Patents Examined by Stephanie A Cox
  • Patent number: 12376612
    Abstract: The invention relates to an edible concentrate comprising, by weight of the concentrate: 5-99 wt. % of oil; 0-10 wt. % of water; and 1-95 wt. % of texturizing particles; wherein said texturizing particles have a particle size in the range of 0.5-5,000 micrometre and comprise: at least 3 wt. % microfibrillated cellulose (MFC); at least 20 wt. % water-soluble filler; and less than 10 wt. % water. The texturizing particles contained in the edible concentrate of the present invention offer the advantage that they impart a creamy, smooth or pulpy mouthfeel, depending on the diameter of the texturizing particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignee: Conopco Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Jacobus Suijker, Krassimir Petkov Velikov, Panayiotis Voudouris
  • Patent number: 12342836
    Abstract: Fermented meat analogs and methods of producing such meat analogs, the meat analogs comprising protein-containing strands, and a mycelium of a fermenting microorganism, wherein the protein-containing strands are held together or bound together by the mycelium to form the fermented meat analog.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: CHUNK FOODS INC.
    Inventors: Amos Golan, Itay Uri, Fabio Zon
  • Patent number: 12336557
    Abstract: A food product flavoring apparatus is provided. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a removable container configured to contain a flavor target, a means for agitating the flavor target, and a housing. The housing is configured to receive the agitated flavor target when the removable container is adjacent the housing such that the container opening is aligned with the housing opening. The apparatus further includes a means for applying a flavoring agent to the agitated flavor target a means for removing substantially all residual flavoring agent from the housing after the flavor target has been flavored. A method of applying a flavoring agent to a flavor target is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Inventor: Jeffery Allen Habenicht
  • Patent number: 12329173
    Abstract: Methods and related apparatus for improving the efficacy of antimicrobial agents within processing tanks. Processing tanks can include side streams for introducing antimicrobial agents into the processing tanks. The antimicrobial agents will be added and mixed in the side stream to form a processing solution. Additional actions can be conducted on the processing solution within the side stream including any and or all of heating, pumping, sampling, measuring, testing and pH adjustment of the processing solution. The processing solution is divided into at least two processing solution steams, which can be introduced at two different and distinct locations within the processing tank such as a carcass introduction end and a carcass removal end. By simultaneously introducing at least two processing solution streams at different locations of the processing tank, large concentration gradients of the antimicrobial agent are avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Zeco, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathon R. Bullard, James A. Faller, Robert C. Bullard
  • Patent number: 12324448
    Abstract: This invention provides a tofu with long shelf life and preparation method thereof, comprising soaking soybean to make soy milk, filtering to remove bean dregs, boiling, primary cooling, homogenizing, deaerating, UHT sterilization, secondary cooling, inline mixing soy milk with sterilized composite coagulant, aseptic filling, microwave heating, solidification, cooling for formation. According to this invention, a composite coagulant is prepared by combining basic salts with coagulant, then, the composite coagulant is inline mixed with soy milk, next, the mixture is intermittently heated by microwave to form tofu. The invention solves the problems existed in the preparation of tofu with long shelf life, including short temporary storage time, easy tube pasting and other issues after the coagulant is mixed with soy milk. This invention has the advantages of causing no corrosion on pipes, and taking less time in the heating and solidification process, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: China Agricultural University
    Inventors: Shuntang Guo, Xinran Liu, Yue Li, Jingting Xu
  • Patent number: 12317905
    Abstract: A low or no sugar, high protein confection is described. A confection includes a beneficial combination of soluble fiber, whey protein, glycerol and fat at an acidic pH and particular Brix range to mimic the texture and mouthfeel of caramel or cream confection. Methods of making a confection are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric T. Gugger, Michael Li, Eva Ordovas
  • Patent number: 12281300
    Abstract: A method of treating microbial biomass includes mixing the microbial biomass in a liquid to form a suspension, the microbial biomass having an initial color, and exposing the suspension to light to form treated microbial biomass, the treated microbial biomass having a treated color. The treated color is lighter than the initial color. The microbial biomass can also have an initial taste and odor that are stronger than a treated taste and odor of the treated microbial biomass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: GW Nutrition Inc.
    Inventors: Xuefei Zhao, Zhiyou Wen, Martin Anthony Gross, Everett Donald Dudley, Jr.
  • Patent number: 12279632
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of processing raw leguminous materials, such as pea flour, pea concentrate, or pea isolate, to reduce non-volatile flavor components and in particular bound saponin compounds. The methods includes select processing steps by steam cooking a raw slurry to form a cooked slurry and drying the cooked slurry to form a processed material. An amount of non-volatile flavor components in the processed material is less than an amount of non-volatile flavor components in the raw materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: KELLANOVA
    Inventors: Monjur Hossen, John David Pinkston, Alina Ruxandra Tenea, George Cherian
  • Patent number: 12250953
    Abstract: A food product and/or an ingredient thereof can include: a lipid component, structured protein isolates, and/or any other ingredients. The method for forming structured protein isolates can include: obtaining protein isolate units from a protein source, and collecting the structured protein isolates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Climax Foods Inc.
    Inventors: Avinash Singh Patel, Daniel Westcott, Malgorzata Jakubasch, Vivian Jones
  • Patent number: 12227597
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing stabilized buckwheat starches comprising a specific heat treatment. The present invention also relates to stabilized buckwheat starches obtainable by said process, as well as the use of said stabilized buckwheat starches for the preparation of a food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Roquette Freres
    Inventors: Bernard Pora, Jovin Hasjim, Jingling Tao, Jie Sun
  • Patent number: 12220080
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a bun having a pair of cavities formed therein. The cavities include inner walls which are browned. The cavities form segregated areas which are suitable for receiving separate fillings for making a sandwich. The bun has an insulating wall separating adjacent cavities. The insulating wall may be thicker than the other walls in the bun or may further contain cavities or through-holes to further reduce thermal transfer between any fillings with different temperatures that may be located in the cavities. The browned inner walls in each of the cavities help prevent the bun from getting soggy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Inventor: Robert Mayernick
  • Patent number: 12213618
    Abstract: The invention concerns a beverage preparation machine (1) in which the beverage is prepared by introducing at least one jet of liquid, such as water, in a container (2) comprising a beverage ingredient (3), said machine comprising a nozzle (11) connected to a liquid supplying system (12), said nozzle comprising a tube (110), said tube comprising a liquid inlet (111) and a liquid outlet (112), the jet of liquid emerging from said liquid outlet, wherein the nozzle (11) comprises a sleeve (120), said sleeve presenting an internal section (Ss) greater than the internal section (So) of the liquid outlet end of the tube and said sleeve surrounding the jet of liquid emerging from the liquid outlet (112) of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.
    Inventor: Yann Brunner
  • Patent number: 12201125
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pea protein composition the nutritional quality, and in particular the PDCAAS, of which is improved, as well as to a method for preparing same and to the use of this composition in a food or pharmaceutical composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Roquette Freres
    Inventors: Aline Lecocq, Mathias Ibert
  • Patent number: 12193596
    Abstract: A method and system for preparing a beverage or liquid from a food substance contained in a filtering receptacle by passing water through the substance using brewing centrifugal forces. The method includes feeding water into the receptacle, and driving the receptacle in centrifugal rotation to force water to flow through the substance in a centrifugal flow path to the outlet of the receptacle. The system includes equipment necessary to carry out the method. The receptacle is a sealed capsule which is opened for water to be introduced into the capsule, contains a predetermined dose of food substance and is discarded after use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.
    Inventors: Alfred Yoakim, Jean-Paul Denisart, Antoine Ryser
  • Patent number: 12193460
    Abstract: A method for making a highly soluble steviol glycoside composition is described. The resulting composition readily provides solutions with at least 0.5% concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: PureCircle Usa Inc.
    Inventors: Avetik Markosyan, Saravanan Ramandach, Kian Pin Tan, Mohamad Afzaal Bin Hasim
  • Patent number: 12137703
    Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing an oily food, such as chocolate or cream, which does not require tempering treatment and in which the occurrence of blooming and the like is suppressed even when a large amount of cocoa butter is used; and producing method thereof. The present invention provides an oily product containing a fat/oil as a continuous phase. The fat/oil contains SOS, HMM, HLM, HLL, HHM and HHL. The mass ratio (HLM/HLL) of the HLM content to the HLL content is 1.0 or more. The mass ratio (HMM+HLM+HLL+HHM+HHL)/SOS of the total content of HMM, HLM, HLL, HHM and HHL to the SOS content is 0.9 to 8. In HMM, HLM, HLL, HHM and HHL, fatty acids having a carbon number of 20 or more occupy less than 3% by mass of the total constituent fatty acids H.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: THE NISSHIN OILLIO GROUP, LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyomi Oonishi, Wakako Kanamaru, Muneo Tsukiyama
  • Patent number: 12129420
    Abstract: A non-hydrogenated, non-palm emulsifier composition comprises: at least 20% by weight monoglycerides; less than 60% by weight of diglycerides; and from 0-80% by weight triglycerides, wherein the weight % is with respect to the total of monoglycerides, diglycerides and triglycerides, and wherein the fatty acid residues bound to the monoglycerides, diglycerides and triglycerides in the emulsifier composition comprise: from 20% to 75% by weight stearic acid (C18:0); from 15% to 60% by weight oleic acid (C18:1); and from 1% to 10% by weight palmitic acid (C16:0), based on the total weight of C8 to C24 fatty acids. The composition is obtainable by a method comprising the reaction of a fat with glycerol in the presence of an enzymatic catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: BUNGE LODERS CROKLAAN B.V.
    Inventor: Jun Ma
  • Patent number: 12127571
    Abstract: The invention relates to a particulate acidulant composition comprising 20-70 wt. % malic acid, 3-40 wt. % lactic acid and 0-40 wt. % of food acid selected from citric acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, tartaric acid and acetic acid and combinations thereof, wherein the acidulant composition comprises: 40-90 wt. % of M-particles comprising co-crystal of malic acid and partially neutralized polycarboxylic acid selected from malic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, tartaric acid, and combinations thereof, said M-particles containing at least 30 wt. % malic acid and at least 30 wt. % of the partially neutralized polycarboxylic acid; 5-60 wt. % of L-particles comprising co-crystal of lactic acid and at least partially neutralized carboxylic acid selected from lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, tartaric acid, and combinations thereof, said L-particles containing at least 30 wt. % lactic acid and at least 30 wt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: PURAC BIOCHEM B.V.
    Inventors: Heny Kusumawardani, Prita Pritawardani, Apostolos Papageorgiou, Cynthia Berenice Marmolejo
  • Patent number: 12114684
    Abstract: An edible meat substitute product includes a fibrous mycelium mass in a range of 10 wt % to 100 wt %. The fibrous mycelium mass has a protein content greater than 40 wt % of a dry mass of the fibrous mycelium mass. The edible meat substitute product includes a water content in a range of 0 w % to 90 wt %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Emergy Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler Huggins, Justin Whiteley
  • Patent number: 12108778
    Abstract: Natural Creamers for providing whitening and indulgent texture/mouthfeel of beverage and food products are provided. The creamers have long-term stability, high whitening capacity and a pleasant mouthfeel when added to beverage and food, while being free from artificial additives the creamers comprising plant oil and plant proteins, and being further characterized in that the creamers comprise baking soda and citrus fruit juice concentrate, wherein the citrus fruit juice concentrate comprises acid component comprising citric acid and malic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.
    Inventors: Philippe Rousset, Maxime Saffon, Peter Steffes, Xiaoping Fu