Abstract: An uncooked sunflower seed foodstuff is prepared from soaked, rinsed and sprouted raw, shelled sunflower seeds. The sprouted seeds by themselves, or with such nutritional or flavoring additives desired (such as raisins), are ground into a dough. This dough is formed into a flat shape and submitted to ambient or mildly heated air drying until thoroughly dried. The resultant product is palatable, filling, nutritious and life supporting.

Abstract: Soybean proteins are added in a predetermined amount to the ground fish meat (surimi), and the mixture is kneaded, compressed, heated, and is molded into a sheet by a twin-screw extruder. The sheet-like mixture is then cut into flakes, followed by frying, to efficiently produce fish-containing snack that exhibits crunch feeling like that of potato chips, that is rich in proteins, and that tastes good.

Abstract: A hash brown potato patty is formed from fresh potato shreds and a dry binder, deep fat fried and frozen for subsequent reheating in a conventional household toaster. The dry binder is made from fresh potato pieces which are blanched, frozen, ground to appropriate size, dried at a temperature below the resolubilization temperature of retrograded amylose and subsequently added to the potato shreds. The potato shreds are made by blanching and cooling fresh potato pieces and holding at a reduced temperature for a predetermined period of time. After shredding, water and the dry binder are mixed with the potato shreds, such that the dry binder is uniformly hydrated and dispersed within the shreds. During frying, the retrograded amylose in the binder forms an essentially continuous film around the periphery of the patty, reducing the oil absorption during frying and subsequent release during reheating.

Abstract: Novel products, such as snack foods, are disclosed that comprise waxy corn masa and have unique textures, as well as processing procedures adaptable to waxy corn masa that permit the production of low-oil content products.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and method for performing qualitative enzyme immunoassays. The device comprises at least one tube having antibody, antigen or hapten attached to an internal surface thereof. A first syringe is connectable to a first end of the tube or tubes and supplies a flow of test liquid therethrough. A second syringe having a two piston arrangement is connected to the tube so as to allow a first wash solution followed by an enzyme conjugate solution to be flowed therethrough. Finally a third syringe, also having a two piston configuration, is connected to the tube so as to allow a second wash solution followed by an enzyme substrate and metabolite indicator solution to be flowed therethrough.

Abstract: A snack food is prepared from whole kernel cereal, without milling, such as corn, rice or wheat and the like. By rehydrating the cereal to at least 25% moisture prior to low shear cooking extrusion to achieve about 75% gelatinization, then cooling and drying the material prior to extrusion into a selected form for further mechanical treatment or finish cooking and flavoring. When cooked in oil a lower fat product results.

Abstract: A high bran snack, for the prevention of colon cancer, of which a typical formulation is: graham (whole wheat) flour, 40 percent; rice flour, 10 percent; whole wheat bran flour, 50 percent; calcium carbonate, 1.25 percent; reduced iron, 0.013 percent; and riboflavin (as a tracer), 0.02 percent. About 5 ounces of water is added per 80 ounces of dry materials. The dry materials are mixed in a ribbon blender and then fed dry into a cooker extruder. Then the water is added to the mixture in the extruder. The mixture is extrusion cooked and formed in, for example, a twin-screw cooker extruder. Each of the ingredients in the formulation has a processing, nutritional or therapeutic purpose. The extruded pieces are coated with coconut oil and powdered flavorant.

Abstract: An expanded fried cereal-based snack product is prepared from a dough consisting essentially of (1) a low water-absorbing component (LOWAC) comprising one or more raw or partially gelatinized cereal flours comprising about 20% to about 80%, by weight, of the total dry solids; (2) a high water-absorbing component (HIWAC) comprising one or more pregelatinized cereal starches of flours comprising from about 10% to about 35%, by weight, of the total dry solids; and (3) a starch component comprising one or more ungelatinized starches comprising from about 10% to about 45%, by weight, of the total dry solids. The dry solids are mixed with water to form a dough having a moisture content from about 35% to about 50% by weight of the dough. The dough is then sheeted and cut into a dough piece which is fried in hot cooking oil to form a fried snack that expands about 1.4 to about 2.5 times during frying, producing a snack of uniform expansion and low fat content.

Abstract: An expanded fried cereal-based snack product is prepared from a dough consisting essentially of (1) a low water-absorbing component (LOWAC) comprising one or more raw or partially gelatinized cereal flours comprising about 15% to about 80%, by weight, of the total dry solids; (2) a high water-absorbing component (HIWAC) comprising one or more pregelatinized cereal starches or flours comprising from about 3% to about 40%, by weight, of the total dry solids; and (3) a starch component comprising one or more ungelatinized starches comprising from about 10% to about 45%, by weight, of the total dry solids. The dry solids are mixed with water to form a dough having a moisture content from about 40% to about 50%, by weight of the dough, and a dough piece is then extruded from the dough and fried in hot cooking oil to form a fried snack that expands about 1.2 to about 3.0 times during frying, producing a snack of uniform expansion and low fat content.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to enable the preparation of fried potato products with improved texture and texture stability.Potato pieces, such as strip-shaped French fries or disc-shaped dinner fries, have better inner and outer textures and retain a desirable textural contrast between the two longer after finish frying where the surface of the potato pieces is disrupted, preferably in combination with a blanching step and most preferably when done after a surface skin has been formed by air drying or par frying. Improvements are also seen where the pieces are blanched sufficiently to substantially completely gelatinize the potato starch and preferably are infused with low molecular weight soluble solids and then washed sufficiently to remove some of the soluble solids. The soluble solids, such as sodium chloride, within the potato pieces help to hold moisture internally of the pieces and to retard its exit through the crisp surface skin formed by frying.

Abstract: This invention provides a food material for puffing, which enables easy and uniform puffing without a special appliance and which has good taste, smell and texture. The food material for puffing comprises pre-gelatinized cereal grain, 0.2 to 11% by weight of ethyl alcohol, 0.25 to 16% by weight of fat and/or oil and if desirable other additives, the water content of said food material being between 5 and 45 weight %. The food material is used as a breakfast food or snack as well as for making rice crackers.

Abstract: A method of reducing phase-locking of fried snack food chips having corrugations on both surfaces includes forming at least some of the corrugations non-complementary so that corrugations of adjacent slices will not mate and surface tension of a washing or frying liquid will not cause an undersirable amount of phase-locking. A chip having a configuration with three spaced widened ridge corrugations is disclosed as is a blade shaped to provide such chip.

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: An expanded fried cereal-based snack product is prepared from a dough consisting essentially of (1) a low water-absorbing component (LOWAC) comprising one or more raw or partially gelatinized cereal flours comprising about 15% to about 80%, by weight, of the total dry solids; (2) a high water-absorbing component (HIWAC) comprising one or more pregelatinized cereal starches or flours comprising from about 3% to about 40%, by weight, of the total dry solids; and (3) a starch component comprising one or more ungelatinized starches comprising from about 10% to about 45%, by weight, of the total dry solids. The dry solids are mixed with water to form a dough having a moisture content from about 40% to about 50%, by weight of the dough, and a dough piece is then extruded from the dough and fried in hot cooking oil to form a fried snack that expands about 1.2 to about 3.0 times during frying, producing a snack of uniform expansion and low fat content.

Abstract: An expanded fried cereal-based snack product is prepared from a dough consisting essentially of (1) a low water-absorbing component (LOWAC) comprising one or more raw or partially gelatinized cereal flours comprising about 20% to about 80%, by weight, of the total dry solids; (2) a high water-absorbing component (HIWAC) comprising one or more pregelatinized cereal starches or flours comprising from about 10% to about 35%, by weight, of the total dry solids; and (3) a starch component comprising one or more ungelatinized starches comprising from about 10% to about 45%, by weight, of the total dry solids. The dry solids are mixed with water to form a dough having a moisture content from about 35% to about 50% by weight of the dough. The dough is then sheeted and cut into a dough piece which is fried in hot cooking oil to form a fried snack that expands about 1.4 to about 2.5 times during frying, producing a snack of uniform expansion and low fat content.

Abstract: A french fry product of low calorie content is prepared by dipping blanched potato strips in a solution containing sodium acid pyrophosphate and caramel, and optionally glucose. The strips containing the solution residue are panfried for a maximum time of 40 seconds at 320.degree.-335.degree. F., or alternatively sprayed with a fine coat of hot oil, and then frozen. Upon reconstitution, the product contains at least 10% less calories than a conventional french fry and as much as 45% less calories.

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: The invention provides cereal snackfoods of the expanded variety such as crisps and the like. The snackfoods of the invention comprise discrete cooked portions of a dough composition comprising gelatinized starch and added cereal bran other than rice bran, in which the amylolytic activity of the bran is controlled, and contain at least about 5% by weight and generally no more than about 35% by weight of oil or fat. The snackfoods may be produced from a half product comprising at least some gelatinized starch and added cereal bran by frying or by immersion in a bed of hot particulate material followed by spraying with fat or oil. Even when fried the snackfoods have a lower energy value than comparable known products; moreover they are highly palatable, and the bran content provides a useful source of fibre in any diet.

Abstract: In a process for manufacturing reduced calorie puffed snack products, edible meal or flour is mixed with hydrophilic polysaccharide coated microcrystalline cellulose and sufficient moisture to form a puff extrudable batter. The batter is cooked in a cooking extruder under puff extrusion cooking conditions and extruded to form collets. The collets may then be baked to reduce the moisture content of the collets to below about 2% by weight, sprayed with oil and dusted with flavoring. Microcrystalline cellulose coated with a hydrophilic polysaccharide does not inhibit the expansion (puffing) characteristics of the batter upon extrusion.

Abstract: Food product pieces are formed with corrugations on opposite sides thereof, wherein the corrugations are substantially parallel and of substantially equal frequency and amplitude, and wherein the corrugations on one side are phase-shifted with respect to the corrugations on the opposite side by about 1/4 of the pitch distance of the corrugations. As a result, a food product piece with unique texture, flavor and appearance is produced after later cooking processes.

Abstract: Food product pieces are formed with corrugations on opposite sides thereof wherein the corrugations formed on one side have a frequency in the range from 1.5 to 5 times the frequency of the corrugations formed on the other side. As a result, flavor and texture development can be controlled during later cooking processes.

Abstract: A method for making a base material for a snack food wherein 100 parts of a bean-cured refuse are mixed with 120 to 180 parts of wheat flour, 30 to 70 parts starch, and 12 to 28 parts water. The mixture is steamed and boiled into a rice-cake state after which the mixture is formed into a sheet, cooled, and matured. The mixture is then dried to produce a base material having a water content of 13 to 20% by weight. This base material can then be suitably processed to form a nutrition snack food.

Abstract: A method for the treatment of starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, before frying, wherein unwashed vegetables are heated in edible oil at a temperature below the gelatinization temperature of the vegetable starch before being transferred to the fryer. The method eliminates losses of solids during water washing and carry over of surface water to the fryer. The use of this invention facilitates the production of potato chips, french fries, and other fried vegetables with a higher percentage of recovered solids and a lower percentage of included lipids, while requiring lower energy consumption.

Abstract: A method of preparing french fried potato strips includes cutting whole potatoes into strips, preheating the strips in water and impinging a high velocity stream of food particles against the strips to embed the same in outer surfaces of the strips. The particle impacted strips are dried, steam-blanched, parfried and frozen. When reconstituted, the potato strips have a crisp, palatable outer surface, a fluffy interior, enhanced flavor and relatively low oil perception.

Abstract: A snack food is prepared from an extrudable mixture, containing dehydrated potato, baking powder, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids and water, which is extruded as a flat sheet through a sheeting die with a narrow opening, cut into pieces of predetermined size and shape and baked, the composition of the dehydrated potato, the proportion of the baking powder, the size of the opening in the sheeting die, the cutting of the sheet and the temperature and time of baking being controlled to produce a shaped, hollow potato snack in which the sides are entirely enclosed, with the top and bottom being formed from the top and bottom of said cut sheet, and a cross section of said top and bottom being approximately one-half of the thickness of said cut sheet.

Abstract: The objects of the invention are to enable the preparation of fried potato products which retain their crispy texture for extended periods of time and to prepare fried potato products with improved color control.Potato pieces, such as strip-shaped french fries or disc-shaped dinner fries, remain crisp longer after finish frying if the surface skin, which is formed during par-frying, is disrupted prior to finish frying. The surface of the potato pieces can be disrupted in any manner, either prior to or after freezing. To better control the color of the finish-fried potato pieces, the potato pieces can be quenched in cold salt water after blanching or blanched in salt water.

Abstract: A method for making skin-on potato boats includes blanching whole potatoes to gelatinize the outer layer beneath the skin, cutting the potatoes in half to expose cut surfaces and in one embodiment abrading away the ungelatinized center portion of the potato halves. In a second embodiment, the center portions are manually removed with a scraping device. In either embodiment, the resulting hollowed-out potato halves may then be blanched, air cooled, parfried and frozen for later reconstitution. After parfrying, the potato boats have a solids content of about 35%-45%. Upon reconstitution the potato boats may be filled with condiments, such as cheese and the like, and served as so-called "potato skins.

Abstract: A potato patty is made from cooked or blanched shredded potatoes and a natural potato binder. The binder is made from cooked or blanched potatoes in which the gelatinized starch naturally present in the potatoes is extensively retrograded either by holding the potatoes at a temperature of about 50.degree. F. for at least about 16 hours, or at lower temperatures for proportionately shorter holding times, or by freezing the potatoes. The potatoes used in preparing the binder are subdivided, preferably comminuted to a fine particle size either before or after the starch is retrograded. Between about 10 to about 50 parts of binder are mixed with about 100 parts of the potato shreds, by weight, and a potato patty is formed from the mixture, preferably in a high-speed commercial former.

Abstract: Disclosed are food compositions and methods for preparing sugary coated puffed snack products upon simple heating of the food compositions in a consumer microwave oven. The food compositions comprise a plurality of puffable farinaceous dough puff pieces or pellets and a puffing media throughout which the puff pieces or pellets are dispersed. The puffing media comprises from about 40% to 95% by weight of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetening agent and from about 5% to 10% moisture. The weight ratio of puffing media to puff pieces ranges between about 4:1 to 0.1:1. The water activity of the food compositions is less than about 0.75. The method for making a coated snack comprises forming a gelatinized dough, shaping the dough into pieces, partially drying the pieces, dispersing the pieces throughout a puffing media to form a puffing media/piece matrix, and microwave heating the matrix to simultaneously puff the pieces and to enrobe the pieces with the fluidized puffing media.

Abstract: Potato pieces or strips prepared by washing, peeling, and cutting raw potatoes are immersed in an aqueous solution of an antioxidant and a texture enhancing agent, washed, drained, prefried for partial drying in deep edible oil thereby to reduce their water content by 10 to 20 percent by weight, packaged, gas-tightly sealed under vacuum in a bag made of a laminated sheet comprising a thermoplastic resin film and an aluminum foil, and then sterilized by heating under pressure. The preprocessed potato pieces thus produced can be preserved for a number of months while being stored and distributed at room temperature and require only a few minutes of final frying in deep oil or fat for consumption.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a novel potato snack product comprising mixing together a starch containing component, an active yeast, preferably baker's yeast, water and a sugar fermentable by the said yeast to form a dough mass, optionally dividing the dough into pieces, fermenting the dough mass or pieces for a period of time and temperature sufficient to form a light structure and frying in hot edible oil or fat or baking at ordinary oven temperatures the fermented dough or pieces to obtain a potato snack and the novel potato snacks formed thereby as well as a premix for said potato products.

Abstract: A dietary snack product rich in fiber is produced by a process wherein a fiber containing substance which is difficult to extrude by itself is mixed with a protein such as milk protein plastifiable under extruding conditions, with the addition of water if desired, to form a mixture having a moisture content between 8 and 25%, and the obtained mixture is extruded at a temperature of at least 100.degree. C. The resulting dietary product may contain 10 to 80% rich in fiber such as bran and 20 to 90% of plastifiable protein.

Abstract: Raw, unblanched potato strips suitable for French frying are heated principally by circulation of hot air to dry their surfaces, and simultaneously to cook the strips partially and to dehydrate the strips partially. The strips are then frozen and stored in frozen condition until they are to be finally deep fat fried ready for consumption.

Abstract: An edible three dimensional food product and composition. The composition contains about five percent by weight of an uncooked, unhulled sesame seed, a minor amount of an oil rejection material, and a matrix of ground corn dough. Also disclosed is an apparatus for molding the composition into a relatively thick shaped item.

Abstract: The invention provides for addition of a process oil in a liquid state, such as a vegetable oil, an animal fat or blend thereof to potato dough ingredients to enhance tenderness and crispness in the finished formed potato product and to reduce occurrences of "feathering" and "overmixing" of the dough during processing. Accordingly, a liquid oil addition of from about 0.12 weight percent to less than about 2.0 weight percent to the potato dough ingredients is presently preferred as producing the most desirable end product with respect to crispness, flavor, and interior and exterior characteristics. In one embodied form of the invention, the process oil may be added by incorporation of finely chopped, par-fried, frozen, potato eliminations into the potato dough. If eliminations are incorporated, a maximum of about 4.0 weight percent process oil in the potato dough can be utilized in accordance with the present invention.

Abstract: A potato chip having an added fat content of up to about 10% is prepared by coating the raw potato slice with globular protein, applying a layer of edible oil on top of the protein coating and subjecting the raw coated slice to microwave heating.

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: Potato chips that are inhibited against blister formation during frying are obtained by providing a small, but limited, amount of very dilute calcium, e.g., calcium chloride, in the potato slices prior to frying.

Abstract: A puffable food composition is provided by extruding a mixture of ground animal parts and starch whereby the mixture is at least partially gelatinized during extrusion into a shape-sustaining form. The form is puffed either at the die of the extruder, or in subsequent hot oil frying, or both. With added flavoring, the puffed composition has the taste, texture and mouth feel of fried pork skins. The process accommodates a wide variety of animal parts without the necessity of substantial changes in the process parameters.

Abstract: A high protein, whole wheat grain expanded food product is prepared by the process of the present invention. Ground whole wheat is mixed with moisture and an edible acid to provide a dough. The dough is then extruded through a die under particular conditions to provide a high protein, expanded wheat product.

Abstract: Disclosed are food compositions and methods for preparing cheese-coated puffed snack products upon simple heating of the food compositions in a consumer microwave oven. The food compositions comprise a plurality of puffable farinaceous dough puff pieces or pellets in a puffing medium throughout which the puff pieces or pellets are dispersed. The puffing medium comprises from about 30% to 90%, by weight of the puffing medium, of an edible fatty triglyceride and from about 10% to 60% by weight of dehydrated cheese solids. The puffing medium contains no more than about 2% by weight reducing sugars. The weight ratio of puffing medium to puff pieces ranges between about 0.2:1 to 1.3:1.

Abstract: A protein fortified complete meal snack item is prepared from a whole potato base by a process involving subdivision of whole potatoes, including skins, to provide potato pieces, adding on a weight basis of from 10% to 40% by weight of said potato pieces of edible protein fortifying additives, intimately admixing the protein additives and the whole potato pieces to provide a substantially homogeneous mixture, and extruding which provides at least partial cooking of said homogeneous mixture, resulting in a protein fortified snack food extrudate. The resulting product contains substantially the complete starch food value, and vitamin value of the starting potato.

Abstract: A frozen french fried potato product for heating in a toaster or oven, is provided. The product is made from a cohesive dough which is prepared by admixing cooked potatoes with additives comprising water, a binding agent, cellulose, and dehydrated potato flakes or granules. The dough is extruded into said product which is fried in cooking oil and frozen.

Abstract: Potato solids having present substantially intact potato cells are provided in a dough which is cooked and formed into pieces having a moisture content of from about 9 to about 13 percent by weight and the pieces fried.

Abstract: A method is described for preparing a high-protein snack food. The method comprises admixing a plastic protein gel with about 17 to 50% by weight, based on weight of the gel, of dry starch or flour to obtain a homogeneous mass of protein gel-starch material which is subsequently extruded into desired shapes and thereafter cooked. Vegetable oil or fat may also be incorporated into the gel-starch material to improve the texture and taste of the final product. Preferred starches or flours include those derived from potato, corn and rice. The plastic protein gel, which is prepared by conventional procedures, may be fish, soybean gel, or mixtures containing both fish and soybean gels with the proviso that all steps prior to cooking must be carried out at a temperature of 5.degree. C. or less when any fish gel is utilized. The cooked product can readily be prepared in the form of chips and can be coated subsequent to cooking with flavoring and/or flavor-enhancing agents.

Abstract: An elongate potato product simulating a French fry and provided with a plurality of serrated, longitudinal ridges alternating with longitudinal valleys, is formed by extrusion of a potato mix through a suitable die. The serrations of the ridges provide a multiplicity of individual projections more or less resembling spicules, which are completely exposed to hot fat during initial frying of the product prior to freezing and to applied heat during reconstitution of the frozen product. This results in French fries of superior quality. The spicules are a result of proper consistency of the mix and configuration of the extrusion die.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a high protein snack food including the steps of inoculating whey, such as derived from cheese making, with yeast, incubating the mixture with aeration until substantially all the whey lactose is utilized by the yeast, heating the culture to precipitate the whey protein, separating the whey protein and yeast cells to provide a paste-like material, mixing the whey protein and yeast cell paste with a filler composed of potato flakes or corn starch or a mixture of the two, plus either baking powder or baking soda (to reduce acidity), plus salt, and egg whites, into a dough, extruding the dough to provide snack-like pieces, frying the pieces in a deep fat fryer, and then cooking the fried pieces in a microwave oven.

Abstract: A cheese topping for a pizza pie comprises up to four geometrically congruent slices of pizza pie topping cheese. Each of these slices is dimensioned to extend from the center of the pie into the peripheral region of the pie shell and to extend along a portion of that peripheral region corresponding to the length of that peripheral region divided by the number of the up to four slices. The slices are further dimensioned jointly to cover the food items on the pizza shell and extend along and into its peripheral region in one layer composed of the slices when contiguously arranged on the food items. Each of slices is provided with several apertures through which vapor and juice can rise from the food items on the pizza shell. The apertured slices are contiguously arranged on the food items to form the mentioned one layer covering the food items and extending into the peripheral region of the pie shell.

Abstract: A fried, starch containing snack product is produced wherein tempeh is included as an essential ingredient.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for preparing a chip-type snack is disclosed. A dough is prepared and sheeted. An elongated shaped ribbon of connected dough pieces is cut from the dough sheet. The ribbon is passed through a deep fat fryer and then severed into individual chips.