Abstract: A composition formed from chickpea flour and having improved mouthfeel and taste, includes dextrinized starch and a controlled concentration of certain volatiles. Methods of forming the composition include extruding a composition containing chickpea at a temperature and pressure such that, when the extrudate exits the extruder, at least one volatile component is expelled.

Abstract: Machines for cutting products and impellers suitable for use with the machines. The impellers include a lower plate having a central zone and paddles configured with the lower plate outside of the central zone to direct material to the cutting head. At least a first exit slot is located in the lower plate, intersecting the perimeter of the lower plate, and extending through the lower plate to define a passageway to enable foreign debris at the upper surface to exit the impeller through the passageway.

Abstract: An expression vector that includes a polynucleotide having a heterologous regulatory element operably linked to a polynucleotide sequence derived from Solanum tuberosum and encoding a xylosyltransferase capable of glycosylating gentisic acid to produce gentisic acid 5-O-?-D xylopyranoside, a transcription template having such a polynucleotide and adapted for in vitro transcription in a cell-free system, a method for producing gentisic acid 5-O-?-D xylopyranoside by culturing a recombinant host cell containing such an expression vector under conditions in which the cell expresses the xylosyltransferase from the polynucleotide, and a method for producing gentisic acid 5-O-?-D xylopyranoside by contacting a composition including gentisic acid and UDP-xylose with a recombinant xylosyltransferase. The recombinant host cell containing such an expression vector can be a bacterial cell, a plant cell, or a fungal cell, an animal cell, or a multicellular organism such as a plant.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for real-time peeling are disclosed. Peeling can include including evaluating and controlling one or more peelers to remove peel from organic materials. Evaluation can be performed by an evaluation system including a convolutional neural network to determine a peel value. Control can be performed by a machine learning model on the basis of the peel value. Control can include determination of real-time settings for peeler tool speed and/or gate position.

Abstract: A processing aid for an extrudable food composition includes from about 60% to about 99% by weight of at least one edible emulsifier and from about 1% to about 40% by weight of a short chain carboxylic acid. The extrudable food composition may include from about 80% to about 90% by weight of a raw material; from about 1% to about 18% by weight added moisture; from about 0.1% to about 3% of a processing aid, wherein the processing aid includes at least one edible emulsifier and at least one short chain carboxylic acid. The raw material is selected from one or more of corn meal, whole grain corn meal, rice, whole grain flour, rice pea, brown rice, wheat flour, whole wheat flour, pea flour, black bean, pinto bean flour, potato flour, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A hybrid nitrogen gas generation system includes a membrane nitrogen gas generator and a pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator. A gas comprising nitrogen is purified to a first nitrogen purity using one of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator. The gas is either bypassed around the other of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator to provide the gas having the first nitrogen purity or the gas is purified to a second nitrogen purity using the other of the membrane nitrogen gas generator and the pressure swing absorption nitrogen generator.

Abstract: Vision systems for robotic assemblies for handling cargo, for example, unloading cargo from a trailer, can determine the position of cargo based on shading topography. Shading topography imaging can be performed by using light sources arranged at different positions relative to the image capture device(s).

Abstract: An apparatus includes a cutting surface that contains at least one cutting element having a top. The cutting element also has an interior sidewall extending from the cutting surface to the top with an interior sidewall angle, an exterior sidewall extending from the cutting surface to the top with an exterior sidewall angle and a shoulder provided on the interior sidewall between the base and the top. The interior sidewall angle is different than the exterior sidewall angle.

Abstract: A container for stacked food products, such as potato chips, is provided. The container includes composite laminate that includes one or more layers of cardboard. The container has a non-circular shape. The container has a horizontal cross-section with end portions that have a constant radius along their length and side portions that have a changing radius along their length wherein the end portions and the side portions transition between each other continuously.

Abstract: An inventory tracking system includes an analytic device communicatively connected with a plurality of data sources and a field device. The analytic device includes a processor configured to, in response to determining based on input data from at least one of the plurality of data sources that a criteria for issuing a planogram (POG) void alert has been met, cause the field device to display a notification indicative of the POG void alert, and, in response to determining based on data indicating user input to the field device that the issued POG void alert was invalid, update the criteria for issuing the POG void alert, such that a subsequent POG void alert is issued according to the updated criteria.

Abstract: A plant protein snack with meat-like texture food product generally includes a plant based structured product having layered fibers that are cross-linked yet generally aligned along a longitudinal axis and that mimics the look and organoleptic properties of meat jerky products. Methods of making the food product are described.

Abstract: A vending machine configured to dispense foodstuffs includes a plurality of cartridges having a plurality of slots with each slot releasably retaining a foodstuff; a heating section configured to receive at least one foodstuff from at least one of the plurality of slots and to heat the at least one foodstuff; and a dispensing drawer configured to receive the at least one foodstuff passing through the heating section and to permit access to the foodstuff.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for cutting food products. The apparatus includes an annular-shaped cutting head having at least a first mounting frame surrounding a central axis of the cutting head and a plurality of cutting tools arranged around the central axis of the cutting head and pivotably coupled to the first mounting frame such that each cutting tool has a pivot axis. The method includes deflecting each cutting tool about its pivot axis by engaging first portions of the cutting tools in proximity to the first mounting frame to deflect the first portions a first radial deflection distance relative to the central axis and engaging second portions of the cutting tools to deflect the second portions a second radial deflection distance relative to the central axis. The first and second radial deflection distances can be adjusted individually or in unison.

Abstract: A photo acoustic non-destructive measurement apparatus and method for quantitatively measuring texture of a liquid. The apparatus includes a laser generating tool, an acoustic capturing device, and a data processing unit. The laser generating tool directs a laser towards a surface of a liquid contained in a container and creates pressure waves that propagate through the air and produce an acoustic signal. The acoustic capturing device records and forwards the signal to a data processing unit. The data processing unit further comprises a digital signal processing module that processes the received acoustic signal. A statistical processing module further filters the acoustic signal from the data processing unit and generates a quantitative acoustic model for texture attributes such as hardness and fracturability. The quantitative model is correlated with a qualitative texture measurement from a descriptive expert panel. Textures of liquids are quantitatively measured with the quantitative acoustic model.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting food products is disclosed. The apparatus includes a cutting head comprising a cutting tool that is rotatable between a plurality of positions to change the cutting thickness of the cutting tool. The cutting head also includes a biasing element that biases the cutting tool in a position, and a moveable stop configured to cooperate with the biasing element to maintain the first cutting tool at any of the plurality of positions. The biasing element may be a mechanical spring.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for transferring a pattern from a universal surface to an ultimate package. The apparatus comprises an end effector for a pattern transfer robot. The end effector comprises a crowder plate with crowder plate slats spaced apart a distance to form openings between the crowder plate slats. The universal surface comprises a finger wall with finger wall slats spaced apart a distance to form openings between the finger wall slats. A portion of the crowder plate slats are sized to pass between a portion of mating finger wall slats.

Abstract: A non-invasive NMR based apparatus for measuring a food attribute (moisture, sugar content) in food products comprises a magnetic chamber, an RF pulsing device attached to the magnetic chamber, a sensor receiver, and a data processing unit in communication with the sensor receiver. The pulsing device exposes the food ingredients/snacks to an RF field and produces an NMR response signal that is detected by the sensor receiver. The data processing unit quantitatively measures a food attribute of the food product based on the NMR response signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a method and apparatus for a resealable package having an internal zipper seal. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a vertical form, fill, and seal machine that includes a former, a vertical sealer, and a zipper separation blade located between the former and the vertical sealer. The zipper separation blade further comprises a connector and a blade body that defines a zipper gap between an exterior surface of the former and the blade body.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus and method for in-situ quantitative texture measurement of a food snack. The apparatus includes an acoustic capturing device and a data processing unit. The physical interaction in the mouth with saliva, when a human being eats/drinks a food snack, sends pressure waves that propagate through the ear bone and produce an acoustic signal. The acoustic capturing device records and forwards the signal to a data processing unit. The data processing unit further comprises a digital signal processing module that smoothens, transforms and filters the received acoustic signal. A statistical processing module further filters the acoustic signal from the data processing unit and generates a quantitative acoustic model for texture attributes such as hardness and fracturability. The quantitative model is correlated with a qualitative texture measurement from a descriptive expert panel. Another method includes a food snack fingerprinting using an in-situ quantitative food property measurement.