Patents by Inventor Kevin J. Surber

Kevin J. Surber has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6033710
    Abstract: A mouthfeel and lubricity enhancing composition for use in reduced fat food products is provided. The composition is an aqueous gel matrix of ester vesicles which is provided by a mixture of diacetyl tartaric acid mono fatty acid glyceride ester and a second ester having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of above about 10 and a melting point above about 100.degree. F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Kraft Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Miller, Kevin J. Surber, Daniel G. Lis, Robert W. Martin, Jr., Gerard L. Hasenhuettl
  • Patent number: 6025006
    Abstract: A full fat and foam inducing composition for use in reduced fat food products is provided. The composition is an aqueous gel matrix of ester vesicles which is provided by a mixture of diacetyl tartaric acid mono fatty acid glyceride ester and a second ester having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of above about 10 and a melting point above about 100.degree. F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Kraft Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Miranda Miller, Kevin J. Surber, Daniel G. Lis, Robert W. Martin, Jr., Gerard L. Hasenhuettl
  • Patent number: 5709900
    Abstract: A low-fat natural cheese is manufactured from skim milk or skim milk cheese. In one embodiment, a gel-forming fat mimetic is added to skim milk to provide a cheese substrate. The gel-forming fat mimetic may be gelled in situ. The cheese substrate is then subjected to a cheese make procedure to provide a cheese curd. The cheese curd is then cured to provide a low-fat skim milk cheese. The skim milk cheese is comminuted and heated to a temperature of from about 140.degree. F. to about 180.degree. F. for a period of time sufficient to provide a homogeneous cheese mass. The cheese mass is then packaged to provide a low-fat natural cheese.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Kraft Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Miller, Kevin J. Surber, David Mehnert, Paul Wrezel, Sylvia Irene Crawford, Ronald L. Meibach
  • Patent number: 5532022
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an aqueous gel matrix which replaces triglyceride fat in chocolate and similar confection products. The product is prepared from a mixture including a gelling type maltodextrin, sugar, flavor particles and water. The confection product has a melting temperature of about 140.degree. F., has a firm chocolate-type consistency at temperatures below about 32.degree. F. and has a firmness ranging from that of chocolate sauce to that of butter or margarine at temperatures in the range of from about 32.degree. F. to about 140.degree. F. The melting properties of the low fat confection product of the invention make it particularly suitable for use in frozen dessert products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Kraft Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Miller, Kevin J. Surber
  • Patent number: 5532019
    Abstract: A method of making stable, low-calorie emulsion-type dressings wherein the triglyceride oil is replaced wholly or partially with an edible, wholly or partially nondigestible, low-calorie polyol fatty acid polyester is provided. A preemulsion containing at least a portion of the polyol fatty acid polyester, preferably sucrose fatty acid polyester, is prepared in a thickened gum solution. The preemulsion is then combined with the remaining ingredients. Stable mayonnaise-type products can be prepared containing about 40 to 60 weight percent polyol fatty acid polyesters. By incorporating a starch, viscous salad dressings containing about 12 to 50 weight percent polyol fatty acid polyesters can be prepared. The mayonnaise-type products can be used as a base for pourable salad dressings containing about 12 to 50 weight percent polyol fatty acid polyesters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Kraft Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Miller, Kevin J. Surber
  • Patent number: 5532018
    Abstract: A low-fat natural cheese is manufactured from skim milk or skim milk cheese. In one embodiment of the invention, a gel-forming fat mimetic is added to skim milk to provide a cheese substrate. The gel-forming fat mimetic may be gelled in situ or may be pregelled. The cheese substrate is then subjected to a cheese make procedure to provide a cheese curd. The cheese curd is then cured to provide a low-fat skim milk cheese. The skim milk cheese is comminuted and heated to a temperature of from about 140.degree. F. to about 180.degree. F. for a period of time sufficient to provide a homogeneous cheese mass. The cheese mass is then packaged to provide a low-fat natural cheese.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Kraft Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Miller, Kevin J. Surber, David Mehnert, Paul Wrezel, Sylvia I. Crawford, Ronald L. Meibach
  • Patent number: 5518754
    Abstract: Low-fat or reduced-fat chocolate products containing sucrose fatty acid polyesters are provided which have texture and mouthfeel properties similar to conventional chocolate products. These chocolate products are prepared using a sucrose fatty acid polyester or a blend of sucrose fatty acid polyesters in place of the conventional cocoa butter constituent. The sucrose fatty acid polyesters used do not necessarily mimic the theological and thermal properties of cocoa butter. Rather, the desired texture and mouthfeel properties of the chocolate products of this invention are obtained by incorporating a hydrogenated or hardened oil (i.e., a hardstock triglyceride) and an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of lactylated glycerides, sorbitan esters, acetylated glycerides, polysorbate esters, and polyglycerol esters, along with the one or more sucrose fatty acid polyesters, into conventional chocolate formulations containing essentially no cocoa butter or substantially reduced levels of cocoa butter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Kraft Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Miller, Kevin J. Surber
  • Patent number: 5486372
    Abstract: A frozen dairy dessert product having on a non-flavored basis, from about 3% to about 20% of a polyol fatty acid polyester, from 0% to about 8% of a triglyceride fat, from about 0.3% to about 0.7% of an emulsifier, from about 10% to about 19% of milk solids not fat, from about 6% to about 15% of a carbohydrate sweetener, such as sucrose, from 0% to about 15% (dry solids basis) of low dextrose equivalent corn syrup solids having a dextrose equivalent (DE) of from about 20 to about 36, from 0% to about 6% (dry solids basis) of high DE corn syrup solids having a DE of from about 36 to about 95, from 0% to 6% (dry solids basis) of dextrin having a DE of less than about 20, from 0% to about 3% of starch and from 0% to about 0.5% stabilizer.A white mix containing all of the ingredients is prepared by adding the ingredients, including the polyol polyester to heated water with agitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Kraft Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Martin, Mark S. Miller, Kevin J. Surber
  • Patent number: 5474795
    Abstract: Low-fat or reduced-fat chocolate products containing sucrose fatty acid polyesters and dextrose are provided which have texture and mouthfeel properties similar to conventional chocolate products. The sweetener used is dextrose or blends of dextrose and sucrose. These chocolate products are prepared using a sucrose fatty acid polyester or a blend of sucrose fatty acid polyesters in place of the conventional cocoa butter constituent and dextrose or blends of dextrose and sucrose in place of the convention sucrose sweetener. The preferred form of dextrose is dextrose monohydrate. The sucrose fatty acid polyesters used do not necessarily mimic the rheological and thermal properties of cocoa butter. The improved chocolate products have similar texture and mouthfeel properties of conventional chocolate with significantly fewer calories and lower fat content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: Kraft Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin J. Surber, Mark S. Miller
  • Patent number: 5378478
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the manufacture of a natural cheese. In the method, moisture, salts and lactose are removed from skim milk by ultrafiltration and diafiltration to provide a retentate having between about 60% and about 85% moisture, between about 0.7% and about 2.5% salts, and less than about 1.8% lactose. A lactic acid producing cheese culture is then added to the retentate and the retentate is fermented to a pH of between about 4.8 and about 5.6. The fermentation is effected without coagulating the retentate. An emulsion is then prepared by homogenizing a mixture of an aqueous material and a fat. The emulsion contains from about 10% to about 70% fat. The fat comprises from about 25% to 100% of a polyol fatty acid polyester with the balance being a triglyceride fat. The fermented retentate and the emulsion are then blended together. A milk clotting enzyme is added to the blend and the blend is immediately subjected to evaporation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Kraft General Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Miller, Kevin J. Surber