General Mills, Inc.

General Mills Marketing, Inc.

Craig A Dowd

David A Kirk

Thomas M Hockenberry

James P Michaels

David J Domingues

Elliot Augst

Steven R Pretzel

Yuewei Hu

Craig E Gustafson

Scott Kackman

Terry G Reishus

Patrick C Dreese

James T Buccellato

Jason Nagy

David H Katzke

Cara J Sekerak

Thorne R Seese

Methods for inoculating a grain suitable for use in testing methods of reducing bacterial load are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of reducing bacterial load on a grain by using elevated temperature and an organic acid. Also disclosed are methods of tempering a grain at an elevated temperature and reduced time as compared to standard tempering methods.

Food safety method

Method for disinfecting and tempering grain

A wound package construct includes a first wound strip of package material that establishes an inner liner layer, a second wound strip of material that establishes an intermediate bodystock layer, and a third wound strip of material or cover strip that covers a seam formed by the wound bodystock layer but that does not cover all of the outer surface area of the wound bodystock layer. Therefore, the width of the cover strip is less than the width of the bodystock strip. As a result, the cover strip is not wide enough to cover the entire outer surface of the wound bodystock layer such that, after the cover strip is wrapped to cover the spiral bodystock seam, areas of the bodystock layer remain exposed between the two opposed length-wise edges of the cover strip.

Wound package construct

A white wheat flour is made from a combination of a first flour stream including at least a non-heat treated low ash and low bran flour stream, and a second flour stream including a heat-treated high ash and high bran flour stream. The white wheat flour preferably exhibits an extensibility in the range of 160-180 for use in making raw dough used in sheeted dough manufacturing systems. Importantly, the specified processing of the invention only results in a change in extensibility of less than 20%. The raw dough composition can be packaged and stored in a refrigerated condition for subsequent use in making biscuits, rolls, croissants or the like. By heating the second flour stream, enzymes in the second flour stream are deactivated, thereby increasing the stability and refrigerated shelf life of the packaged raw dough composition to at least 120 days. In certain embodiments, one or more enzymes are reintroduced into the second flour stream.

Refrigerated dough with extended shelf life made from white wheat flour

A method for forming a grain composition includes mixing a first grain powder composition with water using a mixing apparatus to form a mixture. Mechanical energy applied to the mixture is calculated from the measured torque. The protein quality is expressed as the measured torque as a function of mechanical energy and is compared to a standard. If the protein quality of the first grain powder composition does not meet the standard, a second grain power composition is formed having a different weight percent of the first source of grain powder than the first grain powder composition.

Method for expressing protein quality of flour

A method for expressing protein quality of a grain powder includes mixing the grain powder with water using a mixing apparatus to form a mixture. The torque applied to the mixing apparatus by the mixture during mixing is measured as a function of time. Mechanical energy applied to the mixture is calculated from the measured torque. The protein quality is expressed as the measured torque as a function of mechanical energy.

A weighing apparatus comprising a weigh deck, one or more load cells, and two staging bars. The weighing apparatus is configured to be installed in an existing conveyor system having a frame and a conveyor belt so that the weigh deck is generally flush with the frame and the weigh deck and the staging bars are positioned underneath the conveyor belt. The staging bars are positioned to mitigate weight measurement variations produced by the conveyor belt. In many cases, the staging bars are vertically adjustable. One or more weigh bridges can be incorporated into a production line or conveyor system.

Weighing apparatus and conveyors systems incorporating a weighing apparatus

Packaging for dough product

Growing community of inventors

Eagan, MN, United States of America

Craig A Dowd