Abstract: The present invention relates to tasty, ready-to-eat, nutritional foods that offer an alternative to appealing but unhealthy foods. More particularly, tasty, ready-to-eat, nutritional foods that provide a balanced mix of amino acids, fat, and carbohydrates are disclosed. Processes for making, and methods of using said tasty, ready-to-eat, nutritional foods are also disclosed. The nutritious foods of the present invention are formulated and processed such that they resolve the dilemma that consumers have always been faced with—healthy eating or enjoying what they eat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing calorie cooking and frying oils, containing nondigestable polyol polyesters, and having improved color and improved stability against hydrolysis during frying. The process comprises, as a first step, treating a crude polyol polyester with an ion exchange ligand in an aqueous phase to convert diavalent metal soaps present in the crude polyol polyester to monovalent soaps. The monovalent soaps and ion exchange ligands are then removed from the treated polyol polyester to provide a cooking and frying oil which contains less than about 550 ppb divalent metal ions. Said oil, when further processed according to conventional industry standards will have a free fatty acid content of less than about 500 ppm. Preferably, the cooking and frying oils prepared according to the process of the present invention will further have a Lovibond red color of less than about 6, preferably less than about 4.

Abstract: A process for purifying vitamin A consisting of heating a vitamin A preparation in an inert atmosphere, at a temperature below 170.degree. C. and a pressure of less than 4 mm of mercury, said heating taking place in a vessel shielded from light is disclosed. The vitamin A obtained from this process is mixed with from 0.5:1 to 2:1 parts of tocopherol to vitamin A. The vitamin A and tocopherol mixture can be encapsulated in acacia gum, starch, pectins or other suitable materials. When the vitamin A is encapsulated, the level of tocopherol required is less, preferably from 0.05:1 to about 1:1 parts of tocopherol to vitamin A is used in an encapsulated vitamin A composition. Other antioxidants can be added.