Abstract: A method of cooking a food item includes supporting a food item having multiple cooking sites, providing a jet of dry steam from a steam nozzle, determining a targeted subset of the cooking sites, and dynamically moving the food item or the steam nozzle so that the jet of dry steam is directed onto the targeted subset of the cooking sites.

Abstract: A method for reducing microorganisms (sterilization) in a free-flowing product in a container. The product in the container is radiated with non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation at an energy density sufficient to achieve commercially sterile temperature and is manipulated in a manner to distribute heat and ensure that the product and the container reach a temperature sufficient to commercially sterilize the product and the interior surfaces of the container.

Abstract: Processes, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed relating to edible meat pieces obtained from a continuous process where each piece generally appears to be home cooked on a grill or cooked in a smoke house with randomized sear and grill marks and smoke aroma. The invention, in its various embodiments, provides processes for manufacturing shelf-stable food treats comprising: starting with proteinaceous material (ground or whole), mixing the proteinaceous material with preservatives and flavor enhancers to form a foodstuff, extruding proteinaceous material (if ground) through at least one die opening that is at least partially irregular to form at least one strip of extrudate, cooking the extrudate or whole proteinaceous material to form a cooked product, coating the cooked product with a basting solution, grilling the basted products to obtain grilled products with searing, grill marks, and smoke aroma; and cutting the grilled product at a cutting angle into pieces.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for applying laser energy to a food product to effect cooking thereof. The energy can be applied with a laser emitter in proximity to the food product. The application of the energy can be controlled according to a profile so as to generate a plasma in and around the food product during a cooking period. The application of energy can be adjusted based on feedback associated with the controlled application of the energy to the food product.

Abstract: The apparatus for treating plant tissues using a pulsed electric field is intended for the extraction of plant substances from tissues, in particular a juice. It comprises a step of compacting (3) the plant tissues and at least one treatment chamber (4) comprising means for the generating a pulsed electric field in said chamber for treating the compacted tissues.

Abstract: A device and a method of manufacturing and filling up product in the form of fine sausage meat, in particular an emulsion, with a feed means for the product, a feed pump for transporting the product, at least one downstream fine mincer as well as a filling and/or portioning means arranged downstream of the fine mincer for filling up the produced fine sausage meat or the emulsion, respectively.

Abstract: A method of making tuna salad with improved storage and organoleptic properties by retorting precooked tuna to an internal temperature of at least 100° C. for at least one minute, cooling the retorted tuna and combining the retorted with other appropriate ingredients for making tuna salad while maintaining the tuna and other ingredients at a temperature of ?1° C. to 4.4° C.

Abstract: A rupturable blister package multilayer cover sheet has top (3) and bottom (4) layers having dual aligned laser scores (6,7) and at least one non-laser scored intermediate layer (15).

Abstract: A method of manufacturing products comprising an outer casing of a first material (12) and containing at least one chamber (18) filled with a second material (14) comprises extruding the first material through a die (10) to form an extrudate body (16) and delivering the second material through at least one fluid outlet (22) in the die to form the least one filled chamber. The extrusion process is varied periodically and momentarily to produce sections (30) of extrudate body having no filled chamber. In one embodiment, the flow of the second material (14) is periodically reduced to form the unfilled sections. The flow of the second material (14) may be reduced by increasing the volume of a supply path for the second material upstream from the die (10). Apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed. The method and apparatus are particularly adapted for producing food, and especially confectionery, products.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for hot-fill or cold fill sterilization of a container containing both a liquid and solid inclusions. The method and apparatus each prevent the inclusions from agglomerating in any area of the container, such as the container closure, thus allowing the liquid to contact the interior surfaces of the container for a time sufficient to achieve sterilization of the entire container. The filled container is subjected to an inversion sequence typically including alternating between inverting the container to an angle of about 60 degrees from vertical and an angle of about 140 degrees from vertical, over a time period of at least 30 seconds. The apparatus includes a means for conveying containers, configured to subject the containers to a series of angles as the containers are conveyed, as well as an enclosure for preventing the containers from falling off of the conveying means.

Abstract: A method for removing dissolved oxygen from a plant product such as grapes or the like and for maintaining it in a controlled atmosphere when it is placed in mechanical means for harvesting, transport and storage, said means comprising a collection tank which receives the plant product which is present in a solid and a liquid state in this tank, said removal and controlled atmosphere being provided by using an inert gas, said tank having a lower portion or first part and a second upper part or portion into which the product is introduced when being placed in the tank. Provision is made for the use of said inert gas in an initial solid state, its subsequent sublimation and the interaction of the gas in gaseous state thus produced with said product inside the tank.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include instant food systems and methods regarding the same. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method for preparing a hot instant food product. The method can include adding a heated liquid to a container, adding a substantially dry food product mixture to the container, wherein the volume of the dry food product mixture is equal to at least 20% of the volume of heated liquid, placing a mixing head into the container, and rotating the mixing head for a period of less than sixty seconds in order to form a fully hydrated frothed food product. In an embodiment, an instant food preparation machine is included. In an embodiment, a mixing head is included. In an embodiment, an instant food preparation kit is included. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Abstract: A thermal process used to modify the moisture content and appearance of food, primarily meat, poultry and fowl, so that the resulting product will meet the USDA label requirement as “Jerky”. The process takes place in one or more enclosed insulated chambers which have temperature and relative humidity controls and reversing horizontal air flow. The process preconditions the product and also controls the application of superheated steam to the product, thereby controlling the reduction of free and bound moisture (water activity) exiting from the product. In addition, enhanced heated vapors can be added to be absorbed into the product's surface pours, thereby changing the appearance and flavor of the product and improving the end products' yields. The completed process also has the advantages of meeting lethality treatment requirements while also reducing the thermal processing time and energy associated with existing Jerky manufacturing methods.

Abstract: A chew toy of non-uniform shape may be manufactured from an edible starch composition by introducing said composition to an extruder having a barrel and subjecting the composition to shear and heat to form a melt, and conveying the melt through an adjustable orifice while varying the cross-section dimensions of the orifice to form an extrudate having thickness dimensions that varies along its length. This may be followed by cutting the extrudate to length. The extrudate may also be passed between cooperating cavities and formed to shape. The extrudate may also be guided into predetermined patterns by repositioning the die relative to a molding surface.

Abstract: Various embodiments are described herein of a method and apparatus that can be used to extend the shelf-life of potatoes without adding preservatives or chemicals.

Abstract: An invention directed to the production of processed or cooked cheese by concurrently and continuously portioning, pulling to stretch, molding and cooling to set said cheese through a series of interconnected tunnels casted within two overlaying rotating belts. The overlaying belts having a series of grooves with negative dimension of a desired cross sectional shape for molding purposes. The two belts overlay each other such that the grooves combine to form a continuing tunnel along the length of the two belt assembly. Cheese is pulled into and through each tunnel wherein a given amount of pressure and cooling affect is applied. Released cheese ribbons of molded shape are ready for immediate packaging and storage.

Abstract: Describe are food packages having features such as multiple containers in a single package; the packages can contain multiple food products including (for example) cereal and milk, for consumption together in a convenient manner.

Abstract: A bottled drink includes a cap and a bottle where a granular supplement containing multiple constituents in a stable manner is stored in the cap and a solution suitable for dispersing the granules is filled in the bottle. Granules which contains mutually incompatible multiple chemical agents or nutritional constituents and whose surface is coated with polyglyceryl fatty acid ester are stored in the cap of the bottle and the bottle is filled with a solution whose viscosity at a shear deformation speed of 0.01 s?1 is 10 to 300 Pa·s.

Abstract: The components of the dough recipe are mixed in a dough mixing apparatus (2). The resulting dough is divided into portions, each of which is aerated to produce aerated dough. Mixing and aerating are performed by separate devices. Aeration is performed at a pressure no less than 0.3 MPa, and the pressure is then reduced to atmospheric at a controlled rate of 0.02-0.2 MPa/s. The lowering of pressure to atmospheric occurs either before or after the removal of the aeration device (6) from the dough. The aeration process is performed in baking molds (1), or in intermediate vessels (16), and the dough is subsequently transferred to the molds (1). The transfer occurs either into the molds (1) under atmospheric pressure, after lowering the pressure in the intermediate vessels (16) to atmospheric, or into the molds (1) under increased pressure, where the pressure is decreased to atmospheric after the transfer is completed.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the treatment of heat-sensative fluid food products (P) in a UHT system (1), particularly dairy such as milk, cream, milk protein concentrate. The invention has the task, in a UHT system whose basic structure using an infusion chamber is described in [4], of ensuring an equal and constant dwell time as well as an equal and constant temperature trend for the entire treated food product downstream of an outlet of a mechanism in which the food product is subjected to direct heating by the introduction of steam, and to minimize fouling during heat maintenance of the food product in this area. This is achieved using process technology in that: The heated food product (P*) upstream of its heat main undergoes a predetermined pressure increase (?p) at a predetermined, unchanging location, and The pressure level upstream of the location before the relief lies above the pressure upstream of the location before the pressure increase (?p) (FIG. 1).