Abstract: Described is a cone-shaped food item and systems and methods for packaging and dispensing the same. A preferred food item includes a cone-shaped edible food element such as a cone-shaped waffle, a cone-shaped external wrap for covering the food element, a foodstuff filling received within the edible food element, and a lid for covering an open upper end of the food element. Systems for assembling and dispensing the food item can include assembling the food element and optionally storing the food element originally in an inverted position wherein the foodstuff to be received internally of the cone-shaped food element is originally contained within the lid and thus not in substantial contact with the waffle or other conical food element. This can help to maintain the integrity of the cone-shaped food element during assembly and maintenance prior to distribution to consumers.

Abstract: The present invention is a package for selectively heating or cooling a food product of the package utilizing a temperature-changing pack disposed within an inner container. The temperature-changing pack is formed in a manner which prevents the inadvertent or premature mixing of the chemical reagents to initiate the heating or cooling reaction. Further, the temperature-changing pack is positioned within the inner container at a location where the food product comes into contact with the pack on multiple sides to maximize the heat transfer between pack and the food product. The inner container can be positioned within a reusable outer sleeve that insulates the inner container to further maximize the heat transfer between the pack and the food product.

Abstract: Packaging of respiring biological materials, particularly bananas and other fruits, in sealed containers. The containers preferably include a gas-permeable membrane comprising (1) a microporous film, and (2) a polymeric coating on the microporous film. Using appropriate containers and appropriate controlled atmospheres around the container, the respiring materials can be stored and/or ripened under controlled conditions. Bananas can be ripened while they are being transported, or in conventional ripening rooms without opening the containers in which they have been transported. The ripe bananas are less dehydrated and remain in a satisfactory ripened state for longer periods of time.

Abstract: A packaged product has a food product having an added liquid thereon, and a packaging article at least partially surrounding the food product. The packaging article having a seal layer comprising a member selected from the group consisting of a slip agent and a surfactant. The slip agent or surfactant causes contamination from the added liquid to bead up or wet out, respectively, thereby permitting heat sealing through the contamination with a lower leaker rate than would otherwise be the case.

Abstract: Methods for controlling contamination of a food product are provided which utilize a combined treatment comprising thermal surface treatment and introduction of an antimicrobial solution to a food package prior to vacuum sealing the package.

Abstract: The present invention 10 discloses an infusion bag 18 having means for selectively inserting any desired dry beverage material 16. The disposable infusion bag 18 has spaced apart reinforced elements 20 fixedly attached to the bag material with a string 22 passing through the elements in predetermined positions whereby pressure applied to the distal ends of the string causes the top corners 30 to fold forward engaging the bag whereupon the remaining triangular center element folds over covering the previously folded corners preventing any of the inserted material from escaping. The bag 18 may be reusable by unfolding the bag, discarding the used contents, replacing with fresh material and refolding the bag.

Abstract: A drip bag is devised so that the good taste of coffee made by a conventional paper drip system can be obtained using a simple construction, and so that the drip bag can be set easily and securely on the cup even in cases where the thickness of the walls of the opening part of the cup is large. The drip bag includes a bag main body which is made of a water-permeable filtering sheet material and which has an opening part in the upper end portion of said bag main body, holding members which are made of a thin sheet-form material and which are disposed on the outside surfaces of two opposite sides of the bag main body, and reinforcing parts which are made of a thin sheet-form material and which are pasted to the outside surface of the bag main body around the peripheral parts of the holding members.

Abstract: A plug for sucking a beverage from a bottle or the like includes a housing and supporting means for housing and supporting a dissolvable food praline, the beverage being delivered through the plug through a window formed between the outer contour of the praline and the praline housing chamber and/or through at least a praline throughgoing hole. With a “teat” configuration of the plug top portion a sucking, in any desired dissolving degrees, of the praline, depending on the rubbing of a user's tongue on the praline and on the beverage suction, is thereby facilitated.

Abstract: A tea bag package including a filter container for a product such as tee, comprising an envelope to be opened, said envelope enclosing the filter container, and a pull element which is associated with the filter container and can be pulled through an opening in the envelope. The envelope comprises an external cover sheet fold, whose overlapping sheet portions are releasably connected to each other, thus to hold the envelope in a closed condition. The cover sheet fold has an opening at its back. The pull element is formed by a pull element fold and comprises a back which can be grasped as a grip member in the opening of the cover element fold. The pull element fold or its sheet portions basically shield the opening in a closed condition of the envelope. The filter container is designed to be foldable in its center at its longitudinal side, namely with the edge ends being contiguous with the pull element fold and being spaced apart from the free edge ends of the pull element fold.

Abstract: A food product, preferably a food ingredient in the form of dye, pigment or similar colorant in a random pattern in refrigerated yogurt, is produced by supplying the food ingredient through a supply tube (82) extending through an injection tube (80) and into a fill pipe (78) and a fill tube (28). In the preferred form, an elongated tubular member is formed around the fill tube (28) from a strip (20) of flexible material, with top and bottom seals being formed by a forming station (36). In the preferred form, the injection tube (80) extends at an angle to the fill pipe (78) such that the supply tube (82) formed of stainless steel is generally linearly straight. The fill pipe (78) includes seal flanges (78a, 78b) allowing its removal from the food material supply tubing (68) and the fill tube (28) to allow conventional cleaning of the remaining components of the apparatus (10).

Abstract: An iced cake (92) is decorated with an edible substrate sheet (100) having a color image (200) reproduced thereon by a plain paper photocopy process. The sheet (100) is passed along a straight, generally unheated copy path (24) through a plain paper, color inkjet photocopy machine (10) to reproduce thereon the color image (200) placed on the photocopy glass (12).

Abstract: A system which enables fillings (such as sandwich fillings) to be kept separate from bread. The system thus enables the fillings and bread to be stored and transported together without the bread getting soggy. The present invention also provides a way to quickly dispose the fillings within the bread by requiring the user to perform only a single quick motion. A bread is formed to accept a pouch containing filling. The open end of the pouch is folded shut and is placed into the bread. The bread and pouch assembly is placed inside a bag which is sealed with a tab. A tail of the pouch passes through the tab and thus outside the bag. A user pulls the tail of the pouch causing the filling to be squeezed into the bread by the constricting action of the pouch passing through the tab.

Abstract: A jelly-containing device includes a plurality of flexible sheet-shaped spacers integrally formed in the housing thereof. Mid-portions of the respective spacers are intersected with each other. Thus, an inner space of the housing is divided into a plurality of jelly-receiving spaces, and the number of jelly-receiving spaces is two times the number of the spacers. Therefore, the jelly will be equally divided into several portions that are still partially connected with each other. After being squeezed out of the jelly-receiving spaces, the jelly will be broken into pieces easily through sucking and chewing activities, thus eliminating the danger of choking.

Abstract: Packaged food portions, such as food slices, consisting of two or more food items, such as peanut butter and jelly, and processes for making them. The food portion is provided with sufficient viscosity and textural properties to enable its formation into a cohesive mass which can be extruded while maintaining the individual identity and organoleptic attributes of each food item within the food portion. The food portion may be shaped into a slice or other configuration prior to or during its encasing within a flexible packaging material. Product formulations which provide for minimal moisture migration between the different food items within the food portion and for optimum product stability, as well as processes and methods for providing and processing these formulations, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A fast, effective, and economical process of obtaining high contents of bound-phenolic acid rich dietary fibre from cereal malts in time duration ranging between 36–48 hours by step-wise increase in temperature by about 8–12° C. for every 10–14 hours of incubation, thereby activating in situ amylases, with net temperature during incubation ranging between 43–77° C., with said stepwise increase in temperature helping to overcome the need of using exogenous enzymes.

Abstract: The color life of modified atmosphere packaged fresh red meat is extended by contacting the fresh red meat with an extract of a Labiatae herb prior to packaging the meat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for preparing a candy having a stereoscopic picture therein comprising the step of pouring a measured amount of the first mixture, prepared by dissolving and concentrating the raw materials, for candy into a mold, while a temperature of the mixture is maintained at of about 130 to 150° C.; partially cooling the first mixture at about 30 to 45° C. of its surface temperature; printing desired pictures by using a pad printing method with one or more of black, yellow, red, and blue edible ink compositions onto the mixture at a temperature of about 15 to 25° C. and a relative humidity of 40 to 60%, and then drying the mixture; pouring a measured amount of the second mixture, prepared by dissolving and concentrating the raw materials, for candy into the mold atop the first mixture, while a temperature of the second mixture is maintained at about 120 to 135° C.; and cooling the resulting mixture.

Abstract: The isolation of at least one water soluble glycoside comprising an aromatic moiety group conjugated to mono-, di-, and trisaccharides from hop plant parts other than hop cones is disclosed. A glycoside preparation made by extraction of hop plant leaves with an aqueous alcohol was discovered to confer a pleasant grape flavor to the beer to which the glycoside preparation was added. The glycoside composition of the glycoside preparation made from aqueous alcohol-extracted hop plant leaves was found to differ from a similar preparation made from hop cones.

Abstract: A method of wrapping in a sheet material a food product comprising at least two complementary parts coupled together along a coupling line includes the steps of: forming the wrapper in at least two complementary portions able to be connected along an associated connection line, positioning the said product in the said wrapper in such a way that the said coupling line is offset relative to the associated connection line with the said at least two parts coupled together substantially freely, and closing the said wrapper around the said product along the said connection line.

Abstract: A canned pet food product having a base layer and an upper layer. The base layer is formed of solid food pieces in a gravy which makes up about 20% to about 40% of the base layer. The upper layer, which provides about 20% to about 80% by weight of the pet food product, is a substantially solid foodstuff. The substantially solid foodstuff is capable of supporting the base layer when the pet food product is inverted. The separation between the layers is clear and distinct.