Abstract: A coated dried fruit piece is prepared by applying a coating of a melted fat or oil followed by a dusting of a dry particulate coating. The steps may be repeated as desired to build a coating of a desired thickness. The dry particulate coating includes a cereal component, such as wheat germ or shredded wheat fines, a sweetener and preferably a nut meal. The cereal component has a particle size sufficiently large to form a coating with crunchy particulates over the soft dried fruit. The particle size of the cereal component is sufficiently small to ensure the particles will adhere to the dried fruit pieces.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions containing fish oil which are stabilized by enzyme systems which prevents or retards against the deleterious formation of malodorous alcohols and aldehydes thereby eliminating the undesired odor and off-flavor associated with the formation of these organic products. The enzyme system contemplated by the present invention include compositions of (a) aldehyde dehydrogenase plus alcohol dehydrogenase plus nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD); (b) aldehyde oxidase plus alcohol oxidase plus catalase; and (c) xanthine oxidase plus alcohol oxidase plus catalase.

Abstract: Cookies having a shelf-stable plurality of textures are prepared from a composite dough comprising a filler cookie dough laminated to a casing cooking dough. The casing dough comprises lactose and/or dextrose and less than 75% by weight sucrose, based upon the sugar solids content of the casing dough. The filler dough comprises a humectant for imparting softness or chewiness to the inner portion of the cookie. The casing dough is baked to a soft or tender textured crumb structure. The water content of the filler dough is greater than the water content of the casing dough to facilitate control over the moisture content of the cookie. Cookies baked from dough pieces having a filler dough enrobed by a casing dough retain a firm and tender textured crumb structure on the outside and a soft or chewy textured crumb structure on the inside for extended times in proper packaging when the dough pieces are baked to an end-point moisture content of at least about 6% by weight, based upon the weight of the cookie.

Abstract: Cookies having a shelf-stable plurality of textures are prepared from a composite dough comprising a filler cookie dough laminated to a casing cookie dough. The casing dough comprises a humectant in an amount greater than 25% by weight, based upon the sugar solids content of the casing dough. The filler dough comprises a humectant for imparting softness to the inner portion of the cookie. The water content of the filler dough is greater than the water content of the casing dough to facilitate control over the moisture content of the cookie. Cookies baked from dough pieces having a filler dough enrobed by a casing dough retain a firm and tender textured crumb structure on the outside and a soft textured crumb structure on the inside for extended times in proper packaging when the dough pieces are baked to an end-point moisture content of at least about 6% by weight, based upon the weight of the cookie.

Abstract: An extruder and continuous mixing apparatus operating to continuously mix, at least partially bake and extrude a preselected formulation of ingredients to provide an at least partially baked output product which, upon final baking, exhibits a cookie-like crumb structure with structural integrity. The extruder includes at least one screw-type element which is rotatably arranged in the extruder to vigorously mix and convey at least certain ingredients of the preselected formulation, including flour and oil, input through a feed port means at the upstream end of the extruder, wherein the total water content, by weight, of the ingredients is less than a preselected amount. A temperature control means operates to heat treat the ingredients during the vigorous mixing and conveyance by the screw-type element. The vigorous mixing and heat treatment is applied to the ingredients for substantially the entire length of the extruder.

Abstract: Baked goods and in particular hard biscuits and crackers which are hollow and which are adapted to contain a filling are inverted subsequent to baking so that the biscuit or cracker can have a filling inserted therein from the side of the biscuit or cracker that had been contacting the bottom of the oven. It is preferred to insert a filling by means of needle injection into hollow biscuits and crackers through the side that had been in contact with the bottom of the oven since the other side in many instances will contain a fanciful design. The baked hollow forms as they emerge from the oven are inverted by being flowed to a wheel containing longitudinal stepped sections which upon rotation deposit the baked hollow forms on a lower conveyor belt in an inverted form. The hollow baked and inverted forms are then moved to an indexing means which holds the hollow baked forms while they are pierced by a needle and filled with a desired filling.

Abstract: Novel fat mimetic compositions are disclosed as reduced calorie food components. These compositions comprise complex polyol esters elaborated with fatty acid residues, and/or residues of esters or ethers having an acid function. The complex esters are partially broken down in the body to yield at least two types of aliphatic digestion residues which are more hydrophilic than the original complex polyol ester substrate. The majority by weight of the digestion residues will be non-hydrolyzable by the normal digestive processes, while a minor amount by weight may be suspectible to facile cleavage by the action of digestive lipase. The fat mimetic compounds are useful as replacements for fats and oils for most food applications.

Abstract: Baked goods and in particular hard biscuits and crackers which are hollow and which are adapted to contain a filling are inverted subsequent to baking so that the biscuit or cracker can have a filling inserted therein from the side of the biscuit or cracker that had been contacting the bottom of the oven. It is preferred to insert a filling by means of needle injection into hollow biscuits and crackers through the side that had been in contact with the bottom of the oven since the other side in many instances will contain a fanciful design. The baked hollow forms as they emerge from the oven are inverted by being flowed to a wheel containing longitudinal stepped sections which upon rotation deposit the baked hollow forms on a lower conveyor belt in an inverted form. The hollow baked and inverted forms are then moved to an indexing mechanism which holds the hollow baked forms while they are pierced by a needle and filled with a desired filling.

Abstract: An extruder operating to continuously mix, at least partially bake and extrude a preselected formulation of ingredients to provide an at least partially baked output product which, upon final baking, exhibits a cookie-like crumb structure with structural integrity. The extruder includes an added water inlet port downstream from a feed port means. A screw-type element is rotatably arranged in the extruder to vigorously mix and convey at least certain ingredients of the preselected formulation, including flour and oil, input through the feed port means, wherein the total water content, by weight, of the ingredients is less than a preselected amount. A temperature control means operates to heat treat the ingredients upstream from the added water inlet port during the vigorous mixing and conveyance by the screw-type element.

Abstract: An extruder and continuous mixing apparatus operating to continuously mix, at least partially bake and extrude a preselected formulation of ingredients to provide an at least partially baked output product which, upon final baking, exhibits a cookie-like crumb structure with structural integrity. The extruder includes at least one screw-type element which is rotatably arranged in the extruder to vigorously mix and convey at least certain ingredients of the preselected formulation, including flour and oil, input through a feed port means at the upstream end of the extruder, wherein the total water content, by weight, of the ingredients is less than a preselected amount. A temperature control means operates to heat treat the ingredients during the vigorous mixing and conveyance by the screw-type element. The vigorous mixing and heat treatment is applied to the ingredients for substantially the entire length of the extruder.

Abstract: An extruder and continuous mixing appartatus operating to continuously mix, at least partially bake and extrude a preselected formulation of ingredients to provide an at least partially baked output product which, upon final baking, exhibits a cookie-like crumb structure with structural integrity. The extruder includes at least one screw-type element which is rotatably arranged in the extruder to vigorously mix and convey at least certain ingredients of the preselected formulation, including flour and oil, input through a feed port means at the upstream end of the extruder, wherein the total water content, by weight, of the ingredients is less than a preselected amount. A temperature control means operates to heat treat the ingredients during the vigorous mixing and conveyance by the screw-type element. The vigorous mixing and heat treatment is applied to the ingredients for substantially the entire length of the extruder.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a low cholesterol mayonnaise substitute which contains substantially no egg yolk or starch thickeners. The mayonnaise substitute comprises water, a vegetable oil, a food grade acidulent, egg whites, a food grade emulsifier with a hydrophillic-lipophillic balance ("HLB") of 10-18, at least one edible gum, flavoring, coloring, and spices in a stable oil-in-water emulsion. With this formulation, the mayonnaise substitute of the present invention is able to achieve substantially the same flavor profile as real mayonnaise and a texture profile at least as good as that of real mayonnaise.

Abstract: Fruits and vegetables can be vacuum dried to produce a crispy but yet tender puffed food products having a color and appearance of the original fruit or vegetable prior to processing. Enzymatic browning and reducing sugar browning is counteracted by the treatment of the fruit or vegetable in an infusion solution that contains at least one reducing acid and a proton donor to counteract enzymatic browning and a disaccharide to counteract reducing sugar browning. In addition the infusion solution can contain chelating agents and antimicrobial agents. In addition the fruit or vegetable can undergo a freeze-thaw tenderizing process which will also enhance the puffing of the fruit or vegetable. The product is a puffed and crisp but yet has a smooth texture when being consumed.

Abstract: A baked cookie is produced having a two phase interior filling. There is an oil based interior filling and a water based interior filling. The oil based interior filling coats at least part of the interior of the biscuit and enhances the taste of the cookie. Upon this cookie being heated in a microwave oven the water based filling expands and exudes out through the top of the cookie flowing down the exterior surfaces of the cookie and coating these surfaces. This cookie is produced by co-extruding a dough and the oil based filling. The dough piece is than baked whereby there is formed a hollow interior section. It is this hollow interior section that is then filled with the water based filling.

Abstract: The process of treating baked shredded wheat with a solvent spray using a potable solvent, preferably ethanol. The solvent is subsequently evaporated from the treated shredded wheat. The treatment retards the oxidation of the oil in the shredded wheat, which consequentially, substantially slows down rancification of such oil. In this manner, the shelf-stability of the shredded wheat product is significantly extended.

Abstract: A method and system for processing a chewing gum composition. The system comprises segment forming apparatus to form the gum into a multitude of segments, and a conveyor to receive the gum segments from the segment forming apparatus and to move those gum segments along a path. The system further comprises a plurality of extruders located along the conveyor to receive the gum segments therefrom and to extrude those gum segments into ropes of gum; and a plurality of wrapping units to receive those ropes of gum, to cut each rope into a multitude of pieces and to wrap those pieces.

Abstract: There is set forth a rotating wheel transfer mechanism for transferring items, but in particular bakery items, from one conveyor belt to another conveyor belt. Combined with the conveyor belt mechanism there can be a gate arrangement to assist in aligning the conveyed items. In addition, the wheel transfer mechanism can be heated or cooled in order to respectively heat or cool the items being conveyed. The net result is that the items can be transferred from one conveyor belt to another conveyor belt with less damage to the particular items.

Abstract: A ribbon gas burner for use in a baking oven has a row of gas apertures disposed between two rows of air apertures through which air is forced under pressure. The streams of air issuing from the two rows of air apertures are inclined inwardly towards the gas stream, thereby lengthening the ribbon flame produced by the burner and improving the uniformity of heating within the band oven.