Abstract: A food package for sliced food products to be maintained with a fluffed appearance, the package including a rigid base member forming a compartment for receiving the food product and a rigid lid sealed to the compartment. Advantageously, the base member includes a bottom wall and side wall portions that are configured to engage the food product to hold the slices in a fluffed arrangement thereof. Preferably, one or more tapered side wall portions hold the food product upwardly toward the lid and inwardly toward a center of the package. In preferred embodiments, the base member and lid provide a rigid-rigid construction of the food package. In preferred embodiments, the food package is also configured to stand-up in a vertical display orientation and does not require the food product be contained within a sealed pouch within the compartment.

Abstract: Concentrated liquid flavorings and methods of preparing flavored beverages using the concentrated liquid flavorings are described herein. The concentrated liquid flavorings are shelf stable for prolonged storage times at ambient temperatures. Shelf stability is provided, at least in part, by acidic pH and/or reduced water activity. By one approach, the concentrated liquid flavorings are intended to provide flavor to a beverage, such as coffee, tea, milk, or other savory beverage. The concentrated liquid flavorings may be provided in a convenient portable and dosable format that can be easily used by a consumer to provide the desired flavor and amount of flavor to a beverage.

Abstract: Disclosed are stabilized emulsion-including concentrates for drinkable beverages. The emulsion concentrates are stable at pH as low as about 2.0 to about 2.5 and include quillaja, non-aqueous solvent, acidulant, lipid, and water. The emulsion-including concentrates may remain shelf-stable independently and as part of a drinkable beverage for about twelve months. Methods for making the emulsion-including concentrates are also provided.

Abstract: According to embodiments, a dry powdered composition which may be reconstituted to provide a gelatin product includes powdered gelatin and a pelletized colorant. The pelletized colorant includes a pigment-protein complex and at least one encapsulating agent for encapsulating the pigment-protein complex. The pelletized colorant has a rate of dissolution a rate of dissolution of less than 2 grams/minute in water having an initial temperature of from about 95° C. to about 100° C. Methods of making food products with the pelletized colorant are also disclosed. In embodiments, when the food products are measured on the L*a*b* color space, the food products have an L* value of about 49 to about 57, an a* value of about ?10 to about ?16, and a b* value of from about ?11 to about ?20.5.

Abstract: A mold system includes an upper mold and a lower mold. The upper mold and the lower mold include a base plate having a lower surface and an upper surface. At least one protrusion extends a first height from the lower surface of the base plate to a distal end wall and defines a mold cavity accessible through an opening of the lower base plate. One or more bosses extend a second height from the distal end wall, and at least one support leg extends a third height from the lower surface of the base plate to a terminal end. At least one socket is formed on the upper surface of the lower base plate adjacent the at least one support leg. The mold system is operable between a storage configuration and a molding configuration by rotating the upper mold relative to the lower mold.

Abstract: Disclosed are starch-based powdered clouding agents for dry beverage mixes and beverage mixes including such powdered clouding agents. The starch-based powdered clouding agent may consist essentially of retrograded maltodextrin and is substantially free of titanium dioxide. Methods of preparing beverage mixes including such powdered clouding agents are disclosed. The powdered clouding agents may be added to water to form a cloudy solution or to a dry beverage mix that may form a beverage having an opacity substantially the same as a comparable natural beverage when reconstituted with water.

Abstract: Low water liquid beverage concentrates and methods for making the concentrates are provided herein. The concentrates include a high coffee and/or tea solids content and total solids content. The amounts of water, total solids, and coffee and/or tea solids are effective to provide a low water beverage concentrate having a pH between about 3.0 to about 6.0. In some approaches, the pH of the low water beverage concentrate changes fewer than about 0.5 pH units after at least three months storage at 70 F in a closed container. The low water beverage concentrates provide a desired flavor profile with little or no flavor degradation after storage at 70 F in a closed container for at least about three months. Methods for making the low water beverage concentrates are also provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving food-related personalization for a user including generating a recipe database including a set of recipe data structures; deriving a recipe vector representation of the recipe data structures; determining a set of user food preferences; extracting a set of recipe vector constraints from the set of user food preferences; determining a personalized food plan for the user, including automatically selecting a subset of the set of recipe data structures associated with recipe vector representations that satisfy the set of recipe vector constraints; determining fulfillment parameters for grocery items associated with the personalized food plan; and automatically facilitating fulfillment of grocery items associated with the personalized food plan based on the fulfillment parameters.

Abstract: Methods are provided for treating high solids concentrated milk products to delay gelation of the concentrated milk products by minimizing the rate at which the viscosity of the concentrates increases during cold storage. By another approach, the methods described herein are effective to substantially reduce the viscosity of the concentrated milk products. The methods described herein advantageously increase the length of time the high solids milk concentrates remain fluid and pumpable during refrigerated shelf-life. The high solids concentrated milk products treated with the methods provided herein include about 33 to about 43 percent total solids. By one approach, the high solids concentrated milk products have a pH of about 4.6 to about 6.7, and include salt at about 0.25 to about 6 percent by weight of the concentrate.

Abstract: A method for improving food-related personalized for a user including determining food-related preferences associated with a plurality of users to generate a user food preferences database; collecting dietary inputs from a subject matter expert (SME) at an SME interface associated with the user food preferences database; determining personalized food parameters for the user based on the user food-related preferences and the dietary inputs; receiving feedback associated with the personalized food parameters from the user; and updating the user food preferences database based on the feedback.

Abstract: A multilayer edible product includes a center, a barrier layer directly encompassing at least a portion of the center, and an outer layer directly encompassing the barrier layer and indirectly encompassing the center. The barrier layer includes a hydrophilic powder and a source of fat. The center has at least one of: a fat content that is either greater than or less than a fat content of the outer layer, or a water activity that is either greater than or less than a water activity of the outer layer. A composition of the barrier layer is different than a composition of the center and a composition of the outer layer.

Abstract: A beverage product containing a first azo-component and a second azo-component in a weight about 1:999 to about 999:1; an electrolyte; and a solvent, wherein the first azo-component and the second-component remain in solution for at least thirty days.