General Foods Limited

Gary T Dulin

Nabil A El-Hag

Bruce A Cole

Kenneth R Schwabe

Todd J Krasnow

Peter C Erickson

Marnie L DeGregorio

An aerated soft-frozen, fat-free protein-free water-ice product which is extrudable at 0.degree. to 10.degree. F., said product containing a critical level of chemical emulsifier in order to effect desirable textural characteristics.

Soft-frozen water-ice formulation

A disposable tray for heating comestibles to obtain a deep fried appearance and texture of the resultant products by maximizing convective heating of the comestibles and minimizing conductive heating thereof. The top surface of the tray has a waffle design with an array of raised ridges thereon for supporting the comestible products on the ridge crests while minimizing conductive heat transfer thereto. A plurality of round apertures are provided in the tray surface between the ridges to allow heated air to flow therethrough to convectively heat the products. Raised frustoconical shaped fins are provided around the apertures, with the fins rising to a portion of the height of the ridges. The fins function to increase the convective flow of hot air through the apertures while not providing substantial contact with the comestibles. The raised fins also form troughs around the apertures to collect oil released by the products during heating thereof.

Method for oven-heating frozen fried foods

An apparatus and method is disclosed for continuously preparing a partially-fried, batter-coated, frozen comestible product, such as a fish filet, having a novel ridged batter topography. The apparatus has an infeed conveyor belt with support elements and a means for providing a hot cooking oil bath that is maintained at a level that does not exceed 1/2 inch above the top of a batter-coated comestible resting on the support elements. Preferably, the hot oil does not cover the top of the comestible placed on the support elements. The support elements of the infeed conveyor belt have a defined size and spacing which provides a controlled physical environment to support a batter-coated comestible in the hot cooking oil bath while batter begins to droop from the comestible and is irreversibly heat-set in a desired ridged topography. After the ridged batter topography is formed, the comestible is transported deeper into the hot cooking oil bath to completely heat-set the batter-coating.

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Tarrytown, NY, United States of America

Gary T Dulin