Abstract: A food product made with simple ingredients, including fruit paste and cocoa butter-based particles, is disclosed. The food product is shelf stable and provides an eating experience resembling a chocolate truffle. Methods of making a food product are also described.

Abstract: Methods of treating edible oils, such as soybean oil, to reduce furan fatty acid content to produce edible oils that are more resistant to off-flavor development when used in food applications are described. Some methods include heat treatment of an edible oil in the presence of oxygen followed by deodorization to produce a heat-treated oil. Some methods includes treating an edible oil under conditions that promote conversion of furan fatty acids to 3-methyl-2,4-nonanedione (3MND) and/or 3-hydroxy-3MND (3H-3MND) in the presence of activated carbon to produce a carbon-treated oil. Also described are treated edible oils and foods that include treated edible oils.

Abstract: A barrier-type paper with a non-barrier paper uses suitable laminating adhesives to form a food packaging material. More specifically, a preferred embodiment of the invention is directed to a metallized or aluminum oxide coated paper sheet laminated to a bleached paper sheet while avoiding optics of a shiny metal material being present by at least one of employing a non-shiny metal for the metallized layer, coating or printing one or more layers upon the metallized layer, and sandwiching the metallized layer in a laminate structure such that the metallized layer is configured to be visually hidden so as to not be optically detectable in a paper recycle line.

Abstract: Methods for inoculating a grain suitable for use in testing methods of reducing bacterial load are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of reducing bacterial load on a grain by using elevated temperature and an organic acid. Also disclosed are methods of tempering a grain at an elevated temperature and reduced time as compared to standard tempering methods.

Abstract: A weighing assembly supplies a predetermined amount of food product based on weight using a weighing machine having a plurality of weigh hoppers. A circular dispersion table having a dome shape distributes pieces of the product across the table by gravity to the weigh hoppers. A diverter chute is located above the dispersion table and includes multiple gates, with each gate configured to change a flow of the pieces of product over a portion of the dispersion table. The diverter chute further comprises an actuator for each gate for opening the gate as directed by a controller. Each actuator includes a piston and a lever arm connected to the piston and connected to a respective gate. An input conveyor drops pieces of food through the diversion chute to the dispersion table.

Abstract: A method is described for treating bran to improve sensory attributes in food products made with the treated bran. The method includes acidifying a bran to a pH of less than 5 for a period of time sufficient to achieve an increase in soluble protein, then increasing the pH to at least 5.5. Also described are compositions including a treated bran, and methods of using a treated bran to increase bran content in foods or to improve organoleptic qualities in foods containing bran.

Abstract: A refrigerated or frozen place-and-bake cake product is described that includes an uncooked dough that has handling characteristics that allow for convenient placement on a baking sheet for baking, yet also results in a cake-like texture upon baking. The uncooked dough includes a particular combination of wheat flour and corn flour, pregelatinized starch and/or a fruit or vegetable puree or mash, a gum component that includes xanthan gum and at least one other gum, sucrose, egg solids, dairy solids, and a leavening system.

Abstract: A processing system for packaging pieces of product utilizing high-speed sorting includes an infeed conveyor for supplying the pieces of food product and a linear motor sorter is connected to the infeed conveyor. The sorter includes a main conveyor with several lanes for moving the pieces of food product, with one of the lanes being a first lane which receives the pieces of food product. The sorter also has one or more diverters for diverting determined ones of the pieces of food product from the first lane to at least one other lane. The sorter includes a linear motor and carts connected to the linear motor and is configured to move the pieces of food between the lanes.

Abstract: A dough product packaging assembly includes one or more dough pieces arranged a first container having a closed, internal cavity, a second container supported upon the first container with an open top portion, a third container housing one or more additional ingredients, such as icing, within the second container, and an outer container extending across the open top portion of the second container and encapsulating each of the first, second and third containers. In connection with production, transportation and consumer displaying of the product, the second container provides support and transfers weight from any cartons stacked above a lower dough product directly onto the first container, thereby allowing the outer or fourth container to act as a containment vessel only, versus something needed to directly provide vertical structural support.

Abstract: A hard taco shell, having a plasticizing agent applied to a targeted region of a base or spine portion of the hard taco shell and lower sections of taco shell sidewalls to softening the targeted region such that, when the taco shell is bitten, the softened targeted region has some hinging flexibility or pliability which reduces the potential for any crack propagation, is hermetically sealed in a package body formed from a material establishing a barrier to the transmission of oxygen into an interior of the package body. With this arrangement, premature drying and cracking of the agent treated hard taco shell is prevented.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to oat-based peanut butter-flavored compositions and methods of making such compositions. In particular, a method is disclosed of roasting substantially intact groats until CIELAB L*-value change per minute, and CIELAB b*-value change per minute achieve a negative slope to produce roasted oats having a peanut butter flavor. Compositions including roasted oats having a peanut butter flavor are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods of making a homogenized and pasteurized mix for making low overrun ice cream are disclosed. The methods include a high-pressure homogenization step and/or a high temperature pasteurization step to improve creaminess and/or melt resistance in an ice cream. Mixes and ice creams made using the methods described are also disclosed.

Abstract: A high-fat flour replacement includes a fat, an emulsifier, a protein, a starch and a soluble fiber. In preferred embodiments, the high-fat flour replacement is a finely ground particulate “flour”. The high-fat flour replacement can have a macronutrient profile analogous to that of almond flour. A process for producing a high-fat flour replacement includes a step of forming an emulsion including a fat, water and an emulsifier and a step of combining the emulsion with a blend of dry ingredients to form a composition (e.g., using an extruder). The blend of dry ingredients includes a protein, a starch and a soluble fiber. In preferred embodiments, the composition is processed in an extruder to form an extruded material (e.g., in the form of pellets). The fat in the emulsion becomes trapped in the composition during extrusion. In preferred embodiments, the extruded material is then dried and milled/ground to form flour-sized particulates.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to rotary molded products and methods of making rotary molded products. Methods of making rotary molded products include combining a reduced-fat dough with a fat to make a dough with the ability to be used in a novel array of rotary molded shapes. Dough pieces and cooked rotary molded products having novel features and dimensions are also provided.

Abstract: Frozen un-proofed dough pieces are produced by cutting a dough sheet into strips and producing a score through an upper skin of each strip with at least one blunt deformation tool prior to freezing. The un-proofed dough pieces are formed by mass production, with an un-proofed dough sheet being cut to form dough strips which are then cut into the un-proofed dough pieces, with the score for each un-proofed dough piece being formed by pressing the upper skin of the dough down into the body of the dough, thereby deforming and pre-stressing the dough to create weak zones, either before, during or after the individual un-proofed dough pieces are actually created, but before freezing. Upon heating, openings are established in the upper skin along score lines.

Abstract: A yogurt-based food product is packaged in a container, including a bottom wall and a sidewall, by depositing a mix-in in a center of the bottom wall and then driving the mix-in from the center of the bottom wall to the sidewall with a blast of gas. Afterwards, a dairy or plant-based product is deposited in the container. The mix-in is in contact with the bottom wall and the sidewall, and a height of the mix-in is greater at the sidewall than at a center point of the bottom wall.

Abstract: Rolled dough products, such as croissants, are made by: layering fat between thin layers of dough in forming a multi-layer dough sheet; compressing the multi-layer dough sheet; cutting the dough sheet; reorientating the cut pieces; stretching the cut pieces; curling the pieces; flattening the pieces; coating or surface treating the pieces; and optionally freezing the pieces. With this method, freezer-to-oven (FTO) dough products are made eliminating the thawing and proofing steps, while significantly enhancing the production of desired flaky, rich, airy final pastry products. The process can include one or more filling materials, prior to cutting the dough sheet: depositing a filling layer, such as a chocolate ganache, in a central region of the multi-layer dough sheet; and folding lateral side portions of the dough sheet onto the central region to encase the filling layer.