Abstract: An expandable microwave popcorn package which contains a charge of popcorn kernels suitable for preparation in a microwave oven. The package is formed of front and back panels preferably joined together at the top and bottom ends and at the sides by side panels. The back panel includes two or more sections which are joined along slightly overlapping edges and bonded together by a releasable adhesive, thereby forming lap seam(s). Conversion of the package into a serving vessel is made possible by the releasable nature of the adhesive which allows the lap seam(s) to be disengaged after the popping process is complete. Thus the back panel sections can be detached, and possibly removed, to expose the popcorn within the package. Ideally the heat and steam created by the popping process will diminish the bonding strength of the releasable adhesive thereby enhancing the conversion.

Abstract: An expandable microwave popcorn package which contains a charge of popcorn kernels for preparation in a microwave oven. The package is formed of front and back panels preferably joined together at the top and bottom ends by an adhesive and at the sides by side panels. The back panel includes a pair of separation lines along which the package material is relatively weak such that a portion of the back panel can be torn from the remainder of the package to expose the popcorn within. Separation lines may be formed by weakening a portion of the bag substrate, by reinforcing the adjacent areas, or by a combination of the two. Side panels are folded to form gussets which allow the package to remain flat during storage, to expand to accommodate the popped kernels. A susceptor is also preferably placed on the front panel opposite the back panel to enhance the popping action.

Abstract: Disclosed is a reduced fat peanut butter product containing from about 30% to about 75% of a nut paste, from about 15% to about 45% of at least one water-soluble non-fat dry solid, from about 0% to about 10% added edible oil, from about 0% to about 30% of a water-insoluble non-fat dry solid and from about 0% to about 3% emulsifier. The reduced fat peanut butter is prepared by combining all the ingredients, then, intimately mixing the resulting combination by passing the combination through an extruder mixer. The mixture is then milled and homogenized under a pressure of from about 4,000 psig to about 14,000 psig.

Abstract: A grain cake baking machine having an upper mold, a ring mold and a lower mold, with the upper and lower molds sliding in the ring mold and defining a mold cavity, a first drive for moving the lower mold relative to the ring mold between a vent position and an intermediate baking position, and an unload position extending to the upper end of the ring mold for discharging the cake, a second drive for moving the upper mold relative to the ring mold between a load position out of the ring mold for loading grain and unloading a cake, and a baking position within the ring mold, a third drive for loading a charge of grain into the ring mold when the upper and lower molds are in the load positions, with the first drive moving the lower mold to the load position for venting the mold cavity, and heaters for the upper and lower molds.

Abstract: A valve system includes a valve and apparatus for supplying fluids to the valve. The valve includes a valve enclosure and a valve stem movable through the valve enclosure. The valve enclosure includes a valve body and a valve bonnet. The valve system includes a first fluid supply to supply fluid to the region of the valve stem that moves through the valve enclosure, and second and third fluid supplies to supply fluid to a region of contact between the valve body and valve bonnet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for preparing rapidly reconstitutable, dehydrated legume products. Raw legumes are hydrated by treating, first with an alkaline solution to raise their pH to from about 6.7 to about 7.7 and their moisture content by at least about 5 wt. % to from about 30 to about 45 wt. %, and then by neutralizing with an acidic solution to lower their pH to from about 5.5 to about 6.5 and raise their moisture content by at least about 5 wt. % to from about 45 to about 60 wt. %. The hydrated beans are then cooked and dehydrated to produce legume products having the appearance and taste of their freshly prepared counterparts.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for preparing shelf-stable, ready-to-eat rice products. The method involves coating pregelatinized rice grains with an emulsifier. A food acid and glucono-delta-lactone are then added to the coated rice to lower the pH to 4.6 or less. The rice is then thermally treated at a temperature and for a time sufficient for sterilization. The resulting products have the same or superior texture, appearance, and flavor when compared to other commercially produced, shelf-stable, ready-to-each rice products.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for recovering an edible oil, such as soybean or canola oil, from an adsorbent material, such as a bleaching agent, by contacting a feed of the adsorbent material containing the edible oil with a normally gaseous solvent, such as liquid propane, for a time sufficient to extract a substantial portion of the oil from the adsorbent material, before the oil degrades to an appreciable extent.

Abstract: An encapsulated flavoring material contains an edible, oil-insoluble, water-soluble outer shell surrounding an edible, water-insoluble inner core that is liquid at a temperature of about 45.degree. C. and a volatile, oil-soluble flavoring material dissolved or dispersed in the inner core. In preferred embodiments, the encapsulated flavoring material has a diameter of from about 250 to about 710 microns, the outer shell is made from starch, the inner core is made from hydrogenated vegetable oil and the volatile, oil-soluble flavoring material is diacetyl.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a shelf-stable, packaged, legume-containing product, said process comprising: (a) preconditioning dry legumes by contacting said dry legumes with a sufficient amount of an initial water source and for a sufficient period of time to produce pretreated legumes having a moisture content in the range of from about 15 wt. % to about 35 wt. %; (b) hydrating said pretreated legumes by contacting said pretreated legumes with a sufficient amount of a secondary water source for a sufficient period of time to produce hydrated legumes having a moisture content in the range of from about 35 wt. % to about 55 wt. %, wherein said secondary water source is at a temperature in the range of from about 60.degree. C. to about 95.degree. C.; (c) combining said hydrated legumes with a vehicle, thereby producing a legume-containing mixture comprising from about 10 wt. % to about 55 wt.

Abstract: An expandable collapsed bag, preferably made of paper, suitable for cooking corn in a microwave oven. The bag of the invention has front and back panels and two side panels, each side panel having two or more gussets. These gussets permit relatively free upward movement of the corn and fuller expansion of the bag during cooking. In its collapsed configuration, the back panel is folded to expose a portion of each side panel that forms one gussets. The collapsed bag thereby forms strips extending along each side edge in which the bag is four layers thick. Since a conventionally folded, two gusseted bag has six layers along its edges, the reverse folded bag is thinner and, therefore, advantageous from handling, shipping and storage viewpoints.

Abstract: A laminate for use in microwave cooking which includes a susceptor formed by depositing a thin layer of microwave-interactive material on a plastic base sheet, and then extrusion bonding that susceptor to a plastic coated paper sheet, without the use of an adhesive.

Abstract: A perforated susceptor for use in disposable packaging that functions as the cooking container for a microwaveable food product such as popcorn. The susceptor includes a thin layer of microwave-interactive material, such as aluminum with an optical density of about 0.22 to 0.35. This layer is deposited on a substrate of a flexible plastic film. Perforations in the metallic layer are less than 0.060 inches in diameter, do not extend into the substrate, and are arrayed in rows and columns spaced at regular intervals of between 1/16 and 3/16 of an inch, so that the combined surface area of the perforations represents less than 20 percent of the area of the susceptor. The film can be directly bonded, through the perforations, to a sheet that forms part of a package.

Abstract: Display packaging accepts different-sized, preferably generally cylindrical containers and holds them in fixed relative positions such that they are arranged along a common frontal plane and their labels can be read. The display packaging includes a sheet material that is folded to have a base section upon which the containers rest, a vertically-extending section, and a yoke section that projects forward from the vertically-extending section and includes a recess that fits around the top end of one container to properly position it so as to align with the other containers along a common frontal plane. A transparent film is wrapped around the sheet material and the containers to hold the containers in position.

Abstract: A compact, highly flexible but accurate multimeasurement gauge assembly facilitates many of the measurements required for an automated three piece can manufacturing operation using one gauge. The gauge assembly includes a gauge block having left, right, front and back edge bordering a top reference surface. A measurement well is formed in the top surface adjacent the left edge and slidably receives a digital measurement indicator that may be latitudinally positioned at any one of a plurality of different measurement positions. At least one longitudinally extending track having a slidable reference post is disposed opposite one of the measurement positions to enable measurements using the post as a mechanical stop for positioning a partially manufactured can at various stages in the manufacturing process.