Abstract: A pouch for containing a food product such as shredded cheese, and a novel method and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing the pouch. The method involves providing one or more webs of material to define a pair of walls for the pouch, orienting the web material so that the walls are substantially vertical, with the web having a horizontal longitudinal axis; providing interengageable strips of reclosable fastener material along the web adjacent the lower edges of the walls; forming vertical side seals; filling the pouches through their open bottoms while in inverted orientation; and sealing the bottoms of the pouches. Each of the strips of reclosable fastener material has one or more fastener members thereon. A peelable seal is provided between the product contained in the interior of the pouch and the reclosable fastener members. The peelable seal is preferably formed on the fastener strip material.

Abstract: A pouch for containing a food product such as shredded cheese, and a novel method and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing the pouch. The method involves providing one or more webs of material to define a pair of walls for the pouch, orienting the web material so that the walls are substantially vertical, with the web having a horizontal longitudinal axis; providing interengageable strips of reclosable fastener material along the web adjacent the lower edges of the walls; forming vertical side seals; filling the pouches through their open bottoms while in inverted orientation; and sealing the bottoms of the pouches. Each of the strips of reclosable fastener material has one or more fastener members thereon. A peelable seal is provided between the product contained in the interior of the pouch and the reclosable fastener members. The peelable seal is preferably formed on the fastener strip material.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for manufacturing a block of pasta filata cheese of desired size and configuration, e.g., a 680-pound block, from finished pieces of pasta filata of typical size which may be about five pounds each. The method includes milling the finished pieces into shreds, filling the shreds into a cheese box to form a cheese mass, and while in the cheese box, applying pressure to the cheese mass, vacuuming and draining the cheese mass, and curing the cheese mass to form the desired block which can be used for a variety of end uses such as retail, slices, or food service.

Abstract: Low-fat or reduced-fat chocolate products containing sucrose fatty acid polyesters are provided which have texture and mouthfeel properties similar to conventional chocolate products. These chocolate products are prepared using a sucrose fatty acid polyester or a blend of sucrose fatty acid polyesters in place of the conventional cocoa butter constituent. The sucrose fatty acid polyesters used do not necessarily mimic the theological and thermal properties of cocoa butter. Rather, the desired texture and mouthfeel properties of the chocolate products of this invention are obtained by incorporating a hydrogenated or hardened oil (i.e., a hardstock triglyceride) and an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of lactylated glycerides, sorbitan esters, acetylated glycerides, polysorbate esters, and polyglycerol esters, along with the one or more sucrose fatty acid polyesters, into conventional chocolate formulations containing essentially no cocoa butter or substantially reduced levels of cocoa butter.

Abstract: A method is provided for the production of vegetable or herb pasta, especially thin-walled vegetable or herb pasta, containing high levels of vegetable solids, i.e., about 4 to about 15 weight percent vegetable solids, or high levels of herb solids, i.e., about 2 to 15 weight percent herb solids. Vegetable pasta can be prepared using vegetable solids derived from beet, broccoli, carrot, celery, corn, green pepper, red pepper, spinach, tomato, and the like. Herb pasta can be prepared using herb solids derived from oregano, basil, coriander, tarragon, onion, parsley, sage, garlic, and the like.

Abstract: A non-fat edible plastic dispersion which has rheological properties similar to solid margarine or squeezable margarine. The plastic dispersion includes a fat mimetic selected from the group consisting of gelling type maltodextrins, starch modified by acid hydrolysis to remove amorphous regions therefrom and branched chain amylopectin starch and inulin.

Abstract: A removable and reclosable, substantially leak-free and fling-free cap member for sealably engaging the open top portion of a reusable shaker dispenser bottle or similar container is provided. Reduction or elimination of product fling from the strap closure upon opening of the pouring orifice is provided by placing the hinge of the strap to the top of the sidewall and by introducing controlled weakness of the plastic in the hinge area. Controlled rotational flexibility about a defined axis of symmetry and side placement of thumb flanges permits easy removal of the cap without compromising sealing effectiveness. An inverted teardrop pouring orifice provides a controlled-flow, universal recipe orifice for dispensing thin viscosity and thicker viscosity fluid products, with or without particulates.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing flavoring compositions by subjecting a thin film of fat or oil to an elevated temperature of about 600.degree. F. in the presence of oxygen. The elevated temperature causes the oil or fat to undergo a phase change to produce an exothermic gaseous material. The gaseous material is cooled rapidly to produce a liquid phase and a vapor containing an aerosol. The liquid phase is collected as a first flavorant and the vapor phase passed through a condenser to recover the aerosol as a flavorant with a more intense grill flavor. The remaining smoke or vapor is exhausted from the apparatus to remove the tarry and acrid flavor notes.

Abstract: The color of the disodium salt of 5,5'-indigotin disulfonic acid (i.e., FD&C Blue No. 2) in aqueous media held in an aluminum container is stabilized by the addition of tannic acids, ortho-phenanthroline, apoferritin.

Abstract: A sealed container includes a base jar for containing a substance and a removable lid therefor. The base jar includes an upper portion with a screw thread and an upper wall extending inwardly and upwardly therefrom having a circular brim which defines a wide mouth opening, a brim portion with at least a 10% reduction, and an inside edge. The removable lid includes an encircling member extending downwardly from a top wall with a mating screw thread for the screw thread of the base jar. For sealing with the base jar, the removable lid also includes a circular projection extending downwardly from the lid which engages and seals with the circular brim. For additional sealing, the removable lid further includes a circular flexible flange extending downwardly from the lid having a tip which is radially flexed relative to a remainder of the flange upon engagement with an upper wall of the jar to seal therewith.

Abstract: A method of producing a cholesterol-reduced whole egg product by mixing cholesterol-reduced egg yolk with concentrated egg whites and vegetable oil at a ratio of about 1:0.7:0.05 to about 1:1.2:0.2, where the cholesterol-reduced egg yolk is produced by shearing a mixture of oil:egg yolk:egg white permeate at a ratio of about 4:1:0.8 to about 1.5:1:0.2: where the temperature of the mixture during shearing is between about 124.degree. F. to about 148.degree. F. in the mixture.

Abstract: A frozen dairy dessert product having on a non-flavored basis, from about 3% to about 20% of a polyol fatty acid polyester, from 0% to about 8% of a triglyceride fat, from about 0.3% to about 0.7% of an emulsifier, from about 10% to about 19% of milk solids not fat, from about 6% to about 15% of a carbohydrate sweetener, such as sucrose, from 0% to about 15% (dry solids basis) of low dextrose equivalent corn syrup solids having a dextrose equivalent (DE) of from about 20 to about 36, from 0% to about 6% (dry solids basis) of high DE corn syrup solids having a DE of from about 36 to about 95, from 0% to 6% (dry solids basis) of dextrin having a DE of less than about 20, from 0% to about 3% of starch and from 0% to about 0.5% stabilizer.A white mix containing all of the ingredients is prepared by adding the ingredients, including the polyol polyester to heated water with agitation.

Abstract: Shelf-stable, intermediate-moisture potatoes are produced by blanching strips of raw potatoes in a heated infusion solution containing sugar and sodium chloride, draining and cooling the infused potato strips and drying the infused potato strips such that the strips have a water activity of below 0.85%. In one embodiment, blanching is performed by soaking the strips in an infusion solution from 1 to 3 minutes at a temperature of at least 200.degree. F. where the solution contains at least 5% sodium chloride and at least 12% sucrose.

Abstract: Shelf-stable, intermediate-moisture potatoes are produced by blanching pieces of raw potatoes in a heated infusion solution containing glycerol and sodium chloride, draining and cooling the infused potato pieces and drying the infused potato pieces such that the pieces have a water activity of below 0.85%. In one embodiment, blanching is performed by soaking the pieces in an infusion solution from 1 to 3 minutes at a temperature of at least 200.degree. F. (93.3.degree. C.) where the solution contains at least 5% sodium chloride and at least 10% glycerol.

Abstract: A unitary beverage container includes a main body defining a container volume in which a beverage is contained. A top of the main body includes a channel disposed horizontally therealong as well as an uppermost bisecting ridge extending from one side of the main body to the other and a respective remainder portion on each side of the ridge sloping downwardly away from the ridge. A bottom of the main body has a lowermost continuous base surface and a central concavity extending inwardly therefrom. The central concavity is particularly formed by a horizontal recess surface and a peripheral recess band sloped radially inward. A flexible straw has a proximal end fluidly connected with the container volume and a distal end having an aperture therein which is located in the channel of the top. A holding mechanism removably holds the distal end of the flexible straw in the channel. In order to fill the beverage container, the bottom includes a filling conduit extending from the central concavity.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for efficiently measuring and analyzing volatile and relatively non-volatile flavor components released during oral processing of food or other products. The subject exhales a breath sample into one or more temperature-controlled collection chambers, preferably at predetermined time intervals during the oral processing of the product. Each breath sample is then purged from its collection chamber with a non-reactive gas flow into an adsorbent, absorbent or other trap containing an interface that separates and collects the volatile and relatively non-volatile components from the breath sample. The trap is then transferred to a thermal desorber to release the volatile and relatively non-volatile flavor components from the interface surface into a measuring and analysis apparatus.

Abstract: A gasified coffee glass is disclosed which is prepared by forming a mixture containing 3% to 12% water and about 88 to 97% total coffee derived solids, heating the mixture, injecting a gas into the mixture and mixing to form a uniform mixture, forcing the mixture through an orifice, and cooling the mixture to form a gasified coffee glass resembling dry soluble coffee or roasted and ground coffee or other novel gasified coffee products.

Abstract: Low-fat or reduced-fat chocolate products containing sucrose fatty acid polyesters and dextrose are provided which have texture and mouthfeel properties similar to conventional chocolate products. The sweetener used is dextrose or blends of dextrose and sucrose. These chocolate products are prepared using a sucrose fatty acid polyester or a blend of sucrose fatty acid polyesters in place of the conventional cocoa butter constituent and dextrose or blends of dextrose and sucrose in place of the convention sucrose sweetener. The preferred form of dextrose is dextrose monohydrate. The sucrose fatty acid polyesters used do not necessarily mimic the rheological and thermal properties of cocoa butter. The improved chocolate products have similar texture and mouthfeel properties of conventional chocolate with significantly fewer calories and lower fat content.