Kellogg Company

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC

Process Partners, Inc.

James C Breslin

Stephen J Kalchik

Frank Scott Atchley

Scott A Williams

Vernie A Due

James B Holder

Alicia A Perdon

Nicholson Hirzel

Michael F Raymond

Jerald L Longman

Jerry B Eilliot

Jerry B Elliot

The heat recovery system includes an oven having a treatment air with a treatment air temperature and a treatment air dew point temperature to treat a product or product in process. A zone outlet exhaust waste treatment air following the treatment of the product. A preheating zone includes a preheating inlet for the introduction of preheating air having a preheating air temperature and a preheating air dew point temperature to preheat the product. A transfer duct extends between the zone outlet of the oven and the preheating zone to transfer a portion of waste treatment air from the oven to the preheating zone to create the preheating air to preheat additional product. The preheating air preheats the product in the preheating zone to a product temperature that is at least equal to the treatment air dew point temperature to eliminate surface condensation on the product during treatment in the oven.

Heat recovery system

An apparatus for preparing a shelf-stable processed grain product includes a series of heating and cooling stages performed on a processed grain product having a water activity value of about 0.65 or less. A first heating stage takes the grain pieces to a first elevated temperature, which is followed by a first cooling stage. The grain pieces are passed to a second heating stage to reach a second elevated temperature, followed by a second cooling stage. The grain pieces are then passed to a third heating stage, after which they are sufficiently soft and pliable for a final forming stage such as flaking, bumping, puffing, or the like. This allows grain pieces that are suitable for long term storage, but too brittle for final forming, to be softened for final forming without raising the moisture content to a point that is conducive to mold formation or reduced product quality.

Apparatus for processing a grain product

A method of preparing a shelf-stable processed grain product includes a series of heating and cooling steps performed on a processed grain product having a water activity value of about 0.65 or less. A first heating step takes the grain pieces to a first elevated temperature, which is followed by a first cooling step. The grain pieces are passed to a second heating step to reach a second elevated temperature, followed by a second cooling step. The grain pieces are then passed to a third heating step, after which they are sufficiently soft and pliable for a final forming step such as flaking, bumping, puffing, or the like. This allows grain pieces that are suitable for long term storage, but too brittle for final forming, to be softened for final forming without raising the moisture content to a point that is conducive to mold formation or reduced product quality.

Method of processing a grain product

A process is provided for producing smokeless tobacco and/or snuff compositions using steam alone in an open vessel or in combination with pressure and venting to alter organoleptic properties of the smokeless tobacco and/or snuff compositions.

Conditioning process for tobacco and/or snuff compositions

Disclosed is a process and apparatus for producing a topical coating on a food product. The topical coating may be a sweetener wherein a superheated pressurized solution of the sweetener is sprayed on a heated food product to form a coating thereon. The topical coating may also contain a flavoring.

No dry coating process for coated food products

Disclosed is a process for producing a sweetener coating on a food product. A superheated pressurized solution of the sweetener is sprayed on a heated food product to form a coating thereon.

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Bellevue, MI, United States of America

James C Breslin