Packaged food product for heating in oven

Abstract

A packaged food product for being heated in an oven or heater includes a container with a food and a lid. The container includes an inwards raised bead at the inner wall of the container near the opening end of the container. The lid includes a recess designed to engage with the raised bead at the inner wall of the container in such a way as to snap-close the container. The food is located in the container.

1 . A method comprising:
 defrosting a food located in a container of a packaged food product, the container comprising an inwards raised bead at an inner wall of the container, the inwards raised bead adjacent an opening end of the container, the product further comprising a lid comprising a recess, wherein engagement of the inwards raised bead at the inner wall of the container with the recess of the lid forms a snap closing between the lid and the container, and the food comprising a chilled or frozen meal product and water, the food is in a wet state from the defrosting; and   heating the packaged food product in an oven or a heater without removing the lid from the container with the defrosted food inside.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heating of the packaged food product comprises evacuating steam from the container through a closure junction without opening and removing the lid from the container, wherein the inwards raised bead defines the closure junction of the container between the container and the lid. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the closure junction between the container and the lid is in a sealed state during the defrosting of the food located in the container. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the heating of the packaged food product causes the water to transition from fluid to the steam, the steam having a pressure that causes the closure junction to transition from the sealed state to the evacuated state. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the closure junction in the evacuated state evacuates a portion of the steam from the container without opening and removing the lid from the container. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the closure junction in the evacuated state is positioned to separate the rim at the periphery from the opening end of the container to thereby allow the steam to travel to the outside of the container. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inwards raised bead extends around an entire circumference of the inner wall of the container. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the opening end of the container is round or oval. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the container and the lid are made of a material suitable for being heated in a microwave oven. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the material is at least one of a rigid material, a steam-proof material and a water-proof material. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, crystallized polyethylene terephthalate (CPET), plastic, molded pulp fiber, laminated molded fiber, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lid comprises a rim at the periphery configured such that the lid sits on the opening end of the container. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the lid further comprises a circumferential extending neck at the rim. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising a disk covering the lid, and the disk is nested within the circumferential extending neck of the lid and covering a portion of the lid. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the lid is bent inwards in a direction of the container in order to form a bay, niche or indent at a surface of the lid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a surface of the lid is concave, curved towards an inside of the container. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packaged food product comprises a shrink film wrapped around part or all of the packaged food product prior to the defrosting of the packaged food product. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oven is a gas oven, electric oven, or a microwave oven. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heating of the packaged food product in the oven or heater comprises placing the packaged food product in a water bath. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lid is interlocked with the container to prevent the container from sliding laterally on the surface of the lid prior to the defrosting of the packaged food product.