Patents Examined by Preston Smith
  • Patent number: 7867543
    Abstract: This invention discloses a method for making rice bran flour by treating rice bran under high pressure and high temperature for a long period of time in two separate steps, the method comprising: husking and grinding the rice, then collecting the rice bran; inactivating the lipase of the rice bran; treating the rice bran under high pressure and high temperature; drying and screening the rice bran; treating the rice bran flour so obtained under high pressure and high temperature again; and cooling the rice bran. Said rice bran flour made from said method is effective in lowering glycosylated hemoglobin and increasing insulin of diabetes mellitus patients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Taipei Medical University
    Inventor: Hsing-Hsien Cheng
  • Patent number: 7829131
    Abstract: A solid food product is molded in a mold cavity and is thereafter packaged in the mold cavity. The mold cavity is formed in a sheet and includes a side wall which extends from the sheet and a bottom wall which includes an inverting portion which extends from said side wall and a central portion. The central potion of the bottom wall includes a plurality of ridges which form a decorative design. A liquid food product is introduced into the mold cavity and allowed to solidify to form a molded solid food product. The central portion of the bottom wall is thereafter pushed into the mold cavity to invert said inverting potion and to push the molded food product away from the central portion of the bottom wall. The molded food product includes ridges which correspond to the ridges in the bottom wall of the mold cavity. A lid is attached to the sheet to enclose and package the molded food product within the mold cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Lion Rock Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: David Smith, David Riemersma, Mark Peters, Kevin Keough
  • Patent number: 7824725
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates a method for extending a shelf life of at least one packaged composition within a consumer accessible cooling device adapted to cool the at least one packaged composition to a composition temperature which is a first supercooled temperature. The method comprises storing the at least one packaged composition within the consumer accessible cooling device at a first supercooled temperature and increasing the composition temperature to a second temperature during a time period in which the at least one packaged composition will not be removed from the consumer accessible cooling device by a consumer. The at least one packaged composition comprises a pressurized composition in a liquid phase within a sealed container. The pressurized composition comprises a solvent and a solute substantially dissolved in the solvent and is at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventor: Steve Pfister
  • Patent number: 7820216
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for pasteurizing food product are provided. The apparatus includes a cabinet enclosing the food product as it is transported from upstream to downstream through a series of processing zones including a pre-condensing zone, a pre-heating zone, a pasteurizing zone, a post-heating zone, and a post-condensing zone. In use, the food product is conveyed through the series of processing zones, which together function to efficiently and effectively heat and apply pasteurizing steam to the surfaces of the product to kill bacteria, while at the same time managing migration of steam from the pasteurizing zone and preventing steam from migrating out of the cabinet into the surrounding area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Alkar-RapidPak-MP Equipment, Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse Gavin, Bryan Davis, Dennis Conohan, Seth T. Pulsfus, Steve Loomis, Bryan J. Lemmenes
  • Patent number: 7815954
    Abstract: A dispenser for a soft-serve food product includes a housing having a dispensing chute and a piston having a head positioned therewithin. A lateral wall, the piston head, and a front door define an enclosed hollow space. The head is slidable within the lateral wall for squeezing a deformable container to dispense product through the chute. A system for preparing and dispensing a soft-serve food product includes a tempering freezer for raising a temperature of the food product from hard-frozen to a condition for soft-serve dispensing. An apparatus for packaging a soft-serve confection into a multiple-serving-size container for transport includes a blender for blending ingredients together to form a blended product and a device for transferring the blended product into a deformable container. The deformable container filled with the blended product is transferred into a substantially rigid mold and frozen to a hardened state for transport and retention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Archibald Brothers International, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric R. Miller, William Brown
  • Patent number: 7811617
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to improved preconditioners (12) especially useful for the production of high meat-content pet foods. The preconditioners (12) include an elongated housing (16) with one or more elongated, axially rotatable mixing shafts (18, 20) therein, each having a plurality of outwardly extending mixing elements (42, 44). The preconditioner (12) is provided with apparatus (56) for directing relatively large quantities of heated non-steam gas into the preconditioner (12) in lieu of most or all of the steam normally used with preconditioners. This serves to heat material passing through the preconditioner (12) without the addition of substantial moisture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Wenger, Dennis H. Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 7803414
    Abstract: A stabilized emulsion is mixed with plasticizable matrix material to produce shelf stable, controlled release, discrete, solid particles or pellets which contain an encapsulated and/or embedded component, such as a readily oxidizable component, such as omega-3 fatty acids. An oil encapsulant component which contains an active, sensitive encapsulant, dissolved and/or dispersed in an oil is admixed with an aqueous component and a film-forming component, such as a protein, to form an emulsion. The emulsion is admixed with a matrix material for obtaining a formable mixture or dough. An acidic antioxidant for prevention of oxidation of the active, sensitive encapsulant, and a plasticizer which solubilizes the acidic antioxidant are included in the matrix material which encapsulates film-coated oil droplets containing the readily oxidizable component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: General Mills IP Holdings II, LLC
    Inventors: Bernhard H. Van Lengerich, Goeran Walther, Benjamin Van Auken
  • Patent number: 7803413
    Abstract: A stabilized emulsion is employed to produce shelf stable, controlled release, discrete, solid particles or pellets which contain an encapsulated and/or embedded component, such as a readily oxidizable component, such as omega-3 fatty acids. An oil encapsulant component which contains an active, sensitive encapsulant, dissolved and/or dispersed in an oil is admixed with an aqueous component and a film-forming component, such as a protein, to form an emulsion. The emulsion is admixed with a matrix material for obtaining a formable mixture or dough. An acidic antioxidant for prevention of oxidation of the active, sensitive encapsulant, and a plasticizer which solubilizes the acidic antioxidant are included in the matrix material which encapsulates film-coated oil droplets containing the readily oxidizable component. The plasticizer, such as glycerol, provides mobility for the acidic antioxidant within the matrix material of the pellets for reaction with any ambient oxygen and malodorous amines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: General Mills IP Holdings II, LLC.
    Inventors: Bernhard H. van Lengerich, Goeran Walther, Benjamin van Auken
  • Patent number: 7799359
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for wine evolution by electrochemical way, with reduced treatment times and controlled selectivity. The process may be carried out at the anodic compartment of an electrochemical reactor subdivided by a semipermeable membrane on a valve metal anode, for instance a titanium anode, provided with catalytic coating containing platinum or other noble metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Industrie de Nora S.p.A.
    Inventors: Mario Bertuccioli, Gian Nicola Martelli, Luciano Iacopetti, Dario Oldani, Salvatore Peragine, Cleto Simoncelli
  • Patent number: 7790211
    Abstract: A package including a gas and an at least partly foamable liquid (2) by means of which a refreshment can be prepared, wherein the package is provided with manually operable means (7) with which a displacement of the gas and the liquid in the package can be effected such that foam formation occurs in the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Sara Lee/DE N.V.
    Inventors: Armin Sjoerd Eijsackers, Age Willem Tanja
  • Patent number: 7785643
    Abstract: The present invention related to a preparing method of retort roast chestnuts using far infrared ray thawing, more particularly a preparing method characterized in that it comprises a step of ageing a harvested chestnuts by storing in the state of refrigeration to increase sugar content; roasting said aged chestnuts at 170˜200° C. during 5˜10 minutes to increase its taste and flavor; peeling and then washing followed by rapid freezing it; thawing frozen chestnuts by far infrared ray at 170˜230° C. during 30˜60 minutes to inhibit generation of microorganism and remove generation of an extraordinary taste or smell and deformity during a processing procedure; and pasteurizing with multi-steps after packing thawed chestnuts with a nitrogen substitution to minimize degradation of texture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: CJ Cheiljedang Corp.
    Inventor: Hee Soon Cheon
  • Patent number: 7758906
    Abstract: A dry mix thickening system for preparation of a beverage product containing milk comprises a buffer, a hydrocolloid, and a chelating agent comprising tetrasodium pyrophosphate. When the dry mix thickening system is added to milk, viscosity builds within about 20 seconds to about 90 seconds to provide a thickened beverage product, without forming insoluble aggregates of the hydrocolloid. No heating is required. In addition, the only shear required to incorporate the dry mix thickening system into the milk is manual stirring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Kraft Foods Global Brands LLC
    Inventor: Kieran P. Spelman
  • Patent number: 7754269
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method wherein flavored sugarcane juice containing 18-20% soluble solids and can be preserved after suitable dilution in aseptic unit packs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
    Inventors: Bashyam Raghavan, Mysore Nagarajarao Ramesh, Kulathooran Ramalakshmi, Nanjundaiah Krishnamurthy, Prakash Muralidhar Badgujar, Vishweshwaraiah Prakash
  • Patent number: 7678402
    Abstract: A novel dog chew is disclosed made of raw hide which has a large plurality of closely spaced perforations cut there through during manufacture of the dog chew. Typically the perforations are created in first rows that are generally parallel to each other and in second rows that are also generally parallel to each other, and the first rows intersect the second rows to create a cross hatching pattern. The intersecting sets of perforations created by the cross hatch pattern define a large number of small sections on the rawhide. The small sections of the dog chew individually break off when chewed by a dog instead of large pieces that may choke the dog.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Inventor: Joseph A. Marino
  • Patent number: 7655266
    Abstract: A method for making biscuits wherein a dough mixture is dispensed into an agitator. The dough mixture is agitated as it is being dispensed into cavities of a die. The dough mixture is compressed into the cavities of the die by a compression device. The dough mixture is ejected from the cavities of the die by pushing the dough mixture from a top surface of the die out of a bottom surface of the die and onto an apron with an ejection mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Ichiki
  • Patent number: 7648723
    Abstract: An extruded, directly expanded, high fiber reduced calorie food product, such as a ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal or sweet or savory snack, is produced at high production rates without substantial loss of extrusion functionality and extrudability by replacing a substantial portion of at least one flour with a gelatinized, enzyme-resistant starch type III ingredient or bulking agent as a reduced-calorie, high fiber flour replacer. The resistant starch type III ingredient or bulking agent contains an enzyme-resistant starch type III having a melting point with an endothermic peak temperature of at least about 140° C., and may have a water-holding capacity of less than 3 grams water per gram of the starch-based bulking agent. The total dietary fiber retention of the gelatinized, starch-based bulking agent may be at least about 90% by weight after the extrusion using a die temperature of least about 100° C., and a die pressure of at least about 150 psig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Kraft Foods Global Brands LLC
    Inventors: Jeanny E. Zimeri, Lynn Haynes, Allan Olson, Vijay Kumar Arora, Louise Slade, Harry Levine, Meera Kweon
  • Patent number: 7604828
    Abstract: An easy-open package for food items, such as sausages, and a packaged sausage product that is hermetically sealed within a cavity. The package includes first and second sheets. The first sheet defines a cavity for holding sausages. The second sheet is applied onto the first sheet to cover the cavity and the sausages. A radiant seal seals the sausages within the cavity. A peel seal surrounds the radiant seal. In packages having a reclosable seal, one or more unsealed pockets are defined between the peel seal and a bottom of the reclosable seal, such as interlocking grooves or a zipper. The radiant and peel seals define an unsealed area. The one or more unsealed pockets and the unsealed area make it easier to open the package, by requiring less force to separate the first and second sheets. Further, the unsealed area can provide an area in which purge from the sausages is collected so that the purge is not dispersed throughout the package, thus providing a more visually appealing package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: ConAgra Foods RDM, Inc.
    Inventors: Guy R. Taylor, Rodney J. Simpson