With Cutting, Or Mechanically Subdividing Solid Material, E.g., Slicing, Comminuting, Slitting, Etc. Patents (Class 426/518)
  • Publication number: 20090142463
    Abstract: A double handle knife is described with secondary handle rotatable upon a pivot post. In further embodiments: the secondary handle is mounted to top front of the blade: at a fixed angle; by splined means; or by indexable means. Attachments convert single handle knife into double handle knife functioning identical to those described above. Methods are described utilizing the double handle knife invention in any of its embodiments being gripped by the dominant hand on the primary handle, four fingers of the non-dominant hand being placed evenly upon the secondary handle with long axis thereof positioned at an angle of 45 degrees (+ or ?25) degrees to the long axis of the knife blade, the palm/or thumb of the same hand positioning the food item, both hands applying downward pressure and the food item being easily and accurately cut.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventor: Brian William Hayes
  • Publication number: 20090139096
    Abstract: A double handle knife is described with the secondary handle rotatable upon a pivot post. In further embodiments: the secondary handle is mounted to the top of the blade at a fixed angle of 45 degrees (±25) degrees between the long axis of the secondary handle and the long axis of the knife blade; and attachments are described to convert single handle knifes into double handle knives functioning identical to those described above. A methods is described utilizing the double handle knife invention in any of its embodiments being gripped by the dominant hand on the primary handle, four fingers of the non-dominant hand being placed evenly upon the secondary handle with long axis thereof positioned at an angle of 45 degrees (±25) degrees to the long axis of the knife blade, the palm/or thumb of the same hand positioning the food item, both hands applying downward pressure and the food item being easily and accurately cut.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventor: Brian William Hayes
  • Publication number: 20090123623
    Abstract: A dicing tool having: a foodstuff holder for holding a block of foodstuff and a cutting base; the cutting base having: a rectangular framework for sliding the foodstuff holder therealong; a first part having an triangular shaped front edge, equally spaced triangular cutting blades being arranged in a triangular arrangement that follows the profile of the triangularly shaped front edge; a handle; a second part having a second upper surface and a right front edge and a left front edge arranged in a deep V shape, with continuous blades attached to the right and left front edges; wherein the second upper surface is always parallel to the first surface and can be slidingly reciprocated between an upper position and a lower position where the horizontal blade is substantially on a level with the first surface and the base of the triangular cutting blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventor: Edward Tweg
  • Publication number: 20090117244
    Abstract: A method of cutting a beef chuck roll to provide a plurality of higher value beef products includes the steps of: cutting the chuck roll along at least three cut lines to separate the chuck roll into four primary muscles, a first or eye muscle, a second or rhomboideus muscle, a third or splenius muscle and a fourth or serratus ventralis muscle; and trimming each of the four primary muscles to remove excess fat, seams, silver and other undesirable components. Some of the primary muscles are tenderized and marketed as boneless chuck roast products. Some of the primary muscles are cut across the grain into boneless chuck steaks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: SKIPPACK CREEK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eugene D. GAGLIARDI
  • Publication number: 20090107311
    Abstract: An auto-centering apparatus and method of auto-centering and dividing a cheese loaf into equal cheese portions is disclosed wherein the cheese loaf is loaded on to a bottom conveyor that centers the cheese along the cutting harp centerline and equally divides the cheese loaf to provide substantially equally sized cheese portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Thomas R. Hiti
  • Patent number: 7524522
    Abstract: Specifically, a dry corn fractionation system which operates to produce an endosperm fraction which can be concurrently of greater purity at greater yield than obtainable from corn milling or dry corn milling processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: MOR Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth E. DeLine, Daniel L. Claycamp, Daniel Fetherston
  • Publication number: 20090087529
    Abstract: A method for preparing roasted vegetables includes drying a vegetable to reduce the moisture level from 10% to 65% from the starting moisture level of the vegetable. The method for preparing roasted vegetables further includes roasting the vegetable for between about 0.25 seconds to about 15 seconds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: ConAgra Foods Food Ingredients Compnay, Inc.
    Inventors: Abizer M. Khairullah, Wade H. Swanson, Ingrid A. Montgomery
  • Patent number: 7501144
    Abstract: A food condiment slice, method of using, composition and method for making, and methods for manufacturing are described. The food condiment slices are used with sandwiches, other food products, and beverages. The food condiment slices may have different structures such as face-fused, side-fused, face-fused-side-fused, woven, and chopped. The food condiment slices are formed from condiments such as catsup, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, steak sauce, jellies, jam, preserves, butter, margarine, marinades, creamers, and syrups. More than one food condiment can be integrated into a single food condiment slice. The food condiment slices eliminate the need and inconvenience of using and carrying spreadable, squeezable, and pourable food condiments. Also included are beverage condiment slices or discs such as coffee or tea dairy and non-dairy creamers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Inventor: Robin S. Gray
  • Publication number: 20090053377
    Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
  • Patent number: 7487719
    Abstract: This application discloses a method for separating banana clusters into individual fruits. In this method, the banana cluster is hung on a carrier (such as a cable) in such a way that the hanging point is the place where the banana fruit stalks converge (at the crown). The cluster and/or the cutter are moved toward each other and the cutter is positioned such that the cutter cuts the fruit stalks at a point lower than the cluster hanging point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Chiquita Brands International, Inc.
    Inventors: Raul Fernandez, Gonzalo Marquez, Kevin Forsyth, Julio Vasquez, Mark Bakhakh, Yury Buch, Sergey Klimin, Vladimir Vasiliev, Oleg Feigenson, Illya Ilyin, Yuriy Yaess
  • Publication number: 20090035435
    Abstract: Tomatoes (11) or other articles are placed over moving cutter blades (20) in article openings (46) of an article locator (44) of the article slicer (10). Article pushers (24) move downwardly and have downwardly extending pusher fins (26) for pushing the tomatoes though the cutter blades (20). The article pushers (24) have laterally extending front openings (36) for receiving a high pressure fluid spray for cleaning the fins (26) and cutter blades (20) without disassembling the components of the slicer. The article pushers (24) are carried by a movable support plate (78) between retracted positions behind the cutter blades (20) and extended positions over the cutter blades (20). A pick and placer (76) is carried by the same movable support plate (78) and moves simultaneously in the same lateral directions as the article pushers (24), between positions over the on-coming line of tomatoes (11) on an entrance conveyor (64) and over the cutter blades (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: MAXWELL CHASE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Ivan Stanojevic
  • Publication number: 20090004357
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods of using the apparatus for manufacturing irregularly shaped and sized products, and in particular cheese irregularly shaped and sized crumbles from cheeses, such as semi-soft cheeses including types of cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey jack, Colby, pepper jack, provolone, Swiss, Mexican cheeses and any other combinations of two or more varieties. The apparatus preferably includes five knife assemblies that combine to reduce bulk cheese products into irregularly shaped and sized cheese crumbles in a high-speed commercial manufacturing process. In addition, the apparatus includes one or more augers having flights configured for working or reshaping peripheral edges of the cheese during the manufacturing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Inventors: Michael S. McCormick, Donald Atkinson, Russell Butalla, Carl Yessa
  • Publication number: 20080314262
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a curly sliced potato chip includes: a base frame; a cutting blade coupled to the base frame; and a rotatable threaded rod having a predetermined threaded pitch to which rod the potato is mounted. The rod is turned to rotate the potato while it is in a cutting position and to displace it toward or away from the cutting blade. A quick release engaging member has a threaded portion with a pitch compatible with the pitch of the rod. The member is fixed relative to the base frame and is selectively coupled with the threaded rod to selectively drive the potato mounted on the rod toward or away from the cutting blade as the rod is rotated. The potato is displaced toward or away the cutting blade at a linear displacement rate determined by the pitch of the threaded rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventor: Steven Stark
  • Patent number: 7459174
    Abstract: Precooked and partially-debranned corn flour is continuously produced by an enzymatic precooking using a commercial blend of xylanase, endoamylase and endoprotease as a processing aid. The low-temperature and neutral-pH precooking with an endoenzyme solution effected a partial bran hydrolysis while avoiding excessive pregelatinization, reduced washing and corn solid loss in wastewater. Moisture content is then stabilized, followed by milling and drying at a high-temperature and short-time to produce a controlled gelatinization and denaturation in the ground kernel, cooling and further drying the dried-ground particle. A fine particle size or flour is separated and recovered from the coarser particle which is also segregated to isolate a partially hydrolysed bran fraction for integral flour or animal feed diet, remilling and sieving the coarser particle to produce an instant corn flour for snack, and admixing the fine particle with lime to obtain a masa flour for tortilla and other corn foods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Investigacion De Tecnologia Avanzada, S.A. De C.V.
    Inventors: Felipe A. Rubio, Manuel J. Rubio, Roberto Contreras, J. Fernando Ramirez, Rodrigo Lobeira Massu
  • Publication number: 20080289466
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a food dough cutting method and cutting device thereof capable of forming conveyed food dough strips that have nearly identical weight per unit time when dividing band shaped food dough into multiple food dough strips in the conveyance direction, and is further capable of performing the same number of cuts for each food dough strip when cutting each food dough strip along the width direction into food dough pieces having a specified weight. The conveyed food dough is aligned to a position that is displaced by just an alignment displacement amount with respect to a reference position that is based on the installation position of cutting members. The alignment displacement amount is calculated based on the ratio of the width dimension of the food dough and the lengths of food dough pieces that are cut from food dough strips on both sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: RHEON AUTOMATIC MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Takama, Susumu Kominato, Hiroshi Ueno
  • Patent number: 7455871
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing starch-free flour includes the steps of grinding a starch-free rice bran to form a bran powder; finely grinding the bran powder under a predetermined circumstance to form nano bran fine particles carrying positive charges and having water and oil absorbing ability; and mixing the nano bran fine particles with protein powders and gluten powders to form the starch-free flour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Inventor: Eukki Qi Yu
  • Patent number: 7455873
    Abstract: A method and system for processing at least one rope of aerated confectionery foam. The method includes extruding at least one rope of aerated confectionery foam from an extruder. The rope is conveyed from the extruder to a rotary cutter. An anti-sticking agent, such as powdered starch, is applied to the rope as the rope is conveyed from the extruder to the rotary cutter. Finally, the rope is cut into pieces with the rotary cutter. In one preferred embodiment, the rotary cutter is operated to perform at least 5,000 cuts per minute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip K. Zietlow, James N. Weinstein, Michael P. Waldherr
  • Patent number: 7438943
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for roasting vegetables and fruit, and the resultant roasted food product. In particular, the present method partially dehydrates the vegetable or fruit followed by roasting the dehydrated product, to produce a dehydro-roasted food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: ConAgra Foods Food Ingredients Company
    Inventors: Abizer M. Khairullah, Wade H. Swanson, Ingrid A. Montgomery
  • Patent number: 7425344
    Abstract: A process for producing an ultrafine-milled whole-grain wheat flour which has the full nutritional value of wheat kernels, while retaining the texture of refined wheat flour and an appearance similar to refined wheat flour, and the products which can be made from the ultrafine-milled whole-grain wheat flour. The process can also be used for producing an ultrafine-milled coarse fraction, which can be used as a replacement and to fortify refined wheat flour. The ultrafine-milled coarse fraction can be used in bakery products, snack products and food products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: ConAgra Foods Food Ingredients Company
    Inventors: Theodore Korolchuk, Elizabeth Arndt
  • Patent number: 7419694
    Abstract: A process for producing an ultrafine-milled whole-grain wheat flour which has the full nutritional value of wheat kernels, while retaining the texture of refined wheat flour and an appearance similar to refined wheat flour, and the products which can be made from the ultrafine-milled whole-grain wheat flour. The process can be used for producing an ultrafine-milled coarse fraction. Further, using the process with a variety of other grains is discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: ConAgra Foods Food Ingredients Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Theodore Korolchuk
  • Patent number: 7416752
    Abstract: A method is provided for fortifying a seed, grain, nut, bean, or the like with an essential fatty acid such as docosahexaenoic acid or eicosapentaenoic acid. Using the method, it is possible to produce seeds that can be used as a dietary source of that essential fatty acid. A seed that has been soaked in an aqueous mixture containing an essential fatty acid so as to become fortified with the fatty acid, and a food product formed using the seed are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Ingrained Functional Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce J. Holub, Arun Nagpurkar
  • Publication number: 20080196566
    Abstract: A food slicing machine is provided which includes restraining apparatus operative to engage the sides of a food product (4) to be sliced to produce lateral location of the food product. The restraining apparatus comprises a moveable member (8) operative to push a food product to be sliced against a guide (10). The machine is arranged to cause gripping apparatus (5) to engage one end of the food product when the food product is pressed by the moveable member against the guide, after which the moveable member moves away from the food product and thereby releases the lateral pressure on the food product prior to slicing thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: AEW DELFORD SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventor: Alan Culling
  • Patent number: 7413761
    Abstract: A method of treating solvent-extracted plant residue comprises (a) providing a plant residue of one or more plant parts with a reduced content of plant fats, the fats having been extracted by means of a solvent for said plant fats; (b) mixing said solvent-extracted plant residue with a conditioning fat; and (c) milling said mixture of plant residue and conditioning fat under reduced pressure, said conditioning fat being in a liquid state. If the milling step has taken place at a temperature below about 100° C., the resulting milled compound mixture is subjected to (d) a post heat treatment at temperatures above 100° C. A compound mixture of milled solvent-extracted plant residue and conditioning fat obtainable by the method. Food products and feeds comprising said compound mixture of milled solvent-extracted plant residue and conditioning fat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Aarhuskarlshamn Denmark A/S
    Inventors: Jens Mellerup, Claus Frost
  • Patent number: 7413760
    Abstract: Visually appealing heterogeneous puffed flaked Ready-to-Eat (“R-T-E”) cereal products with varied texture and density have a first continuous denser portion and a second discontinuous portion in the form of more highly puffed discrete regions. The R-T-E cereal products are fabricated from a dried heterogeneous cooked cereal mass comprising a continuous phase provided by macerated cooked cereal ingredients, e.g., cut whole wheat and a discontinuous phase containing added discrete hydrated intact parboiled medium grain rice. The cereal products are made by preparation methods involving forming the workable heterogonous cooked cereal dough into wet pellets having discrete pieces of the parboiled rice; drying the wet pellets to form dried pellets; flaking the dried pellets to form wet flakes; and, heating the wet flakes to dry and puff the flakes to form puffed flakes having 2-5% moisture and bulk density of 270-480 g/liter. The flakes can be pre-sweetened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Green, Nathan W. Lukecart
  • Patent number: 7407680
    Abstract: A carrot is sliced in the longitudinal direction in such a way that the slice surface passes through the core portion, the sliced carrot fragment is blanched and the blanched carrot fragment is extracted to obtain a vegetable extract, so as to manufacture a vegetable extract. By slicing the carrot in the longitudinal direction so as to pass through the core portion, a larger area of the core portion towards which the presence of nitrate ions is biased can be exposed, the contact area between the core portion and the blanching water can be increased and more nitrate ions can be eluted and removed at blanching time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: ITO EN, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Sato, Yasuhiko Ikegawa, Takanobu Takihara
  • Publication number: 20080179803
    Abstract: A cutting board assembly includes a frame, including a support platform; a cutting board removably retained on the support platform; a grating portion disposed in the support platform; and a peeling portion disposed in the support platform. A container is received by and retained within the frame. The container is movable between a retracted position, in which the container is substantially disposed interior to the frame, and a protracted position, in which the container is substantially disposed exterior to the frame. The grating portion is located relative to the container such that bits of food that are grated using the grating portion are received and retained within the container. The peeling portion is located relative to the container such that portions of food that are cut using the peeling portion are received and retained within the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: CCB Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jerry Shew, Daniel Lee Bizzell
  • Patent number: 7396555
    Abstract: A method for making a low or reduced carbohydrate dough for making snack food products with a reduced carbohydrate content. Legumes such as soybeans are cooked near boiling, drained, and milled. Dry ingredients such as starch, fiber, and/or protein can be added to lower the dough moisture content so the dough can be sheeted and cut into pre-forms. The pre-forms can then be cooked, by frying or baking, and seasoned to make a low carbohydrate tortilla-like snack food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore James Baumgartner, Richard Todd Smith
  • Patent number: 7378116
    Abstract: Method and system for continuously producing pieces of liquid-filled gum material. An extruded rope of liquid-filed gum is sized and separated into individual pieces of gum. A rotating drum mechanism having a die ring and cutter ring with mating die members separate the rope of gum material into individual pieces. Pairs of cam-operated plunger members compress and form the pieces of gum material in the die cavities. Angled grooves in the die members prevent portions of the gum pieces from being chipped-off during formation. Guide pin members are positioned between rider members on the plunger members. A feed chute with air assist transfers the gum rope from a sizing table to the rotating drum mechanism. A stripper member insures that the formed pieces of gum material are removed from the drum mechanism. Portions of the drum mechanism can be selective heated and cooled, or not cooled at all. The invention provides a more efficient system for continuous, high production operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Cadbury Adams USA LLC
    Inventors: Joseph M. Bunkers, James Duggan
  • Patent number: 7374790
    Abstract: A method to process soft-shelled turtle eggs into fine granules by rinsing and removing foreign matter from eggs, blending eggshells, and egg white and egg yolk; then having the harder eggshells separated from the softer mixture of egg white and yolk, and frozen to be separately ground before having granules of eggshells mixed with that of egg white and yolk ground once again into fine granules of final product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Inventor: Tieh-Ken Yen
  • Patent number: 7368140
    Abstract: Raw material nuts may be quenched using an extremely low temperature liquefied gas to produce cracks in the raw material nuts. The cracked raw material nuts may then be crumbled along the cracks to separate the nuts into small nut fragments. After returning the temperature of the nuts to the ambient temperature, additional cracks can be further produced in the nut fragments by quenching the nut fragments. Smaller nut fragments can then be obtained by crumbling along the cracks. Small nut fragments in desired sizes may be obtained by repeating the process of cracking and crumbling as many times as desired. The astringent skin of the nuts may also be peeled off while the small nut fragments are produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Tabata Inc.
    Inventor: Yutaka Tabata
  • Publication number: 20080081098
    Abstract: A produce cutting machine may include a supporting structure, an endless conveyor coupled to the supporting structure and produce holding cups coupled to the endless conveyor. A pivoting cutting frame may house cutting assemblies with curved cutting blades configured to cut produce. The pivoting cutting frame may pivot to a lowered position above the endless conveyor to locate the cutting assemblies in a cutting location. A primary connecting rod may synchronically couple the endless conveyor with the pivoting cutting frame such that the produce holding cups and cutting assemblies converge at the cutting location. At convergence, a positional sensor may trigger an actuator to close the cutting assemblies and cut the produce. With produce such as broccoli and cauliflower, the cutting may produce florets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Inventor: Orval Zane Burke
  • Publication number: 20080032016
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a substantially spiral shaped food product is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a die defining a plurality of apertures disposed in a circle about a center. The apparatus also includes at least one cutting blade disposed for rotation about the center and operable to intermittently pass fully across each of the apertures during rotation. The apparatus also includes a plurality of slicing blades arranged for individual rotation about one of the plurality of apertures. The plurality of slicing blades are also arranged for continuous extension less than fully across the one aperture. The apparatus also includes a planetary coupling arrangement operably disposed to facilitate reciprocating rotation between the at least one cutting blade and the plurality of slicing blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventors: Chris Willoughby, Charles A. Smith, Norbert Gimmler
  • Publication number: 20080008805
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a bean processing device comprising: a first processing tank, which comprises a first pulverizer, the first processing tank is for loading the beans for soaking, cooking and crushing; a second pulverizer, which is applied as a holding tank for the fine crushing of the primary crushed beans from the first processing tank; a second processing tank, which is connected with the second pulverizer, and applied for holding the bean products; and a conjunction pipe, which is applied for connecting the first processing tank and the second pulverizer to form a airtight automatic processing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: Brasfanta Industria e Comercio Ltda.
    Inventors: Shu-Liang Wang, Edson Chang
  • Publication number: 20070292577
    Abstract: A process for preparation of milled cocoa shell including grinding cocoa shell in a single unit operation in a short-duration manner without the need for moving mechanical parts. The milled cocoa shell product obtained from the grinding treatment has reduced heat degradation and avoids equipment maintenance concerns otherwise associated with mechanical milling of the cocoa shells while providing an edible granular product useful for food manufacture such as chocolate food production.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Gabriele M. Kopp, Stephen M. Pearson, Manoj Shah
  • Patent number: 7306820
    Abstract: Disclosure is made of a method for thawing frozen ground fish meats which comprises almost uniformly milling a frozen ground fish meat mass and then thawing it by elevating temperature. Disclosure is further made of a process for producing materials for fish paste products which involves the step of mixing under stirring the ground fish meat thus thawed together with additives with the use of a pin mixer. Disclosure is furthermore made of a process for producing kamaboko which comprises molding the material for fish paste products thus obtained, passing electric current therethrough, thus heating the molded products due to the electrical resistance within the same, subjecting the products to suwari gelation by heating for a definite time and then further heating the same. The method of the present invention is widely usable in the industrial fields with the use of frozen ground fish meats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kibun Shokuhin
    Inventors: Masahito Hoashi, Hisashi Nozaki, Kikuo Tashima, Yuji Sakayori
  • Publication number: 20070281062
    Abstract: A method of making an enhanced corn masa by roasting corn kernels to neutralize the corn seed prior to cooking and soaking the corn in lime. Roasting of the corn kernels provides numerous benefits including the ability to dial in a roasted flavor with the use of blends of roasted and unroasted kernels, a higher conversion of the corn kernel into a finished product, a reduced acrylamide content in finished product, and fewer off-flavors in baked products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventor: Wilfred Marcellien Bourg
  • Patent number: 7293974
    Abstract: Apparatus for cutting a puff extrudate utilizing a blade that passes through the extrudate while the extrudate is in a viscous melt stage. The present invention utilizes a tube to facilitate production of a curly puff extrudate. A gap is provided in between the tube and the extruder die to allow a blade to access the extrudate as it exits an orifice in the die. The blade accesses the extrudate at the viscous melt stage, before the extrudate has cooled and hardened. The blade nicks the extrudate, as opposed to completely cutting it, which allows the extrudate to remain connected throughout processing such as curling in the containment tube. The gap also allows steam to be vented form the extrudate as it exits the orifice in the die. The nicked extrudate separates when fried or baked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugenio Bortone, Daniel Eugene Orr, Devang Jitendra Sutaria
  • Patent number: 7291356
    Abstract: A process of making cheese, e.g., a mozzarella variety cheese, is disclosed. It comprises the following steps: (a) preparing a cheese curd; (b) grinding the curd while in admixture with (i) an aqueous solution of at least one cheese emulsifying salt and (ii) at least one GRAS food additive in the form of a comminuted solid, to obtain an emulsifier/additive-impregnated ground curd; and (c) converting the emulsifier/additive-impregnated curd into cheese either by (i) heating, kneading, and stretching the emulsifier/additive-impregnated ground curd to obtain a homogeneous mass of cheese, or (ii) pressing the emulsifier/additive-impregnated ground curd to obtain a homogeneous mass of cheese. Examples of suitable GRAS food additives include gums, stabilizers, dairy solids (e.g., non-fat dry milk or whey protein concentrate), cheese powders, non-dairy protein isolates, sodium chloride, native or modified food starches, colorants, and flavorants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Leprino Foods Company
    Inventors: Richard Kevin Merrill, Terry Leroy Anderson
  • Patent number: 7288275
    Abstract: An animal chew is provided formed by rolling a mixture of binder and base material into a sheet. Base material, such as an edible material, including but not limited to starch, protein matter, vegetable or plant matter, is mixed with a binder. The mixture is then supplied to a screw conveyor followed by introduction onto rollers to form a sheet. The sheet may then be cut into a desired shape. The overall process may be made continuous, and the manufacturing conditions may be selectively controlled at each step, with respect to variable a such as temperature and moisture levels, to substantially maintain the overall nutritional value of the formed edible compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: T.F.H. Publications, Inc
    Inventors: Glen S. Axelrod, Ajay Gajria, Richard Best
  • Patent number: 7282234
    Abstract: A method for producing a jerked meat rawhide chew toys has acts of providing rawhide chew toys, preparing meat, processing the meat, coating the rawhide chew toys with meat and drying the rawhide chew toys coated with meat. According to the method, the rawhide chew toys are coated with meat and jerked to improve dogs' desire to chew rawhide chew toys a long time to achieve the objective of cleaning dogs' teeth better.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Inventor: Chia-Lung Shu
  • Patent number: 7267832
    Abstract: Amorphous water-soluble calcium citrate salts having a mole ratio of calcium to citrate of less than 2.5:2, and powdered beverage mixes and liquid compositions fortified with these amorphous water-soluble calcium citrate salts as a calcium source, are provided. Liquid compositions fortified with calcium citrate according to this invention have superior dispersability, solubility, appearance, and storage stability. These liquid compositions are prepared by new methods that provide and preserve a stable amorphous character in the dry powdered product salts. The present invention also is directed to a method of administering such calcium citrate-fortified liquid compositions to increase the dietary calcium intake in individuals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Bary Lyn Zeller, Robert Charles Dinwoodie, Ahmad Akashe, Cheryl Jean Baldwin
  • Patent number: 7264836
    Abstract: A triple coextruded baked good having a bar shape with a desired substantially smaller height than width, is continuously produced with distinct, at least substantially uniform concentric fillings which are visually apparent at opposing cut ends of the baked piece. The bar-shaped products are preferably cookies with dissimilar fillings, such as a fruit filling and a cheese-cake filling. Undesirable excessive flow of a middle filling or layer towards the cross-sectional ends or sides rather than the top and bottom of the coextrudate is substantially reduced by obstructing and diverting the flow of the middle filling through the middle die orifice so that it flows towards the top and bottom elongated portions of the middle annulus. A baked product having a substantially even middle concentric layer which is desirably uniformly thick and continuous at least across the top and bottom is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Kevin McHugh, Robert John Profita, Jill Margaret Critchley, Nicole Remily
  • Patent number: 7264834
    Abstract: A food additive slurry composition which comprises 100 parts by weight of at least one magnesium ingredient selected from the group consisting of magnesium hydroxide, magnesium silicate, magnesium oxide, magnesium phosphate and magnesium hydrogen phosphate, and 2 to 55 parts by weight of at least one emulsion stabilizer selected from the group consisting of polyglycerol fatty acid ester, gum arabic, processed starch, sucrose fatty acid ester having an HLB of 8 or higher, carboxymethyl cellulose (hereinafter, referred to as CMC), methyl cellulose (hereinafter, referred to as MC), propylene glycol alginate (hereinafter, referred to as PGA), water-soluble soybean polysaccharide, condensed phosphate, gum ghatti, phospholipid and arabino galactan is provided. The food additive composition can be highly concentrated and is excellent in flavor as well as dispersibility in liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Maruo Calcium Company Limited
    Inventors: Hisakazu Hojo, Naoki Kubota
  • Patent number: 7250186
    Abstract: A process for the manufacture of cooked cereals or dry pet food by preparing a mixture of water and a dry premix mainly comprising cereal flour or semolina, and pressing the mixture, with the aid of a gear pump, firstly through a heat exchanger wherein it is cooked and then through an extrusion die to form an extruded product. Also, an apparatus for carrying out the process and a product obtainable by the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventors: Werner Pfaller, Ernst Heck, Jean Horisberger
  • Patent number: 7247011
    Abstract: A patty forming system which includes a first generally disc-like mold chamber and a second loading chamber in which a manually operated plunger is mounted for reciprocal movement. When the plunger is moved towards the mold chamber, the mass of material from which a patty is to be formed will be forced into the mold chamber and be molded into the shape of such chamber. Preferably the diameter of the mold chamber is variable depending upon the quantity of material forced into such chamber by the plunger. An automatic spring loaded patty ejector may also be incorporated with the plunger mechanism to facilitate removal of the patty from the mold chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Inventors: Barett A. St. Germain, Andrew Millson
  • Patent number: 7226632
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for making rice congee wherein crushed rice is chilled prior to addition to boiling water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Compagnie Gervais Danone
    Inventors: Janet Wong, Maria Ho
  • Patent number: 7223431
    Abstract: A method of shredding a block of material, which can be a block of cheese, includes moving blades about an axis and feeding a block of material in a feed plane toward the moving blades in a feeding direction, where the feeding direction is substantially perpendicular to the axis about which the blades move. A drive unit is provided that moves the blades about the axis, wherein the blades define a cutting perimerer, and a feed unit is provided that moves the block of material toward the cutting perimeter on a feed plane and in the feeding direction. In one embodiment, the blades are on a rotating drum and the feeding direction is generally perpendicular to and rotated about 90° from the axis about which the blades move. The plurality of blades cut shreds of material from a front face of the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Schreiber Foods, Inc.
    Inventor: Shawn Owens
  • Patent number: 7214398
    Abstract: A pH increasing material is placed in contact with the surface of an initial comminuted meat product. This contact with the pH increasing material increases the pH of the initial meat product to produce an intermediate meat product. The method also includes the step of removing the pH increasing material and applying mechanical action to the intermediate, pH increased meat product. The method may also include placing a pH lowering gas at a neutralizing pressure in contact with the surface of the intermediate meat product to decrease the pH of the meat product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Freezing Machines, Inc.
    Inventor: Eldon Roth
  • Patent number: 7205015
    Abstract: A method for producing a jerked meat rawhide chew toys has steps of forming rawhide chew toys, preparing neat, processing the meat, coating the rawhide chew toys with meat and drying the rawhide chew toys coated with meat. According to the method, the rawhide chew toys are coated with meat and jerked to improve dogs' desire to chew rawhide chew toys a long time to achieve the objective of cleaning dogs' teeth better.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Inventor: Chia-Lung Shu
  • Patent number: 7175870
    Abstract: A form of garlic and process for making same in which cloves of garlic are cut into bits, blanched or baked to reduce the strength of the garlic flavor and bitterness, and then fried to produce ready-to-use, crunchy, roasted flavor garlic pieces that can be conveniently stored and dispensed from a shaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: The Garlic Company
    Inventors: John Layous, Richard Gorski, Peter Mattson