Patents Assigned to Unilever Bestfoods, North America, a division of Conopco, Inc.
  • Patent number: 7947322
    Abstract: An edible emulsion with insoluble fiber is described. The edible emulsion is suitable for use as a base for making reduced oil food products. The reduced oil food products made with the edible emulsion having insoluble fiber have consumer acceptable viscosities and texture and sensorial properties consistent with full fat food products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America division of CONOPCO, Inc.
    Inventors: Jadwiga Malgorzata Bialek, Leonardo Jose Sanchez Aquino, Penelope Eileen Knight
  • Patent number: 7829132
    Abstract: A consumable composition with antioxidants is described. The consumable composition comprises theaflavin, thearubigin and catechin and has good taste and appearance characteristics. The consumable composition can be black tea having green tea catechins as additives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Shi-Qiu Zhang
  • Patent number: 7727570
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of a bake stable nut butter emulsion which comprises the following steps (a) selecting a sugar syrup solution and diluting it with water until it contains an amount of sugar solids which is in the range 55-80 wt. %, (b) heating the solution to a temperature in the range 40-100° C., (c) dispersing a starch into the heated solution until it contains 1-5 wt. % of dissolved starch, (d) dispersing an emulsifier into the heated solution until it contains 0.5-3 wt. % of dissolved emulsifier, (e) dispersing a gelling agent into the heated solution until it contains 0.2-1 wt. % of dissolved gelling agent, (f) cooling the heated solution into which the starch, emulsifier and gelling agent have been dispersed to a temperature which is in the range of 20-50° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Arjan Johannes Louter
  • Patent number: 7678401
    Abstract: A method for blanching vegetable material comprising heat treating the vegetable material in a current of hot air at a temperature in the range from above 100° C. to 150° C. in an environment which substantially reduces evaporative loss of water from the vegetable material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Sandro Panaioli, Carlo Rotunno, Valerio Simeone
  • Patent number: 7655268
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for thickening a product by adding a mixture of PME-deactivated and non-PME deactivated vegetables or fruits to the product, as well as to a product and a thickening agent comprising that mixture and their preparation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ingrid Anne Appelqvist, Jadwiga Malgorzata Bialek, Caroline Anne Watson
  • Patent number: 7618668
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a farinaceous-based food product. The food product has a protein additive and a hydrophobic ester and it is dried in a manner to give a cross-section of the same a scanning electron microscopy image that visually displays substantially no protein fiber gaps or voids at about 2000 times magnification. The farinaceous-based food product is firm and not sticky after cooking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Gimelli, Marc Joseph Glasser
  • Patent number: 7618648
    Abstract: The invention provides the use of a whey protein and/or whey protein hydrolysate which stimulate the cellular release of the satiety peptides choleocystokinin and glucagon-like-peptide in the preparation of edible compositions. The edible compositions can be used to control body weight and have beneficial effects on satiety. Edible compositions are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: UNILEVER Bestfoods, North America division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Cinderella Christina Gerhardt, Maria Catherine Tasker
  • Patent number: 7560249
    Abstract: Production of heterologous protein by fungal cells is good when the feeding medium comprises a carbon source comprising 50 to 100 wt % of ethanol and an inducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Antonius Johannes van de Laar, Nigel Malcolm Lindner, Peter Nieuwpoort
  • Patent number: 7547458
    Abstract: Particulate compositions comprising 10-90% wt of a matrix material and 10-90% wt of triglycerides of fatty acids, wherein of said triglycerides the amount of H3 (triglyceride of 3 saturated fatty acids of 16 or more carbon atoms) and H2U (triglyceride of 2 saturated fatty acids of 16 or more carbon atoms and 1 cis-unsaturated fatty acid) taken together is at least 55% wt based on the total amount of triglycerides, wherein the compositions are preferably low in triglycerides of transunsaturated fatty acids, for use as for example a creamer and/or whitener. The invention also relates to a process for preparing such particulates and food products containing such creamer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Eckhard Flöter, Gabriel J. Lansbergen, Rainer Weisbecker
  • Patent number: 7541056
    Abstract: High fiber and ambient stable fruit-based compositions are described. The compositions are ready-to-eat, low in fat and suitable to be beverages, fillings, dips, sauces, spreads or dressings. The compositions have less than 20.0 ppm of extracellular terminal unsaturated ester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonardo José Sanchez Aquino, Anthony John Barraclough, Ian Christopher Chandler, Rosemary Antoinette Golden, Frederik Michiel Meeuse, Luis Eduardo Saucedo Pizarro, Bernard Charles Sekula
  • Patent number: 7524524
    Abstract: A fat suited as fat phase for the manufacture of low fat spreads which are stable at elevated ambient temperatures which fat comprises a mixture of triglycerides, in which—2.5 to 5.5 wt. % of the triglycerides are HHH triglycerides,—25 to 65 wt. %, preferably 25 to 55 wt. % of the HHH triglycerides are monoacid triglycerides and the remaining HHH triglycerides are composed of mixed fatty acid residues,—1.5 to 5 wt. % of the triglycerides are HHM and HMH triglycerides,—at least 85 wt. % of the fatty acid residues H in HHM and HMH are palmitic acid residues, where H denotes saturated fatty acid residues having chain lengths larger than 15 carbon atoms and M denotes saturated fatty acid residues having chain lengths of either 12 or 14 carbon atoms and where the M-residue is placed either in the middle or in one of the terminal positions. Such fat phase can be obtained by incorporating in a triglyceride oil a fat A and a fat B where the fat A and the fat B together amount to 6-15 wt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Eckhard Floeter
  • Patent number: 7524523
    Abstract: Non-dairy creams that comprise a mixture of triglyceride compositions, having a large variety in fatty acid and triglyceride compositions contained in the mix show improved storage stability and whipping performance. The complex mixtures of triglycerides are preferably obtained via interesterification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel Jacobus Lansbergen, Theodorus Stam
  • Patent number: 7510737
    Abstract: An edible emulsion with insoluble fiber is described. The edible emulsion is suitable for use as a base for making reduced oil food products. The reduced oil food products made with the edible emulsion having insoluble fiber have consumer acceptable viscosities and texture and sensorial properties consistent with full fat food products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Jadwiga Malgorzata Bialek, Leonardo José Sanchez Aquino, Penelope Eileen Knight
  • Patent number: 7494681
    Abstract: Food compositions comprising 5-80% wt of triglycerides of fatty acids, 2-80% wt of an edible salt, which compositions contain less than 15% moisture, wherein the amount of H3 (triglyceride of 3 saturated fatty acids of 16 or more carbon atoms) and H2U (triglyceride of 2 saturated fatty acids of 16 or more carbon atoms and 1 cis-unsaturated fatty acid) taken together is at least 55% wt based on the total amount of triglycerides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Johannes Cornelis Brug, Eckhard Flöter, Gabriel Lansbergen
  • Patent number: 7485083
    Abstract: A new, readily manufactured display tray having at least 5 sides, and preferably at least 8 sides, a blank therefor and processes for making and erecting the blank. The tray of the invention enjoys the sometime reported benefits of trays having numerous corners yet is more readily manufactured than the typical 8-sided cases disclosed in the prior art. In addition, the tray of the invention requires less corrugated board or other packaging material than the typical prior art 8-sided case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Anthony Gaeta
  • Patent number: 7455866
    Abstract: A method for preserving vegetables comprising the steps: subjecting the vegetables to a heat treatment chosen from the group consisting of: roasting, shallow frying, baking and grilling, immersing the heat-treated vegetables in a preserving liquid, storing the vegetables in the preserving liquid until use, characterized in that the preserving liquid is an aqueous solution containing a preservative agent, a antioxidant, 0.1-4.0 wt. % of salt and such amount of an edible acid that the pH of the liquid after 48 hours of equilibration with the immersed vegetables is in the range 4.1-4.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Janos Bodor, Hubertus Cornelis Van Gastel
  • Patent number: 7380494
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a dispensing machine and method for making a beverage. The dispensing machine of this invention has a delivery means which can deliver beverage precursor and beverage enhancing component with a single pump. The method results in a beverage, such as a tea-based beverage, that has superior quality, and the dispensing machine is quieter and more energy efficient than standard beverage dispensing machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: John William Tobin, Mauro Dominick Mordini
  • Patent number: 7357956
    Abstract: The invention is directed to beverages with improved flavor. The beverages are not sour and have a monoprotic acidulant with a pKa of less than about 2.6 and/or a polyprotic acidulant with a pKa1 of less than about 2.6 and a pKa2 of less than about 3 or greater than about 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Shi-Qiu Zhang, Donald Joseph Hamm, John William Tobin
  • Patent number: 7344743
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of frozen convenience meals. More particularly the invention relates to frozen layered pasta products that are conveniently reheated from frozen form for consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Sandro Panaioli, Valerio Simeone
  • Patent number: 7344748
    Abstract: Our invention concerns spreadable and/or spoonable water continuous, gelatin free cream alternatives comprising 10 to 50 wt % of a fat blend and up to 5 wt % of a biopolymer other than gelatin as a thickener, in addition to water as continuous phase, which creams display a Stevens value at 5° C. (S5) of more than 100 gram, while the fat blend comprises vegetable fat(s) and 5 to 75 wt % of dairy fat and which fat blend displays a solid fat index (NMR-Pulse on stabilised fat) at 5° C. (N5) and at 15° C. (N15) such that the ratio between N15 and N5 (i.e. N15/N5) is less than 0.60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America, division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Arjen Bot, Jochen Effey, Gina Koch, Mark Hendrik Schnitker