Sealed pack of ingredients for an individual smoothie, and associated methods and apparatuses

Abstract

A sealed pack (440) contains quantities of ingredients to make an individual smoothie portion. The ingredients comprise a flavour ingredient (410) such as pieces of fruit (strawberries, raspberries, mango), a frozen portion of liquid (420) such as water, fruit juice, milk, coffee or tea; and a consistency ingredient (430) such as ice-cream, sorbet and yoghurt. The pack may be subjected to a temperature sufficiently low to maintain the frozen state of some of the ingredients in the pack (440). Also disclosed is a method of packaging the ingredients into the pack, or into first and second containers, or into a container with compartments for different ingredients in frozen and unfrozen states; and a method of preparing an individual smoothie using the sealed pack wherein the ingredients are blended with additional liquid; and an apparatus that uses sealed pack for automatically vending an individual smoothie portion.

1 . A method for preparing an individual portion of a smoothie, the method comprising steps of:
 transferring contents of a sealed pack to a container, the contents of the sealed pack comprising a flavour ingredient, a frozen ingredient, and at least one consistency ingredient, respective quantities of the flavour ingredient, the frozen ingredient and the at least one consistency ingredient being selected of a quantity suitable when combined together to produce the individual portion of the smoothie and of a quantity when combined together to fill a cup of a standard cup size for serving to a consumer; and   blending the contents of the container.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transferring the contents of the sealed pack of the container comprises transferring as the frozen ingredient a plurality of frozen individual pieces sized to contribute through blending to predetermined product consistency of the individual portion of the smoothie. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 adding a portion of a liquid to the container prior to blending the contents of the container, a quantity of the portion of the liquid being selected of a quantify suitable when combed together with the respective quantities of the flavour ingredient, the flavour ingredient and the at least one consistency ingredient for the individual portion of the smoothie to produce the individual portion of the smoothie. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transferring the contents of the sealed pack of the container comprises transferring as the frozen ingredient a plurality of frozen portions of at least one liquid selected from a group of liquids consisting of water, fruit juice, milk, coffee and tea. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein transferring as the frozen ingredient a plurality of frozen portions of at least one liquid comprises transferring a plurality of frozen individual pieces sized to contribute through blending to predetermined product consistency of the individual portion of the smoothie. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transferring the contents of the sealed pack of the container comprises transferring as the least one consistency ingredient an ingredient selected to consistently produce single serving smoothies including the individual portion of the smoothie with a predetermined texture or runniness following the blending of the contents of the container. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein transferring as the least one consistency ingredient an ingredient selected from a group of ingredients consisting of ice cream, sorbet and yoghurt. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein transferring as the frozen ingredient a plurality of frozen portions of at least one liquid comprises transferring a plurality of frozen individual pieces sized to contribute through blending to predetermined product consistency of the individual portion of the smoothie. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 adding a portion of a liquid to the container prior to blending the contents of the container, a quantity of the portion of the liquid being selected of a quantify suitable when combed together with the respective quantities of the flavour ingredient, the flavour ingredient and the at least one consistency ingredient for the individual portion of the smoothie to produce the individual portion of the smoothie. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein adding a portion of the liquid to the container comprises adding at least one liquid selected from a group of liquids consisting of water, fruit juice, milk, coffee and tea. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transferring the contents of the sealed pack of the container comprises transferring as the flavour ingredient a portion of fruit. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein transferring as the flavour ingredient a portion of fruit comprises transferring a plurality of individually frozen portions of frozen fruit.