Abstract: A process and apparatus is provided for cooking or gelatinizing a material in an atomized state, so that there is obtained an easily dryable, uniform and finely-sized product. The material which is to be cooked is injected through an atomization aperture in a nozzle assembly to form a relatively finely-sized spray. A heating medium is also injected through an aperture in the nozzle assembly into the spray of atomized material so as to heat the material to a temperature effective to cook or gelatinize the material. An enclosed chamber surrounds the atomization and heating medium injection apertures, and defines a vent aperture positioned to enable the heated spray of material to exit the chamber. The arrangement is such that the elapsed time between passage of the spray of material through the chamber, i.e., from the atomization aperture and through the vent aperture, defines the cooking or gelatinization time of the material.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to improve the palatability of soy-containing dog foods.It is difficult to make foods which are both low in cost and palatable to dogs. Soybeans provide a range of economical proteinaceous materials and are widely used in dog foods. When made under normal processing conditions, these soy-containing dog foods are less palatable than is desired. The present invention improves these foods by selectively treating the soybean proteinaceous material to improve its contribution to the overall palatability of the dog food, thereby improving the overall product palatability. According to a preferred aspect of the invention, soybeans are selectively treated by roasting followed by quenching with a fat, such as soybean oil, added in an amount of about 2 to 15% of the weight of the soybeans.

Abstract: The present invention provides a rapidly-soluble sweetener, a process for preparing it, and improved dry beverage mixes employing it.The composition preferably comprises from 15 to 65% fructose, from 15 to 30% of low dextrose equivalence dextrinized starch, and from 30 to 65% sucrose, on a dry solids basis. By preparing it with a density of 0.4 or less, solubility is greatly enhanced over prior art sweeteners, especially sucrose.Because of the improved solubility, carbonation is not lost by requiring stirring of a sweetener when preparing a beverage from a dry carbonated beverage mix.

Abstract: A process and apparatus is provided for cooking or gelatinizng a material in an atomized state, so that there is obtained an easily dryable, uniform and finely-sized product. The material which is to be cooked is injected through an atomization aperture in a nozzle assembly to form a relatively finely-sized spray. A heating medium is also injected through an aperture in the nozzle assembly into the spray of atomized material so as to heat the material to a temperature effective to cook or gelatinize the material. An enclosed chamber surrounds the atomization and heating medium injection apertures, and defines a vent aperture positioned to enable the heated spray of material to exit the chamber. The arrangement is such that the elapsed time between passage of the spray of material through the chamber, i.e., from the atomization aperture and through the vent aperture, defines the cooking or gelatinization time of the material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for adding fat to an expanded, farinaceous food product. The fat is injected into a food extruder in a manner which permits it to become intimately mixed with the food but does not interfere with product cooking or expansion. The foods may be for human or animal consumption. In a preferred embodiment, a high caloric density puppy food is prepared.

Abstract: Dry foamable concentrates comprising a plant agent, a foaming agent, and an alcohol of limited solubility e.g., butanol, capable of spumescent constitution with water to provide a stable foam composition acting as a tracer in application.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the topical treatment of vegetation or terrain therefor, comprising expressing a multiplicity of discrete foam structures with the plant agent composition as a spray to provide a treated surface with controlled application of plant agents e.g. using the foam structures as markers.

Abstract: A low-grade roasted coffee fraction is extracted with water in manner sufficient to remove at least 75% of the caffeine contained therein while retaining a major amount of the soluble solids. Volatiles are stripped from the resulting extract and condensed. Thereafter the low grade fraction is thoroughly extracted with an aqueous extraction medium and this extract is combined, either before or after drying, with a fully caffeinated water extract of a high-grade coffee fraction and with condensed volatiles from the stripping operation. A partially decaffeinated soluble coffee having desirable flavor and aroma may be obtained.

Abstract: An improved method for fixing volatile flavoring compounds such as acetaldehyde is disclosed. The method comprises rapidly cooling a glassy aqueous sucrose solution to cause it to solidify while maintaining it in the glassy state; charging particles of the solidified glassy sucrose solution and a volatile flavoring compound into a revolving screw fed extruder to cause intimate mixing of the charged materials and to initiate crystallization of the sucrose; expressing the resultant mixture of charged materials from the extruder; subjecting the extruded mixture to additional mixing for a period of time effective to complete crystallization, thereby forming crystalline sucrose having the volatile flavoring compound fixed within the individual sucrose crystals. Volatile flavoring compounds such as acetaldehyde can be fixed at levels of up to about 0.5%.

Abstract: A soy milk is precipitated and the resulting whey is centrifugally separated from the curd and washed, whereupon the curd is colloidally dispersed and spray dried.