Frozen Food Product and Method for Depositing A Sauce Into A Frozen Food Product

1 . A sauce deposition method for frozen food products contained in a package, comprising the steps of:

inserting a nozzle to a depth below an exposed product surface, the nozzle having a lateral surface and one or more openings in the lateral surface, the frozen product having a vertical thickness, the one or more openings being located below the exposed product surface when inserted; and

injecting a sauce into the frozen food product outward from the nozzle openings to form a sauce deposit.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the nozzle has a closed one end and an open end and the one or more openings are in flow through communication with the open end which is connected to a sauce delivery apparatus configured to delivery pressurized sauce to the nozzle.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the sauce is injected at a predetermined pressure or flow rate based on the temperature and viscosity of both the frozen food product and the sauce.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the frozen food product is an ice cream-like dessert.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the frozen food product is an ice cream.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the sauce comprises chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, fruit, honey, or other fluid confection.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the frozen food product is ice cream and both the ice cream and sauce are prepared from all natural ingredients, without artificial additives.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the package is a cup.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the sauce deposit has a lateral dimension that is greater than is vertical dimension.

10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of removing the nozzle from the frozen food product and leaving a trailing tail of sauce on the exposed surface of the product.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the sauce is injected at a pressure or flow rate sufficient for the sauce to penetrate the frozen food product and form the sauce deposit.

12 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of removing the nozzle from the frozen food product without leaving a trailing sauce tail on the exposed surface of the product.

13 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of removing the nozzle from the frozen food product leaving a trailing sauce tail on the exposed surface of the product.

14 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: removing the nozzle after the sauce deposit is formed.

15 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: engaging a cut-off device upstream of the nozzle to stop or reduce any residual flow to the nozzle; and

removing the nozzle from the frozen food product.

16 . A sauce deposition method for frozen food product, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of cups containing a frozen food product;

b) providing a sauce injector or a sauce injection station having a plurality of nozzles, each having a lateral surface, a closed tip at one end and an opposite end that is connected to and in flow-through communication with a source of pressurized sauce, the nozzle having one or more openings in the lateral surface;

c) providing a conveyor for conveying the plurality of cups along a processing line and to the sauce injector;

d) inserting the plurality of nozzles into the frozen product contained in the plurality of cups; and

e) injecting the sauce into the frozen food product from the openings to deposit the sauce laterally outward from the nozzle to form a sauce deposit.

17 . A method for injecting a sauce into a package containing a frozen food product, comprising the steps of:

a) determining the temperature of the frozen food product, the frozen food product having an exposed product surface and a vertical thickness;

b) determining the temperature of the sauce;

c) adjusting as necessary the temperature of the frozen food product and/or the sauce;

d) providing a sauce injector having a nozzle with a lateral surface, a closed tip at one end and an opposite end that is connected to and in flow-through communication with a source of pressurized sauce, the nozzle having one or more openings in the lateral surface;

e) inserting the nozzle to a depth below the product surface with the one or more openings below the product surface;

injecting sauce into the frozen food product at a pressure or flow rate sufficient to deposit the sauce laterally outward from the nozzle;

g) removing the nozzle; and

h) routing the package containing the frozen food product for further processing and/or handling.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein determining step a) further includes determining the viscosity of the frozen food product, and wherein determining step b) further includes determining the viscosity of the sauce.

18 . A containerized frozen food product, the product comprising a ice cream-like dessert in a container, and a sauce deposit formed by the steps of:

inserting a nozzle to a depth below an exposed product surface, the nozzle having a lateral surface and one or more openings in the lateral surface, the one or more openings being located below the exposed product surface when inserted; and

injecting a sauce into the ice cream-like dessert laterally outward from the one or more openings in the nozzle.

19 . A containerized frozen food product, the product comprising an ice cream-like dessert in a container, and a sauce deposit formed by the method of any one of claims 1 - 17 .

20 . A containerized food product, the product comprising a containerized ice cream like dessert having a sauce deposit injected outwardly from a plurality of openings in a lateral surface of a nozzle.