Abstract: A machine and process are provided for forming small, random sized potato pieces suitable for use in preparing potato hash browns and potato patties and the like. Blanched potatoes are chilled and then swept against a blunt edge resulting in shattering of each potato into relatively small, random-sized pieces. If desired, each blunt shatter-edge can be provided in a knife unit including one or more cross-cut knives to subdivide larger shattered pieces into a smaller size. The produced potato pieces are chilled as by freezing or by chilling to a refrigerated temperature for shipment and/or storage pending finish preparation.

Abstract: An improved production process for preparing parfried and frozen French fry potato products with reduced crumb generation particularly upon finish preparation as by finish frying. Potato products such as French fry strips are cut, blanched and parfried, followed by a water treatment step as by applying a light spray or mist of water at ambient temperature and preferably at a rate selected to avoid any substantial overspray. The potato products are frozen for shipment and/or storage awaiting finish preparation. Upon finish preparation as by finish frying in hot oil, the potato products exhibit substantially reduced crumb generation. The improved process is particularly useful when parfrying and/or finish frying the potato products in a liquid or substantially non-hydrogenated oil, such as a zero grams Trans Fat (ZGTF) oil, with dramatically reduced crumb generation upon finish fry preparation while retaining a substantially optimized balance of sensory characteristics.

Abstract: A knife blade in a fixture is provided for cutting vegetable products particularly such as potatoes, wherein the knife fixture includes a grid of knife blades adapted for producing product strips defined by rough-textured cut surfaces. Each knife blade includes a sharp cutting edge for smooth-surface cutting of products propelled hydraulically through the knife fixture. Each knife blade further includes opposed side faces each incorporating an array of shallow channels having an upstream end positioned rearwardly from the associated cutting edge and extending generally in the direction of product travel. These shallow channels disrupt and roughen the cut product surfaces to produce rough-textured cut surfaces. In French fry potato strips, this roughened surface texture results in enhanced surface crispness after frying, or alternately enhances batter pick-up and/or crispness characteristics in a batter-coated French fry product. Enhanced finished product hold time is also achieved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new plant breeding process. The process improves the agronomic performance of crop plants by using genetic material that is also used in classical breeding. Instead of sexually recombining entire genomes at random, as is done in classical breeding, specific genetic elements are rearranged in vitro and inserted back into individual plant cells. Plants obtained through this new plant breeding process do not contain foreign nucleic acid but only contain nucleic acid from the plant species selected for transformation or plants that are sexually compatible with the selected plant species. Plants developed through this new plant breeding process are provided. In particular, potato plants displaying improved tuber storage and health characteristics are provided.

Abstract: A corrugated knife fixture is provided for cutting vegetable products or the like particularly such as potatoes, wherein the knife fixture includes one or more knife blades each having a cutting edge with a variable pitch and variable amplitude geometry. The knife fixture is particularly adapted for cutting whole potatoes into a plurality of wedge-shaped pieces each including a pair of wave-shaped cut surfaces which angularly intersect at a narrow cut tip located generally at a longitudinal centerline of the potato and diverge radially outwardly to an enlarged heel corresponding with the external surface of the potato which may remain unpeeled. The knife fixture, and the resultant wave-shaped cut surfaces of the potato wedges, is defined by the variable pitch and variable amplitude cutting edge wherein the pitch and amplitude increases from the cut tip of the wedge toward the heel or external surface thereof.

Abstract: An improved pancake die is provided for use in a pancake production system for producing pancakes having a highly uniform weight but exhibiting a substantially random peripheral shape reflective of a desirable homemade appearance. The pancake die comprises a cavity of selected geometric shape formed in a reciprocal die plate adapted for movement between a first position underlying a batter reservoir for filling the die cavity with batter, and a second position underlying a discharge plunger for pushing the formed pancake from the die cavity onto a discharge conveyor for further processing. The die cavity is subdivided into an upper zone having the selected geometric shape, and an enlarged undercut lower zone separated therefrom by a substantially radially outwardly extending step. With this configuration, the periphery of each formed pancake distorts in a substantially random manner upon engagement by the discharge plunger, to provide a desirable homemade product appearance.

Abstract: A plug prevention device is provided in a slicing machine having a rotary impeller for carrying products such as potatoes or the like into engagement with cutting knives to form lattice cut slices, wherein the plug prevention device prevents the products from lodging within an upwardly open inlet throat of the impeller. The plug prevention device comprises an elongated stationary rod having one end projecting into the impeller throat at a position substantially off-axis relative to an axis of impeller rotation. Products entering the impeller and tending to lodge by centrifugal action against an internal wall of the impeller throat will strike the rod, causing such products to separate from wall of the impeller throat and fall further into the impeller for slice processing.

Abstract: A slicing machine includes a tapered slicing gate for use in cutting products such as potatoes or the like into a plurality of slices each having a tapered thickness. The slicing machine generally corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,688 and includes a rotary impeller for carrying the products by centrifugal force against an interior surface of a nonrotating cylindrical outer impeller housing, a portion of which defines an adjustable slicing gate forming a cutting slot of controlled thickness relative to a stationary slicing knife for cutting the products into the plurality of slices. A tapered ramp is formed or mounted at a downstream end of the slicing gate so that the cutting slot and the resultant slices have a tapered configuration. The tapered slices may be cut further into elongated strips, such as French fry potato strips, having a tapered lengthwise thickness.

Abstract: The invention relates to a food processing system. A fluid conduit of the system is configured for directing the food carried in a fluid medium along a food path. The system has a food inlet operatively associated with the fluid conduit for feeding the food into the conduit, and a pump operatively associated with the conduit for pumping the fluid through the conduit in a fluid stream direction. A processor unit is associated with the conduit, disposed along the food path, and includes a tool configured and associated with the conduit for performing a processing operation on the food, such as cutting potatoes into french fry strips. The system also has a deceleration element operatively associated with the conduit and configured for decelerating the fluid and carried food along the food path while maintaining the fluid flow substantially free of recirculation vortices.

Abstract: A rotary cutter is provided for cutting elongated extruded strips of a food dough product or the like on a conveyor into individual strip pieces of selected length and having angular cut ends simulating the overall appearance of French fry strips cut from whole potatoes. The rotary cutter comprises a pair of rotary support wheels mounted on opposite sides of the conveyor for rotation on longitudinally spaced axes extending normal to the direction of conveyor travel. A plurality of cutter elements extend transversely and angularly across the conveyor with their opposite ends carried by the rotary support wheels generally at the peripheries thereof for engaging and cutting conveyed extruded strips into individual and angularly end-cut strip pieces of selected length. A drive motor rotatably drives one of the support wheels for displacing the cutter elements into engagement with the extruded strips at a velocity closely matching the conveyor velocity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for identifying and isolating native plant nucleic acid sequences that may function as T-DNAs or T-DNA border-like sequences, effecting the transfer of one polynucleotide into another polynucleotide. The present invention also provides a modified tuber, such as a genetically modified mature tuber, that comprises at least one trait that is not exhibited by a non-modified tuber of the same species.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new plant breeding process. The process improves the agronomic performance of crop plants by using genetic material that is also used in classical breeding. Instead of sexually recombining entire genomes at random, as is done in classical breeding, specific genetic elements are rearranged in vitro and inserted back into individual plant cells. Plants obtained through this new plant breeding process do not contain foreign nucleic acid but only contain nucleic acid from the plant species selected for transformation or plants that are sexually compatible with the selected plant species. Plants developed through this new plant breeding process are provided. In particular, potato plants displaying improved tuber storage and health characteristics are provided.

Abstract: Parfried potato strips and a related preparation process are provided wherein the parfried strips have a relatively low moisture content suitable for oven finish or rapid finish fry preparation, and further wherein the parfried strips exhibit improved storage stability without developing undesirable off-flavor characteristics. The parfried potato strips are initially blanched and then surface treated to apply reducing sugar in a controlled amount prior to parfrying in hot oil and freezing. In one form, the surface treatment is a dextrose-containing dip or spray, whereas in another form the surface treatment is a sugar-containing starch-based batter coating. In either case, the quantity of sugar on the exterior surfaces of the strips is regulated in relation to the parfry oil temperature to achieve a target strip color.

Abstract: An improved hydraulic cutting system is provided for cutting a succession of vegetable products or the like particularly such as potatoes into elongated strips, wherein the cutting system includes a deceleration conduit designed for decelerating cut product strips substantially without flow stream turbulence to reduce or eliminate strip breakage. The cutting system utilizes a propelling fluid flow stream to propel the products with substantial velocity into and through cutting engagement with knife elements of a so-called water knife fixture mounted along the length of a fluid flow passage. An improved deceleration conduit defines a continuation of the fluid flow passage at a downstream side of the water knife, and has a tapered shape which expands in cross section relative to a conduit centerline at an angle not exceeding 9° and preferably on the order of about 2° to about 3°.

Abstract: French fry strips and a related preparation process are provided, wherein the strips are produced from a corn based dough. The corn based dough comprises a matrix of corn meal and corn flour of different particle or granule sizes, admixed with water and optional flavoring and seasoning constituents to form a relatively thick dough having a texture suitable for extruding and cutting to form elongated strips having a size and shape conforming generally to conventional potato-based French fries. The formed and cut corn dough strips may be parfried in hot oil, and then frozen. The frozen corn strips are subsequently finished prepared for consumption, preferably by finish frying in hot oil. The finish prepared corn strips have a corn snack taste in combination with a texture defined by a crispy exterior surface encasing a moist and mealy interior.

Abstract: A first method is provided for in vitro selection of Lemhi and Russet Burbank potatoes for blackspot resistance using plant tissue culturing techniques. A second method is provided using at least one melanin precursor added to the tissue culturing media. The blackspot resistant potatoes produced from such methods are also provided.

Abstract: Improved batter coated French fried potato strips and a related preparation process are provided, wherein the potato strips are suitable for fast finish preparation in an oven and exhibit overall taste, appearance and textural characteristics closely emulating frozen parfried potato strips which have been finish prepared by frying. The preparation process comprises cutting and blanching fresh potato strips, and then coating the strips with an aqueous starch slurry. The batter coated potato strips are then subjected to a first parfry step after which the strips are promptly frozen. The once-parfried and frozen potato strips are next subjected to a second parfry step followed by freezing a second time and packaging for storage and/or shipment. The thus-prepared potato strips can be finish cooked in an oven for consumption, with a short preparation time and with quality characteristics similar to French fried potato strips which have been finish prepared by frying.

Abstract: A first method is provided for in vitro selection of Lemhi and Russet Burbank potatoes for blackspot resistance using plant tissue culturing techniques. A second method is provided using at least one melanin precursor added to the tissue culturing media. The blackspot resistant potatoes produced from such methods are also provided.

Abstract: An improved knife fixture is provided of the type having a plurality of knife blades for cutting food products, such as cutting potatoes into elongated French fry strips, wherein the knife fixture includes a detector system and method for promptly indicating breakage of a knife blade. The knife fixture generally comprises a fixture frame adapted to support the plurality of knife blades under tension during normal cutting operation, in accordance with the knife fixture disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,623. The detector system and method comprises, in one preferred form, mounting the knife blades for passage of an electrical current and monitoring the current level for abrupt changes indicative of a broken blade. In another preferred form, a strain gauge is provided on the fixture frame to measure the tension force applied to the knife blades, and to permit monitoring of abrupt changes in tension indicative of a broken blade.