Tray for sauces, products containing same and methods

Abstract

A multiple portion sauce tray formed from a rigid foam material is provided. The sauce is located in a plurality of receptacles for holding individual portions of sauce. The receptacles of the tray do not separate when the tray is processed by automated packaging equipment, but may be readily separated by the consumer at time of use. The tray is particularly useful in a combination product, wherein sauces are provided with comestible articles for dipping therein. Methods for manufacture of the sauce tray and the combination product, as well as uses of the tray and the combination product are provided.

1 . A multiple portion tray comprising a plurality of receptacles for holding individual portions of sauce, said tray comprising lines of weakness between the receptacles so that the receptacles do not separate from one another under tensile forces that generally correspond to the amount of force normally imparted to a tray when being conveyed by conventional automated packaging equipment, but which receptacles do separate under tensile force such that the consumer can readily separate the receptacles one from another by using only tensile force; said tray being formed from a rigid foam material.  
     
     
         2 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said line of weakness is a perforation line.  
     
     
         3 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said line of weakness comprises land areas and gap areas, wherein the ratio of land area to gap area is from 1:30 to 1:5.  
     
     
         4 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said rigid foam material is a foamed polymeric matrix having a closed cell structure.  
     
     
         5 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said rigid foam material is a foamed polypropylene polymeric matrix.  
     
     
         6 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said rigid foam material is a laminated construction comprising a foam polymer matrix and an impervious film layer.  
     
     
         7 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein said tray has a thickness of about 0.2 to about 3.0 mm.  
     
     
         8 . A multiple portion tray comprising a plurality of receptacles for holding individual portions of sauce, said receptacles being connected in said tray by land areas having a width of about 1 to about 3 mm and a gap area having a width of about 15 to about 30 mm between each land area; said tray being formed from a rigid foam material.  
     
     
         9 . The multiple portion tray of  claim 8 , wherein said receptacles are rectangular in shape and have a length of about 30 to about 60 mm, a width of about 30 to about 60 mm, and are provided with 2-4 land areas per adjoining receptacle lengths in a tray and 2-4 land areas per adjoining receptacle widths in a tray.  
     
     
         10 . The multiple portion tray of  claim 8 , said tray being a symmetrical array of 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 or 10 receptacles in the tray.  
     
     
         11 . The multiple portion tray of  claim 8 , said tray comprising from 6 to 10 receptacles in the tray.  
     
     
         12 . A multiple portion microwavable dipping sauce tray comprising 
 a) a tray of  claim 1;     b) sauce disposed within said receptacles suitable for microwave heating    c) a cover sheet hermetically sealed over said receptacles, thereby ceiling in said sauce within said receptacles.    
     
     
         13 . The multiple portion microwavable dipping sauce tray of  claim 12 , wherein said cover sheet is a polymeric film.  
     
     
         14 . The multiple portion microwavable dipping sauce tray of  claim 12 , wherein said cover sheet is heat sealed to said receptacles.  
     
     
         15 . The multiple portion microwavable dipping sauce tray of  claim 12 , wherein said cover sheet is an individual sheet for each receptacle.  
     
     
         16 . The multiple portion microwavable dipping sauce tray of  claim 12 , wherein said cover sheet is a full sheet covering the entire tray, with separation lines corresponding to the lines of weakness so that upon separation of the receptacles from the tray, the cover sheet is also separated and the sauce remains sealed within the receptacle.  
     
     
         17 . The multiple portion microwavable dipping sauce tray of  claim 12 , wherein said tray comprises about 10 to about 50 ml of sauce in each receptacle.  
     
     
         18 . The multiple portion microwavable dipping sauce tray of  claim 12 , wherein said tray comprises about 20 to about 40 ml of sauce in each receptacle.  
     
     
         19 . A method for providing multiple portions of a sauce suitable for microwave heating, comprising 
 a) providing a tray of  claim 1;     b) depositing a sauce suitable for microwave heating within a plurality of said receptacles;    c) providing a cover over said receptacles having sauce deposited therein, thereby sealing said sauce within said receptacles;    d) inserting said tray in a package by a mechanical package device.    
     
     
         20 . A method for providing a multiple portion frozen food product suitable for microwave heating, comprising 
 a) providing a sauce tray of  claim 12;     b) providing a plurality of comestible articles suitable for dipping in the sauce of step a above;    c) inserting said sauce tray and said comestible articles in a package by a mechanical package device;    d) holding said package at a temperature to maintain the sauce and the comestible articles in a frozen state.    
     
     
         21 . A frozen food product comprising 
 a) the multiple portion microwavable dipping sauce tray of  claim 12;  and    b) a plurality of comestible articles suitable for dipping in the sauce of step a above; said sauce tray and said comestible articles being contained within a single package in a frozen state.    
     
     
         22 . A method of preparing a frozen food product of  claim 21  for consumption comprising: 
 a) providing the frozen food product of  claim 21;   
 b) selecting a quantity of comestible articles from the package;  
 c) selecting a quantity of portions of microwavable dipping sauce suitable for the quantity of comestible articles selected in step the above;  
 d) separating the selected quantity of portions of the sauce from the tray;  
 e) microwaving the quantity of portions of dipping sauce to a selected temperature; and  
 f) microwaving the quantity of comestible articles to a selected temperature.