The Pillsbury Company

George R Anderson

Peter S Pesheck

William A Atwell

Madonna M Krawiecki

Madonna M Krawjecki

Ross A Easter

Jeffrey J Sholl

Ronald R Lentz

Samuel H Yong

Liza B Levin

Leon Levine

William C Winters

Walter R Ott

Thomas R Peck

Jimmy DeMars

Timm L Adams

Hsien-Hsin Chang

Edward J Smoke

An effective oxygen barrier which can substantially extend the shelf life of oxygen sensitive products comprising at least outer and inner plies of a polymeric material and a substantially anaerobic space between the two or more plies.

Package having improved barrier properties

The present invention includes a method of selectively heating, comprising the step of providing a source of radiation capable of delivering at least 60% of its power in a selected wavelength band, and exposing the food to the radiation for an amount of time sufficient to heat beneath a surface.

Method of processing food utilizing infrared radiation

Methods and food product structures are provided for controlling heating of multi-component foods in a microwave oven. The structures and methods include the use of a layer of edible substance with preselected properties and positioned adjacent to one or more food items to control the amount of transmitted microwave power to the adjacent food. One or more layers of edible substance has properties selected in relation to the other food substance such that effective shielding or control is achieved which will reliably control the heating of the components of the food product in the time required for heating one or more portions of the multi-component food product. With preselected values for thickness and dielectric properties of one or more layers and the thermal masses of the layers and the other components, the amount of energy transmitted to one or more of the food components and its final temperature can be effectively and reliably controlled.

Microwave food product and methods of their manufacture and heating

A method and food product structure are provided for controlling heating of multi-component foods in a microwave oven. The structure and method include the use of a layer of edible substance with preselected properties and positioned adjacent to one or more food items to control the amount of transmitted microwave power to the adjacent food. The shield layer of edible substance has properties selected in relation to the other food substance such that effective shielding is achieved which will reliably control the heating of the shielded food in the time required for heating one or more portions of the multi-component food product. With preselected values for thickness and dielectric properties of the shield layer and the thermal masses of the shield layer and the other components, the amount of energy transmitted to the shielded food component and its final temperature can be effectively and reliably controlled.

Microwave food products and method of their manufacture and heating

An apparatus and method for separating peas based upon differences in density. The apparatus includes a flow trough having a flow manifold. A pump takes water from a reservoir and delivers the water to the flow manifold. A flow nipple having a lip portion extending into the flow manifold and turning vanes within the flow manifold distribute the water to create a substantially laminar flow. Fixed and pivotable water deflectors at an inlet portion of the flow trough establish a linear, laminar flow of water along the flow trough. A hopper and conveyor combination deliver a stream of peas to an adjustable plate member positioned in the laminar flow of water in the flow trough. The peas carried by the laminar flow of water descend off of the plate member into a separating chamber where peas having a high density range settle into a first collecting chamber and peas with a low density range settle into a second collecting chamber. An adjustable separating vane separates the first and second collecting chambers and together with the plate member is adjusted to accommodate batches of peas having differing density characteristics.

Pea separating apparatus and method of use

A method and food product structure are provided for controlling heating of multi-component foods in a microwave oven. The structure and method include the use of a layer of edible substance with preselected properties and positioned adjacent to one or more food items to control the amount of transmitted microwave power to the adjacent food. One or more layers of edible substance has properties selected in relation to the other food substance such that effective shielding or control is achieved which will reliably control the heating of the components of the food product in the time required for heating one or more portions of the multi-component food product. With preselected values for thickness and dielectric properties of one or more layers and the thermal masses of the layers and the other components, the amount of energy transmitted to one or more of the food components and its final temperature can be effectively and reliably controlled.

Microwave food products and method of their manufacture

A method and food product structure are provided for controlling heating of multi-component foods in a microwave oven. The structure and methods include the use of a layer of edible substance with preselected properties and positioned adjacent to one or more food items to control the amont of transmitted microwave power to the adjacent food. One or more layers of edible substance has properties selected in relation to the other food substance such that effective shielding or control is achieved which will reliably control the heating of the components of the food product in the time required for heating one or more portions of the multi-component food product. With preselected values for thickness and dielectric properties of one or more layers and the thermal masses of the layers and the other components, the amount of energy transmitted to one or more of the food components and its final temperature can be effectively and reliably controlled.

A self supporting pliant dough product is provided which has provided in the formulation a drying agent which reduces the perception of gumminess in baked dough products. The dough can be chemically leavened and adapted for containment in a container for storage under refrigerated conditions.

Dough product containing an organic acid leavener

A microwave heating package, and a method of microwave heating. Both the package and the method employ a lossy chemical susceptor which upon continued exposure to microwave radiation becomes substantially microwave transparent, thus building into the system a unique maximum temperature shut off at the point at which the chemical susceptor becomes microwave transparent. The chemical susceptor is comprised of a combination of a solute, such as inorganic salts of Group IA and IIA, and a polar solvent for the solute, such as water. The chemical susceptor may be composed of a hydrated form of the inorganic salts. The package, method and chemical susceptor may be used for microwave heating of many products, including among others, food products.

Microwave heating package, method and susceptor composition

A microwave heating device is comprised of a microwave reflective member having positioned adjacent thereto magnetic microwave absorbing material. The absorbing material, by being magnetic, will heat by coupling of the magnetic component of microwave radiation. The thickness of the absorbing material is such that at the Curie temperature the material will reflect at least about 65% of the incident microwave radiation. The absorbing material has a volume resistivity value R, at room temperature, in ohm cm of greater than about the value where Log R=(Tc/100)+2 where Tc is the Curie temperature (.degree.C.) of the material. By the proper combination of thickness, high resistivity and Curie temperature, the device is temperature self-limiting in a microwave field and can be used to heat objects in contact with the device to predetermined temperatures in spite of wide fluctuations in microwave power or power uniformity.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

George R Anderson