DE102021121748A1 - Method for operating a sealing station - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a sealing station of a packaging machine for food products, in particular designed as a thermoformer or traysealer, for producing packs from at least one lower pack component, in particular a lower film or a prefabricated pack component, and at least one upper pack component, in particular a top film. which enclose at least one product area of a respective pack, with at least the product area being evacuated and gassed at the sealing station first and then the pack components being connected to one another by applying heat and pressure in order to seal the pack and thus the product area, and wherein at the At least one additive is introduced into the product area in the sealing station after the product area has been evacuated and before the pack is sealed.

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating a sealing station of a packaging machine for food products, in particular designed as a thermoformer or traysealer, for producing packs from at least one lower pack component, in particular a lower film or a prefabricated pack component, and at least one upper pack component, in particular a top film. which enclose at least one product area of a respective pack, with at least the product area being evacuated and gassed at the sealing station first and then the pack components being connected to one another by the application of heat and pressure in order to seal the pack and thus the product area.

The invention also relates to a method for operating a packaging machine for food products with a plurality of work stations arranged one behind the other along a transport direction for producing packs from at least two pack components which enclose at least one product area of a respective pack, one work station being a sealing station and the sealing station being a method as disclosed herein.

In addition, the invention relates to a sealing station for a packaging machine for food products, in particular designed as a thermoformer or traysealer, for producing packs each consisting of at least one lower pack component and at least one upper pack component, which enclose at least one product area of a respective pack, the sealing station being set up to first evacuate and gas at least the product area and then to connect the pack components to one another by applying heat and pressure in order to seal the pack and thus the product area.

The invention also relates to a packaging machine for food products, in particular for carrying out a method as disclosed herein, with a plurality of work stations arranged one behind the other along a transport direction for producing packs from at least two pack components which enclose at least one product area of a respective pack, with one work station being a sealing station as disclosed herein.

Packaging machines and sealing stations for packaging machines, as mentioned above, are known in principle. The product areas are evacuated and gassed in particular for the purpose of generating a protective gas atmosphere in the respective product area before the packs are sealed, in order to increase the shelf life of the packaged products in this way. For example, carbon dioxide is used as a protective gas to prevent or inhibit bacterial growth.

In practice, it is often desirable to include other substances in the product areas. For example, the addition of flavorings is known in order to influence the odor and/or the taste of the products in a respectively desired manner. It is also known to either spray or inject additional shelf life extension agents, which have an additional effect in terms of improving the shelf life of the products. In order to introduce these additional resources into the product areas, it is known to integrate additional modules into the packaging machine for this purpose, which modules are arranged upstream of the sealing station as seen in the direction of transport. Devices for applying the additional agents or substances to the products can also be provided on machines or parts thereof arranged even further upstream of an entire production line, for example on a slicing device with which food products are cut into slices and portions of one or more slices are produced. For example, flavorings or shelf-life extension agents can be sprayed or sprayed on at a high-speed slicer upstream of a packaging machine.

The problem in this connection is that such an application of additional agents takes place when the packs are in an open state. This means that, for example, aromas that have been applied can evaporate and thus lose their actually desired effect. Also, depending on a particular production location, additional funds applied to a production line can spread in such a way that they can undesirably reach neighboring production lines. This can be particularly problematic if the additional agents are organisms that are used in a known manner to extend the shelf life. It is fundamentally undesirable for additional funds to be distributed in the surrounding area, but in many cases it cannot be completely prevented, so that either - if permissible - this simply has to be accepted or, in other cases, the use of additional funds has to be completely dispensed with.

The object of the invention, against the background of the situation described above, is to Enabling the introduction of additives into the product areas in such a way that an undesired distribution of the additives into the environment is prevented as far as possible.

This task is solved in each case by the features of the independent claims.

In the method according to the invention for operating a sealing station, it is provided that at least one additive is introduced into the product area at the sealing station after the product area has been evacuated and before the pack is closed. In the sealing station according to the invention, a flow path is provided for an additive, via which the additive can be introduced into the product area, with the flow path opening directly into the product area or into an entry area located immediately in front of the product area and leading into the product area.

The invention uses the sealing station for introducing additives and thus the latest possible point in time since the packs are sealed at the sealing station. It is also advantageous that the packs are not yet completely sealed when they enter the sealing station, since this is only done in the sealing station by sealing, but the product areas of the packs are no longer open at the sealing station, since the upper part of the pack , in particular a top web that already covers product areas. By dispensing with the introduction of the additives at an earlier point in time according to the invention, ie at a point upstream of the sealing station, it cannot happen that the additives get into the environment in the period until the packs are completely sealed. The problems of the prior art described above are thus avoided.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are also specified in the dependent claims, the following description and the drawing.

As far as the method according to the invention for operating a sealing station is concerned, it can be provided in some exemplary embodiments that the additive is introduced into the product area via a flow path which opens into the product area or into an entry area located immediately in front of the product area and leading into the product area. In this way, a targeted introduction of the additive into the respective product area can be ensured in order to particularly reliably prevent an undesired distribution of the additive into the environment.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the additive is pre-portioned, for example by storing a predetermined amount of the additive forming a respective additive portion separately from a larger amount of additive provided for a respective introduction process. Such a pre-portioning can ensure that the same predetermined amount of additive is always present for each product area and thus the correct amount of additive is always introduced into the respective product area.

According to some exemplary embodiments, provision can be made for the additive to be introduced into the product area before gassing. This makes it possible to introduce the additive in such a way that the devices provided at the sealing station for gassing the product areas are not impaired, i.e. that the gassing process is not disturbed in any way by the introduction of the additive.

Advantageously, in some exemplary embodiments of the invention it can be provided that after the product area has been evacuated, a flow connection for the additive is opened in the product area and the additive is at least partially sucked into the product area due to the negative pressure prevailing after the evacuation. The negative pressure that already prevails in the product areas after the evacuation is used here to convey the additive into the product area. As a result, additional devices for conveying the additive can be dispensed with or be dimensioned to be less powerful, since the negative pressure prevailing in the product areas has at least a supporting effect during the transport of the additive.

As an alternative or in addition, some exemplary embodiments of the invention can provide for the additive to be introduced into the product area during gassing. In particular, it can be provided that the additive is introduced into the product area together with a gas used for gassing.

As a result, the already existing infrastructure, which is intended for gassing, is used at the same time for introducing the additive.

In this context, in some exemplary embodiments it can be provided that the additive is sucked in by means of a Venturi nozzle through which a gas used for gassing flows. In this way, a proven, simple and reliable principle be used to bring the additive into the respective product areas.

In some exemplary embodiments, it can be provided that a gas, a liquid, a free-flowing substance such as a powder or granules, or a mixture of several, preferably separately provided, substance components is introduced as an additive.

If the additive is provided in the form of a mixture of several components, this can serve, for example, to introduce a component, for example a bacterium, by means of a further component serving as a carrier medium, whereby this carrier component can be designed in such a way that it is in the Dissolves over time, i.e. only fulfills the carrier function.

As already mentioned at the outset, the additive can be a flavoring, for example. In this context, in some exemplary embodiments it can be provided that the packaging components each consist of an aroma-tight material. Such materials ensure that aromas cannot evaporate or can only evaporate to an acceptable small extent, so that an aroma can be introduced as an additive or also as one of several components of the additive.

Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments it can be provided that the additive or one of several substance components of the additive is a functional substance which is designed in such a way that it can indicate changes. For example, a functional substance can serve to draw attention to spoiled products in the case of expired packs, i.e. pack contents that have not been used up within a specified shelf life period, by the functional substance reacting to substances that occur when the products in the pack go bad and, for example, discoloring as a result of these substances .

In some exemplary embodiments of the sealing station according to the invention, it can be provided that the flow path for the additive is formed by a line or a channel. For example, a nozzle for dispensing the additives can be arranged at the outlet end of the line or channel.

Provision can furthermore be made for the flow path to run completely separately from a flow path used for gassing, or for the flow path for the additive to partially coincide with a flow path used for gassing.

The additive flow path may join the fumigation flow path at a location intermediate a source of fumigation gas and the product area.

Furthermore, it can be provided that a venturi nozzle is arranged in a flow path used for gassing, by means of which the additive is sucked in during the gassing of the product area.

Furthermore, it can be provided according to the invention that the flow path for the additive starts from a storage container or connection providing the additive.

• 1 schematisch in einer Seitenansicht eine Verpackungsmaschine gemäß dem Stand der Technik, die mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Siegelstation versehen und in erfindungsgemäßer Weise betrieben werden kann, und
• 2 schematisch in einer senkrecht zur Transportrichtung einer Verpackungsmaschine geschnittenen Ansicht eine erfindungsgemäße Siegelstation.

The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the drawing. Show it:

• 1 schematically, in a side view, a packaging machine according to the prior art, which can be provided with a sealing station according to the invention and can be operated in a manner according to the invention, and
• 2 a schematic view of a sealing station according to the invention in a section perpendicular to the transport direction of a packaging machine.

In the 1 The packaging machine V shown, working in a transport direction T, comprises a machine frame 47. A transport chain 27, shown here only schematically at the upstream end of the machine, is guided on a left-hand side frame and on a right-hand side frame of the machine frame 47. The two transport chains 27 together form a transport device for a lower film 23 drawn off a supply roll 23a.

The machine comprises a plurality of work stations that follow one another in the transport direction T, namely a forming station 11, also referred to as a thermoformer, an infeed station 13 for products 10 to be packaged, a feed station 14 for a top film 25 pulled from a supply roll 25a, a labeling and /or printing station 16, a transverse cutting station 17 and a longitudinal cutting station 19.

The products 10 to be packaged are, for example, food products, here in the form of so-called portions, each of which comprises a number of slices that were previously cut using a food slicer (not shown). have been separated from a loaf or bar of food such as sausage, cheese, ham or meat. The slicer and the packaging machine can form a continuous production line.

A central control device 41 controls the operation of the packaging machine V including the work stations mentioned. This can also control the slicer or be connected to a control device of the slicer. In addition, the packaging machine V is preferably provided with an operating device 45, which includes a touchscreen, for example, on which an operator can display all the necessary information and the operator can make all the necessary settings before and during operation of the machine.

The structure and mode of operation of the work stations mentioned are fundamentally known to the person skilled in the art, so that they are not discussed in detail here.

At the forming station 11 comprising an upper tool 11a and a lower tool 11b, indentations 29, also referred to as troughs, are formed in the lower film 23 in a deep-drawing process. The aforementioned portions 10 are placed in these depressions 29 at the loading station 13 . The infeed station 13 here includes a so-called depositor, of which two endless conveyor belts 13a, 13b are shown. Alternatively or additionally, the insertion station 13 can include a robot 50, also shown here schematically, e.g. in the form of a so-called “picker”, which can be designed as a delta robot with a gripper that includes two shovels each holding a portion 10 together. Such robots and their use in the handling of foodstuffs, in particular when inserting portions into depressions in packs, are known in principle to the person skilled in the art, which is why further explanations are not necessary here.

The lower film 23 provided with the filled depressions 29 and the upper film 25 are then fed to the sealing station 15, which comprises an upper tool 15a and a lower tool 15b. The upper film 25 and the lower film 23 are connected to one another by means of these tools 15a, 15b. As a result, the depressions 29 and thus the packs 21 formed by the upper film 25 and lower film 23 are closed. In 1 sealing points 43 running transversely to the transport direction T and also referred to as sealing seams are indicated schematically.

After the sealing station 15, the packs 21 are still connected by the top film 25 and the bottom film 23, so they still have to be separated. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the packs 21 are provided with labels and/or printed before they are separated at the labeling and/or printing station 16 . Labeling and printing can also be done in separate stations.

Further conveyor belts and/or work stations can be provided downstream of the separating stations 17, 19, for example scales for checking the weight of the packs 21.

Applications can differ from one another, e.g. with regard to the type of products 10 to be packaged, the size/shape of the depressions 29 in the longitudinal and/or transverse direction or with regard to a format set. A format set generally refers to a group of items, here in particular both portions 10 and depressions 29 or packs 21, which are handled as a whole - i.e. format sets - and differ from one another in particular by the number and spacing of items in the longitudinal and transverse directions.

For example, per work cycle of the packaging machine, a packaging format or format set of 3 x 4 (3 in the transverse direction and 4 in the longitudinal direction) indentations 29 or other types of product receptacles can be formed in the forming station 11, and a format set of 3 x 4 correspondingly arranged products 10 at the infeed station 13 are introduced into a respective format set of depressions 21, and at the sealing station 15 a respective format set of 3×4 depressions 29 filled with products 10 are sealed. The same applies to the labeling and/or printing station 16.

In principle, an N x M format set of any size can be formed, with N > 2 and M >= 1.

The operation of the packaging machine with regard to the detection, analysis and elimination or reduction of packaging errors can be monitored using data or measurement results from measuring devices (not shown) and adjusted if necessary. The measurement results are fed to the control device 41 for this purpose.

For example, the packs 21 being produced can be measured directly after each of the work stations. This concept can also only be implemented with a selection of work stations, i.e. with this concept it is not mandatory for the packs 21 to be measured after each work station. It is also possible for only a final check to be carried out after the packs 21 have been separated.

After the measurement results have been analyzed, one can intervene—preferably automatically—in the operation of one or more work stations in order to counteract the occurrence of filling and/or packaging errors. According to an alternative concept, the control device 41 can display information, for example on the operating device 45, which an operator can use to intervene in the operation of one or more respective workstations.

The intervention in the operation of a workstation, i.e. the regulation of the operation of a workstation, can in particular include a change in the position of the workstation or a working tool of the workstation, for example a change in position in the transport direction T.

2 shows a sealing station 15 according to the invention. Here, an application is shown in which the sealing station 15 is part of a packaging machine in which the packs are formed by a deep-drawn lower film 23 and an upper film 25 closing the packs. A sealing station 15 for two-lane operation is shown here purely by way of example, i.e. for a two-lane packaging machine, in which two packs lie side by side in each row of packs extending transversely to the transport direction, which at the end of the work process are cut by suitable cutting devices at separating stations of the packaging machine, such as based on 1 described, isolated.

In 2 For the sake of simplicity, the transport chains of the packaging machine, which move in the transport direction T (cf. 1 ) extending frame element of a machine frame of the packaging machine and serve to transport the lower film 23 through the packaging machine and thus also through the sealing station 15.

The basic structure and the basic mode of operation of a sealing station of a packaging machine for food products are known to the person skilled in the art, so that there is no need to go into more detail here below.

In the embodiment of 2 the sealing station 15 includes in an upper housing 54 an upper sealing tool 15a, also simply referred to below as the upper tool, and in a lower housing 56 for each of the two tracks, a lower sealing tool 15b, also referred to below simply as the lower tool. The two tools 15a, 15b each work together in order to connect the upper film 25 and the lower film 23 to one another at sealing points 71 spaced transversely to the transport direction by applying heat and pressure. Two sealing points 71 are located on the two lateral edge areas of the foils 23, 25. The third sealing point 71 is located between the two packs.

A product 10 to be packaged is located in a product area 61 of each pack. In the lower housing 56 there are channels 62 leading to the product areas 61, a channel 65 leading to the areas 31 above the upper film 25 and to the areas 33 below the lower film 23 leading channels 63 formed.

A gas exchange in the product areas 61 takes place through the superimposed edge areas of the two films 23, 25, specifically via edges formed in an edge area of the lower film 23 in the transport direction of the packaging machine (cf. 1 ) distributed openings (not shown) with which the channels 62 are aligned. This is fundamentally known to the person skilled in the art, so that there is no need to go into more detail here.

An evacuation and gassing process, as with the sealing station 15 in the embodiment of 2 can be carried out is in DE 10 2018 116 507 A1 described in detail. This is expressly referred to. This evacuation and gassing process, which in itself is not the subject of the invention, includes all areas for a row of packaging, i.e. for the two adjacent packs with the two product areas 61, i.e. the respective product area 61 and the respective upper area 31 and the respective lower area 33. The gassing of the lower and upper areas 31, 33 takes place with atmospheric air and is therefore also referred to as ventilation. The term "gassing" is used because a protective gas is used for the product areas 61. Nitrogen or carbon dioxide or a mixture of these two gases, for example, serves as the protective gas. For the sake of simplicity, the aeration of the upper and lower areas 31, 33 is also referred to as gassing in the following. The process described below is also referred to as "gas exchange" or "packaging in a protective atmosphere".

How 2 shows, 15 vacuum lines VL are connected to all areas 61, 31, 33 of the sealing station, which are connected to a common vacuum pump 35. A vacuum valve (not shown) designed as a throttle valve is arranged in each line VL, to which a servomotor (also not shown) is assigned in order to control the flow cross section of the respective valve and thus to be able to change the flow through the relevant line VL. As a result, not only the product areas 61, but also the upper area 31 and the lower area 33 can be evacuated. The pressure control for these two areas 31, 33 takes place as a function of the pressure measured in the product areas 61 as a reference variable. As already mentioned, this is not the subject matter of the invention per se, so that it will not be discussed in any more detail.

After the evacuation, gassing or ventilation takes place. When the vacuum valves in the vacuum lines VL are closed, activation of a servo motor for a gas valve (not shown) ensures that the gas flow in a gas line GLS, which is connected to a protective gas source 37, is set according to a control specification. Simultaneously with this gassing of the product areas 61, the upper area 31 and the lower area 33 are aerated, again by controlling corresponding servomotors, which are assigned to a respective gas valve (not shown), which is in a direction towards the upper area 31 or to the lower Area 33 leading gas line GLB is arranged.

At the end of the gassing or aeration process, the gas exchange in the product areas 61 is complete, so that the lower film 23 and the upper film 25 are connected to one another in a basically known manner at the mentioned sealing points 71 by the interaction of lower tools 15b and upper tool 15a of the sealing station 15 and thus the relevant packs and thus their product areas 61 can be closed.

A sealing membrane 75 is acted upon in a manner known per se via a compressed air channel 73 formed in the upper housing 54, which in turn presses the upper tool 15a, also referred to as the sealing plate, with its sealing sections provided for this purpose at the sealing points 71 onto the foils 23, 25. Product protection plates are not shown, which can each be arranged between the upper tool 15a and the upper film 25 between the sealing points 71 and then serve to protect the respective pack from the high temperature of the upper tool 15a.

How 2 shows, the aforementioned vacuum lines VL and the individual gas lines GLB, GLZ and GLSZ, which will be discussed in more detail below, each end side by side in the respective area 61, 31, 33 or in a channel leading to the respective area 61, 31, 33 62, 63, 65 of the relevant housing 54, 56.

According to the invention, it is now additionally provided that before the packs are closed, an additive 77 is introduced into the product areas 61 of the packs.

As already explained in the introductory part, this can be done at different times and in different ways. Various concepts are in 2 illustrated. A respective additive 77, for example a liquid or a gas, is accommodated in a reservoir 76. This is assigned a preliminary container 74, to which an additive portion 78 from the storage container 76 is fed by suitable means, not shown here, for each working cycle of the packaging machine and thus the sealing station 15, so that this additive portion 78 is available for the next working cycle stands. This results in portioned introduction of the additive 77 into the product areas 61.

To illustrate the different insertion methods are in 2 two lines 81, 81' are connected to this preliminary container 74, which are each connected to the preliminary container 74 via a controllable valve 67.

According to one possible concept of the invention, the additive 77 is introduced before the above-described gassing and aeration of the product areas 61 by the valve 67 assigned to the line 81' being opened after the evacuation of the product areas 61 also described above. Due to the negative pressure prevailing in the product areas 61, the additive portion 78 can then be sucked out of the preliminary container 74 into the product areas 61 via the gas lines GLZ emanating from the line 81'. The gas lines GLZ don't have to like it 2 schematically indicated, end at the beginning of the channel 62 in the lower housing 56 leading to the respective product area 61, but can run up to just before the respective product area 61 and open there into an entry area leading into the product area 61, which, for example, extends directly in the direction of flow in front of the respective edge regions of the films 23, 25 is located.

In addition, according to a modified procedure, a pump (not shown) can be assigned to the preliminary container 74 or the line 81 ', which supports the negative pressure prevailing in the product areas 61 and the additive 77 from the storage container 76 or the additive portion 78 from the Pre-container 74 conveys out and presses into the product areas 61. The effect of such a pump can be chosen to be so large that the suction effect of the negative pressure in the product areas 61 is relatively or negligibly small and the additive 77 consequently essentially only through the action of this pump is pushed into the product areas 61.

According to an alternative concept, which can also be provided in addition to the negative pressure concept explained above, the additive 77 or the additive portion 78 is introduced from the preliminary container 74 into the product area 61 during gassing. For this purpose, another line 81 is connected to the preliminary container 74, again via a controllable valve 67, but not - like the line 81' - into the product areas 81 or into the corresponding channels 62, but into the line GLS for the protective gas opens out, specifically at a point in which a Venturi nozzle 79 is arranged, so that this can suck in the additive portion 78 via the line 81 from the preliminary container 74 when the valve 67 is open during the gassing of the product areas 61 . The additive 77 thus reaches the evacuated product areas 61 together with the protective gas provided by the protective gas source 37 via the gas lines GLSZ branching off from the gas line GLS.

Irrespective of the respectively chosen concept, the invention allows the infrastructure already present at the sealing station 15 to be used in order to supply a respectively desired additive 77 to the product areas 61 in the desired manner before the packs are sealed. As explained above, this can be done in portions, e.g. via a preliminary container 74 providing an additive portion 78 for each work cycle. It is also possible, as explained in the introductory part, to introduce a mixture of several substance components into the product areas 61 as the additive 77. These fabric components can be provided separately. In this case, a reservoir can then be provided for each substance component, which leads via a respective separate line to the product areas 61 or to the channels 62 opening into them, or opens into the gas line GLS for the protective gas.

Reference List

10

product

11

forming station

11 a

Upper tool of the forming station

11b

Lower tool of the forming station

13

loading station

13a

conveyor belt

13b

conveyor belt

14

feeding station

15

sealing station

15a

Upper part of the sealing station

15b

Lower part of the sealing station

16

labeling station

17

Separation station (cross direction)

19

cutting station (longitudinal direction)

21

pack

23

bottom film

23a

supply roll

25

top film

25a

supply roll

27

Transport device (transport chain for bottom film)

29

deepening

31

upper area

33

lower area

35

vacuum pump

37

protective gas source

41

control device

43

sealing seam

45

operating unit

47

machine frame

49

gripper

50

robot

54

upper case

55

Upper tool of the sealing station

56

lower case

57

Lower tool of the sealing station

61

product area

62

channel

63

Channel for lower range

65

Channel for upper range

67

Valve

71

sealing point

73

compressed air duct

74

holding tank

75

sealing membrane

76

larger amount of additive, storage tank

77

additive

78

additive portion

79

venturi nozzle

81, 81'

Management

T

transport direction

V

packaging machine

GLB

Gas line for ventilation

GLS

Gas line for protective gas

GLZ

Gas line for additive

GLSZ

Gas line for protective gas and additive

VL

vacuum line

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 102018116507 A1 [0052]

Claims (17)

Method for operating a sealing station (15) of a packaging machine (V) for food products (10), in particular designed as a thermoformer or traysealer, for producing packs (21) each from at least one lower pack component (23), in particular a lower film or a prefabricated pack component , and at least one upper pack component (25), in particular a top film, which enclose at least one product area (61) of a respective pack (21), wherein at least the product area (61) is first evacuated and gassed at the sealing station (15) and then the pack components (23, 25) are connected to one another by applying heat and pressure in order to seal the pack (21) and thus the product area (61 ) to close, and at least one additive (63) being introduced into the product area (61) at the sealing station (15) after the product area (61) has been evacuated and before the pack (21) is closed. procedure after claim 1 , wherein the additive (77) is introduced via a flow path (81, 81') into the product area (61) which is in the product area (61) or in a directly in front of the product area (61) located in the product area (61) leading entry area. procedure after claim 1 or 2 , wherein the additive (77) is pre-portioned in that a predetermined amount of the additive (77) forming a respective additive portion (78) is kept separate from a larger amount of additive (76) provided for each introduction process. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the additive (77) is introduced into the product area (61) before gassing. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein after the evacuation of the product area (61) a flow connection (81, 81') for the additive (77) is opened in the product area (61) and the additive (77) at least partly due to the Evacuation prevailing negative pressure is sucked into the product area (61). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the additive (77) is introduced into the product area (61) during the gassing, in particular wherein the additive (77) is introduced into the product area (61) together with a gas (37) used for the gassing becomes. procedure after claim 6 , wherein the additive (77) is sucked in by means of a Venturi nozzle (79) through which a gas (37) used for gassing flows. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a gas, a liquid, a free-flowing substance such as a powder or granules or a mixture of several, preferably separately provided, substance components is introduced as the additive (77). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the package components (23, 25) each consist of an aroma-tight material, and wherein an aroma is introduced as an additive (77) or as one of several components of the additive (77). Method for operating a packaging machine (V) for food products (10) with a plurality of work stations arranged one behind the other along a transport direction (T) for producing packs from at least two pack components which enclose at least one product area of a respective pack, with one work station having a sealing station (15) , especially after one of the Claims 11 until 16 , Is, and wherein the sealing station (15) is operated according to a method according to any one of the preceding claims. Sealing station (15) for a packaging machine (V) for food products (10), in particular designed as a thermoformer or traysealer, for producing packs (21) each from at least one lower pack component (23), in particular a lower film or a prefabricated pack component (25) , and at least one upper pack component, in particular a top film, which enclose at least one product area (61) of a respective pack (21), wherein the sealing station (15) is set up to first evacuate and gasse at least the product area (61) and then joining the pack components (23, 25) together by applying heat and pressure to seal the pack (21) and thus the product area (61), and providing a flow path (81, 81') for an additive (77). is, via which the additive (77) in the product area (61) can be introduced, and wherein the flow path (81, 81 ') directly i n the product area (61) or in a immediately before Product area (61) located, in the product area (61) leading entry area opens. procedure after claim 11 , wherein the flow path for the additive (77) is formed by a line (81, 81') or by a channel. procedure after claim 11 or 12 , wherein the flow path (81') for the additive (77) runs completely separately from a flow path (GL) used for gassing, or wherein the flow path (81) for the additive (77) partially coincides with a flow path (GL) used for gassing . procedure after Claim 13 , wherein the flow path (81) for the additive (77) opens into the flow path (GL) serving for gassing at a point which is located between a source (37) for a gas used for gassing and the product region (61). procedure after Claim 13 or 14 , wherein a Venturi nozzle (79) is arranged in a flow path (GL) used for gassing, by means of which the additive (77) is sucked in during the gassing of the product area (61). Procedure according to one of Claims 11 until 15 , wherein the flow path (81, 81') for the additive (77) starts from a reservoir (76) or connection providing the additive (77). Packaging machine (V) for food products (10), preferably for carrying out a method according to one of Claims 1 until 9 , having a plurality of work stations arranged one behind the other along a transport direction (T) for producing packs (21) from at least two pack components (23, 25) which enclose at least one product area (61) of a respective pack (21), one work station having a sealing station ( 15) after one of the Claims 11 until 16 is.

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