General Mills, Inc.

Jason Herzog

James N Weinstein

Christine M Nowakowski

Patrick E Allen

Troy Alan Heuring

Dean W Creighton

Christine M Dosch

Robert Erickson

James David Nelson

Karen M Garrity

Jacy Rose Weissburg

A taco shell is produced by applying a plasticizing agent to a targeted region including a base or spine portion of a hard taco shell and lower sections of taco shell sidewalls, thereby softening the targeted region, preferably across a strip width between 16 mm-20 mm, and enabling the sidewalls of the hard taco shell to engage each other without cracking or otherwise breaking the taco shell. As a further result, when the taco shell is bitten, the softened targeted region has some hinging flexibility or pliability which reduces the potential for any crack propagation. Therefore, the structural integrity of the hard taco shell can be better maintained during packaging and while be eaten, resulting in retention of the fillings and less mess. If desired, an anti-migration agent can also be applied to assure containment of the plasticizing agent in the targeted region.

Hard taco shell and method for producing the hard taco shell

Cereal food piece

Cereal piece

Growing community of inventors

St. Louis Park, MN, United States of America

Jason Herzog