Conagra Grocery Products Company

Hunt-wesson, Inc.

Winters Canning Co.

Mark S Fraser

Chel W Lew

Lakho L Khatri

Thomas L Romick

Kenneth C Goodnight

Wallace H Yokoyama

A method or detecting the presence of living or dead microorganisms and viruses in a sample comprises adding to a pre-determined volume of a sample comprising nucleic acid-containing microbe (s) and/or virus (es), known amounts of a pair of primers binding to sequences up-stream and down-stream to a universal or specific microbial and/or viral nucleic acid sequence and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reagents, cycling the mixture to amplify the universal or specific microbial and/or viral nucleic acid sequence; adding a polynucleotide comprising a DNA internal segment that is hybridizably complementary to at least a portion of the universal or specific nucleic acid sequence; and a first and a second DNA arm segment adjoining the DNA internal segment, the first DNA arm segment ending in a 5&prime; terminus and the second DNA arm segment ending in a 3&prime; terminus, the arms segments comprising nucleotide sequences such that they are hybridizably complementary to one another. Optionally, the terminus of one arm segment is operatively connected to a fluorogen and the terminus of the other arm segment is operatively connected to a quencher, such that the polynucleotide comprises a &ldquo;fluorescent beacon.&rdquo;

PCR techniques for detecting microbial contaminants in foodstuffs

An encapsulated flavoring material contains an edible, oil-insoluble, water-soluble outer shell surrounding an edible, water-insoluble inner core that is liquid at a temperature of about 45.degree. C. and a volatile, oil-soluble flavoring material dissolved or dispersed in the inner core. In preferred embodiments, the encapsulated flavoring material has a diameter of from about 250 to about 710 microns, the outer shell is made from starch, the inner core is made from hydrogenated vegetable oil and the volatile, oil-soluble flavoring material is diacetyl.

Encapsulated volatile flavoring materials

A reduced calorie peanut butter product containing from about 15 to about 40% by weight of a solid bulking agent having from 0 to about 3 calories per gram, an oil-binding capacity from about 20 to about 45%, and a particle size less than about 50 microns. Preferred solid bulking agents are polydextrose and microcrystalline cellulose. The polydextrose is preferably neutralized by a compound containing calcium or magnesium. The microcrystalline cellulose preferably comprises aggregates having a particle size from about 5 to about 35 microns. Mixtures of the polydextrose and the microcrystalline cellulose may be used.

Reduced calorie peanut butter product

Growing community of inventors

Fullerton, CA, United States of America

Mark S Fraser