Shade Foods, Inc.

Kerry, Inc.

James C Cross

Scott C Blanchet

Michael L Talbot

Mihai Duduta

Pimpa Limthongkul

Tristan Doherty

Amedeo Conti

Asli Butros

Andrew L Nelson

Andy Oxley

A multi-textured food product having a substantially continuous chunky coating. The food product has a central food piece, a thick solid or semi-solid fat-based coating covering the central food piece, and an exterior coating of particles having sizes in the range &frac18; inch through &frac14; inch. The multi-textured food products are produced by (a) coating a food piece with at least 100 percent by weight of a liquid coating of at least one melted fat that is solid or semi-solid at room temperature and is capable of inhibiting moisture migration from the coated food piece, (b) bringing the coating to a solid or semi-solid state to form a pre-coated food piece, (c) coating this pre-coated food piece with a liquid coating comprising at least one melted fat that is solid or semi-solid at room temperature to form a liquid-coated pre-coated food piece, and (d) contacting the liquid-coated pre-coated food piece with chunky particulate matter to form a food product that is enrobed with a substantially continuous chunky coating.

Multi-textured food product and method of producing same

Improved dehydrated marshmallow products and methods of forming the products are provided. Broadly, the products are formed from a mixture comprising sugar, water, and a protein or protein-containing ingredient other than gelatin. The protein is preferably present at a level of at least about 4% by weight, based upon the total weight of the mixture taken as 100% by weight. In one embodiment the products comprise additional ingredients such as flour or other fillers, chemical gassing compounds (e.g., sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate, and sodium aluminum phosphate), flavoring agents, coloring agents, and preservatives. The processes by which the marshmallows are formed comprise mixing the ingredients to yield a doughy mixture, forming the mixture into the desired shapes without starch application, and drying the shapes to yield the final expanded products which have a bulk density of less than about 23 lbs/ft .

Low density marshmallow-like products and methods of producing the same

A method and an apparatus for the preparation of composite food products is provided wherein the apparatus (,) has a conveyor (,), a pair of spaced-apart primary and secondary apertured rakes (,), a cooling tunnel (,), a cutting device (,) and a packaging system (,). In use, a first, relatively high viscosity food material (,) is deposited upstream of the primary rake (,) so as to drag or pull the first material through the rake (,) as continuous streams (,). The streams (,) are partially cooled and relatively low viscosity second material (,) is applied thereover adjacent the secondary rake (,). At the secondary rake (,), the second material (,) is pulled through the rake apertures to form continuous streams or sections (,) of the material (,) disposed around the inner sections formed by the streams (,). The composite streams are then cooled in the tunnel (,) and cut by the device (,).

Method of preparing a multifood component

An improved, non-fried expanded snack product is provided which is fabricated by extruding ingredients comprising a pasta flour followed by subjecting the extrudate to a two-step drying process. The extrusion process preferably makes use of a twin screw extruder and a slow screw rotation rate. Prior to each drying step, the product is agitated in air in order to reduce clumping of the wet material. The air agitation of the product should be carried out at temperatures which are less than the temperatures utilized in each of the drying steps, and preferably at ambient temperatures. The drying steps are preferably carried out in two separate drying apparatuses, and the air agitation comprises air conveying the product to each of the drying steps. A preferred air conveying device is a conventional cyclone separator.

Method of producing puffed pasta products

Improved food products including cheeses, fruits, cookie materials, snack chips, and seasonings are provided which are highly shelf-stable and can be stored at room temperatures for long periods of time. The products have a total moisture content of less than about 5% by weight, and more preferably less than about 2% by weight, based on the total weight of the ingredients used in the product. The products of the invention have a water activity of from about 0.2-0.3 and an average particle size of from about 0.0006-0.0012 inches (15-31 microns). The processes by which the products are made comprise subjecting the starting ingredients to two stages of average particle size reduction, wherein the first stage results in an average particle size of less than about 0.0090 inches (229 microns), and the second stage results in an average particle size of from about 0.0006-0.0012 inches (15-31 microns). In one embodiment, the particle size reduction is accomplished via a chocolate roll refining system which includes a two roll pre-refiner and a five roll refiner.

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Overland Park, KS, United States of America

James C Cross