:
 the inner surface and an outer surface, at least part of said inner surface facing the cheese, 
 a paper layer with a first surface and a second surface, 
 a coloured layer provided at or on the first surface of the paper layer, an outer surface of the coloured layer establishing said outer surface of the packaging sheet, and 
 a polymer layer with a water vapour transmission rate of at least 300 g/m 2 /24 hours at 38° C. and 90% atmospheric humidity, the polymer layer being positioned at and being coated on the second surface of the paper layer with a first surface of the polymer layer facing the paper layer and a second surface of the polymer layer establishing said inner surface of the packaging sheet, wherein the polymer layer comprises at least 70% by weight polyolefin. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 enclosing the packaging sheet in an external layer,   applying a label to said external layer, said label having an outer side suitable for displaying information regarding said cheese and an inner side with an adhesive layer, said inner side facing and being attached to the packaging sheet by means of said adhesive layer, and   connecting edges of the external layer on one side of said cheese by means of the label to thereby seal the cheese and form the cheese package.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the external layer is a transparent shrink film. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 manufacturing the packaging sheet,   providing the paper layer,   printing the coloured layer on the first surface of the paper layer,   
       coating the polymer layer onto the second surface of the paper layer with the first surface of the polymer layer facing the paper layer and the second surface of the polymer layer establishing said inner surface of the packaging sheet.