Abstract: A cooked filled cheese product comprises an unbattered processed cheese coating around a filling. The filled cheese product is unbattered and unbreaded and retains its shape and filing throughout cooking, freezing, and/or subsequent reheating prior to consumption. The method of making the cheese product comprises cold extrusion of the cheese and filling, followed by cooking without any batter or breading resulting in a fried product having substantially no oil uptake. The cooking step may comprise frying to produce a fried filled cheese product.

Abstract: A composition and method for an improved stuffed fry or other cooked food product. Stuffed fries can be made, for example, by coextruding a substrate and filling in a desired ratio to form an extrudate, then cutting, crimping, par frying, freezing, and final frying the extrudate. One composition for stuffed fries comprises a fried substrate that is made from a dough with crimped ends. One composition comprises potatoes, corn syrup, or water in specific weight percentages. One composition for the filling of the stuffed fries is a low moisture filling. One composition comprises at least one gum to reduce free water in the filling and/or substrate by binding to the water in the filling and/or substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to impart a random curvature to frying pre-formed snack pieces in a multi-layer fryer through the use of a contoured submerger. The shape of the contours of a contoured submerger imparts a random final curvature to each snack piece as snack pieces pass through a glass transition during frying. The contours are chosen so as to achieve a desired bulk density for the packaged fried snack products. Such method and apparatus are also useful in controlling the amount of change in bulk density or amount of settling of a packaged product during shipping or handling.

Abstract: A novel toasted flavor additive for enhancing the toasted flavor and appearance of food products. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, toasted corn flavor additive (“TCF”) is made by the steps of cooking whole corn kernels in a solution of lime and water; steeping the corn; draining and washing the corn; grinding, sheeting and cutting the corn into pieces; toasting the pieces until significant browning has occurred beyond the level normally associated with consumed masa products; and grinding the toasted pieces into a powder that can be administered as toasted corn flavor additive.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing shelf-stable guacamole. A number of hurdles to the contamination of the guacamole are put into place during mixing, packaging, and post-packaging processing. Antimicrobial additives are added during mixing. The amount of oxygen allowed inside the guacamole container is reduced during packaging. After packaging, the guacamole is subjected to high pressure and mild thermal processing.

Abstract: A novel toasted flavor additive for enhancing the toasted flavor and appearance of food products. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, toasted corn flavor additive (“TCF”) is made by the steps of cooking whole corn kernels in a solution of lime and water; steeping the corn; draining and washing the corn; grinding, sheeting and cutting the corn into pieces; toasting the pieces until significant browning has occurred beyond the level normally associated with consumed masa products; and grinding the toasted pieces into a powder that can be administered as toasted corn flavor additive.

Abstract: A hollow snack food product is prepared by finish cooking a hollow pellet product. The hollow pellet is manufactured from a pre-cooked, predominantly corn-masa based dough which contains sufficient vital wheat gluten to allow the pellet to open up and assume the desired hollow structure upon cutting. The pellets are prepared by overlaying dough sheets, stretching the dough sheets to impart strain thereto, and then cutting individual pieces from the stretched sheets.