Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc.

Kraft Foods Global Brands LLC

Peter Begg

Michael Gerard Roman

John Pasch

Scott D Brooks

Cecily Elizabeth Brose

Zuoxing Zheng

Linda K Jackson

Sandra Kelly-Harris

John Wisler

Charlotte L Allen

Carrie Melinda Kincaid

Susan M Gerulis

Janet Batz

An edible spread composition comprises a homogenous mixture of plant fiber-containing material, edible oil, water, and an effective amount of an emulsifier that prevents separation of oil from the plant fiber and other mixture solids that otherwise occurs in its absence when the edible spread composition is discharged while held under pressure. The edible spread composition may be, for instance, a peanut butter spread composition or a chocolate spread composition. There also is a packaged spread product comprising the edible spread composition that is held inside a pressurized container and dispensed without experiencing oil separation.

Edible spread composition and packaged product

The present invention provides starchy food products, especially cooked and fully hydrated potato compositions, including fully hydrated mashed potato compositions and fully hydrated cut potato compositions, which are stabilized against the development of toxins from pathogenic bacterial contaminants. The stabilized compositions are attained by the incorporation of nisin-containing dairy composition derived from a nisin-producing culture. The invention also relates to methods of stabilizing starchy food products, especially cooked and fully hydrated potato compositions, including fully hydrated mashed potato compositions and fully hydrated cut potato compositions, against the development of toxins, wherein the method comprises incorporating nisin-containing dairy composition derived from a nisin-producing culture to the starchy food product. Since these compositions are cooked and fully hydrated prior to packaging, the ultimate consumer only needs to briefly heat the starchy food product in, for example, a conventional or microwave oven prior to consumption.

Stabilization of cooked and fully hydrated potato compositions

The present invention provides a stabilized meat product of cooked meat comprising cooked meat and nisin-containing whey. The present invention also provides a stabilized food product comprising cooked meat, vegetables, sauce, and nisin-containing whey. The nisin-containing whey can be prepared by (1) inoculating a pasteurized dairy composition with a culture of a nisin-producing microorganism, incubating the composition until the pH attains a value between about 6.2 and about 4.0 and a whey and curd mixture is formed, and separating the whey from the whey and curd mixture to give the separated whey which is the nisin-containing whey or by (2) the fermentation of a fortified cheese whey composition using a nisin-producing microorganism. The invention also provides a method of making a stabilized food product of cooked meat, vegetables, and sauce that includes preparing a composition including meat, vegetables, sauce, and nisin-containing whey, and cooking the composition. The invention additionally provides a method of inhibiting the growth of a pathogenic microorganism in cooked food compositions that includes preparing a composition comprising meat, vegetables, sauce, and nisin-containing whey, cooking the composition, and sealing the composition into packaging; whereby the growth of a pathogenic microorganism is inhibited.

Stabilization of cooked meat and meat-vegetable compositions using whey from nisin-producing cultures and product thereof

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Mundelein, IL, United States of America

Peter Begg