Method of Packaging Food in a Bag

Abstract

A bag has a bag body that defines an interior and opening. A reclosable closure is configured for repeatably and nondestructively closing and opening the opening. A covering flap is connected to the bag body, extends away from the bag opening, and has a zone of weakness. The covering flap can be attached to the bag body while covering the closure. To access the closure, the covering flap is torn along its zone of weakness. The bag can also have a removable panel, which can be attached to the removable panels of other bags to form a header pack. The bag body and covering flap can be removed from the header pack by being torn along another zone of weakness between the covering flap and removable panel that has a lower tear strength that the zone of weakness of the covering flap.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method of packaging saleable food in a bag, the bag comprising a bag body having front and rear panels defining a bag interior and a bag opening at a top edge margin of the bag body, a reclosable closure configured for repeatably and nondestructively closing and opening the bag opening, and a covering flap extending upward from the rear panel at the top edge margin of the bag body and having a zone of weakness formed therein, the method comprising:
 placing the food through the bag opening into the bag interior;   closing the bag opening using the reclosable closure to enclose the food in the bag interior;   folding the covering flap over the reclosable closure and attaching the top edge margin of the covering flap to the front panel such that the covering flap covers the reclosable closure and can be torn along the zone of weakness to provide access to the reclosable closure without separating the top edge margin of the covering flap from the front panel of the bag.   
     
     
         19 . A method as set forth in  claim 18  wherein the step of attaching the covering flap to the front panel comprises securing the covering flap to the front panel using an adhesive label. 
     
     
         20 . A method as set forth in  claim 19  further comprising:
 weighing the food; 
 determining a price of the food based on the weight of the food; and 
 marking the label with an indication of the price of the food. 
 
     
     
         21 . A method as set forth in  claim 18  further comprising removing the bag from a header pack by grasping the bag body at a bottom edge margin thereof and applying a separation force while the header pack is restrained to separate the bag from a removable panel along a separation line defining the top edge margin of the covering flap while the second zone of weakness remains intact.