Abstract: A flexible paper popcorn package in the form of an easily expandable, nontrapping bag (18) is disclosed including a bottom wall (20) and a top wall (22) interconnected together adjacent their circular outer peripheries (20a, 22a) by first and second interconnection portions. The top wall (22) is formed by first and second wall portions (22b, 22c) interconnected together by a peelable closure seal (28).

Abstract: A food item is disclosed produced in the preferred form by an apparatus (10) including first and second forming rollers (18, 21) which rotatably abut with an anvil roller (20). The forming rollers (18, 21) each include a periphery forming a continuous forming surface including a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced grooves (24) each formed as a continuous depression arranged in a serpentine and non-intersecting manner. Food (14) is simultaneously fed by a saddle (36, 36') between a continuous strip of support material (16) and a continuous ribbon of film material (66) as they pass between a first abutment nip of the first forming roller (18) and the anvil roller (20). In a preferred form, the saddle (36') is in the form of a block having first and second lower surfaces (118, 120) corresponding to the shape and located adjacent the first forming roller (18) and the anvil roller (20) in their mating side (32).

Abstract: A closure (10) is shown including a U-shaped handle (27) integrally connected to a cap (22) in turn integrally connected to the end wall (18) of a bottle (12) to seal the opening (20) formed therein. The handle (27) includes a lever element (28) in the preferred form of a hollow body (30) integrally connected to the cap (22) by a web (32) and for providing leverage in twisting the cap (22) off the end wall (18). First and second wings (36) are integrally connected to the lever element (28) for increasing the size of closure (10) to be larger than a small part. In the preferred form, each of the wings (36) includes a solid trailing portion (44) and a hollow tube (38) in fluid communication with the hollow body (30). The trailing portions (44) are compression molded by the mold halves (54) utilized to blow mold the bottle (12). The hollow tubes (38) are compression molded and thermoformed in the mold halves (56) forming the end wall (18), the cap (22), and the lever element (28).

Abstract: A food item includes one or more continuous strings (14e, 14f) and one or more continuous, thin strips (14c, 14d) of food adhered to the support material (16).

Abstract: Apparatus (10) is disclosed including first and second forming rollers (18, 21) which rotatably abut with an anvil roller (20). The forming rollers (18, 21) each include a periphery forming a continuous forming surface including a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced grooves (24) each formed as a continuous depression arranged in a serpentine and non-intersecting manner. Food (14) is simultaneously fed between a continuous strip of support material (16) and a continuous ribbon of film material (66) as they pass between a first abutment nip of the first forming roller (18) and the anvil roller (20). After extending partially around the periphery of the first forming roller (18), the materials (16, 66) and the food therebetween pass around an adjustable idler roller (70) to between a second abutment nip of the second forming roller (21) and the anvil roller (20).

Abstract: A dry raw cereal material having a starch fraction is fed into the inlet (38) of a twin screw preconditioning unit (10). The dry material is rapidly advanced and mixed in the first two zones (31, 32) and conveyed into a third zone (33). Water is introduced by ducts (42) and is admixed with the dry material to form a well mixed wetted cereal material. The screws (14, 16) include blank segments (14c, 16c) having radially extending pins (40) to create a material plug in the barrel (30) of the preconditioning unit (10). Steam is added to the wetted material in the next zone (34) to form a heated wetted cereal material which is worked in the fourth zone (34) to form a heated precooked non-continuous cereal compacted dough material which is generally maintained below its gelatinization point.

Abstract: A microwave container which morphs from a relatively microwave transparent condition to a relatively microwave blocking condition in response to microwave irradiation. The container wall section has a plurality of discrete, unconnected microwave reflective material elements initially permitting the transmission of microwave energy into the container and either a microwave absorptive material or a thermally responsive material active to coalesce the microwave reflective material elements into a connected array or pattern to block the transmission of microwave energy from entering the container after absorbing a predetermined amount of microwave energy.

Abstract: A light-activated, sound-providing device (22) is secured to the upper surface of a mounting board (12) by a film formed of translucent material (26) thereby sealing the sound-providing device (22) therebetween. The sound-providing device (22) is mounted spaced from the longitudinal end of the mounting board (12) which is inserted between the bag (38) and the package (16) so that the sound-providing device (22) is positioned adjacent the top of the bag (38). In a preferred form, the sound-providing device (22) is not activated while in the interior of a closed package (16) but when the package (16) is opened, the sound-providing device (22) is activated providing a sound for prize announcement, attention getting, or a similar function.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for forming a single extrudable food stream such as a cooked cereal dough into a plurality of differently colored and/or flavored dough streams is disclosed including an extruder (12) having screw augers (15) in a main passageway (14) for advancing a plastic food mass, a head or manifold (18) for dividing the plastic food mass into a plurality of substreams such as a branching passageway section in fluid communication with a plurality of sub-divided dough passageways, and a die head (30) having a plurality of die ports (40) for each subpassageway. Each subpassage is separately supplied an additive and has disposed therein a multiplicity of in-line static mixer elements (59) to admix the additive into the substreams of the plastic food mass before passage through the die ports (40). In a preferred form, a portion of the food mass is bled from a first substream and fed to the exit ports (40) of a second substeam to create an extrudate including zones of distinct food mass.

Abstract: Disclosed are microwave shelf stable popcorn articles that contain real butter. The articles comprise any conventional microwave popcorn bag and an improved popcorn/fat charge. In addition to kernel popcorn and fat, the charge further essentially includes about 1% to 8% of a high fat butter constituent. By virtue of selecting a particularly defined high fat butter ingredient, microwave popcorn articles can be prepared that are shelf stable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to ready-to-eat cereal flakes exhibiting higher percentages of curled flakes and reduced bulk densities as well as processes for preparing said cereal flakes. More specifically, the present invention provides ready-to-eat cereal flakes fabricated from cooked cereal dough pellets having a bulk density of 150 to 200 g/100.sup.3 inch, an average flake thickness of 600 to 800 .mu.m and at least 45% of the flakes being curled to provide a flaked width of at least five millimeters.

Abstract: A method is provided for bonding together the layers of a laminated food product, such as farinaceous dough layers. The methods comprise applying ultrasonic energy (12 kPa-25 kHz, 1,000 to 4,000 watts) to form acoustically created bonds between the food layers. The method is particularly suitable for use preparing multilayered R-T-E cereal pieces, especially those that are center filled, exhibiting greater seam integrity and reduced leakage of the center filling. The resultant food product has two layers with an acoustic bond between the layers.

Abstract: Microwave popcorn articles which upon microwave heating provide popcorn having enlarged salt particles that provide popped popcorn more reminiscent of at-home, stove-top prepared popped popcorn. The articles comprise any conventional microwave popcorn bag, kernel popcorn, fat and salt. At least 50% of the salt is essentially characterized by an enlarged particle size having a mean particle size of >400 .mu.m. Included are methods of preparing such microwave popcorn articles are disclosed wherein the coarse salt is added in a separate step after the fat and kernel popcorn have been added to the bag.

Abstract: A slitting assembly (10) is disclosed in the preferred form of a rotary cutter including a shaft (50) upon which relatively thin, large diameter annular blades (56) are slid. Relatively large diameter hubs (60) are provided having inner surfaces for receipt on the shaft (50) and having axial ends which flushly abut with the axial faces of the blades (56) for holding the blades (56) in axially spaced relations on the shaft (50). An axial bore (54) is provided through the shaft (50) for circulating a coolant in fluid communication therewith by rotary unions (74, 78). Thus, the blades (56) are cooled below ambient temperature by conduction through hubs (60) and shaft (50) for imparting continuous longitudinal cuts in a band (12) of fat-free brownie products having an internal temperature higher than ambient. The outer periphery of the blades (56) rotate against a back-up roll (22) rotatable about a parallel axis below the band (12).

Abstract: An enrober (100) for applying a topical coating to an exterior surface of multiple pieces of a food base is disclosed having a marked decrease in the amount of build-up upon the internal surface of the drum (102) allowing for reductions in cleaning service requirements and its concomitant losses in production capacity and for reductions in undesirable product agglomerates. In the preferred form, the drum (102) is formed by a thin wall in a generally cylindrical shape and formed of hydrophobic material in the form of high-density polyethylene having low-stick characteristics with the topically coated food base. Moisture, in addition to any present in the topical coating, is added to the drum (102) to prevent or practically eliminate build-up on the drum (102). The topical coating in the form of a slurry can be co-sprayed with steam in an atomized intermixed spray onto the food base by a nozzle (10, 80).

Abstract: Apparatus (10) is disclosed including first and second forming rollers (18, 21) which rotatably abut with an anvil roller (20). The forming rollers (18, 21) each include a periphery forming a continuous forming surface including a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced patterns each formed including depressions (196, 198) and/or grooves (24). Food (14) is simultaneously fed by a saddle (36, 36') between a continuous strip of support material (16) and a continuous ribbon of film material (66) as they pass between a first abutment nip of the first forming roller (18) and the anvil roller (20). In the preferred form, the food items include one or more continuous strings (14e, 14f) and one or more continuous, thin strips (14c, 14d) of food adhered to the support material (16).