Abstract: The isomerase activity of a dry isomerase preparation (e.g., glucose isomerase) is enhanced by initially pretreating the isomerase in an aqueous solution which contains an activating amount of a metal ion activator and/or a thiol generating reducing agent and/or a monosaccharide which the isomerase is capable of isomerizing. Pretreatment temperature and time periods are most suitably conducted in such a manner so as to minimize isomerase deactivation. The pretreatment increases total isomerase activity and thereby renders it more effective for use in an isomerization process (e.g., glucose isomerization).

Abstract: Mother liquors obtained from a dextrose crystallization process may be upgraded for re-cycling to dextrose crystallizers by transferring the mother liquor through a bed of an adsorption agent which preferentially adsorbs either dextrose or oligosaccharides. A dextrose-rich portion of the mother liquor is then recovered from either the dextrose-rich fraction which passes through the bed or has been preferentially adsorbed and eluted from the bed with a solvent.

Abstract: An ingredient for enhancing the texture and organoleptic properties of tapioca-style pudding. Granular starch is pre-extruded under controlled conditions to obtain partially gelatinized spheroidal starch particles for use in tapioca-style puddings. The spheroidal starch particles (or "pearls") retain their spheroidal shape in the finished pudding, thereby providing excellent texture, appearance and mouthfeel to the pudding. The starch pearls, after cooking, consistently provide the highly desired translucent appearance expected in home cooked, tapioca-style puddings.The extrusion process is cooled by water at a temperature below 100.degree. F. at an extrusion rate which only partially gelatinizes the starch. The granular starch is supplied to the extruder at 25-50% moisture, and the extrudates are cut into particles suitable for a particular use by a cutting means as the extrudates emerge from the extruder die orifices.

Abstract: A process for making a dense, high molasses animal feed impregnated on a ground bagasse or bagasse pith carrier. The ground bagasse or bagasse pith is capable of absorbing up to about 5 times by weight high brix molasses to produce a feed product having about 30-55% by weight sugars determined as invert. The ground bagasse or bagasse pith, from which the major portion of the cane juice has been removed for the manufacture of cane sugar, is thoroughly mixed with molasses and the wet mixture, which contains from about 15-30% by weight water, is wet pelleted. Uniform penetration of molasses throughout the carrier is obtained. The molasses/bagasse (bagasse pith) pellets are then dried to a moisture level less than about 2-4% and cooled. The dry, dense pellets can then be packed and shipped without further processing, or they may be subjected to a crumbling step to make a granular product for blended animal feeds and as a principal component in molasses/salt blocks, and medicated feeds.

Abstract: Thin-thick, hydroxypropylated, epichlorohydrin cross-linked starch derivatives for continuous process pressure cooking of neutral or acid food systems. The degree of cross-linking for these starch derivatives is carefully controlled so that they are initially low in viscosity and develop full viscosity only under high pressure and temperatures. These characteristics make these starches ideally suited for use in recently developed food canning processes in which initial rapid heat penetration without degrading the starch derivatives is necessary for the heat sterilization of the canned foods. For the new continuous retort processing, the usual time allowed for the complete retorting cycle is less than 20 minutes, and this must include heat sterilization. As the retort media using the starch derivative of the invention reaches the heat sterilization temperature it then increases in viscosity to a range which retains the canned food product in a desirable suspension.

Abstract: Large diameter legume starch granules including starches derived from yellow field pea, Pisum sativum (var) and faba bean, Vicia faba L. (Leguminosae) which have been treated to remove protein and fiber, and to improve color are used to replace scarce arrowroot starch granules as a protective stilt material in microencapsulated coatings, including carbonless copy paper. The "stilt" material is used to prevent premature rupture of the microcapsules and early release of the microencapsulated materials. It has been discovered that the natural granule size, and other granule properties of the yellow field pea and faba bean starches are ideally suited to replace arrowroot starch granules as a protective material when the naturally occurring protein and fiber have been removed, and the color improved.

Abstract: Large diameter starch granules derived from yellow field pea, Pisum sativum (var) and faba bean, Vicia faba L. (Leguminosae) are used to replace scarce arrowroot starch granules as a protective stilt material in microencapsulated coatings, including carbonless copy paper. The "stilt" material is used to prevent premature rupture of the microcapsules and early release of the microencapsulated materials. It has been discovered that the natural granule size, and other granule properties of the yellow field pea and faba bean starches are ideally suited to replace arrowroot starch granules as a protective material. In certain coating processes in which the temperature at the coated surface exceeds the normal pasting temperature of these starch granules, the pasting temperature of the granules can be raised by a crosslinking reaction under temperature and pH conditions to preserve the granular structure of the starch particles.

Abstract: A method of producing French fried potatoes from dehydrated potato granules or flakes with a binder comprising an amylose starch component and a cold-water-dispersible starch or gum component. The dehydrated potatoes and binder are combined with water to produce a dough which is formed into a desired shape and deep fat fried to produce French fried potatoes.

Abstract: An improved method for thinning starch in the granular state employing hydrogen peroxide and metal ion catalysts in an aqueous suspension, free of buffer additions. The thinning action proceeds in acid pH to the desired viscosity level, and is stopped by the addition of sodium metabisulfite, or other reducing agent to remove residual hydrogen peroxide. The aqueous suspension is then neutralized, and the usual purifying and drying steps are effected on the granular product.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for vacuum dehydrating heat sensitive liquid material, particularly fruit juices including citrus and tomato juices. A top loading, endless belt conveyor for the thin liquid film is disposed in a vacuum dehydrator chamber which is maintained at about 2 mm. Hg. The belt travels through a cooling zone and a heating zone to attain substantially complete dehydration of the thin film. The liquid material is continuously applied to the upper side of the belt in the cooling zone by means of an applicator system comprising a grooved metering roll and a counter-rotating applicator roll which continuously deposits a uniform film of about 0.005 to 0.05 inches thickness on the endless belt. Dry product at about 0.5-2.5% moisture is removed from the belt in the cooling zone by means of a doctor blade which scrapes the product from the endless belt just prior to the portion of the cooling zone where the applicator system feeds additional liquid material onto the belt.

Abstract: Half-ester reaction products possessing unique adhesive properties are obtained by reacting maleated alpha-olefins with hydrocarbylpolyoxyalkylenealkanols. The half-ester in combination with other thermoplastic materials provide improved hot-melt formulations. Paper stocks contaminated with these hot-melt formulations can be recycled into a high grade paper pulp by conventional alkaline repulping processes. The half-ester products are also useful as a solvent in thermoplastic polymerization processes.

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.

Abstract: Improved pullulanase yields are achieved by incubating culture mediums containing pullulanase producing mutants of the Klebsiella genus. The mutants generally produce approximately equivalent amounts of extracellular and superficially bound pullulanase in an easily recoverable and usable form. Optimum pullulanase production is achieved when amylopectin is used as the sole carbohydrate source. Conventional pullulanase inducers such as maltose, maltotriose and/or pullulan repress the mutant strains capacity to produce pullulanase. The mutants are capable of elaborating pullulanase in a culture media containing dextrose as the sole carbohydrate source.

Abstract: Root and root-type starch derivatives having controlled acetyl substitution levels which provide an initial high paste viscosity to facilitate uniform filling operations when used as a food canning medium, and which break down to a thinner viscosity upon heating to facilitate heat penetration into the canned food mass for sterilization of the canned food product and to provide a more acceptable watery or soup-like consistency to the food product.Blends of several root and root-type starch derivatives make possible a predictable final viscosity level which is not completely "water-thin." The selection of acetylating agent also affects the final viscosity level of the starch canning medium. It has been observed that a starch derivative substitute using vinyl acetate provides a slightly higher final viscosity under the same retorting conditions when compared to a starch derivative which has been substituted using acetic anhydride.

Abstract: Starch batters which can be applied to food pieces (e.g., chicken), breaded, frozen and subsequently fried into a high-quality, fried, breaded product are obtained by employing a novel batter starch system. The batter starches are comprised of ungelatinized, cold-water swelling starches and starch granules having a gelation point above 125.degree.F. The starch batters are formulated in aqueous mediums (e.g., below 120.degree.F.) to provide a batter system containing unswollen starch granules uniformly dispersed within an adhesive matrix of highly swollen, non-birefringent, hydrated starch granules.

Abstract: The invention provides a high-solids, low-viscosity, aqueous vehicle particularly adapted for use in coating cellulosic substrates under ambient conditions. The vehicle comprises a water-soluble oil with minute styrene polymer particles uniformly dispersed therein. The water-soluble oil portion comprises the reaction product of a dibasic acid or dibasic anhydride and a drying oil which is neutralized with a nitrogen base. The aqueous vehicle is especially useful in high solids, ink formulations having a high pigment to binder ratio.

Abstract: This invention provides a high-solids, low-viscosity, aqueous vehicle particularly adapted for use in coating cellulosic substrates under ambient conditions. The vehicle comprises a water-soluble oil with minute styrene polymer particles uniformly dispersed therein. The water-soluble oil portion comprises the reaction product of a dibasic acid or a dibasic anhydride and a drying oil which is then reacted to provide the water-soluble salt thereof with a nitrogen base. The aqueous vehicle is especially useful in high solids inks and overprint varnishes.

Abstract: The invention encompasses intermediate, starch-containing products in which the starch thickening capacity is inhibited by an aqueous dispersant system. These intermediate products can be readily converted into a starch thickened end-product by combining the intermediate product with additives which dissipate the inhibitory effect of the aqueous dispersant. The intermediate products may be provided as a concentrate which contains cold-water swelling starch granules suspended in an aqueous media adapted to effectively maintain the starch granules in an unswollen form. The intermediate products may be suitably formulated with all the desired recipe ingredients except the amount of water needed to convert it into a starch thickened end-product.