Abstract: A method of preparing aerated food products, especially marshmallows, having a nutritionally fortified ingredient is provided. In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, the method includes the steps of: providing a liquid sugar confection blend comprising: a saccharide component; about 1 to 30% moisture; and a foam structuring agent; adding a dry particulate including a nutritional fortifying ingredient to the liquid confection blend; aerating the liquid confection blend to form an aerated confection plastic foam; extruding the aerated foam at a heated temperature to form an aerated confection extrudate; cooling the extrudate to solidify the confection to form a set aerated confection extrudate; forming the set aerated confection extrudate into pieces; and drying the pieces. The invention also concerns preparing a liquid confection blend seeded with a sweetener and a nutritional fortifying ingredient that can be used in making the aerated food products.

Abstract: Methods of preparing a gelled dried sweetened products comprise the steps in sequence of: providing a hot fluid gelable base blend at near finish % solids, and depositing the fluid gelable base blend into shaped cavities. The present methods can further comprise the steps of rapidly curing the base blend to form gelled shaped pieces; and, separating the gelled shaped pieces from the shaped cavities to form quantities of shaped pieces. Depositing a gelable base blend at near finish solids content is possible by completely hydrating any gel hydrocolloids prior to addition to other wet and dry ingredients.

Abstract: Disclosed are aerated confections in the form of pieces having a body color and a body exterior surface importantly characterized by at least a portion of which has been modified to provide an appearance disparate to the body. The aerated food products comprise 50 to 98% of a saccharide component; about 0.5 to 30% of a structuring agent; and about 1 to 8% moisture. The aerated food products have a density of about 0.1 to 1.0 g/cc. The products are additionally characterized by having an external surface, and wherein at least a portion the external surface has distinguishing feature differing from the body in color, texture or structure.

Abstract: Disclosed are aerated food products, especially marshmallows, having a nutritionally fortifying ingredient and improved methods for a method for preparation. The aerated food products comprise 50 to 98% of a saccharide component; about 0.5 to 30% of a structuring agent; about 1 to 30% moisture; about 0.01% to 15% of nutritional fortifying ingredient selected from the group consisting of biologically active components, fiber, micro-nutrients, minerals and mixtures thereof. The aerated food products have a density of about 0.1 to 1.0 g/cc.

Abstract: Aerated confections in the form of pieces having a body color and a body exterior surface importantly characterized by at least a portion of which has been modified to provide an appearance disparate to the body. The aerated food products comprise 50 to 98% of a saccharide component; about 0.5 to 30% of a structuring agent; and about 1 to 8% moisture. The aerated food products have a density of about 0.1 to 1.0 g/cc. The products are additionally characterized by having an external surface, and wherein at least a portion of the external surface has a distinguishing feature differing from the body in color, texture or structure.

Abstract: A process for making an aerated, confectionery product of multiple colors includes, as a first step, preparing a slurry of water, sugar, and gelatin. The slurry is divided into at least first and second portions or batches having a defined color to provide a second color. A dye or colorant of a color is added to the second portion or batch to provide a second color. Each of the first and second batches are then individually aerated to form first and second aerated streams of first and second colors of substantially identical density and rheological properties. After aeration of the first and second portions, the first and second colored streams are fed to an extrusion die manifold, where they are extruded in disproportionate amounts to form a multicolored a rope having the first and second colors of unequal proportion. A starch anti-sticking agent is applied, and the rope is cut into individual pieces. The individual pieces are then dried to a 1 to 5% moisture content.

Abstract: Disclosed are aerated food products, especially marshmallows, having a nutritionally fortifying ingredient and improved methods for a method for preparation. The aerated food products comprise 50 to 98% of a saccharide component; about 0.5 to 30% of a structuring agent; about 1 to 30% moisture; about 0.01% to 15% of nutritional fortifying ingredient selected from the group consisting of biologically active components, fiber, micro-nutrients, minerals and mixtures thereof. The aerated food products have a density of about 0.1 to 1.0 g/cc. The methods of preparation comprise the steps of: A. providing a liquid sugar confection blend comprising: about 50 to 98% of a saccharide component; about 1 to 30% moisture; and, about 1 to 30% (dry weight basis) of a foam structuring agent; B. adding the liquid confection blend about 0.

Abstract: A process for making an aerated, confectionery product of multiple colors includes, as a first step, preparing a slurry of water, sugar, and gelatin. The slurry is divided into at least first and second portions or batches having a defined color to provide a second color. A dye or colorant of a color is added to the second portion or batch to provide a second color. Each of the first and second batches are then individually aerated to form first and second aerated streams of first and second colors of substantially identical density and rheological properties. After aeration of the first and second portions, the first and second colored streams are fed to an extrusion die manifold, where they are extruded in disproportionate amounts to form a multicolored a rope having the first and second colors of unequal proportion. A starch anti-sticking agent is applied, and the rope is cut into individual pieces. The individual pieces are then dried to a 1 to 5% moisture content.

Abstract: A process for making an aerated, confectionery product of multiple colors includes, as a first step, preparing a slurry of water, sugar, and gelatin. The slurry is divided into at least first and second portions or batches having a defined color to provide a second color. A dye or colorant of a color is added to the second portion or batch to provide a second color. Each of the first and second batches are then individually aerated to form first and second aerated streams of first and second colors of substantially identical density and rheological properties. After aeration of the first and second portions, the first and second colored streams are fed to an extrusion die manifold, where they are extruded in disproportionate amounts to form a multicolored a rope having the first and second colors of unequal proportion. A starch anti-sticking agent is applied, and the rope is cut into individual pieces. The individual pieces are then dried to a 1 to 5% moisture content.

Abstract: A continuous method for preparing an aerated confection, especially marshmallows, includes the steps of A. continuously forming a clear concentrated sugar syrup in a single vessel by continuously admixing to form a sugar syrup slurry; cooking the sugar syrup slurry with agitation and indirect heat to dissolve the solids, concentrating the sugar syrup by evaporating water as vapor and venting the vapor to form a concentrated clear syrup, wherein the residence time of the syrup within the vessel ranges from about 1 to 5 minutes; B. cooling the clear concentrated syrup without crystallization to form a cooled clear sugar syrup; C. admixing the clear cooled sugar syrup with about 1 to 30% of a foam structuring agent to form a liquid confection blend; D. seeding the liquid confection blend with dry sugar crystals to form a seeded liquid confection blend; E. aerating the seeded liquid confection blend to form an aerated confection plastic foam; F.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for forming a single extrudable food stream such as a cooked cereal dough into a plurality of differently colored and/or flavored dough streams is disclosed including an extruder having screw augers in a main passageway for advancing a plastic food mass, a device for dividing the plastic food mass into a plurality of substreams such as a branching passageway section in fluid communication with a plurality of sub-divided dough passageways, and a die head having a plurality of die ports for each subpassageway. Each subpassageway has a separate conduit for supplying an additive and has disposed therein a multiplicity of in-line static mixer elements to admix the additive into the substreams of the plastic food mass before passage through the die ports.