Abstract: Mouthfeel can be improved by processing a beverage product having an insoluble food component with a static mixer. The beverage product can be a soy beverage containing insoluble protein components. The static mixer serves to reduce the average particulate size of the insoluble food component.

Abstract: A hand-held oatmeal product is provided that is ready to eat. The oatmeal product may be packaged in a retortable pouch. Methods of making the oatmeal product are provided.

Abstract: A method of producing a high-protein insect meal for use as a fish, shrimp and animal feed by providing a closed, environmentally controlled mass insect production facility into which are introduced one or more species of insects that are rich in protein and particularly suited for use in fish, shrimp and animal feeds. The insects can be chosen from, but not limited to, the orders of Blattodea, Orthoptera, Diptera, or Lepidoptera. Also, the chosen insects can be of the species moths, butterflies, flies, beetles and crickets. The insects are then fed a food source which can be vegetable, grain, plant, or animal components, and fish and animal wastes. Upon reaching the desired life stage, the insects are harvested and then processed into a dried protein meal.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a baking device and method thereof for controlling a reliable browning level and a baking method which controls the parameters of a browning level of a baking device in order to reach the browning level desired by a user. The baking device of the present invention includes a temperature sensor, a weight sensor or an impedance sensor to judge the current browning level of a baked food by the difference in temperature, the weight or the impedance of the baked food. It then compares the results with the reliable browning level stored in the microprocessor of the baking device. The comparing result of the current browning level and the reliable browning are used as a basis of whether to continue to heat the thermal grid or not.

Abstract: The present invention discloses dry psyllium husk incorporated dough products and method of preparation thereof. Upto 14% unpowdered psyllium husk-300 mesh sized psyllium husk powder (having 95% to 99.99% purity) of total amount flour is used for the preparation of dough products. Also 4.5 gm+20% water per 1 gm of psyllium is the right quantity of additional water to bind the dough having psyllium. The psyllium husk can be either whole, fragmented, slitted, normal, bleached, snow white or processed source of psyllium husk powder.

Abstract: The invention concerns cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical and/or dermatological compositions and methods for preparing them. The composition is characterized in that it comprises a mixture called base mixture, consisting of a liquid extracted from a mixture (M) of tomatoes and apples once the spontaneous chemical reaction initiated by the mixture of the two crushed plants is completed. The invention is applicable to skin care.

Abstract: A food supplement which has beneficial effects for bowel health, and a method of preparing the food supplement are disclosed. The food supplement is derived from fiber extracts from two or more types of fruit or vegetables. The fiber extracts have a majority of soluble solids removed therefrom. The two or more types of fruit or vegetable may be selected from the group consisting of grape, citrus, apple, tomato, carrot, mango, cranberry, papaya, banana, pineapple, kiwi fruit, spinach and melon. The beneficial effects for bowel health are manifest in an increase in levels of short chain fatty acids (SCFA's) in the colon.

Abstract: The invention provides edible compositions such as solid particulate sweeteners, boiled sweets, chocolate and chewing gum, wherein the compositions comprise at least 10% on a dry weight basis of one or more substances having an endothermic heat of solution of at least −30 kJ/kg and at least 10% on a dry weight basis of a substantially amorphous solid trehalose. The one or more substances having an endothermic heat of solution may comprise dextrose monohydrate or a crystalline sugar alcohol. The invention also provides processes suitable for the production of such edible compositions, wherein the processes comprise the step of dry mixing amorphous trehalose particles in an amount of at least 10% based on the dry weight of the composition with one or more other edible ingredients to form a dry mixture.

Abstract: A nutritional composition made from conventional food mixed on-site in a blender and treating patients with hepatic disorders.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for preparing and dispensing a combination of food products in a vending machine from a selection of components prepackaged in a plurality of trays sealed with a single peel off tape. The method comprises dispensing a top component onto a positioning releasable support and moving it into an oven, independently dispensing a tray with bottom component, sliding it to and raising into a moveable oven, independently heating components, removing components from ovens, moving said moveable oven out of the tray path, moving components to close proximity of each other and releasing top component into the tray. The apparatus has means for dispensing each of the individual components toward front of said vending machine; means for three-dimensional positioning of the releasable support for top components; means for bottom component tray lateral displacement; stationary oven, moveable oven, and an elevator laterally aligned with said product delivery opening.

Abstract: The invention encompasses a method that kills, or renders organically inactive, the bacteria and enzymes, as well as any other non-pathogenic microorganisms present in fresh squeezed citrus and non-citrus fruit juices and fruit juice blends, as well as fruit pulps. The method includes the steps of bottling the product, dipping the bottle in a heated bath whereby the product is heated, capping the heated product, and allowing the product to cool to form a vacuum seal. The method produces the aseptic packaging of natural juice products having a shelf life extending from two to three years without the need for refrigeration, and without the use of artificial preservatives or additives. The process also preserves the natural taste, colors, and odors typically found in fresh squeezed juices and juice blends, an citrus pulp.

Abstract: For cleaning foodstuffs in the form of a bulk material, such as cereal grains, rice grains, soybeans, sunflower seeds, coffee beans, and the like, there is provided an optical sorting device (24, 24a, 24a') subsequent to a precleaning system (6), which enables sorting on the basis of color and/or size and/or shape. Each particle of the bulk material is allocated to a particle class determined by parameters and conveyed on a supporting surface transporting the bulk material to a reception area (43, 44, 45) for the respective particle class. To clean the bulk material, impurities and bad particles are sorted out of the product, with the product being partitioned into classes, if required.

Abstract: A method and device for high-pressure treatment of liquid substances, for example foodstuffs. The substance undergoes a cyclic process whereby a limited amount of the substance during each cycle is pressurized in a pressure intensifier (1) to a predetermined pressure and is then maintained at this pressure for a predetermined period of time. After the substance has been pressurized in the pressure intensifier (1), it is conducted to a pressure chamber (10) while maintaining the predetermined pressure. The substance is further caused to reside in the pressure chamber (10) for the predetermined period of time by being caused to pass over a predetermined distance between an inlet (9a) and an outlet (9b), which are arranged in the pressure chamber (10).

Abstract: A process that kills, or renders organically inactive, one hundred percent of the bacteria and enzymes, as well as any other non-pathogenic microorganisms present in fresh squeezed citrus and non-citrus fruit juices and fruit juice blends, as well as fruit pulps. The process results in the aseptic packaging of one hundred percent natural juices having a shelf life extending from two to three years without the need for refrigeration, and without the use of artificial preservatives or additives. The process also preserves the natural taste, colors, and odors typically found in fresh squeezed juices and juice blends, an citrus pulp.

Abstract: An improved method is described for use in packaging a wide variety of products, and in particular perishable food and horticultural products. The products are placed within a container of the type which establishes a modified atmosphere environment therein and is cooled, as by heat transfer to a cooling element, which may involve the evaporation of liquid from a cooling collar partially surrounding the container. The container and cooling collar may be subjected to vacuum cooling. The container may include a mechanism to enhance the bulk gas transfer rate during the application of the vacuum while still maintaining the desired atmosphere within the container. The container atmosphere may be precharged with gas of a desired composition. In addition, fumigants may also be included therein.

Abstract: An improved method is described for use in packaging a wide variety of products, and in particular perishable food and horticultural products. The products are placed within a container of the type which establishes a modified atmosphere environment therein and is cooled, as by evaporation of liquid from a cooling collar partially surrounding the container. The container and cooling collar may be subjected to vacuum cooling. The container may include a mechanism to enhance the bulk gas transfer rate during the application of the vacuum while still maintaining the desired atmosphere within the container. The container atmosphere may be precharged with gas of a desired composition. In addition, fumigants may also be included therein. The package is suitable for field packing applications in which the product, such as strawberries, is picked directly into the container surrounded by the cooling collar with the container and cooling collars being placed in an outer box or other receptacle.

Abstract: A method of treating a frozen mass of drinkable product the frozen mass being stored in a frozen state in a container, including heating the container on all sides for a predetermined time so as to thaw an outside layer of the frozen mass, removing the frozen mass from the container, mechanically dividing the frozen mass into a plurality of frozen pieces, and supplying heat to the plurality of frozen pieces such that a maximum temperature of an obtained liquid is from 2.degree. C. to 5.degree. C.

Abstract: A process for dry pulverization of food raw materials, charactrized by the process steps, which comprisesplacing the food raw material in a closed vessel,evacuating the vessel to a vacuum andeffecting therein the processing operations, which comprises cutting the raw material, drying the so-disintegrated material and crushing the dried and disintegrated mass into powder, successively.

Abstract: A method of converting the composition of peat which comprises the steps of:mixing the peat with 10 to 40% by weight of particles of cereals such as corn or bran thereof on the basis of the weight of the peat;culturing the hyphas of a mycorhiza-forming, white-rotting edible mushroom with the mixture used as a culture bed;germinating the resultant fruit bodies;removing the fruit bodies from the culture bed;utilizing the residue as a livestock feed; andwhere required, adding a fermentation agent to the residue to ferment it into a fertilizer.

Abstract: The present invention is a granola bar with supplemental dietary fiber which is added to the granola bar in the form of compressed flakes, as well as the method of making such a granola bar. The method includes the steps of providing a mixture of granola ingredients selected from the group consisting of grains, fruits, and nuts. Supplemental dietary fiber is provided in the form of compressed flakes and mixed with the granola ingredients. Preferably, the compressed flakes of supplemental dietary fiber are made by combining with water and a binder material, such as rice flour, and then extruding. The extrudate is preferably dried and then ground to the desired particle size.

Abstract: A multilayer film food wrap having outer layers of a polyolefin resin including a cling agent, and a core layer of a resin having a high melting point, resistance to heat, low permeability to oxygen, moisture and odor, and film toughness. Methods of preparing the film and fabricating the film into a bag are also disclosed.

Abstract: A cling wrap plastic film comprising a mixture of high pressure-low density polyethylene (HPLDPE) and low pressure-low density polyethylene (LPLDPE), in which the LPLDPE is between about 5 and about 16 weight % of the LPLDPE plus HPLDPE total weight.

Abstract: Procedures are described for obtaining about 80% of the high-grade protein in pearl millet grain as a concentrate. These procedures involve extraction of lipid-free whole millet flour with a combination of 70% aqueous isopropyl alcohol, aqueoussodium hydroxide, and dilute mineral acid to give three protein-rich fractions, which can be combined for optimum use as a protein concentrate.

Abstract: In the brewing of beer, spent grain at about 90% moisture from a straining tank having no internal rotating rake is collected and pumped to a centrifuge which reduces the moisture of the spent grain to about 70% and provides spent grain liquor of about 2.0 to 4.5% or more of total solids. The spent grain liquor is stored in a tank at 165.degree. F. to 170.degree. F. and held until it is used up to 50% of the sparge liquid for a subsequent brew in the straining tank. The spent grains at about 70% moisture are directed to a large holding tank. Nutritious brewery waste streams are added thereby increasing the nutritional value.

Abstract: In handling solid urban wastes collected in plastic and/or paper bags, the bags are lacerated for exposing the waste material within them. The materials are processed to recover paper-pulp and stockfeed. In processing the material to recover stockfeed, the material is washed and separated into heavy inert components and light inert components and edible components. These lighter components are dried, loosened and passed through cyclone separators and screened to separate the edible components from the light inert components.

Abstract: A method of preserving foodstuffs by placing them in a container of given volume in which air at atmospheric pressure is present and selectively removing the oxygen from the air in the container while maintaining substantially atmospheric pressure therein is disclosed. According to the invention, a flow of air is established through the container by means of an external conduit in which the oxygen in the air is catalytically reacted with hydrogen gas concurrently generated and added to the air flow for at least a predetermined length of time after which the generation and addition of hydrogen gas is terminated when the hydrogen/oxygen reaction falls below a given level. Various embodiments of the apparatus for practicing the method according to this invention are described.