Flexible food packaging and associated methods

Abstract

A flexible food package comprising: a layered containment structure comprising a first-sheet, a second-sheet and a dividing-sheet, wherein the dividing sheet has a first surface and a second surface, and the first-sheet is provided on the first surface of the dividing-sheet to define a sealed food-pouch. The second-sheet is provided on the second surface of the dividing-sheet to define a sealed utensil-pouch. The flexible food package comprises a utensil within the utensil-pouch and one or more food items within the food-pouch. In some examples the second-sheet is provided on the second surface of the dividing-sheet to define a sealed second-pouch with one or more first food items within the food-pouch and one or more second food items within the second-pouch.

1 . A flexible food package comprising:
 a layered containment structure comprising a first-sheet, a second-sheet and a dividing-sheet, wherein:
 the dividing sheet has a first surface and a second surface; 
 the first-sheet is provided on the first surface of the dividing-sheet to define a sealed food-pouch; and 
 the second-sheet is provided on the second surface of the dividing-sheet to define a sealed utensil-pouch; 
   a utensil within the utensil-pouch; and   one or more food items within the food-pouch.   
     
     
         2 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein the first-sheet is coextensive with the dividing-sheet and the first-sheet is joined to the dividing-sheet around at least a portion of their respective edges. 
     
     
         3 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein the food-pouch is enclosed by the first-sheet and the dividing-sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein the second-sheet is coextensive with the dividing-sheet and the second-sheet is joined to the dividing-sheet around at least a portion of their respective edges. 
     
     
         5 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein the utensil-pouch is enclosed by the dividing-sheet and the second-sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , further comprising resealable strips disposed on opposing portions of the first-sheet and the dividing-sheet and configured to cooperate to seal the food pouch. 
     
     
         7 . The flexible food package of  claim 6 , wherein the food-pouch is enclosed by the first-sheet, the dividing-sheet and the resealable strips. 
     
     
         8 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein a top edge of first-sheet is sealed to a top edge of the dividing-sheet and the top edge of the dividing-sheet is sealed to a top edge of second-sheet, to seal the flexible food package. 
     
     
         9 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , further comprising a gusset disposed between the first-sheet and the dividing-sheet, wherein the gusset is configured to form a base of the food-pouch. 
     
     
         10 . The flexible food package of  claim 9 , wherein the food-pouch is enclosed by the first-sheet, the dividing sheet and the gusset. 
     
     
         11 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein the utensil is disposed along a main diagonal of the utensil-pouch to reinforce the flexible food package. 
     
     
         12 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein the utensil-pouch comprises:
 a first bottom corner adjacent to a first side of a base of the utensil-pouch; and   a second top corner diagonally opposite the first bottom corner, above a second side of the base of the utensil-pouch,   wherein a first end of the utensil is configured to engage with the first bottom corner and a second end of the utensil is configured to engage with the second top corner to reinforce the flexible food package.   
     
     
         13 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein the utensil has a handle portion that has a curvature along at least a portion of its length and a concave face of the handle is oriented towards the dividing-sheet. 
     
     
         14 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first-sheet, the dividing-sheet and the second-sheet comprises one or more perforations configured to enable gas to escape from the layered containment structure. 
     
     
         15 . The flexible food package of  claim 1 , wherein the layered containment structure further comprises a third-sheet provided on the first-sheet to define a sealed pouch enclosed between the first-sheet and the third-sheet. 
     
     
         16 . The flexible food package of  claim 14 , wherein the first-sheet has an inner surface facing the dividing-sheet and an outer surface, and the third-sheet is provided on the outer surface of the first-sheet. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising a container containing a plurality of flexible food packages, wherein:
 the plurality of flexible food packages comprises:
 a layered containment structure comprising a first-sheet, a second-sheet and a dividing-sheet, wherein:
 the dividing sheet has a first surface and a second surface; 
 the first-sheet is provided on the first surface of the dividing-sheet to define a sealed food-pouch; and 
 the second-sheet is provided on the second surface of the dividing-sheet to define a sealed utensil-pouch; 
 a utensil within the utensil-pouch; 
 wherein the utensil pouch further comprises:
 a first bottom corner adjacent to a first side of a base of the utensil-pouch; and 
 a second top corner diagonally opposite the first bottom corner, above a second side of the base of the utensil-pouch, 
 wherein a first end of the utensil is configured to engage with the first bottom corner and a second end of the utensil is configured to engage with the second top corner to reinforce the flexible food package; 
 
 
 one or more food items within the food-pouch; and the container comprises:
 a first layer, wherein each of the flexible food packages in the first layer is arranged such that the utensil is disposed in an alternate direction with respect to a utensil of an adjacent flexible food package in the first layer; and 
 
   a second layer, wherein each of the flexible food packages in the second layer is arranged such that the utensil is disposed in an alternate direction with respect to the utensil of an adjacent flexible food package in the second layer,   wherein the second layer is disposed adjacent to the first layer and the utensils of the flexible food packages of the first layer provide a reinforcing structure.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first layer comprises a first row of flexible food packages and a second row of flexible food packages, the first row disposed next to the second row, each flexible food package in the first row is positioned such that the first bottom corner is next to a first bottom corner of a neighbouring flexible food package in the first row or the second top corner is next to a second top corner of a neighbouring flexible food package in the first row. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each flexible food package in the second row is positioned such that a second bottom corner is next to the first bottom corner of a corresponding flexible food package in the first row. 
     
     
         20 . A method of providing a sealed flexible food package, comprising:
 forming a layered containment structure comprising a first-sheet, a second-sheet and a dividing-sheet, the dividing sheet having a first surface and a second surface, by:
 sealing the first-sheet on to the first surface of the dividing-sheet to define a food-pouch; and 
 sealing the second-sheet on to the second-surface of the dividing-sheet to define a utensil-pouch, 
   providing a utensil within the utensil-pouch;   providing one or more food items within the food-pouch;   sealing the first-sheet to the dividing-sheet to seal the food-pouch and sealing the dividing sheet to the second-sheet to seal the utensil pouch.