Abstract: A process for stabilizing rice bran containing protein and a naturally occurring lipase enzyme that causes rancidity. The rice bran is treated with an antilipase enzyme, preferably a nonspecific protease of plant or fungal origin. Treatment with the antilipase enzyme stabilizes the rice bran against rancidity without denaturing the protein. Stabilized rice bran has food and industrial utility and can be processed by a sequence of steps including wet milling and microfiltration into a variety of other products also having food and industrial utility. In some instances depending on the product, it is not necessary stabilize the rice bran before wet milling and microfiltration.

Abstract: Cooking machine and method include a mould with first and second similarly shaped end walls and a generally surrounding, continuous side wall, the three walls together defining an internal moulding volume, with the three walls being reciprocally movable relative to one another. Heating elements are provided in at least one wall or in thermal contact therewith, and a control mechanism controls at least relative movement of the walls so that at the end of a predetermined cooking cycle the end walls and the sidewall are relatively separated to retract both end walls from the moulding volume simultaneously.

Abstract: An indigestible dextrin characterized in that the dextrin contains:(A) up to 50% of 1.fwdarw.4 glycosidic linkages, and(B) at least 60% of an indigestible component,(C) the content of indigestible component as actually determined varying within the range of .+-.5% from a value Y calculated from at least one of equations, i.e., Equations 1 to 62, given in the specification,(D) the indigestible dextrin being prepared by adding hydrochloric acid to corn starch and heating the corn starch at 120.degree. to 200.degree. C. using an extruder,the value Y being a calculated content (%) of the indigestible component.

Abstract: A supermicrocellular foamed material and a method for producing such material, the material to be foamed such as a polymerplastic material, having a supercritical fluid, such as carbon dioxide in its supercritical state, introduced into the material to form a foamed fluid/material system having a plurality of cells distributed substantially throughout the material. Cell densities lying in a range from about 10.sup.9 to about 10.sup.15 per cubic centimeter of the material can be achieved with the average cell sizes being at least less than 2.0 microns and preferably in a range from about 0.1 micron to about 1.0 micron.

Abstract: A process for stabilizing rice bran containing protein and a naturally occurring lipase enzyme that causes rancidity. The rice bran is treated with an antilipase enzyme, preferably a nonspecific protease of plant or fungal origin. Treatment with the antilipase enzyme stabilizes the rice bran against rancidity without denaturing the protein. Stabilized rice bran has food and industrial utility and can be processed by a sequence of steps including wet milling and microfiltration into a variety of other products also having food and industrial utility. In some instances depending on the product, it is not necessary to stabilize the rice bran before wet milling and microfiltration.

Abstract: A high protein, shelf-stable, meat-containing snack product is provided which is in the form of a cellular, expanded extrudate which can be dried and flavored to yield nutritional snacks having excellent organoleptic properties. The final snack contains at least about 5% by weight meat (most preferably mechanically deboned poultry meat), and at least about 50% by weight wheat. The invention also comprehends a fabrication method wherein an initial mixture containing at least about 15% by weight meat and at least about 50% by weight wheat flour are mixed and passed through an extruder under time and temperature conditions to yield an expanded, cellular extrudate having the general appearance of a bread stick.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for preparing a shelf stable half product expandable in microwave ovens. A chlorinated soft wheat flour, corn starch, modified corn starch and whole grain amaranth flour are combined to form a dry starch mixture. Salt and flavoring additives (if desired) are combined with the dry starch mixture. These ingredients are thoroughly mixed in a ribbon blender, then preconditioned in a paddle mixer with injection of steam and water, to form a mixture with moisture at 22-24 percent by weight. This mixture is provided to a twin screw extruder where it is worked and heated to substantially gelatinize the starches, vented for rapid cooling and moisture release, conveyed and lightly worked at reduced temperature, then forced through a shaping die and cut into pieces of the desired shape. The pieces are dried in a drying enclosure, at an air temperature of 43 degrees C., for about three and one-half to four hours.

Abstract: Cereal flakes are prepared from an extrusion-cooked dough which is extruded through a rectangularly shaped orifice to obtain an expanded and puffed extruded dough which then is stretched to obtain a dough density of from 75 g/liter to 200 g/liter. The stretched dough is cut into flakes which then are roasted.

Abstract: A supercritical fluid such as CO.sub.2 is injected under pressure into a fully cooked dough in an extruder. The dough is prepared and after being preconditioning with water and steam, is supplied to an extruder/cooker where it is subjected to high cooking temperatures, which may be on the order of 120.degree. C. The cooked dough is conveyed through an optional steam vent section and is cooled to a temperature of usually less than 100.degree. C. to prevent puffing of the extruded product by the conversion of water to steam. Supercritical CO.sub.2 is injected into the cooked and cooled dough, and under the pressure conditions existing in the extruder, the CO.sub.2 dissolves into the water phase of the dough. Since the conditions within the extruder are either subcritical or near-critical, various flavors, colorants, or other materials soluble in and carried by the supercritical CO.sub.2 are deposited and mixed into the dough before exiting the extruder. The dissolved CO.sub.

Abstract: Disclosed are puffable gelatinized dough pellets which pop upon microwave heating in a consumer microwave oven. The pellets include an outer skin or casing of sufficient tensile strength to allow buildup of internally generated steam pressure upon microwave heating. Upon sufficient buildup of steam pressure, the skin fails suddenly, allowing the pellet to puff explosively thereby simultaneously causing an audible popping sound. Also disclosed are microwave snack products comprising an expandable microwave popping bag containing a charge of the present microwave poppable pellets. The sound of the popping gives the consumer an audible clue as to the desirable termination of the microwave heating step, which is particularly useful when the pellets are contained within an opaque paper microwave popping bag. Also disclosed are methods for the preparation of the microwave poppable pellets as well as microwave heating methods for snack preparation.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for producing shaped products from granular materials, in particular food products from cereals such as rice, corn, wheat or the like, which are pressure-baked and afterwards expanded in a heatable mold defined in a fixed upper mold and a movable lower mold (punch). Preferably the mold comprises a peripheral mold element which is individually movable. Driving means are provided for actuating the movable punch which are in the form of two aligned, separately controlled hydraulic cylinders of which one cylinder defines a precise expansion and the other cylinder controls the compression in combination with separate end switch means.

Abstract: Disclosed are half products especially adapted to be puffed by consumers by at-home microwave heating to form puffed food products. The finished products comprise both R-T-E cereals and snack products. The half products are fabricated from cooked farinaceous doughs comprising rice flour, wheat starch, oil and salt, which have been gelatinized by subjecting the mixture to high shear mixing during heating. The half products further essentially comprise an exterior or topical sugar coating.

Abstract: Crackers having a hollow interior and capable of being filled can be formed from a particular cracker dough. This cracker dough will contain a lower sugar content and shortening content than cookie or biscuit doughs. In order for the cracker dough to be used to form a hollow cracker, the dough must undergo treatment with proteolytic enzymes so as to selectively sever certain peptide linkages in the dough. This permits a hollow core to be formed upon the baking of the cracker rather than a cellular core. The hollow core of the cracker is filled using conventional needle injection techniques.

Abstract: The invention comprises a dough preform which when fried, produces a snack chip product having a predetermined level of surface bubbling. The dough preform has outer dough portions having substantially less moisture than inner dough portion. The dough preform is made by a process that includes sheeting a dough having from about 30% to about 55% moisture, removing a portion of the moisture from the dough sheet, at a greater rate from the outer dough portions than from the inner dough portion and then frying the partially dried dough prior to any significant equilibration of moisture between the outer and inner dough portions. The moisture can be removed from the dough sheet or preform by heat, air movement or a combination of the two.

Abstract: Half products expandable or puffable by microwave or convection heat energy are prepared by (a) preparing a starch-containing material having a moisture content of not more than about 25%, (b) extruding the moisture-tempered material at a temperature of about 80.degree. to 110.degree. C. without causing expansion thereby producing a hot melt in a rope or piece form, and (c) cooling the extrudate without substantially lowering the moisture content for a time necessary to harden up. The half-products contain not more than about 25% of moisture in a glass-like rope or piece form and are shelf stable without preservatives. Substantial savings can be achieved in manufacture, storage, shipping, and handling because of the low processing temperature and the storage stability of the dense and hard products.

Abstract: A process for preparing a puffed flavored food snack without the use of fats and oils comprising the steps of forming a flour free starch dough with at least 20% by weight of tapioca starch. The dough is then steamed until translucent, cut into discrete pieces and cooked in a microwave oven.

Abstract: Process for preparing a foodstuff product such as croutons, characterized in that pieces of dough are at least partially baked and thereby expanded, whereafter the expanded pieces of foodstuff obtained are possibly further reduced in size and subsequently provided with a thermosetting coating layer, which coating layer comprises a film-forming material.Preferably, the coated pieces of foodstuff are subjected to a heat treatment. Preferably, a film-forming material rich in protein is used.

Abstract: The invention comprises a dough preform which when fried, produces a snack chip product having a predetermined level of surface bubbling. The dough preform has outer dough portions having substantially less moisture than inner dough portion. The dough preform is made by a process that includes sheeting a dough having from about 30% to about 55% moisture, removing a portion of the moisture from the dough sheet, at a greater rate from the outer dough portions than from the inner dough portion and then frying the partially dried dough prior to any significant equilibration of moisture between the outer and inner dough portions. The moisture can be removed from the dough sheet or preform by heat, air movement or a combination of the two.

Abstract: Non-fried, oil-free, instant cooking dry noodles are produced by the following process: (a) partially gelatinizing a noodle dough; (b) forming said partially gelatinized dough into discrete pieces of the desired shape; (c) surface drying said pieces, if necessary; and (d) suddenly vaporizing remaining moisture to expand the interior of the noodle and create a porous structure. These noodle products are precooked and can be prepared simply by immersing them in a hot edible liquid for a short period.

Abstract: Expanded snacks with a hollow space therein can be produced by preparing a farinaceous raw mixture by mixing one or more farinaceous materials of the type having small swelling capacity and one or more farinaceous materials of the type having large swelling capacity, gelatinizing so as to raise the temperature of said farinaceous raw mixture to 65.degree.-90.degree. C. while maintaining the temperature within the above range for 2-10 minutes, rolling the dough thus obtained into a sheet of a uniform thickness, cutting the resulting sheet into the desired shapes and then baking the thus formed dough pieces until they become fully expanded forming a hollow space within them.

Abstract: A dough guide is used to precisely control thickness of an expanding dough extrudate. The extrudate is forced through at least two vertical slots in an extrusion head, at relatively high pressure and at a temperature at least equal to the boiling temperature of water.The dough guide has three plates. A middle plate is fixed between the slots. Two movable plates are disposed on opposite sides of each slot from the middle plate. A threaded rod is used to selectively adjust the location of each of the movable plates. In alternative embodiments, any number of slots are used, each having two guides adjacent it. Any or all of the guides may be made selectively movable. A product called "crisp bread" may be made thereby.

Abstract: Wholegrain bakery products such as bread or biscuits which incorporate whole grains of cereal such as wheat or rye are made by using heat-treated microporous grain. This avoids extensive pre-soaking required for hydrating natural untreated grain.

Abstract: A method of processing a foodstuff raw material in particulate form is described as is apparatus for performing the method. Both method and apparatus involve preheating the particulate food material in a preheating chamber and then subjecting the preheated food material to heating by microwave energy in a main processing chamber. A helical screw conveyor is provided to convey the particulate matter through the preheating and main processing chambers. The pitch of the helical screw conveyor is wider where the conveyor passes through the main processing chamber than the pitch where the screw conveyor passes through the preheating chamber.

Abstract: A farinaceous dough compositon comprises an emulsion of water and fat having water as its continuous phase and a dispersed phase comprising small globules of fat, and flour. A method of making a bakeable dough composition comprising the steps of mixing fat and water to form an emulsion wherein the emulsion has the water as its continuous phase and a dispersed phase comprises small globules of the fat. The second step comprising kneading the emulsion and flour wherein the flour is present in an amount sufficient to form a farinaceous dough upon thorough kneading of the emulsion and flour.

Abstract: A method of forming a cake from a sticky confectionary material based on sugar and cereals comprising the steps of transporting a layer of such sticky confectionary material having a uniform thickness on a surface of an endless conveyor to a position beneath at least one vertically disposed hollow cylinder whose wall is tapered at its lower end and inside which is a piston, advancing the cylinder downwardly so that it cuts through the sticky material until the lower edge of said cylinder contacts said surface and severs the sticky material within the cylinder from the layer; then advancing the piston downwardly to compress the severed sticky material to between about 40% and about 60% of its original thickness to form the cake, maintaining such compression for between 0.5 and 5.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for supporting, guiding and temperature-treating a continuously moving rope of puff extruded farinaceous food material of generally C-shaped cross-section. The moving rope is supported and cooled from below by a stream of air exiting from openings in the upper edge of a former bar, which is positioned below the rope and extends into the concave portion of the cross-section. Air is directed downwardly onto the top and sides of the moving rope from a plenum chamber and nozzle assembly positioned above the moving rope.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for preparing vapor-burst, non-fat-fried fast food comprising a confining means comprised of two or more cooperating surfaces which are joined together to form said confining means and containing a suitable water-containing, expandable mixture substantially filling said confining means, whereby the confining means is capable upon heating of rupturing due to increased vapor pressure of liquid in the expandable mixture to permit the expandable mixture to suddenly expand through the ruptured area.

Abstract: A snack food is prepared from an extrudable mixture, containing dehydrated potato, baking powder, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids and water, which is extruded as a flat sheet through a sheeting die with a narrow opening, cut into pieces of predetermined size and shape and baked, the composition of the dehydrated potato, the proportion of the baking powder, the size of the opening in the sheeting die, the cutting of the sheet and the temperature and time of baking being controlled to produce a shaped, hollow potato snack in which the sides are entirely enclosed, with the top and bottom being formed from the top and bottom of said cut sheet, and a cross section of said top and bottom being approximately one-half of the thickness of said cut sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed are food compositions and methods for preparing sugary coated puffed snack products upon simple heating of the food compositions in a consumer microwave oven. The food compositions comprise a plurality of puffable farinaceous dough puff pieces or pellets and a puffing media throughout which the puff pieces or pellets are dispersed. The puffing media comprises from about 40% to 95% by weight of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetening agent and from about 5% to 10% moisture. The weight ratio of puffing media to puff pieces ranges between about 4:1 to 0.1:1. The water activity of the food compositions is less than about 0.75. The method for making a coated snack comprises forming a gelatinized dough, shaping the dough into pieces, partially drying the pieces, dispersing the pieces throughout a puffing media to form a puffing media/piece matrix, and microwave heating the matrix to simultaneously puff the pieces and to enrobe the pieces with the fluidized puffing media.

Abstract: An elongated treating chamber in the form of a cylindrical metallic barrel is rotatable about an inclined longitudinal axis. The food material to be processed is introduced into the inlet or higher end of the barrel through the agency of a rotary valve and is removed or discharged through a nozzle at the other or lower end. In one embodiment two solenoid-type induction coils encircle longitudinal portions of the barrel, being energized with alternating current power so as to inductively heat the barrel. The heat is induced throughout the thickness of the wall of the barrel and is then transmitted into the food material as the food material passes therethrough. The temperature of the barrel's outer surface is sensed at two longitudinally spaced locations as the barrel rotates and each of the two induction coils is individually controlled in accordance with the temperature that is desired.

Abstract: A high protein, whole wheat grain expanded food product is prepared by the process of the present invention. Ground whole wheat is mixed with moisture and an edible acid to provide a dough. The dough is then extruded through a die under particular conditions to provide a high protein, expanded wheat product.

Abstract: Disclosed are food compositions and methods for preparing cheese-coated puffed snack products upon simple heating of the food compositions in a consumer microwave oven. The food compositions comprise a plurality of puffable farinaceous dough puff pieces or pellets in a puffing medium throughout which the puff pieces or pellets are dispersed. The puffing medium comprises from about 30% to 90%, by weight of the puffing medium, of an edible fatty triglyceride and from about 10% to 60% by weight of dehydrated cheese solids. The puffing medium contains no more than about 2% by weight reducing sugars. The weight ratio of puffing medium to puff pieces ranges between about 0.2:1 to 1.3:1.

Abstract: Baked confections are prepared by coting edible particles, such as seeds or nuts or other particles of various foods, alternately with edible flour, such as cereal flours, or starches, and aqueous solutions such as a corn syrup, a sugar solution, a gum solution, or a dextrin solution in a coating device such as a revolving pan or drum until the size of the coated particles reach a predetermined size corresponding to the size of the inner cavity of a baking mold, subsequently baking such coated particles in a baking mold consisting of upper and lower matching units and having a desired shape, with or without engravings on its inner surface. The baked confections can be prepared in any shape in which the edible particle is in a movable state within the open space of the shell layer.

Abstract: An assortment of extrusion-puffed dough shapes of varying configurations is produced from a single extruding die assembly by mounting said assembly on a cooker extruder expander adapted to produce a gelatinized cereal dough mass and discharge same as individual moieties sequentially through a plurality of orifices in a backup zone and an extruding zone, the flow rates of said moieties being varied in passage in relationship to the flow characteristics of respective shaping dies by coordinating flow characteristics in respective backup zones so as to cause individual dough masses upon issuance from the face of the assorted extruding die orifices to have extrudates move at comparable linear speed whereby said moieties can be consecutively subdivided by a rotating knife assembly and uniformly puffed, flow coordination being evenly modulated by a substantial buffering zone in a dead space in said cooker.

Abstract: A moist cooked dough of an eatable flour or meal or of a mixture of different flours or meals is prepared and extruded under high pressure. The flow path of the dough is continually changed just prior to extrusion so that different portions of the extruded stream expand semi-independently to form an irregularly shaped expanded product closely resembling popcorn. The flow path of the dough is continually changed by a rotating plate positioned in the extruder adjacent to the extrusion orifices. The plate is provided with an annular portion aligned with the orifices which is provided with apertures of varying size and spacing through which the dough flows to the orifices.

Abstract: A potato chip product and process wherein a dough is prepared from dehydrated cooked potatoes and water and subsequently fried. The dough has an iodine index of from about 0.01 to about 6 and a lipid content of from 0 to about 6%, by weight.

Abstract: A potato based food snack is prepared by mixing cooked potato solids with water and ungelatinized starch to form a dough having between about 40 percent and about 50 percent solids by weight, forming the dough into pieces, and frying the pieces in hot cooking oil. The dough contains a sufficient amount of free available gelatinized starch to cause the pieces to expand at least about 1.6 times their original dimension upon frying such that they produce a potato snack product having a porous internal structure encased in a dense exterior layer of substantially reduced porosity.

Abstract: A dough binder for puffable food products comprising an alcohol washed, granular hydroxypropyl waxy-maize based starch derivative obtained by the dry reaction of acid hydrolyzed waxy maize starch which has also been treated with anhydrous disodium phosphate and propylene oxide to a hydroxypropyl degree of substitution of 0.3 to 0.5. The granular, crude starch derivative is cold water swelling, and is alcohol washed and dried to 3-5 percent moisture.Doughs made using the subject granular, ungelatinized starch derivative as a dough binder are more formable and workable, having the consistency of modeling clay. It is non-sticking, but readily cold-formable when used at about 30-70 percent of our starch derivative. 0-10 percent shortening, 0-30 percent other food materials, and 10-40 percent water. The dough mixture is then cold formed into the desired shapes and sizes, and may be baked or cooked at elevated temperatures (300.degree.-475.degree.F.