Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc.

Maluwa Ursula Behringer

Dalip Kumar Nayyar

Laura Gail Hill

Jimbay Peter Loh

Andrew Edward McPherson

K Rajinder Nauth

Zohar M Merchant

Robert Vogt

Uraiwan Tangprasertchai

Lisa Jane Apel

Improved cereal-based food products suitable for cooking in a low temperature (i.e., generally about 120 to 212&deg; F.) and high moisture (i.e., steam) environment are provided. The improved cereal-based food products, when cooked in a low temperature and high moisture environment, provide aroma and surface appearance characteristics similar to that of oven-baked goods. An aroma-enhancement component is obtained by micro encapsulating flavorants and/or aroma components in a hard fat. The aroma-enhancement component is incorporated into the dough or cereal-based substrate. The flavorants and/or aroma components are released during the low temperature cooking process. The surface appearance is obtain by coating the dough or cereal-based substrate with a crust-enhancement component containing potato flakes, hydrophobic starch, crust flavorants, colorants, and anti-caking agents. The crust-enhancement component, when cooked in a low temperature and high moisture environment, provide a crust which is comparable to that of oven-baked goods.

Low temperature cooking cereal-based products

Premium quality intermediate moisture vegetables and methods for preparing such vegetables are provided. The premium quality intermediate moisture vegetables are prepared by (a) infusing vegetables with an antimicrobial infusion cocktail at a temperature of greater than about 50&deg; F. for about 15 to about 180 minutes, wherein the antimicrobial infusion cocktail comprises an aqueous solution of (1) a water-soluble, predominantly lower molecular weight, low sweetness carbohydrate, (2) a polyhydric alcohol, (3) salt, (4) a non-inorganic sweetness depressant agent, and (5) nisin-containing whey derived from a nisin-producing culture; (b) collecting the vegetables and removing excess antimicrobial infusion cocktail; (c) drying the collected vegetables to a water activity of about 0.5 to about 0.9 to form the intermediate moisture vegetables; and (d) packaging the intermediate moisture vegetables. After drying to a water activity of about 0.5 to about 0.9, the intermediate moisture vegetables of the present invention are shelf stable. For example, such intermediate moisture vegetables having a water activity of about 0.55 to about 0.65 are expected to be shelf stable for about twelve months under ambient conditions; intermediate moisture vegetables having a water activity of about 0.75 to about 0.85 are expected to be shelf stable for about 90 days under refrigeration conditions. When cooked, these intermediate moisture vegetables provide appearance, texture, and taste similar to that provided by high quality cooked frozen vegetables.

Premium quality intermediate moisture vegetables and method of making

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Evanston, IL, United States of America

Maluwa Ursula Behringer