General Mills, Inc.

Donald J Smith

Daniel R Green

Dean F Funk

James W Geoffrion

Robert J Harrison

Steven J Leusner

Jonathan E Trautz

Javier Cerda

Robert Wollenburg

Terence D Stevens

Tanya Sanders

A topical high resolution image of edible ink and having a resolution of at least 100 dots per inch is applied to a top major surface of a length of food in the form of a thin fruit based paste or confection slurry by a digital imaging printer. The length of food is at a temperature of at least about 75&#xb0; C. at the time of application. During application, the food is supported upon a moveable platform mounted by parallelogram links and which is moved parallel to the digital imaging printer according to a condition of the top major surface upon which the topical high resolution image is applied and detected by detecting provisions.

Food product with edible images and apparatus for and methods of preparation

A topical high resolution image of edible ink and having a resolution of at least 100 dots per inch is applied to a top major surface of a length of food () in the form of a thin fruit based paste or confection slurry by a digital imaging printer (). The length of food () is at a temperature of at least about 75&#xb0; C. at the time of application. During application, the food () is supported upon a moveable platform () mounted by parallelogram links () and which is moved parallel to the digital imaging printer () according to a condition of the top major surface upon which the topical high resolution image is applied and detected by detecting provisions ().

Method of preparation of food product with edible images

A layered cereal bar with at least two cereal layers having identifiable RTE cereal pieces and at least one visible filling layer in between the two cereal layers is described. In one embodiment, the cereal bar is a non-cooked cereal bar having a total nutrient level equal to or greater than the nutrient level of a single serving of RTE cereal with milk. In one embodiment, the cereal layer is comprised of a cereal composition containing RTE cereal, high-protein rice pieces and TVP in a ratio of about 2:1:1. The cereal layer further comprises a binder to hold the cereal composition together. In one embodiment, the filling layer is a confectionery center that is high in milk content, but possesses a relatively low water activity. In one embodiment, the filling layer is a low water activity fruit filling layer. In another embodiment, a method for manufacturing a layered cereal bar having a visible filling layer is described. The steps include mixing a binder with a cereal composition having identifiable cereal pieces to form an amorphous mass, compressing the amorphous mass into a first layer and a second layer, applying a filling layer on the first layer, combining the first layer and filling layer with the second layer, and pressing the first layer, filling layer and second layer together to form pressed layers, wherein the pressed layers are cut into individual cereal bars having identifiable cereal pieces.

Layered cereal bars and their methods of manufacture

A method for coating discrete food pieces with a sweet coating such as in the preparation of a presweetened R-T-E cereal and coated food products prepared by the method is provided. The coating contains a mixture of sugars and calcium. The method of preparation comprises the steps, in sequence of: (A) providing a base of dried food pieces; (B) blending sugar syrup with an aqueous calcium slurry; (C) coating the base of dried food pieces with the sugar syrup and calcium slurry blend; and (D) drying the coated product to a shelf stable moisture content to provide a calcium fortified finished product.

R-T-E cereals with calcium containing pre-sweetener coating and method of preparation

A method for coating discrete food pieces with a sweet coating such as in the preparation of a presweetened R-T-E cereal and coated food products prepared by the process. The coating resists dissolution in cold milk. The coating contains a mixture of sugars, gelatin and calcium material. The method of preparation comprises the steps, in sequence of: (A) providing a base of dried food pieces; (B) blending an aqueous sugars solution with an aqueous gelatin solution and calcium material; (C) coating the base of dried food pieces with the aqueous sugar, gelatin solution and calcium material; and (D) drying the coated product to a shelf stable moisture content.

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Donald J Smith