Systems and methods for manufacturing multi-compartment products containing wet and dry components

• Main Authors: MANN, JASON EVERETT, SARACHMAN, MICHAEL JOHN, CHAPPEL JR., RUSSELL LEON, PETERSON, SCOTT DAVID, MISHRA, DHARMENDRA KUMAR, BRANNAN, MICHAEL ROBERT, DZIKOWICZ, ANTHONY EDWARD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.10.2014
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGINGARTICLES OR MATERIALS; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; STORING; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRANSPORTING; UNPACKING

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for manufacturing shelf-stable, multi-compartment products (10). In a general embodiment, a manufacturing system is provided and includes a continuous manufacturing line including a barrier (46) separating a dry food packaging area (42) from a wet food packaging area (44). The manufacturing line is configured to manufacture a shelf-stable food product (10) including both a dry food product (20) with no artificial preservatives in a first compartment (16) of a tray (12) and a wet food component (18) with no artificial preservatives in a second compartment (14) of the tray (12).