Abstract: A dried food composition is prepared by extrusion-cooking and drying so that the composition has a specific gravity of from 150 g/l to 500 g/l, and when rehydrated during preparation of such as a soup, the composition floats during rehydration. To prepare the composition, cereal flour and/or semolina, a fat, water and a protein and/or glucide filler substance ingredients are introduced into a twin-screw extruder and extrusion-cooked, the extruded, cooked product is cut into pieces and then, the product pieces are dried, and the ingredients are in amounts and are extrusion-cooked under a temperature of from 80.degree. C. to 160.degree. C. under a pressure of from 60 bar to 150 bar so that upon extrusion-cooking, the extruded, cooked product has, by weight, a fat content of from 6% to 14% and a moisture content of from about 10% to 16% and so that upon the extrusion cooking and drying, the dried product has a specific gravity of from 15 g/l to 500 g/l.

Abstract: A composite, co-extruded food product has an outer casing and an inner filling. The outer casing is based upon a textured meat or textured fish and has a moisture content of between 20% and 40%. The filling ingredient represents between 30% and 40% of the total volume of the product and may be a vegetable oil/fat, an animal oil/fat and/or a powdered yeast.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for dosing a pattern of food material onto an object e.g. a tray or other food material continuously moved. The apparatus comprises a dosing assembly comprising a substantially cylindrical tube element having a plurality of circumferential openings defining the pattern and being mounted rotatably; and a hollow core element with at least one supply inlet and at least one discharge orifice, the core element being positioned substantially in the tube element with the discharge orifice facing downwardly, so that when the tube element is rotated about its longitudinal axis the openings are in turn aligned with and brought adjacent to the discharge orifice allowing food material introduced into the core element to be discharged through the opening created.

Abstract: At least one opening is formed in the periphery of a sealed filled pasta product in sealed edges of two superposed leaves of pasta having a filling material between the leaves to form a filled pasta product having at least one formed opening in its periphery. The filled pasta product may be dried or may be blanched and dried.

Abstract: Meaty chunks are prepared by chopping and heating a meat material combined with water and konjac particles to obtain a heated emulsion, and then an alkali agent is added to the emulsion to raise the pH of the emulsion which then is heated to gel the emulsion to obtain a gel, and the gel is diced into chunks.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of a meat pate having a low fat content, in which a meat emulsion is prepared by combining at least meat, water, salts and a fat substitute, the emulsion is subjected to proteolytic digestion, cooked at a temperature of between 65.degree. and 75.degree. C. and the subjected to a hydrostatic pressure greater than 400,000 kPa at a temperature of between -10.degree. and 75.degree. C. for a time sufficient to obtain less than 4.5 protease units per g of pate, thus forming a low fat content pate.

Abstract: An enteral composition of protein, glucides, lipids and minerals, which is suitable for tube feeding, employs native micellar casein as the protein. The composition is prepared by obtaining native micellar casein and combining it with the glucides, lipids and minerals. A dispersion of micellar casein may be obtained by microfiltering milk, particularly skim milk, and glucides and minerals are dispersed in the micellar casein retentate obtained, lipids are added to the resulting dispersion and then the mixture is homogenized and sterilized. The microfiltered retentate may be diafiltered for obtaining the dispersion.

Abstract: A powdered black tea drink mix is prepared by subjecting to extraction with hot water at a temperature of between about 60.degree. and 130.degree. C., separating the tea leaves from the extract; concentrating this first extract to a solids content of between about 5 and 12% and cooling the first extract to a temperature of between 5.degree. and 15.degree. C. in order to form an insoluble tea cream which is separated from the first concentrated extract. This tea cream is mixed with the spent black tea leaves or with green tea leaves to form a mixture which is extracted with water at a temperature greater than about 70.degree. C. in order to obtain a second extract which is separated from the spent leaves. The first and the second extracts are mixed, concentrated to the desired solids content and dried to form the powdered drink mix.

Abstract: The invention relates to two new Streptococcus thermophilus bacteriocins having the amino acid sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 2, the signal peptides of these two bacteriocins, the nucleotide sequences encoding these bacteriocins especially an operon encoding the bacteriocins having the sequence SEQ ID NO: 3, the strains producing at least one of these bacteriocins especially the strain CNCM I-1351, a method for producing a supernatant extract comprising at least one of these two bacteriocins, and use of these bacteriocins in the preparation of food products, especially cheeses and acidified milks, and cosmetic products as active agent against pathogens.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing cooked ham, comprising trimming and cutting pig muscles into pieces, treating the pieces with a high hydrostatic pressure, injecting brine into the pressure treated pieces of pig muscles, tumbling, filling in moulds or casings, cooking and cooling the pig muscles. Cooking yield without negatively affecting the texture is improved.

Abstract: A composition concentrated in ethyl esters of polyunsaturated fatty acids is prepared by mixing a refined oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids with ethanol in the presence of a catalyst to obtain an ethanolyzate containing a glycerol phase and fatty acid ethyl ester phase. The fatty acid ethyl ester phase is separated from the glycerol phase and mixed with urea and ethanol to form a mixture, which is cooled to form a liquid phase containing fatty acid ethyl esters and a solid phase containing insoluble inclusion complexes. The liquid phase is separated from the solid phase to obtain a fraction enriched in ethyl esters of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Abstract: An emulsion preconcentrate which contains a hydrolyzed fat and an aroma or flavor. The emulsion preconcentrate is included in frozen or chilled food products. Upon heating of the food product to above the melting point of the hydrolyzed fat, the emulsion preconcentrate spontaneously forms an emulsion having microemulsion characteristics with aqueous media in the food product to rapidly release the aroma or flavor.

Abstract: An extrusion die assembly has a body member which rotatably houses a barrel member which provides a tubular passage. The body member has an inlet channel for passage of a plasticized, especially edible, substance to the barrel member tubular passage which extends from a junction with the body member to at least one outlet channel. A rotary seal is provided at a junction between the body member and barrel member.

Abstract: A security ring device to determine whether a container has been opened is integrated with a container and its cover. The security ring device has a rim which abuts the depending edge of the skirt of a container cover. The interior of the skirt has a portion which is provided with a perimeter groove. At least two lugs extend from the rim to the groove to lock the ring to the skirt. At least one lug extends from the rim to the container which has an outwardly extending flange portion positioned so that upon turning the cover to open the container, the at least one lug which extends from the rim to the container and establishes a tension for breaking the ring member. A collar may extend from the rim and abut the outer wall of the skirt. At least one weakened zone may be positioned in the rim ring to facilitate breaking.

Abstract: Process and equipment for manufacturing process pasta, in which a mixture of cereal flour or semolina and water having a water content of 25-40% is prepared, the mixture is kneaded and it is extruded by pressing it through an extrusion die with the aid of a gear pump.

Abstract: A frying apparatus for conveying food on a surface coated with oil heated for frying the food pieces has a tray which extends longitudinally for containing food pieces for frying, and an assembly is positioned for conveying food pieces in a direction from one end of the tray to the other so that during the conveying, the food pieces are mixed and so that the tray surface upon which the food pieces are fried is scraped for cleaning the surface. In two apparatus embodiments, members of the conveying assembly form a helical arrangement in an area about and are displaced a distance from a circumference of a rotatable shaft and are configured for scraping the tray surface for cleaning the surface, and in another embodiment, plate members which have a shape of a section of an ellipsoid plane are affixed with an axle at an angle with respect to a lateral cross-section of the axle so that upon rotation of the axle in one direction, the plate members convey food pieces.

Abstract: The freezing point of a food product subjected to freezing temperatures is increased by adding to the food product a juice obtained from berries of sea buckthorn or an aqueous extract obtained from sea buckthorn berry or leaf tissue. The food product containing the added sea buckthorn substance is then cooled to freeze the product.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a product strip about a filling material, such as a tubular filled pasta product and particularly cannelloni, has a roller positioned for forming a strip of material, such as a pasta strip, when the strip is transported longitudinally and contacted by the roller, into a curved strip having a curved interior area, and a conveyor belt is positioned to transport the curved strip from the roller to a filling deposit member for deposit of a filling within the curved strip interior area and then to a ring member positioned for passage of the curved strip containing the filling therethrough for forming the curved strip into a tube about the filling for enclosing the filling within the tube.

Abstract: Fluid comestibles are prepared from substances, particularly roast and ground coffee, contained in cartridges by supporting a peripheral portion of a first surface of a sealed cartridge with a holder which has a base which includes a grille and relief surface element so that the remainder portion of the first surface is positioned adjacent the relief surface element. An opposing cartridge surface is pierced for injection of water into the cartridge while maintaining the base in the position adjacent the first surface, and while maintaining the base in a fixed position, water is injected under a pressure of greater than atmospheric pressure into the cartridge to deform the first surface remainder portion against the relief surface element first to press the first surface against the relief surface element and to wet and compact the substance and then to tear and open the remainder portion of the first surface for flow of fluid comestible from the cartridge and through the grille in a plurality of streams.

Abstract: A cartridge which contains a substance for preparation of a beverage has a cover membrane member which covers an opening of a container body for containing the substance within the container interior. The body has a base and a sidewall which extends from the base to define a container interior, and the sidewall defines the opening at a position opposing the base. The membrane is affixed to a rim which extends from the sidewall in a direction away from the sidewall. An interior container surface of either the base or the cover membrane member contains a plurality of perforations which define openings which provide localized absence of a plurality of portions in the base or cover membrane member to provide a plurality of localized portions of reduced thickness so that when a fluid pressure for extraction of the substance for preparation of a beverage is applied, the localized portions of reduced thickness tear and open for beverage passage.