Funnels and lances for package filling

1. An assembly for transferring bulk food products to a package in a manufacturing line comprising:

a funnel having an exit end where bulk products enter the package; and

a gas lance for blowing a gas into the package, the lance having an exit end where the gas enters the package,

wherein the funnel and the lance share a common wall thereby increasing the cross-section area of both the funnel and the lance.

2. A method for blowing gas into product package filled with bulk products on a manufacturing line comprising the steps:

providing a funnel having an exit end where bulk products enter the package;

providing a gas lance for blowing a gas into the package, the lance having an exit end where the gas enters the package, wherein the funnel and the lance share a common wall thereby increasing the cross-sectional area of both the funnel and the lance; and

due to the increased cross-sectional area of the lance, substantially reducing the velocity of the gas entering the package and enabling laminar flow of the gas.

3. A method for blowing gas into a product package being filled with bulk products on a manufacturing line comprising the steps:

providing a funnel having an exit end where bulk products enter the package;

providing a gas lance for blowing a gas into the package, the lance having an exit end where the gas enters the package; and

blowing gas into the package in a laminar flow thereby reducing the bulk product being blown out of the package.

4. A method for filling a food product package with bulk food products, said method comprising the steps:

providing a funnel with an exit end;

providing a gas lance with an exit end;

moving the funnel and the lance into the product package so that the exit end of the funnel and lance are inside the food product package;

transferring a bulk food product into the funnel so that the bulk food product travels through the funnel, out the exit end of the funnel and into the food product package; and

blowing a gas through the lance, out the exit end and into the food product package to displace oxygen in the food package to under 2%.

5. A method for blowing gas into product package filled with bulk products on a manufacturing line comprising the steps:

providing a funnel having an exit end where bulk products enter the package;

providing a gas lance for blowing a gas into the package, the lance having an exit end where the gas enters the package; and

blowing gas into the package such that the gas flows out of the exit end in a direction that is not substantially parallel to the flow of bulk products entering the package.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein gas flows out of the exit end in a direction approximately perpendicular to the flow of bulk products entering the package.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein gas flows out of the exit end in a direction approximately at a 45 degree angle to the flow of bulk products entering the package.