Microwaveable Packaged Food Product

Abstract

A package containing nuts and suitable for microwave heating is described herein. The package is configured to heat the nuts and provide an aroma reminiscent of traditional, freshly-roasted nuts. The freshly-roasted nut attributes include an aroma, temperature, texture and taste, which are reproduced with the microwave package. The package preferably, though not necessarily, incorporates one or more susceptors in order to provide additional heating, such as conductive heating, to the nuts. The package also preferably includes a sufficient headspace to allow for the aromas to develop.

1 . A packaged food product comprising:
 a flexible film forming a pouch having an interior cavity formed by seals, the flexible film pouch being substantially hermetically sealed;   about 0.75-oz. to about 2-oz. shelled nuts disposed within the interior cavity of the flexible film pouch; and   a patterned susceptor disposed in the interior cavity of the flexible film pouch,   wherein over 60% of the patterned susceptor is not in contact with the food product when the food product is heated;   wherein the packaged food product is configured to be microwaved while sealed in a closed configuration to roast the shelled nuts to a temperature of about 120° F. to about 260° F.   
     
     
         2 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein a weight of the shelled nuts is about 1.0 oz. to about 1.5 oz.,
 the flexible film pouch is expandable and capable of remaining sealed in the closed configuration during a microwave operation lasting about 20 seconds to about 130 seconds roasting the shelled nuts contained therein, so as to enable a concentrated roasted aroma release upon subsequent package opening, and 
 the flexible film is a multilayered structure having at least one of the following layers therein: 
 a barrier material; 
 a printable film layer; 
 an oriented film layer; 
 a sealable layer; 
 a varnish, protective layer; 
 a coefficient of friction modified layer; and 
 a partial or patterned layer of any of the above. 
 
     
     
         3 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the pouch further includes a paper layer enabling stiffness and insulation thereof,
 the pouch includes three side seals and a film fold, 
 the flexible film pouch is gas flushed prior to sealing the shelled nuts therein to reduce oxygen presence and provide a modified atmosphere in the flexible film pouch. 
 
     
     
         4 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the flexible film pouch further includes a gusset providing stand-up pouch stability, and a tear notch disposed in a portion of one of the seals, the tear notch facilitating opening of the flexible film pouch from the closed configuration to an open configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein a volume of shelled nuts is less than 75% of a total internal package volume. 
     
     
         6 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the volume of shelled nuts is about 20% to about 40% of the total internal package volume, and wherein the shelled nuts are arranged on a single layer within the package, and wherein the flexible film includes a metalized layer that forms the susceptor, and wherein the metalized layer has been treated with an acid solution to remove portions of the metalized layer forming a discontinuous metalized layer as a patterned susceptor, and wherein the susceptor includes at least one to three discrete susceptors. 
     
     
         7 . The packaged food product of  claim 6  comprising a first susceptor on a first panel wall of the pouch and a second susceptor on a second panel wall of the pouch, wherein the first and second susceptors are configured to heat and brown the shelled nuts and provide an aroma release. 
     
     
         8 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the susceptor is disposed in a pattern on the flexible film, spaced from package seals. 
     
     
         9 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  further comprising nut flavorings comprising at least one of: salt, black pepper, cinnamon, honey, sugar, peanut oil, caramel, and coconut, and at least one of a coating and dry seasonings. 
     
     
         10 . The packaged food product of  claim 9  wherein the coating is effective to absorb and/or reflect microwave energy during exposure of the packaged food product thereto, while also being permeable to a portion of the microwave energy. 
     
     
         11 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the shelled nuts comprise one or more of peanuts, cashews, almonds, and other tree nuts, whole, halves, or pieces with dimensions of about ¼″-1″ in length and ⅛″-½″ in width and have been pre-roasted and steam pasteurized prior to packaging within the flexible film pouch. 
     
     
         12 . The packaged food product of  claim 11  wherein the shelled nuts have a moisture level that decreases by 15%-25% during pre-roasting as compared to unroasted, shelled nuts, while increasing the composition of volatile compounds associated with roasting. 
     
     
         13 . The packaged food product of  claim 12  wherein the pre-roasted shelled nuts have undergone at least one of a dry roast or an oil roast. 
     
     
         14 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the shelled nuts comprise peanuts having a moisture level between about 1.1% to about 1.4%. 
     
     
         15 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  further comprising at least one of:
 an aromatic compound disposed on an inside surface of the flexible film pouch prior to packaging the shelled nuts; or 
 a sprayable aromatic compound that is sprayed into the flexible film pouch after depositing the shelled nuts therein; 
 wherein a headspace of the flexible film pouch is reduced via vacuum packaging after the shelled nuts are disposed therein, and the shelled nuts include at least one of almonds, cashews, or peanuts. 
 
     
     
         16 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the patterned susceptor has a grid-like configuration. 
     
     
         17 . A packaged food product comprising:
 a flexible film forming a pouch having an interior cavity formed by seals and having one or more vents therein;   about 0.75-oz. to about 2-oz. shelled nuts disposed within the interior cavity of the flexible film pouch;   a patterned susceptor disposed in the interior cavity of the flexible film pouch, the susceptor configured to roast the shelled nuts during microwaving, the shelled nuts are roasted to a temperature of about 120° F. to about 260° F.; and   a sealed overwrap around the flexible film forming the pouch that is removed prior to microwaving;   wherein over 60% of the patterned susceptor is not in contact with the food product when the food product is heated;   wherein the flexible film pouch filled with the shelled nuts is configured to be microwaved in a closed configuration where the seals have not ruptured;   wherein the vents limit internal pressure within the pouch during microwave heating, and enable internal pressure to decrease after completion of microwave heating.   
     
     
         18 . The packaged food product of  claim 17  wherein the flexible film pouch includes a longitudinal seal extending between end seals, and the one or more vents includes a pin hole at a juncture between the longitudinal seal and one of the end seals, and wherein the pouch and overwrap have been gas flushed to provide a modified atmosphere therein. 
     
     
         19 . The packaged food product of  claim 17  wherein the patterned susceptor has a grid-like configuration. 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a packaged food product comprising:
 wrapping a web of multi-layer flexible film into a film tube;   providing at least one patterned susceptor inside the film tube;   forming a first end seal to partially form a flexible film pouch;   depositing about 0.75 oz. to about 2 oz. shelled nuts in the partially formed flexible film pouch;   gas flushing the partially formed flexible film pouch to reduce oxygen therein;   forming a second end seal in the flexible film pouch;   wrapping the flexible film pouch in an overwrap film thereby forming an overwrap pouch;   gas flushing the overwrap pouch to reduce oxygen in the overwrap pouch; and   sealing the overwrap pouch around the flexible film pouch, and further comprising at least one of:   depositing flavoring on an inside surface of the multi-layer flexible film that forms the film tub;   spraying flavoring into the film tube prior to forming the second seal of the flexible film pouch; and   spraying flavoring onto the shelled nuts prior to depositing the shelled nuts in the flexible film pouch.   
     
     
         21 . A method of using a packaged food product comprising about 1 oz. to about 1.5 oz. of shelled nuts and a heat-activated aroma-release composition, each of the shelled nuts individually having a mass of 28 grams+/−5 grams to 42 grams+/−5 grams, the shelled nuts being arranged in a single layer on a portion of a patterned susceptor within a sealed flexible package having a vent opening with a frangible closure, the shelled nuts comprising about 1.0% to about 2.0% moisture and having a predetermined aggregate surface area, the method comprising:
 first maintaining the packaged food product at ambient temperature and pressure; 
 thereafter exposing the packaged food product to microwave energy in a 900 to 1200 W microwave oven for a period of about 45 seconds to about 100 seconds to heat the shelled nuts and reduce their moisture content to between about 0.9% and about 1.3%, and simultaneously vaporizing moisture within the package to inflate the package and increase its interior pressure; 
 wherein exposing the packaged food product includes over 60% of the patterned susceptor not contacting with the food product; 
 wherein heating the nuts results in a darkening of portions of the aggregate nut surface area; 
 wherein the darkened portions are in contact with the susceptor during heating, and comprise about 10% to about 25% of the aggregate nut surface area; 
 thereafter removing a portion of the package to release a roasted-nut aroma, and to provide an open-topped container to provide hand-held access to the heated shelled nuts, wherein the packaged food product includes a headspace and a flavor treatment disposed within the sealed flexible package, and wherein heating the packaged food product results in an increase of aroma components in the headspace. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the shelled nuts include cashews, and wherein the increase of aroma components in the headspace comprises an increase in furfural aroma by a factor of 100 to 250; an increase in ethylpyrazine aroma by a factor of 50 to 200; and an increase in diacetyl aroma by a factor of 200 to 400.