Microwave susceptor packaging material

Claim 2

Composite materials for wrapping around a food item to be cooked by microwave energy comprising a dielectric substrate substantially transparent to microwave energy which substrate is coated and/or imbibed with one or more microwave susceptor materials selected from mixtures of electrically conductive and magnetically permeable materials and from alloys of electrically conductive and magnetically permeable metals, the amount of said susceptor material or materials being adequate to allow said material(s) to absorb a portion of both the electric and the magnetic components of said microwave energy and convert said energy to heat so as to rapidly brown or crispen the surface of the food item adjacent thereto without substantially impeding the ability of the microwave energy to penetrate the susceptor material and cook the food item.

Claim 3

Composite materials of Claim 1 which, when exposed for a given time period to a magnetic field standing wave maximum of 0.521 ampere/cm root mean square perpendicular to their surface, heat to a temperature T H , and when exposed for the same time period to an electric field standing wave maximum of 242 volts/cm root mean square parallel to their surface, heat to a temperature T E , where ((T H -T E )/T E ) * 100% is in the range from about -10 to +100%

Claim 4

Composite materials of Claim 2 where ((T H -T E )/T E ) * 100% is in the range from about -10 to +60%.

Claim 5

Composite materials of Claim 1, 2, or 3 where said susceptor material is an alloy selected from stainless steel, nickel/iron/molybdenum alloys and nickel/iron/copper alloys.

Claim 6

Composite materials of any one of Claims 1 to 4 where said susceptor material is a mixture of one or more electrically conductive materials and one or more magnetically permeable materials wherein said electrically conductive materials and said magnetically permeable materials are in separate layers on said substrate.

Claim 7

Composite materials for wrapping around a food item to be cooked by microwave energy comprising a dielectric substrate substantially transparent to microwave energy which substrate is coated and/or imbibed with one or more microwave susceptor materials selected from electrically conductive, non-magnetic materials, the amount of said susceptor material or materials being adequate to allow said material(s) to absorb a portion of both the electric and the magnetic field components of said microwave energy and convert said energy to heat to rapidly brown or crispen the surface of the food item adjacent thereto without substantially impeding the ability of the microwave energy to penetrate the susceptor material and cook the food item and which composite materials, when exposed for a given time period to a magnetic field standing wave maximum of 0.521 ampere/cm root mean square perpendicular to their surfaces, heat to a temperature T H , and when exposed for the same time period to an electric field standing wave maximum of 242 volts/cm root mean square parallel to their surfaces, heat to a temperature T E , where ((T H -T E )/T E ) * 100% is in the range from about -10 to +100%.

Claim 8

Composite materials for wrapping around a food item to be cooked by microwave energy comprising a dielectric substrate substantially transparent to microwave energy which substrate is coated and/or imbibed with one or more microwave susceptor materials selected from electrically conductive, non-magnetic materials, the amount of said susceptor material or materials being adequate to allow said material(s) to absorb a portion of both the electric and the magnetic field components of said microwave energy and convert said energy to heat to rapidly brown or crispen the surface of the food item adjacent thereto without substantially impeding the ability of the microwave energy to penetrate the susceptor material and cook the food item and which composite materials, when exposed for a given time period to a magnetic field standing wave maximum of 0.521 ampere/cm root mean square perpendicular to their surfaces, heat to a temperature T H , and when exposed for the same time period to an electric field standing wave maximum of 242 volts/cm root mean square parallel to their surfaces, heat to a temperature T E , where ((T H -T E )/T E ) * 100% is in the range from about -10 to +100%.

Claim 9

Composite materials of Claim 6 where ((T H -T E )/T E ) * 100% is in the range from about -10 to +60%.

Claim 10

Composite materials of Claim 6 or 7 where said susceptor material is aluminum flake.

Claim 11

Composite materials for wrapping around a food item to be cooked by microwave energy comprising a dielectric substrate substantially transparent to microwave energy which substrate is coated and/or imbibed with one or more susceptor materials selected from naturally occuring food substances, the amount of said susceptor material or materials being adequate to allow said material(s) to absorb a portion of both the electric and the magnetic components of said microwave energy and convert said energy to heat so as to rapidly brown or crispen the surface of the food item adjacent thereto without substantially impeding the ability of the microwave energy to penetrate the susceptor material and cook the food item.

Claim 12

Composite materials for wrapping around a food item to be cooked by microwave energy comprising a dielectric substrate substantially transparent to microwave energy which substrate is coated and/or imbibed with one or more susceptor materials selected from naturally occuring food substances, the amount of said susceptor material or materials being adequate to allow said material(s) to absorb a portion of both the electric and the magnetic components of said microwave energy and convert said energy to heat so as to rapidly brown or crispen the surface of the food item adjacent thereto without substantially impeding the ability of the microwave energy to penetrate the susceptor material and cook the food item.

Claim 13

Composite materials of Claim 9 where said susceptor material is selected from molasses and maple syrup.