Patents by Inventor Lee Michael Teras

Lee Michael Teras 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: 7527815
    Abstract: A method for the reduction of acrylamide in corn-based food products, corn-based food products having reduced levels of acrylamide, and an article of commerce. In one aspect, the method comprises reducing the level of asparagine in a corn-based food material before final heating (e.g., cooking). In another aspect, the method comprises adding to a corn-based food material an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing the amide group of free asparagine. In yet another aspect, an article of commerce communicates to the consumer that a corn-based food product has reduced or low levels of acrylamide or asparagine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Lee Michael Teras, Stephen Paul Zimmerman, David Vincent Zyzak, Peter Yau Tak Lin, Marko Stojanovic, Robert Alan Sanders, Maria Dolores Martinez-Serna Villagran, John Keeney Howie, Richard Gerald Schafermeyer
  • Publication number: 20040265429
    Abstract: A method for the reduction of acrylamide in corn-based food products, corn-based food products having reduced levels of acrylamide, and an article of commerce. In one aspect, the method comprises reducing the level of asparagine in a corn-based food material before final heating (e.g., cooking). In another aspect, the method comprises adding to a corn-based food material an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing the amide group of free asparagine. In yet another aspect, an article of commerce communicates to the consumer that a corn-based food product has reduced or low levels of acrylamide or asparagine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Lee Michael Teras, Stephen Paul Zimmerman, David Vincent Zyzak, Peter Yau Tak Lin, Marko Stojanovic, Robert Alan Sanders, Maria Dolores Martinez-Serna Villagran, John Keeney Howie, Richard Gerald Schafermeyer
  • Patent number: 6830767
    Abstract: Uniformly shaped snack chips, preferably tortilla-type chips, having raised surface features and a method for preparing the same. The chips can be made from a dough composition comprising pre-cooked starch-based material and pregelatinized starch. Preferably, the snack chips have raised surface features comprising from about 12% to about 40% large surface features; from about 20% to about 40% medium surface features; and from about 25% to about 60% small surface features. In one embodiment, the average thickness of the snack chip is from about 1 mm to about 3 mm; the average thickness of raised surface features is from about 2.3 mm to about 3.2 mm; the maximum thickness of the chip is less than about 5.5 mm; and the coefficient of variation of the chip thickness is greater than about 15%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Co.
    Inventors: Lee Michael Teras, John Russell Herring, Stephen Paul Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 6572910
    Abstract: Uniformly shaped snack chips, preferably tortilla-type chips, having raised surface features and a method for preparing the same. The chips can be made from a dough composition comprising pre-cooked starch-based material and pregelatinized starch. Preferably, the snack chips have raised surface features comprising from about 12% to about 40% large surface features; from about 20% to about 40% medium surface features; and from about 25% to about 60% small surface features. In one embodiment, the average thickness of the snack chip is from about 1 mm to about 3 mm; the average thickness of raised surface features is from about 2.3 mm to about 3.2 mm; the maximum thickness of the chip is less than about 5.5 mm; and the coefficient of variation of the chip thickness is greater than about 15%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Co.
    Inventors: David Arthur Lanner, Yen-Ping Chin Hsieh, Stephen Paul Zimmerman, Lee Michael Teras, Charles Edward Jones, John Russell Herring, Russell William Groves, Mark Joseph Fiteny
  • Publication number: 20020132029
    Abstract: The present invention includes an ergonomic snack piece having improved hand held characteristics and dip containment and a method to make such a snack piece. More particularly, the present invention relates to a ergonomic snack piece that optimizes an engagement angle and hold angle of the snack piece. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a snack piece having a dip containment well and a grip region that provides improved dip-condiment retention while simultaneously providing the user areas to hold the chip and thus avoiding messy finger contact with the dip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Applicant: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Lee Michael Teras, John Russell Herring, Charles Edward Jones, Stephen Paul Zimmerman, Benito Albert Romanach, Douglas David Sena, Brian Adrian Miller
  • Publication number: 20020034571
    Abstract: Uniformly shaped snack chips, preferably tortilla-type chips, having raised surface features and a method for preparing the same. The chips can be made from a dough composition comprising pre-cooked starch-based material and pregelatinized starch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Applicant: The Procter & Gamble Co.
    Inventors: Stephen Paul Zimmerman, Lee Michael Teras, Russell William Groves, David Arthur Lanner, Charles Edward Jones, Merrilee LaDonna Palcic, Michael Wayne Haney
  • Publication number: 20020028273
    Abstract: Uniformly shaped snack chips, preferably tortilla-type chips, having raised surface features and a method for preparing the same. The chips can be made from a dough composition comprising pre-cooked starch-based material and pregelatinized starch. Preferably, the snack chips have raised surface features comprising from about 12% to about 40% large surface features; from about 20% to about 40% medium surface features; and from about 25% to about 60% small surface features. In one embodiment, the average thickness of the snack chip is from about 1 mm to about 3 mm; the average thickness of raised surface features is from about 2.3 mm to about 3.2 mm; the maximum thickness of the chip is less than about 5.5 mm; and the coefficient of variation of the chip thickness is greater than about 15%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Inventors: Lee Michael Teras, John Russell Herring, Stephen Paul Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20020022076
    Abstract: Uniformly shaped snack chips, preferably tortilla-type chips, having raised surface features and a method for preparing the same. The chips can be made from a dough composition comprising pre-cooked starch-based material and pregelatinized starch. Preferably, the snack chips have raised surface features comprising from about 12% to about 40% large surface features; from about 20% to about 40% medium surface features; and from about 25% to about 60% small surface features. In one embodiment, the average thickness of the snack chip is from about 1 mm to about 3 mm; the average thickness of raised surface features is from about 2.3 mm to about 3.2 mm; the maximum thickness of the chip is less than about 5.5 mm; and the coefficient of variation of the chip thickness is greater than about 15%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: David Arthur Lanner, Yen-Ping Chin Hsieh, Stephen Paul Zimmerman, Lee Michael Teras, Charles Edward Jones, John Russell Herring, Russell William Groves, Mark Joseph Fiteny
  • Publication number: 20020018837
    Abstract: Uniformly shaped snack chips, preferably tortilla-type chips, having raised surface features and a method for preparing the same. The chips can be made from a dough composition comprising pre-cooked starch-based material and pregelatinized starch. Preferably, the snack chips have raised surface features comprising from about 12% to about 40% large surface features; from about 20% to about 40% medium surface features; and from about 25% to about 60% small surface features. In one embodiment, the average thickness of the snack chip is from about 1 mm to about 3 mm; the average thickness of raised surface features is from about 2.3 mm to about 3.2 mm; the maximum thickness of the chip is less than about 5.5 mm; and the coefficient of variation of the chip thickness is greater than about 15%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: David Arthur Lanner, Yen-Ping Chin Hsieh, Peter Yen-Chih Lin, Stephen Paul Zimmerman, Russell William Groves, Susan Louise Joa, Lee Michael Teras, Charles Michael Garrison, Charles Edward Jones, John Russell Herring
  • Patent number: D452360
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Lee Michael Teras