Abstract: A concentrated milk-base composition which includes stabilizing salt, sugar and flavoring agent components is prepared for flavoring a beverage, particularly for flavoring a coffee or tea beverage. The composition is prepared by mixing and homogenizing a milk fat with skimmed milk to obtain a milk base, subjecting the milk base to evaporation to obtain a concentrated milk base, homogenizing the concentrated milk base, cooling the homogenized milk base, adding a stabilizing salt and sucrose in dry form, and in one embodiment, a flavorant agent is added also to the cooled milk base and then the composition is heated to sterilize it, the sterilized composition is homogenized and then is filled in a package, and in another embodiment, a flavorant composition is added aseptically to the sterilized composition before homogenizing.

Abstract: A crystalline pumpable confection mass for obtaining a chewy confectionery product is provided by preparing a sugar-containing liquid medium, concentrating the medium, cooling the concentrated medium to a temperature below its sugar saturation point and kneading to induce sugar crystal nucleation, and then, the medium in which sugar crystallization was induced is heated to obtain a product which is pumpable and so that sugar crystal nucleates are retained in the heated product. To obtain a solidified product, the heated product is cooled, and additionally, the cooling and kneading and heating may be carried out in an extruder.

Abstract: A chocolate or other fat-containing confectionery material is fed into and extruded from a screw extruder and the temperature of the extruder barrel wall and screw are controlled so that the material advanced through the extruder and the product from the die are non-pourable and so that the product is plastically deformable for a period of time, and in particular, the screw and barrel wall temperatures are controlled so that the screw has a temperature higher than the barrel wall temperature. Additionally, the material may be advanced within an extruder barrel wall which is roughened and the diameter of the screw root may increase in and along the direction of material advanced in the extruder.

Abstract: Reduction of frying oil uptake is effected when preparing instant fried noodles by aggregating a plurality of gelatinized noodle dough strips to form a cake mass, subjecting the cake to heat to reduce its moisture content to an amount in a range of from at least about 10% and less than 30% by weight, frying the partially-dried cake in a mass of an edible oil and separating the fried cake from the frying oil mass. In another aspect of the invention, oil uptake reduction is effected by employing a dough having a protein content of from about 8% to about 13% by weight and/or containing an added proteinaceous substance ingredient, such as gluten, and/or containing maltodextrin as an ingredient.

Abstract: A liquid milk product, including a milk and a whey, but other than sweet whey, is demineralized by an electrodeionization process by passing the product to be demineralized through a resin bed of strong cationic exchange resin contained in an electrodeionization dilution compartment or through a resin bed of weak anionic and of cationic, particularly strong cationic, exchange resins in the compartment, and in the process, the pH of the wash solution present in the electrodionization cation and anion concentration compartments is maintained so that the solution present in each concentration compartment has a pH value less than 5.

Abstract: Devices for holding and positioning capsules which have a cup, cover and lid structure and which contain a substance for preparation of a drink by extraction under pressure include a hollowed housing device, a hollowed holder device and an extraction plate for flow of the extracted drink from the capsule. The holder device includes an element member which extends from a holder wall into the interior at a position so that upon placement of a capsule in the holder device hollowed interior so that the cover and lip are adjacent the extraction plate, the lip passes by the retention element member and is retained between the member and extraction plate, and the housing and holder devices also are configured so that for pressure extraction, the housing has a periphery edge positionable for contacting the capsule lip so that a seal is formed.

Abstract: A powdered substance, which is suitable for preparation of a beverage with an extraction fluid and which is compacted in a form of a cake, is extracted for preparation of a beverage. The compacted substance cake is contained within a sachet between two sachet sheets which, prior to extraction of the substance, protect the substance against oxygen and water vapor and which extend to sealed edges for containing the substance within the sheets prior to and during extraction. In effecting extraction, one sheet is perforated first to provide at least one opening for injection of extraction fluid, and extraction fluid is injected under pressure into the sachet for contacting the substance and for extracting the substance in the sachet, and the other sheet advantageously is deformed against a surface having portions forming, upon deformation of the second sheet, local breakages in that sheet for opening that sheet for flow of extracted beverage substance.

Abstract: A hydrolyzed cereal product containing honey or whole fruit or pieces of fruit is obtained by preparing a mixture of cereal flour and alpha-amylase and also honey or fruit, the fruit being whole or in pieces, passing a stream of the mixture through an assembly so that the mixture is treated successively by jets of steam which are injected to envelope the mixture stream to heat the stream first to hydrolyze starch of the cereal flour and so that after the first steam-treatment, wherein the steam jet may be directed to the mixture stream co- or counter-currently, the subsequent successive steam jet or jets are directed to the hydrolyzed product stream counter-currently. Apparatus for carrying out the process includes two nozzles which have conically-shaped ends positioned to form a channel which communicates which a steam-supply passage of a T-shaped body.

Abstract: A flavorant composition is prepared by hydrolyzing Trigonell foenum-graecum seed material with enzymes, heating the hydrolyzate obtained at a temperature for a time to inactivate the enzymes, centrifuging the heat-treated hydrolyzate to separate the liquid phase from the residue and isolating the liquid phase of the hydrolyzate from the hydrolyzate residue and evaporatively concentrating the isolated liquid phase. Additionally, the concentrated liquid phase may be dried, and the seed material employed may be that of germinated seeds.

Abstract: Apparatus integrated for metering liquid products, particularly viscous products, into molds to prepare molded article products and for suctioning liquid product from the molds to remove liquid from the molded article products and to recycle suctioned liquid product includes a hopper for containing liquid product for supply to a liquid product metering component which meters the liquid product into molds, and the apparatus further includes components including a pipette device for suctioning liquid product from molds and recycling suctioned liquid product to the hopper. Further components of the apparatus are provided so that a headspace is maintained in the hopper, and components including a vacuum pump are connected to the hopper at positions for providing a vacuum pressure in the headspace and for suctioning liquid product via the pipette device from molds.

Abstract: Strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides ssp. cremoris which provide, upon culturing, dextran, and the strains include deposited strains CNCM I-1692 and CNCM I-1693.

Abstract: A composite ice confectionery product of the frozen type is prepared by pumping an ice composition into a former structure provided with an extrusion die so that the composition contained within the former passes through the former to the die for extrusion via the die and by pumping a material of texture different from that of the aerated ice confectionery through an assembly of a hollow spindle with nozzle(s) attached wherein the nozzle(s) is (are) provided with ports, particularly slots, for delivering the material into the ice confectionery composition stream in the former.

Abstract: A moist multi-colored food product is prepared by mixing meat and meat-by-product materials and cereal, fat and water ingredient materials to obtain a base mixture, pumping the base material mixture to an emulsifier device and supplying a coloring solution to the emulsifier device and emulsifying the base material mixture and coloring solution to obtain a colored material mixture emulsion, passing the colored emulsion to a distribution valve which is connected to a plurality of parallel piping lines connected in series to extruders to pass differing colored emulsions to the extruders for extrusion and deposit onto a conveyor for conveying through a steam oven, and to obtain the differently colored product, a first coloring solution is delivered to the emulsifier device for a time, the colored emulsion is passed to the distribution valve and to one piping line and one extruder in series and then after that time, a differently colored solution is delivered to the emulsifier device to obtain a differently colore

Abstract: Pasta dough is blanched or cooked by forming a pasta dough into a plurality of continuous pasta dough strands and simultaneously directing leading ends of the continuous strands and water at a temperature sufficient to blanch or cook the strands into the inlet end of a pipe which descends vertically from the inlet end to an outlet end. The water contacts the strands and draws and conveys the strands through the pipe for a time sufficient to blanch or cook the strands. As the blanched or cooked strands and water exit from the pipe through the outlet end, the continuous strands are conveyed away from the pipe while draining and collecting water, which is recirculated to the pipe inlet end.

Abstract: An apparatus for sterilizing surfaces has a tube and a plurality of nozzles wherein a mixture of hot air and vaporized hydrogen peroxide is fed from the tube, which is heated and which includes a porous section for feeding vaporized hydrogen peroxide into hot air fed through the tube to provide a mixture of hot air and vaporized hydrogen peroxide, the mixture being fed from the tube to surfaces to be sterilized by the nozzles.

Abstract: Prior to incorporating meat trimmings into a meat piece, particles of the trimmings are fermented with bacteria to obtain fermented trim particles for incorporating into a meat piece and fat is added to the trimmings before the trimmings are particulated, or to the trim particles before fermentation or to the trim particles during fermentation so that the added fat is present during fermentation for obtaining a mixture of fermented trim particles and added fat, and after fermentation, the mixture is frozen and then suspended in a brine or pickle or marinade and then the suspension is incorporated into a meat piece.

Abstract: Sweet whey is demineralized by an electrodeionization process by passing sweet whey to be demineralized through a resin bed of strong cationic exchange resin contained in an electrodeionization dilution compartment or through a resin bed of weak anionic and of cationic, particularly strong cationic, exchange resins in the compartment, and in the process, the pH of the wash solution present in the electrodionization cation and anion concentration compartments is maintained so that the solution present in each concentration compartment has a pH value less than 5.

Abstract: Micrococcus varians strains which produce a composition having bactericidal activity, including deposited strains CNCM I-1586 and CNCM I-1587 and biologically pure cultures thereof and including also strains having nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:2 or including nucleotides 154 to 228 of sequence SEQ ID NO:2 and which may further include amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:1 or amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:3.

Abstract: For preparing an extrusion-cooked food product, a food component emulsifier is combined with water to obtain an aqueous dispersion of the emulsifier, and the dispersion is fed into an extruder for being mixed with food components being mixed and heated in the extruder to prepare the extrusion-cooked product.