Packaged Ready to Eat Fresh Food Items and Method of Packaging Fresh Ready to Eat Food Items

Abstract

Packaged food items, such as a fresh, ready to eat salad, comes in a container maintaining a substantially inert, low pressure atmosphere therein. The salad includes a salad dressing positioned lowermost in the container and a lettuce item positioned upper most in the container. Various additional food items are positioned within the container between the salad dressing and the lettuce item. The additional food items include pickled, raw or cooked vegetable items, grain or pasta items, protein items and cheese items. All of the food items are present in different measured proportions depending on the combination of items in the container. The additional food items are layered in a particular order also dependent upon the combination of items present in the container.

1 . A packaged salad, said packaged salad comprising:
 a container;   a plurality of food items positioned within said container, said plurality of food items including at least a salad dressing positioned lowermost in said container and a lettuce item positioned uppermost in said container.   
     
     
         2 . The packaged salad according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of food items further includes a pickled vegetable item positioned between said salad dressing and said lettuce item. 
     
     
         3 . The packaged salad according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of food items further includes a grain food item positioned between said salad dressing and said lettuce item. 
     
     
         4 . The packaged salad according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of food items further includes a pasta food item positioned between said salad dressing and said lettuce item. 
     
     
         5 . The packaged salad according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of food items further includes a raw vegetable item positioned between said salad dressing and said lettuce item. 
     
     
         6 . The packaged salad according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of food items further includes a cooked vegetable item positioned between said salad dressing and said lettuce item. 
     
     
         7 . The packaged salad according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of food items further includes a protein item positioned between said salad dressing and said lettuce item. 
     
     
         8 . The packaged salad according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of food items further includes a cheese item positioned between said salad dressing and said lettuce item. 
     
     
         9 . The packaged salad according to  claim 1 , wherein said container comprises:
 a gas impermeable sidewall and bottom, said sidewall defining an opening oppositely disposed from said bottom;   a membrane attached to said container overlying and enclosing said opening.   
     
     
         10 . The packaged salad according to  claim 9 , wherein said membrane comprises a gas permeable barrier film. 
     
     
         11 . The packaged salad according to  claim 9 , further comprising one or more gases within said container. 
     
     
         12 . The packaged salad according to  claim 11 , wherein said one or more gases are at a pressure below atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The packaged salad according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lid removably attached to said container overlying said opening. 
     
     
         16 - 85 . (canceled) 
     
     
         86 . The packaged salad according to  claim 11 , wherein said one or more gases comprise at least one of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or oxygen. 
     
     
         87 . The packaged salad according to  claim 11 , wherein said one or more gases comprise carbon dioxide over a range from 0% to 40% by volume. 
     
     
         88 . The packaged salad according to  claim 11 , wherein said one or more gases comprise nitrogen over a range from 60% to 100% by volume. 
     
     
         89 . The packaged salad according to  claim 11 , wherein said one or more gases comprise oxygen over a range from 0.5% to 20% by volume. 
     
     
         90 . The packaged salad according to  claim 11 , wherein said one or more gases comprise 5% oxygen, 18% carbon dioxide and 77% nitrogen by volume. 
     
     
         91 . The packaged salad according to  claim 10 , wherein said container comprises a space in communication with said opening, wherein said gas permeable barrier film has a permeability such that equilibrium between said space within said container and an ambient is achieved within 48 hours of sealing said membrane to said container. 
     
     
         92 . The packaged salad according to  claim 10 , wherein said gas permeable barrier film has a permeability such that said plurality of food items maintain freshness for at least 10 days.