Abstract: Bean paste having a good plasticity is advantageously made to granules through the transformation to strips, without any fear of coagulation thereof into a mass, on account of the bean paste being made to strips by an extrusion under such vacuum which excites immediate dryness and cooling of stripped bean paste.

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 mechanism that is suitable for incorporation in an apparatus for handling articles in a closely-spaced array to remove malformed pieces from those properly formed. The invention is especially useful in systems for treating dough pieces, particularly those used in preparing fried chip foods, to remove malformed pieces such as masa lumps. The mechanism can include a rotatable wheel having a plurality of radial blades extending from a central axis for selectively ejecting the malformed articles from a surface on which both the malformed and normally-shaped articles are interpositioned in the array and are conveyed past and below the outermost extremity of the blades. The ejected articles can be collected for recycling or disposal while the remaining acceptably-formed articles are retained for other treatment or use.

Abstract: A process for the extraction of thaumatin from the fruit of T. daniellii, comprises the steps of skinning the fruit, drying the pulp and mechanically separating the arils from the remainder of the fruit, powdering or otherwise comminuting the dried aril and extracting the resultant powder with water in the absence of added salts while maintaining the pH in the range 2.0 to 4.5. The drying of the skinned fruit is advantageously a freeze-drying process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a drying device for coagulating and/or drying a fluid material having significant solids content, such as animal blood, to produce a dried solid product where the device includes generally an upwardly sloped elongate housing of generally semicircular cross section of selected diameter to define a coagulation chamber where the top of a portion of the chamber can be open, heat source means to selectively heat the housing, elongate screw conveyor means disposed within the housing with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing where the screw conveyor has a shaft with generally continuous helical blade means extending radially therefrom and having an outer diameter approximately equal to the interior diameter of the chamber and where the screw conveyor is adapted for rotation in the chamber to agitate the fluid in a portion of the housing and to convey solid material from a first lower end of the housing, toward a second, higher, end of the housing for e

Abstract: In the preparation of a dry, stable, phosphoric acid acidulated beverage mix, heretofore, a phosphoric acid chemical stabilizer was required due to the notorious hygroscopicity of H.sub.3 PO.sub.4, particularly in fructose sweetened systems. This invention eliminates the need for such stabilizers via the employment of pulverized crystalline sugar for improved structural stability, faster solubility and non-hygroscopicity of the dry beverage mix heretofore unknown in the art. The dry beverage mix of the present invention rapidly dissolves in aqueous solution which may be carbonated to form colas, root beers, sarsaparillas or any other beverage which contains phosphoric acid as a flavoring ingredient and acidulent. This dry beverage mix is made via vacuum drying a uniform slurry of the pulverized sugar, liquid flavorant and phosphoric acid acidulent.

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: A process is described of making active dried yeast comprising drying moist yeast particles in a fluidized bed and, during the fluidized bed drying, and before the yeast has a dry matter content of 80%, subjecting the particles to disintegration forces while they are fluidized, the disintegration forces being sufficient to prevent any substantial increase in particle size but insufficient to break the yeast cells themselves.

Abstract: A coffee like beverage product prepared solely from soybeans. By the combination of conditions employed, the result is a ground and roast soybean product which can be substituted for coffee, and which tastes and appears remarkably like coffee. The process involves removing most of the oil from green soybeans, crushing the green soybeans, grinding the crushed green soybeans, and thereafter roasting the same.

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: 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: A composition of matter primarily including cooked, dried and pulverized artichoke may be used as a flavor enhancer for meat, fish, foul, vegetables and foods of all kinds. The flavor enhancer increases the natural flavor of the food upon which it is used without masking or adding a particularly distinctive flavor different than the food with which it is used. Minority amounts of fava beans, and escarole, similarly cooked, dried and pulverized may be combined in a mixture with the processed artichoke.

Abstract: Improved particulate dehydrated potatoes are prepared by a process in which both a food additive amount of ethoxylated monoglyceride and a food additive amount of an edible monoglyceride (e.g. GMS) are incorporated into the potatoes prior to dehydration.

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 process is described of making active dried yeast comprising drying crumbly yeast aggregates in a fluidized bed and, during the fluid bed drying, and before the yeast has a dry matter content of 80%, subjecting the aggregates to disintegration forces while they are fluidized and while the dry matter content of the yeast is from 50 to 70%, the disintegration forces being sufficient to break the aggregates down into powder but insufficient to break the yeast cells themselves.

Abstract: A method of using raw undefatted wheat germ by baking a mixture of raw wheat germ, flour, fat and soluble carbohydrate, grinding the baked product, mixing the ground product with a baking mix of flour and water to provide a batter and baking the batter to produce a final product.

Abstract: Bite-size pieces of fruit are prepared by a process wherein the fruit is partially dehydrated, puffed, and then heated to obtain a crisp outer surface thereon. The fruit is puffed by immersing it in a pool of liquid carbon dioxide under pressure and then rapidly releasing the pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus and method comprised of a plurality of doctoring units, each of which is a pivotally supported combination doctor blade and V-shaped member, is described. In each unit the leading edge of the doctor blade is parallel to the plane of the surface of a processing belt conveying the material to be dried and the leading edge formed by the two plane faces of the V-shaped member is generally perpendicular to the plane of the belt when the unit is in doctoring position. In addition to doctoring, the apparatus and method imparts a tumbling action to the material being dried by the plowshare action of the V-shaped member. Comestibles dried with this method and apparatus can be transferred directly from the method to a puffing operation, thereby eliminating the usual time consuming equilibration period.

Abstract: Fruit flakes made by applying a moist mass of fruit pulp, sugar and starchy material to a hot smooth substrate in a thin layer, at least partially dehydrating said layer to form a cohesive film, peeling said film from said substrate and forming said film into an irregular structure, drying said film until it is brittle, and dividing said film into flakes.

Abstract: High protein active dried bakers' yeast having excellent gas production is prepared from yeast strains Ng 2031 and Ng 2103 having a protein content of 47 to 60%. Drying is carried out by dividing fresh compressed yeast into particles followed by contacting the particles with a stream of hot air initially at a maximum temperature of 160.degree. C until the yeast is dried to at least 85% dry matter content by weight in not more than 120 minutes. The air temperature is gradually decreased so that the temperature of the yeast does not rise above 50.degree. C. A swelling and/or wetting agent may be mixed with the yeast before drying.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for milling grain while simultaneously cooking the grain in which the grain is introduced between coaxial relatively rotatable grinding members and advances therebetween while being milled. The milling of the grain develops heat in the grain which converts the moisture therein to steam which effects cooking of the grain. Most, if not all, of the steam thus generated is reabsorbed by the milled grain as it emerges from the apparatus. In order to enhance the cooking effect on the grain, the outer one of the conical grinding members has a heated gaseous medium supplied thereto and the mill includes an impeller for forcing the gaseous medium through the inner one of the grinding members so that both of the grinding members are heated and thereby enhance the cooking of the grain being milled in the apparatus.

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: Vegetable or vegetable pieces are subjected to partial dehydration with hot air to a moisture content less than about 30% and are thereafter contacted with a hot humid gaseous medium (preferably air) having a dry bulb temperature from about 140.degree.F to about 200.degree.F and a wet bulb temperature from about 120.degree.F to about 180.degree.F for a time period less than 12 minutes such that bacteria levels in the vegetables are reduced without adversely affecting other quality attributes, i.e. color, flavor, texture and without causing heat damage to the vegetables. The thusly contacted, partially dehydrated vegetables are then further dehydrated with hot air so as the reduce the moisture content of the vegetables to less than about 8%.

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: Food products, such as meat, poultry and fish analogs, are prepared from plant protein concentrate by formulating an aqueous dispersion of the protein with or without the addition of an edible oil, converting the dispersion to a dry sheeted product, laminating the sheets and thereafter rehydrating the product.

Abstract: A dehydrated potato product is produced in a singlepass, non-addback process by preparing and cooking potatoes, mixing the cooked potatoes with a starch complexing emulsifier in the range of 0.3 to 2.0% by weight of solids to coat the surface of the potato cells, and mixing the resulting mash while directly subjecting the mash to a high velocity heated air stream to dry the mash to a point at which partially dried particles are airlifted and removed from the mixer-dryer. The partially dried cells are then dried to completion by conventional means. The starch complexing emulsifier reduces the adhesive characteristics of the mash, allowing separation of intact cells without damage after reducing the mash moisture to the range of about 30 to 50%. The dehydrated cooked potato product consists of intact potato cells in granular form substantially passing through a standard 60 mesh screen with high cold water absorption characteristics and rehydratable in hot water into mealy mashed potatoes.

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.