Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating patients with type 2 diabetes using a food composition able to control the release of glucose into the patient's blood. This is achieved by the introduction into the food composition of an additive, such as propylene glycol alginate, which reduces the cooking losses and enhances the starch cell wall membrane to thereby slow the enzymatic hydrolysis of the starch by insulin. The result is a steady state release of glucose and a net reduction in the release of blood glucose (glycemic index) relative to release of glucose observed in a diabetes patient having consumed a food composition without propylene glycol alginate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating patients with type 2 diabetes using a food composition able to control the release of glucose into the patient's blood. This is achieved by the introduction into the food composition of an additive, such as propylene glycol alginate, which reduces the cooking losses and enhances the starch cell wall membrane to thereby slow the enzymatic hydrolysis of the starch by insulin. The result is a steady state release of glucose and a net reduction in the release of blood glucose (glycemic index) relative to release of glucose observed in a diabetes patient having consumed a food composition without propylene glycol alginate.

Abstract: Disclosed is an egg and cheese food comprising a continuous phase of cheese-containing material having discrete particles of cooked egg-containing material distributed therethrough. Also disclosed, is a method of making this egg and cheese food comprising cooking the egg-containing material, then adding cheese ingredients and to the cooked egg-containing material. The products of the present invention include an egg and cheese omelette spread and egg and cheese omelette slices. The products of the present invention have extremely long shelf life and, because they are already cooked, they are convenient to eat.

Abstract: A method for making a couscous-like product from scrap generated during conventional pasta production.

Abstract: A process is presented for minimizing oxidative degradation of whole wheat flour in the production of whole wheat pasta. A sweet nutty flavor is preserved and off-flavors are avoided by whole milling without removing the germ, not fine grinding the wheat, and immediately mixing the freshly-ground whole wheat flour with water to produce a dough or alimentary paste. This minimizes the exposure of oils and other components to enzymatic and other degradative processes.

Abstract: It has been discovered that dried extruded pasta shapes prepared in certain ways display a high toleration for exposure to water at temperatures of less than boiling. This toleration is conveniently evaluated by cooking in a microwave over and then extracting with room temperature water to determine if the starch loss is less than 7.0 weight percent. This toleration is obtained by exposing the extruded pasta shapes to temperatures of about 180.degree. F. or greater, temperatures of about 165.degree. F. or greater if the pasta contains a low temperature coagulatable protein such as egg whites or simple room temperature aging if the pasta contains both a low temperature coagulatable protein and a sulfhydryl reducing agent such as 1-cysteine hydrochloride. This toleration makes the pasta amenable to a number of cooking procedures such as presoaking in cold water prior to cooling (thus dramatically reducing the cooking time), and cooking in a microwave oven.

Abstract: A process for preparing a microwave cooked pasta product is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of (a) combining flour, egg whites, water, and optionally whole eggs, and a dibasic or tribasic organic acid derivative such as a tricarboxylic acid ester derivative, to form a paste, (b) drying the paste to produce pasta at drying temperatures of 100.degree. to 130.degree. F., (c) optionally soaking the pasta in hot or cold temperature liquid for a period of time sufficient to at least partially hydrate the paste, (d) heating the pasta for a period of time sufficient to cook the pasta, e.g. about 1 to 2 minutes. A preferred acid derivative is triethyl citrate. The heating can be achieved by exposure to microwave radiation. The cooked pasta is characterized by a starch loss upon cooking of less than about 8% by weight, based on uncooked pasta weight, and by texture superior to that obtained without the dibasic or tribasic organic acid derivative.

Abstract: The invention is a process for making packaged uncooked pasta pieces from a feedstock comprising semolina, water and a source of ethyl alcohol wherein the amount of ethyl alcohol is 0.1% to 10% wherein the total moisture content of the feedstock is 26% or less. The extruded pasta can be packaged immediately without any drying step. The extruded pasta when packaged in vapor barrier containers can be sold as "fresh pasta" and may be stored at room temperature on the grocery shelf. The extruded pasta when packaged in a cardboard box will dry to consumer-acceptable dry pasta and can be sold as dry pasta and will keep indefinitely on the grocery shelf.

Abstract: The invention relates to improvements in flour, and pasta produced therefrom, wherein the flour is produced by milling of grains and legumes previously tempered in the presence of a reducing agent. The reducing agent can be, for example, sodium metabisulfite, organic acids, SO.sub.2, cysteine, thioglycolic acid, glutathione, or hydrogen sulfide. The presence of the reducing agent in the tempering solution produces an improvement in color retention of the resulting flour, and allows the shorts to separate from the semolina to be remilled to produce flour of color and quality acceptable for use in pasta production.