Abstract: A process is provided for making flavored soluble protein concentrates from peanuts by grinding, pressing, and extracting with a flash steaming step interposed between the pressing and the extracting. The product concentrates display high protein water solubility and excellent storage characteristics.

Abstract: An article of manufacture and process for making same are provided wherein selected fresh fruit or mixtures thereof may be peeled and/or cored, then made into a puree in a manner which preserves the fruits natural integrity, the peels being comminuted and optionally the core materials being further processed and finished whereafter from about 3 to 8% of the comminuted peels and optionally up to about 11% of the comminuted peels together with the processed core materials by wet weight is dried preferably under controlled atmospheric conditions, to produce a dried product having resistance to thermal set, shelf stability being readily reconstitutable to natural consistency and which does not contain any extraneous extenders, inorganic additives, or other unnatural or undesirable additives.

Abstract: A process is provided for preparing bland protein concentrates from peanuts by grinding, pressing, and extracting substantially at temperatures below about 100.degree. F. The product protein concentrate is storage stable and displays high protein water solubility.

Abstract: A process for making a corn chip with potato chip texture is described. The chip has increased mouthmelt, crispness, and lightness like potato chips and it is less hard and gritty than standard corn chips. It also has a distinctive corn flavor. In a preferred process, corn is cooked in water at 140.degree. F. (60.degree. C.) to 212.degree. F. (100.degree. C.) for 30 minutes to 4 hours. The corn hulls are removed, and the corn is comminuted. A starch material is cooked in water until it is adequately hydrated, and then comminuted. The comminuted corn and starch material are mixed together to form a dough having a ratio of corn to starch material of 95:5 to 80:20. The dough is extruded, formed into a sheet, cut into segments, and deep-fried to form the finished chip.

Abstract: Cereal grains having a moisture content of about 30% by weight are made into masa by radiating with infrared radiation until partially gelatinized. Thereafter, they are ground to a meal. If it is desired to dehusk the grains, this is done by agitating an aqueous slurry as by repeated pumping and surface drying and aspirating the husk before radiation. After radiation, any remaining husks are separated by cracking the radiated grain, sizing the cracked grain, and separating the husks from each size. Some grains may be dehusked by only the cracking, sizing, and separation steps. A variation of masa is made from a mixture of corn with husks and milo without husks.

Abstract: Ready-to-eat shredded potato products having a pleasant texture, and a substantially uniform off-white to golden tan color, are obtained by the process of the present invention. A potato dough is formed under low temperature and low shear mixing conditions so as to avoid overgelatinization of the potato starch and tackiness which would impede flowability and the continuous production of long continuous shred layers. Individual discrete dough pieces having a moisture content of from about 29% to about 50% by weight are tempered to distribute the water substantially uniformly throughout the dough pieces, the tempered dough pieces are shredded and the shredded dough is cooked.

Abstract: A method for the production of concentrated, frozen puree, especially potato puree, in which method the potatoes are first washed, peeled, cut into pieces, blanched, cooled and dewatered. The potatoes thus processed are then dried to reduce their weight by 40-60%, whereupon the potatoes are steamed and then mashed, frozen and crushed. By drying the potatoes before they are steamed, a final product of higher quality is obtained, while at the same time chemical additives, such as antioxidants, consistency agents etc., are rendered superfluous.

Abstract: L-aspartic acid derivatives typified by L-aspartyl, L-phenylalanine methyl ester (APM) in crystalline form are agglomerated by a minor weight percent of a like solution serving as a permanent aggregating matrix at the spaced points of the contact in a random distribution of the crystals whereby they are assembled and immobilized to a free flowing form for use in dry food mixes.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for preparing a dehydrated, readily reconstitutable (i.e. "instant") baby cereal porridge product from a reduced-viscosity, gelatinized, cereal flour-water mixture. The reduction in viscosity of the gelatinized cereal flour-water mixture is achieved by a method in which a cereal flour-water slurry having flour solids content in the range 14% to 30% inclusive, is gelatinized and then subjected to a mechanical shearing action. In preferred embodiments one of the cereal flour ingredients in the slurry is oat flour.

Abstract: Beans are soaked and ground to form a mush (go), and the mush is heated and powderized. A thickening agent having a gelatinizing property is mixed with the powder. The tofu is prepared by mixing the powder with water and an additional amount of gelatinizing material.

Abstract: A white, defatted, food-grade peanut flour having an unusually high protein solubility and being suitable for human consumption is disclosed. Peanuts are heated, in preparation for blanching, at temperatures of about 220.degree.-250.degree. F., for a period of time sufficient to eliminate the raw peanut taste. The peanuts are blanched, remoisturized without heat, flaked, solvent extracted, filtered, desolventized and ground into flour.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing grain to provide meal, grit, flour and masa products suitable for human consumption and by-products suitable for use as animal feed and industrial products. The methods includes forming a slurry of the grain with water and processing the slurry through dehusking, germ detaching, grinding and sifting stages while maintaining the grain at a relatively high moisture content. Partially different methods are employed depending on whether the processed grain is sorghum, wheat or corn. The processing apparatus includes a dehusking unit having a plurality of pump stages to remove the husks from the grain kernels without cracking a substantial portion of the kernels. A fluidized bed dryer is utilized to remove excess water and to surface dry the kernels and husks. For sorghum grains a centrifugal impact germ detacher is utilized to break up the dehusked kernel and separate the germ and oil from the endosperm.

Abstract: Potato chips of relatively low oil content are prepared by a process which comprises the steps of forming potatoes into slices having a thickness which is suitable for making potato chips, drying the slices in a mono-layer by exposing both major surfaces of the slices to contact with a gaseous atomosphere under drying conditions whereby the average moisture content of the slices is reduced to about 30 to 65% by weight, contacting the resultant dried potato slices with steam under conditions whereby substantial rehydration of the slices is avoided, and frying the steam-treated potato slices to provide potato chips of relatively low oil content. The potatoes, after peeling, may be treated with hot water or steam to avoid making fried chips with white edges.

Abstract: An unpeeled potato is cut into wedge-shaped pieces having a substantially triangular cross-section, the base of which is a section of the exterior surface of said potato having the peel retained thereon and the sides of which have no peel thereon. The pieces are then cooked, parfried, frozen and packaged.

Abstract: A process for preparing frozen par fried potatoes which, when finish fried, have a crisp surface texture and a mealy internal core, and remain crisp and rigid for extended periods of time after finish frying. Potatoes which have been peeled, trimmed, cut into strips and blanched, are subjected to a two stage drying procedure, in which the strips are first exposed to high velocity ambient air for a period of time sufficient to reduce their weight by about 8%-15%, and are then dried in circulating heated air to further reduce the weight of the strips by an additional 8%-15%. After drying, the potato strips are maintained in a quiescent state for a short period of time to permit equialization of moisture distribution in the strips, and are then par-fried, frozen and packaged.

Abstract: A process is provided for the production of dehydrated potatoes which when reconstituted are similar in texture and taste to freshly prepared mashed potatoes. The process includes washing fresh potatoes, dividing the washed potatoes into two groups with one group being cooked, riced, peeled and cooled while the other group is peeled, sliced, blanched, cooled, cooked, riced and then cooled. The two groups of potatoes, after the initial processing steps as separate groups, are then combined and further processed to produce dehydrated potato flakes. The thus produced dehydrated potatoes can be packaged for distribution to the ultimate consumer.

Abstract: A method for processing grain, e.g. corn, to provide a flour or grit product suitable for human consumption and by-products suitable for use as animal feed and industrial products which includes forming a slurry of the grain with water and passing the slurry through a plurality of pump stages having turbine pumps equipped with turbine pump impellers to remove the husks from the grain kernels without cracking a substantial portion of the kernels. The slurry is then passed through a centrifuge to remove excess water, surface dried and passed through an aspirator to separate the husks from the grain kernels. The dehusked kernels are sent through a centrifugal impact cracker to break up the kernel and separate th germ and oil from the endosperm. The broken kernel pieces are then milled to produce flour.

Abstract: Precooked potato products are prepared by a process wherein the potatoes are washed, peeled, and treated whole or cut into pieces. The so-prepared potatoes are cooked at a temperature below the temperature at which sloughing of the potato surface would occur if the whole potato were cooked to its center at that temperature. Then, the potatoes are heated in air and cooked again at a temperature of about 50.degree. to 100.degree. C. Following the last cooking procedure the potatoes are frozen, chilled, or retorted to preserve them in the absence of starch suspensions. To prepare them for consumption the potatoes can be fried or boiled.

Abstract: Unprepared pieces of meat, such as sheep heads, pig feet, and the like, or fishes and crustaceas, are treated by trituration with crushing under pressure so as to yield a soft product adapted to be a foodstuff, in which the elements of components stay several millimeters long, which gives the product a good aspect for appetency.

Abstract: Uniform starch particles prepared from one or more starches selected from tapioca, corn, waxy maize, potato, sago, arrowroot and cereal; and one or more gelling hydrocolloids selected from sodium alginate, sodium pectate, hydroxypropylcellulose, methylcellulose, methylhydroxypropylcellulose, methylethylcellulose, carrageenan, furcellaran, agar, gelatin, a mixture of xanthan gum and locust bean gum, and curdlan; by adding water, extruding, cutting and drying; useful in preparing retorted or aseptically packaged, tapioca-style pudding and other improved, edible texturized starch products.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of peanut-curd with a roasted taste and flavor, which comprises roasting peanuts, pressing the roasted peanuts to partially remove oil therefrom, pulverizing the pressed peanuts at a temperature at or below -40.degree. C., dissolving the pulverized peanuts in water, boiling the resultant mixture, cooling the mixture and adding a coagulant to the mixture to solidify the mixture to obtain peanut-curd.

Abstract: Cooked and shaped potato products such as french fries, scalloped, au gratin potatoes or potato chips are prepared by first cooking of potatoes sufficiently so that they can be mashed. They are then peeled and subdivided, for example, by ricing them. The subdivided potatoes are supported as a porous mass and partially dried either at atmospheric pressure or vacuum while being agitated to reduce the moisture content to about 29-40% solids by weight. The predried potatoes are then formed to a predetermined shape. When extrusion formed, the forming die should have sufficient open area to maintain nozzle pressure at about 15 ps or less. The shaped pieces are preferably further dried and either refrigerated or frozen. Just before they are eaten they are heated preferably by frying them in fat.

Abstract: A reconstitutable potato puree in dried flake form is prepared by dispersing in the puree, prior to drying, an aqueous suspension of a water-soluble protein material selected from the group consisting of egg albumin and lactose-poor whey protein.

Abstract: A dry powder composition comprising vital gluten modified by reaction with a non-toxic chelating agent selected from the group consisting of ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid, a non-toxic metal salt thereof, citric acid and a non-toxic alkali metal citrate, and process for the production thereof.

Abstract: A method for processing grain to provide a flour or grit product suitable for human consumption and by-products suitable for use as animal feed and industrial products which includes forming a slurry of the grain with water and passing the slurry through a plurality of pump stages having turbine pumps equipped with turbine pump impellers to remove the husks from the grain kernels without cracking a substantial portion of the kernels. The slurry is then passed through a centrifuge to remove excess water, surface dried and passed through an aspirator to separate the husks from the grain kernels. The dehusked kernels are sent through a centrifugal impact cracker to break up the kernel and separate the germ and oil from the endosperm. The broken kernel pieces are then milled to produce flour.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for producing and drying a meal of cooked or heat treated animal material, especially fish or fish pulp, the cooked fish pulp is pressed for separation of liquid. After centrifuging and concentration, if desired, the separated liquid is added to the fish pulp during the drying thereof. The cooked and pressed pulp is disintegrated to meal particles before it is subjected to the drying process. By means of hot drying air the meal particles are transported through a drying device consisting of substantially vertically arranged riser and down pipes. In a transition area between associated riser and down pipes, the liquid concentrate is added to the meal particles, said concentrate being entrained by the stream of meal and air for mixing with and drying together with the meal particles to a finished dried meal.

Abstract: Shredded manure is soaked in an excess of water to form a basic slurry which is then separated in a centrifugal separator. The liquid portion is added to a floc tank where a suitable flocculant precipitates proteins which upon passing through a vacuum filter is heated, producing a dry protein cake. The liquid filtrate from the vacuum filter is added to the autoclave, along with the solid material from the centrifugal separator, and the resulting slurry is acidified and raised to an elevated temperature and pressure for a prescribed time, thereby converting starches to mono-saccharides and amino sugars. The hot acidified slurry from the autoclave is discharged into a settling tank where it is acted upon by calcium oxide, removing sulphates. Subsequent filtering and evaporation of the hot slurry produces a molasses-like syrup including a significant percentage of sugars and some proteins.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for making holes in vegetable segments wherein the hole-making step is integrally connected with the steps of cutting and slicing of the segments prior to blanching, dehydrating and/or rehydrating whereby the time of processing of vegetable segments can be quite substantially reduced.

Abstract: Fresh, whole potatoes are washed, peeled and cut into pieces. The pieces are blanched, treated in a sulfite solution and then partially dehydrated to a moisture content of between about 35-65% by weight. The partially dehydrated slices are then steam cooked and subsequently dehydrated to a shelf stable moisture content of less than 10 percent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing fine deodorized soybean powder in which washed and dyhydrated soybeans are pressed flat to a degree not to remove fat from the vegetable. The pressed soybeans are: dried to a moisture content of about 3% in a low temperature atmosphere; coarsely ground to the grain size of mesh; and stripped of the seed coats to leave only the seed leaves by a blast of air. The seed leaves are cooked to deodorize them for a short time period and at the same time excess moisture is removed from the seed leaves by vacuum suction. The seed leaves are ground to a grain size of 80 - 90 mesh and the seed leaves are further finely ground to a grain size of 1000 mesh.

Abstract: A dehydrated potato product is described which consists of porous cut pieces of potato containg 0-12% moisture. The surface of each piece is composed of uniformly distinct individual potato cells with only a few of the cell boundaries indistinct and fused together. The product has a blue value of less than 100, shrinkage or collapse of about 40-58% of the original piece thickness, a density of between about 0.20-0.25 gm/cc. The pieces remain distinct and intact after rehydration in boiling water and retain the graininess and flavor of natural potato. The product can be made by peeling and slicing potatoes, blanching, cooling to about 80.degree. F. or lower and drying them by exposing them to hot air to which moisture has been added and simultaneously to microwave energy sufficient to provide about 50-90% of the total drying energy input until the moisture content has reached 12% or less.

Abstract: Dehydrated reconstitutable tomato beverage compositions are prepared by forming an aqueous admixture of tomato solids and gelatinizable starch materials, the starch materials to water ratio in the admixture being such that limited rupture of the starch granules occurs, whereupon the admixture is drum dried and ground to produce a powder which, upon rehydration, gives tomato beverages of viscosity, texture and taste comparable to conventional non-dehydrated tomato beverages.

Abstract: An ingredient for enhancing the texture and organoleptic properties of tapioca-style pudding. Granular starch is pre-extruded under controlled conditions to obtain partially gelatinized spheroidal starch particles for use in tapioca-style puddings. The spheroidal starch particles (or "pearls") retain their spheroidal shape in the finished pudding, thereby providing excellent texture, appearance and mouthfeel to the pudding. The starch pearls, after cooking, consistently provide the highly desired translucent appearance expected in home cooked, tapioca-style puddings.The extrusion process is cooled by water at a temperature below 100.degree. F. at an extrusion rate which only partially gelatinizes the starch. The granular starch is supplied to the extruder at 25-50% moisture, and the extrudates are cut into particles suitable for a particular use by a cutting means as the extrudates emerge from the extruder die orifices.

Abstract: A method for treating finely divided materials with a treatment fluid (steam), particularly for conditioning oil containing vegetable raw materials in which one or more vibratory conveyors with a perforated bottom has treatment fluid introduced through at least one inlet opening under the perforated bottom. The larger particles formed by clotting during the action of the treatment fluid are pulverized by pulverizing members and an additional perforated plate. The conditioned materials are dried in hot air.

Abstract: The dutching of cocoa to obtain a product of rich homogeneous color and high sterility is accomplished by grinding a pressed cake made from cocoa beans, converting the ground mass into a coarse, free-flowing powder, mixing the powder with sufficient aqueous alkaline solution and desired additives to obtain a damp mass containing about 20-35 wt. per cent moisture and feeding this mixture into a combined cooker and pressurized extruder and then pelletizing the cooked composition. The pellets are formed by extruding the mass through appropriate dies and breaking off the rods to form pellets by interaction with a stationary plate. The preferable temperature range of the combined cooking-pressurizing step is 150.degree.-230.degree. F. and the preferred pressures are progressive to between 500 and 1300 pounds per square inch adjacent the extruding die.

Abstract: Grain, (or a milling intermediate, e.g. semolina) is heated at a temperature of 100.degree. to 140.degree.C (or 100.degree.-200.degree.C for semolina) for a period inversely related to temperature and not less than 1 hour at 100.degree.C, so as to improve the quality of cake flour produced by milling (or further milling). The time of heating t (in minutes) is preferably related to the temperature T (in .degree.C) by the equation t = a' - b'T + c'T.sup.2 where for wheat a'= 2188, b'= 31.535 and c' = 0.11438 and for semolina a' = 408, b' = 4.252 and c' - 0.1121. The need for chlorination of the flour produced is thus avoided.

Abstract: A method is provided for processing and drying potato vinasse, produced from fermented mash. The mash is crushed, distilled and the resulting vinasse is fractionated in a decanter where the clear liquid is then passed into a three-phase downfall vaporizer to thicken the liquid. The resulting liquid is then recombined with the solids in a cross-winged mixer where it is then dried.

Abstract: A process for concentrating oilseed protein which comprises the steps of fine grinding and air-classifying the initial protein source and washing the ground protein source with water at a pH of about 4 to 6 or with a 20% to 80% by weight alcohol solution.

Abstract: Pitted olives are stuffed with an edible food that has been dried to facilitate its handling, and the dried food is reconstituted within the pitted olives by packing the stuffed olives in an aqueous solution. Drying an edible food, such as pimiento, is carried out to cause an increase in stiffness and a drying of the surface texture to permit gripping of the food without slipping. Also, a reduction in size will accompany the drying of the food particularly if air drying is used. With this reduced size condition of the food, greater clearance can be allowed between the walls of the olive pit cavity and the sides of the food to be inserted since the food will swell to a tight fit within the pit cavity upon subsequent reconstitution. The stiffness of the dried food will be greater than that of the olive adjacent the walls of the pit cavity so that the walls of the pit cavity will deflect outwardly to receive the dried food if the dried food is somewhat oversized or slightly out of alignment.

Abstract: Avocado flesh, water, and vegetable gums are thoroughly and intimately admixed to produce a fine dispersion which is stable when stored for long periods of time either by itself or in admixture with mayonnaise or other foodstuffs. The fine dispersion is produced by passing the avocado flesh, water, and vegetable gums through a colloid mill, an emulsifier, or an homogenizer.