Abstract: A process for eliminating the flatulent sugars present in soya which comprises preparing an aqueous soya suspension containing from 5 to 45% by weight of dry matter, inoculating the suspension thus prepared with at least one strain of Saccharomyces uvarum which has reached the state of growth on a medium containing at least one sugar having at least one .alpha.-D-galactopyranosyl bond and fermenting the suspension under anaerobic conditions for at least 8 hours at a temperature of from 15.degree. to 50.degree. C.

Abstract: A food product for babies of low birth weight, particularly for premature babies and a process for its manufacture are disclosed. The product is characterized in that it contains the following substances per 100 parts by weight of dry material:21-27 parts of lipids containing lactic fat, vegetable fat and medium chain triglycerides, the latter representing 30 to 50% by weight of the mixture of fats,13-16 parts of proteins, at least 50% by weight of which are soluble proteins,50-63 parts of carbohydrates,1.5-2 parts of mineral salts and1-3 parts of water.

Abstract: Instant pasta prepared by forming a sheet of gelatinized cereal flour-dough, expanding the sheeted dough under controlled conditions to impart a high degree of essentially uniform porous structure to the sheet, subdividing the expanded dough into pieces of desired shapes, thereby exposing the porous interior of said shaped pieces along their perimeter surfaces, and drying the shaped pieces. Other features of the invention appear in the following specification.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for freeze-drying by means of microwaves, in which the product to be dried is placed on a support composed of a material which is transparent to microwave energy, covered with a layer of material which conducts electricity.

Abstract: An aqueous extract of a vegetable material is treated with a view to reducing its caffeine and/or chlorogenic acid content. The treatment is with a solid ligneous adsorbent of vegetable origin in divided form at a temperature of from 0.degree. to 100.degree. C. so as to absorb the caffeine and the chlorogenic acid. The combination of extract and ligneous adsorbent is dried by freeze-drying. The dried combination is thereafter introduced into infusing bags. On infusing the bags in hot water, an extract is obtained in partially decaffeinated and partially deacidified form.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a process for the production of a textured protein-containing edible product resembling cooked meat from a fibrous protein material without the use of a binder, in which the proteins are spun, the fibres obtained are subjected to a combined pressing and dehydrating operation in a mould, impregnated with a solution of aroma precursors and sterilized in a container. The process is characterized in that, with the fibres arranged substantially parallel to one another in the mould, the combined pressing and dehydrating operation is carried out by subjecting the fibres to mechanical compression in the axial direction.

Abstract: A beverage dispensing machine comprising a hopper holding particulate dehydrated beverage concentrate, dispensing a device including a dispensing duct intermittently transporting a predetermined volume of concentrate from the hopper out through the dispensing duct into a mixing funnel, a water supply delivering a predetermined volume of water into the funnel to establish reconstituted beverage therein, an outlet tube on the funnel to exhaust moisture ladened air and to drain beverage therefrom, a case about the hopper and defining a compression chamber, an air pump delivering air greater than atmospheric pressure into the compression chamber to cool said hopper and the concentrate therein, an air outlet opening in the case about the dispensing duct and communicating with the funnel, whereby air flowing through the outlet opening about the dispensing duct and into the funnel establishes a minus pressure which draws air outward through the duct and from the hopper and prevents the flow of moisture ladened air i

Abstract: A process for the production of cheese which comprises preparing a starting material, the composition of which is that of the cheese which it is desired to produce, subjecting this material to a thermal pasteurization or sterilization treatment, packaging the pasteurized or sterilized material under heat in a hermetic container or containers while at the same time adding a fermentation agent to it and, finally, incubating the product thus packaged until fermentation is complete.

Abstract: An aqueous soya suspension is prepared by grinding soya beans in the presence of water at a temperature of from 90.degree. to 100.degree. C. to form a dispersion of particles of which the majority have dimensions of the order of 100 to 500.mu.; heating the dispersion by the injection of steam to a temperature of from 120.degree. to 160.degree. C. thereby destroying the antitrypsin factor; and grinding the dispersion to form a suspension containing corpuscules of protein and fat with dimensions of the order of 2 to 10.mu. and cell wall debris of which the largest dimension does not exceed substantially 40 to 300.mu.. The soya suspension may be consumed as such or used as a starting material for the production of foods such as cheese or used as a base for the production of beverages such as a cows' milk substitute.

Abstract: Microgranulates intended for addition to foods having a deficit in methionine so as to increase their nutritive value are disclosed. They are characterized in that they comprise a core consisting of microcrystals of methionine of at most 10 microns in size encapsulated in a polymer matrix of spheroid shape in which they are evenly distributed, the core being coated in one or more layers of a vegetable protein extracted from gluten, the diameter of the microgranulates obtained being from about 25 to about 200 microns.

Abstract: A process for the production of a flavoring product reminiscent of meat in taste, which comprises diluting a yeast autolysate with at least the same quantity by weight of water, precipitating substantially insoluble salts, especially alkaline-earth metal phosphates, by heating the diluted autolysate at a pH-value in the range from 7 to 8.5, separating solid fractions from the autolysate treated by heating so that only a solution is left, treating the residual solution obtained by steam distillation, concentrating the treated solution by evaporation to a dry matter content of from 75% to 85% by weight, mixing the concentrate obtained with at least one vegetable protein hydrolysate, a monosaccharide and a substance containing sulphur in sulphide form, and heating the mixture for 0.5 to 5 minutes to a temperature in the range from 100.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. to obtain a reaction product.

Abstract: A pork-like flavorant which comprises the reaction product of a mixture of(a) a source of amino acid,(b) a lower aliphatic mercaptocarboxylic acid or a salt thereof, and(c) oleoresin sage;said mixture containing from about 5 to about 300 parts by weight of amino acid source per part by weight of mercaptocarboxylic acid and from about 0.005 to about 0.3 part by weight of oleoresin sage per part by weight of mercaptocarboxylic acid, said mixture being substantially free from added monosaccharide.Other features of the invention appear in the following description.

Abstract: A process for the treatment of an acid hydrolysate of vegetable matter for separating it into a dark colored fraction and a light colored fraction is disclosed. In a turbulent flow, it is placed in contact with at least one semi-permeable membrane which is stable in an acidic medium under a pressure of from 4 to 50 kg/cm.sup.2 which produces a first lightly colored liquid or permeate which passes through the membrane, the average color intensity of which, measured by its extinction, is about one tenth of that of the hydrolysate, and a second strongly colored liquid or retentate which does not pass through the membrane. The dried retentate is used as a seasoning and/or coloring agent.

Abstract: A continuous method of impregnating food material such as vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and fish wherein pieces of the food material are immersed in a concentrated solution, such as brine, syrup, meat curing solutions, humectant solutions and mixtures thereof, said pieces being initially buoyant in said solution and being passed together with said solution along a flow path to a separation zone wherein the impregnating solution flows downwards at a rate greater than the rate of flow of the food material whereby those pieces of food material which, by absorption of the desired quantity of impregnant, have lost sufficient of their buoyancy in the surrounding impregnating solution to be carried downwards by the said solution, are continuously separated from pieces of food material which have absorbed less than the desired quantity of impregnant.

Abstract: A cereal-based product containing, in addition to cereal, sugar, fat and whey powder.A process for the production of a cereal-based product, comprising the steps of dry mixing flakes of cereal, sugar and whey powder, working the mixture in a continuous malaxator with blades with addition of edible oil and moisture at a temperature of from 110.degree. to 150.degree. C., cooling the mass obtained and breaking said mass into granulates.

Abstract: A counter top beverage dispensing machine operable to selectively and intermittently combine and mix measured volumes of granular dehydrated beverage concentrate and water and to dispense the resulting beverage in a waiting receptacle; the machine is characterized by a receptacle supporting base with a removable drip tray, a column projecting up from the base in which water and concentrate components of the machine are housed and which has a removable panel to afford access to said components and a hopper section removably engaged with and supported atop the column; the hopper section includes a concentrate receiving hopper with driven concentrate dispensing means at its lower end which dispensing means is normally releasably engaged with drive means carried by the column and is related with mixing means carried by the column into which concentrate and water is introduced and from which beverage is dispensed into the waiting receptacle.

Abstract: Processed cheese is prepared containing nutmeats such as walnuts which have been contacted with demineralized water for a period of time sufficient to remove tannins from the nutmeats. The removal of tannins from the nutmeats with demineralized water prevents local discoloration in the processed cheese caused by the reaction of tannins with cations of heavy metals such as iron to form insoluble tannates.

Abstract: A process for the production of an aromatic spice extract, which comprises(a) grinding a spice and collecting an aromatic fraction A, consisting of the gases given off during grinding,(b) treating the spice with an apolar organic solvent so as to obtain an aromatic fraction B contained in this apolar solvent, and(c) treating the spice with at least one polar solvent so as to obtain an aromatic fraction C contained in this polar solvent,The combination of the aromatic fractions A, B and C constituting the aromatic spice extract.The polar and apolar organic solvents may be used in mixture, especially in azeotropic mixture.

Abstract: Raw tea tannins which are cold-water insoluble are catalytically oxidized to improve their solubility. The oxidized tannins may then be employed in tea beverage products which are more convenient and desirable.