Squeezable Assembly for Pasty Products

Abstract

A squeezable assembly ( 9 ) for shelf-stable, chilled or frozen pasty products comprising—a body formed by a tube or a container presenting a bottom ( 11 ), lateral walls ( 15 ) and a rim ( 12 ) in the accordion form,—a rigid plastic cap ( 13 ) attached to the end of the tube or the rim ( 12 ) of the container comprising an aperture ( 16 ),—a cover seal ( 14 ) to close the aperture ( 16 ) and—a product ( 2 ) contained in the assembly ( 19 ).

1 . A squeezable assembly for shelf-stable, chilled or frozen pasty products comprising 
 a body having a bottom, lateral walls and a rim, the body having an accordion form,    a rigid plastic cap attached to an end of the body comprising an aperture,    a cover that closes the aperture and    a product contained in the assembly.    
   
   
       2 . A squeezable assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the body is made from a plastic material selected from the group consisting of Polystyrene, Polyethylene, Polyactic acid, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polypropylene, and blends thereof.  
   
   
       3 . A squeezable assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the plastic material of the tube is Polyethylene Terephthalate and the wall of the body has a thickness of between 30 and 100 μm.  
   
   
       4 . A squeezable assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the plastic material of the body is polyethylene and a wall thickness of between 30 and 500 μm.  
   
   
       5 . An assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the Polyethylene Terephthalate is a semi-crystalline Polyethylene Terephthalate.  
   
   
       6 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the rigid plastic cap is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of Polystyrene, Polyethylene, Polyactic acid, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polypropylene, and blends thereof.  
   
   
       7 . An assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the rigid plastic cap has a thickness of between 500 and 2000 μm.  
   
   
       8 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the aperture on the rigid plastic cap has the form of a star.  
   
   
       9 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the cover constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of Polystyrene, Polyethylene, Polyactic acid, Polyethylen Terephthalate, Polypropylene, and blends thereof.    
   
   
       10 . An assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the cover has a thickness of between 30 and 100 μm.  
   
   
       11 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the product is a frozen product.  
   
   
       12 . An assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the frozen product is a soft ice-cream.  
   
   
       13 . An assembly according to  claim 11  wherein the frozen product is an aerated frozen confection which is soft at a storage temperature of −18° C. or less, and the soft frozen confection comprises by weight: 
 50 to 70% water,    5 to 20% fat,    0 to 5% polyol,    a balance being sugars, milk proteins, hydrocolloids and emulsifiers and    has an overrun of 20 to 150%.    
   
   
       14 . An assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the sugars comprise freezing point depressing sweeteners selected from the group consisting of sucrose, dextrose, fructose, glucose syrup, polydextrose, inulin or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       15 . An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the freezing point depressing sweeteners also comprise a polyol selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, mannitol, lactilol, xylitol, maltitol, glycerol, ethanol and their mixtures, glycerol and ethanol.  
   
   
       16 . An assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein polyol esters of fatty acids is added as an emulsifier in an amount of at least 0.2% by weight in the preparation of an aerated frozen confection.  
   
   
       17 . An assembly according to  claim 16 , comprising food-grade emulsifier selected from the group consisting of unsaturated monoglyceride, saturated mono-di glyceride and their mixtures in an amount of 0.04 to 0.16% by weight.  
   
   
       18 . An assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the aerated confection comprises at least one stabilizer selected from the group consisting of carob flour, guar flour, alginates, carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan, carrageenan, gelatin, starches used alone or in the form of a mixture at a dose of 0.1 to 0.5%.  
   
   
       19 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing has a volume of between 30 and 250 ml.  
   
   
       20 . A squeezable assembly for frozen pasty products comprising 
 a container having a bottom, lateral walls and a neck with an opening,    a closure for closing the opening, and    a frozen product contained in the assembly.    
   
   
       21 . A squeezable assembly according to  claim 20 , wherein the frozen product is soft ice-cream.  
   
   
       22 . An assembly according to  claim 21  wherein the frozen product is an aerated frozen confection which is soft at a storage temperature of −18° C. or less, and the soft frozen confection comprises by weight: 
 50 to 70% water,    5 to 20% fat,    0 to 5% polyol,    a balance being sugars, milk proteins, hydrocolloids and emulsifiers and    has an overrun of 20 to 150%.    
   
   
       23 . An assembly according to  claim 22 , wherein the sugars comprise freezing point depressing sweeteners selected from the group consisting of sucrose, dextrose, fructose, glucose syrup, polydextrose, inulin and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       24 . An assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the freezing point depressing sweeteners also comprise a polyol selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, mannitol, lactilol, xylitol, maltitol, glycerol, ethanol and their mixtures.  
   
   
       25 . An assembly according to  claim 22 , wherein polyol esters of fatty acids is added as an emulsifier in an amount of at least 0.2% by weight in the preparation of an aerated frozen confection.  
   
   
       26 . An assembly according to  claim 25 , comprising other food-grade emulsifier selected from the group consisting of unsaturated monoglyceride, saturated mono-di glyceride and their mixtures in an amount of 0.04 to 0.16% by weight.  
   
   
       27 . An assembly according to  claim 22 , wherein the aerated confection comprises at least one stabilizer selected from the group comprising carob flour, guar flour, alginates, carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan, carrageenan, gelatin, starches used alone or in the form of a mixture at a dose of 0.1 to 0.5%.  
   
   
       28 . A squeezable container according to  claim 22 , wherein the material of the container is a semi-crystalline Polyethylene Terephthalate.  
   
   
       29 . A squeezable container according to  claim 28 , wherein the walls of the container have a thickness of between 30 and 100 μm.  
   
   
       30 . A squeezable container according to  claim 28 , wherein the volume is between 0.3 and 6 liters.  
   
   
       31 . A process for the manufacture of a squeezable container comprising the steps of: 
 providing a container comprising a squeezable assembly for shelf-stable, chilled or frozen pasty products comprising a body having a bottom, lateral walls and a rim, the body having an accordion form, a rigid plastic cap attached to an end of the body comprising an aperture, and a cover that closes the aperture,    the container is disposed in a conveyor pocket    a product is filled in the container and    the container is closed with the plastic cap and,    an extrusion of the product is performed on a same side as the filling.