Insert for a Food Holding Tray

Abstract

A removable insert for a food holding tray provides one or more compartments such that the compartments can become encapsulated environments, extending the time that a pre-cooked food item remains palatable to most people.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A removable insert for a food holding tray, the food holding tray having an open top, an inside width between two opposing sides, an inside length between two opposing ends, and an inside depth between the open top and a bottom, the food holding tray being is sized, shaped and arranged to hold a number of pre-cooked food items, the insert comprising:
 first and second opposing sides;   first and second opposing ends configured to hold the opposing sides in a first fixed, spaced-apart relationship to each other;   a surface extending between the first and second opposing sides;   a food product holding compartment formed into the insert surface, between the opposing sides and between the opposing ends, the holding compartment comprising a depression formed into the surface of the insert, the depression having a predetermined depth and shape, the predetermined depth corresponding a thickness of a food item to be held in the holding compartment, the predetermined shape corresponding to a shape of the food item to be held in the holding compartment;   wherein the insert is configured such that when placed into the food holding tray, the insert reduces the number of pre-cooked food items that can be held in the food holding tray, to a fixed and smaller number of pre-cooked food items.   
     
     
         2 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sides of the insert each have a top and a bottom and a nominal height, substantially equal to a vertical separation distance between the top and bottom of the first and second sides, the nominal height being less than or equal to the inside depth of the food holding tray, wherein the surface of the insert is substantially planar and located substantially between the tops of the first and second sides, the food holding compartment formed into the insert surface having an open top and a closed bottom, the nominal height of the first and second sides being substantially equal to the inside depth of the food holding tray. 
     
     
         3 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second opposing sides are spaced apart from each other by a distance less than the inside width of the food holding tray. 
     
     
         4 . The removable insert of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second opposing ends are spaced apart from each other by a distance less than the inside length of the food holding tray. 
     
     
         5 . This removable insert of  claim 2 , further comprising a sleeve comprising first and second substantially upright sides and a horizontally-oriented cover supported by the first and second upright sides, the sleeve being configured to receive the food holding tray with the insert therein and to provide a cover to the food holding compartment in the insert. 
     
     
         6 . The removable insert of  claim 5 , wherein the sleeve is configured to provide a space between the cover and the top surface of the insert that is less than about one-quarter of an inch.