General Mills, Inc.

General Mills IP Holdings Ii, LLC

Terry T Kirihara

Patrick E Allen

Steven C Robie

Dean F Funk

Gregory Charles Flickinger

Dawn L M Krysiak

Jonathan E Trautz

Non-allergenic natural nut essential oil are derived from natural nut materials having 100 ppb or less protein such as nut butters by steam distillation or solvent extraction. The essential nut oils are preferably dissolved in a liquid edible carrier for use as nut flavor ingredients for food products. The food products flavored with such low protein essential nut oils are hypo allergenic. Methods of preparing the nut essential oils as well as methods of preparing nut flavored food products are disclosed.

Breakfast cereal with non-allergenic natural nut flavor and methods of preparation

Icing coated shelf stable high fiber toaster pastry product or packaged consumer food articles are provided as well as their methods of preparation comprising high levels of a soluble fiber ingredient partitioned between the shell, filling and the icing. The present articles comprise an homogeneous baked chemically leavened soluble fiber fortified pastry dough planar shell forming an interior. The fiber fortified dough includes whole grain wheat flour; salt, chemical leavening, shortening, and &#x2248;1-15% added solid powdered polydextrose and in amounts sufficient to provide a total fiber content of the dough of at least 5%. At least a portion of the chemical leavening is provided by ammonium carbonate and in amounts sufficient to provide the dough with a specific baked volume of 1.5 cc/g or greater. The filling includes a liquid soluble fiber ingredient such as polydextrose. The articles are equivalent to conventional toaster pastries in eating qualities notwithstanding their high levels of total fiber.

High fiber shelf stable toaster pastries and methods of preparation

Disclosed are ready-to-eat puffed dried food products that are high both in protein and in fiber. The cereals contain sufficient amounts of at least one protein ingredient to provide a total protein content about 50% to 75% (dry weight) of the cooked food product; sufficient amounts of at least one dietary fiber ingredient to provide a total fiber content of about 1-45% (dry weight); and sufficient amounts of a starch containing ingredient to provide a starch content of about 5-45%. The food products have a crush strength raging from about 0.25 to 3.5 kg/cm.

High protein puffed food product and method of preparation

Disclosed are dried laminated multi-layered cereal pieces, especially R-T-E breakfast products, and methods of preparation. In particular, the cereal pieces are characterized by a highly laminated structure comprising a multiplicity of generally horizontal thin parallel layers numbering at least four to 20 each of&mdash;100-500 micrometers (&ldquo;&mgr;m&rdquo;) thickness fabricated from cooked cereal dough with interstitial voids between the layers. The pieces can vary in shape and range from bite-sized to biscuit-sized. The interstitial void spaces between layers average 0.8 millimeters. This laminated structure creates cereal pieces having a distinctive texture and appearance. Methods for fabricating the present laminated multi-layered cereal pieces comprise: A) forming thin layers of cooked cereal dough(s)as sheets or flakes; B) compressing the thin cereal dough layers to form a laminated layered mass; C) forming individual pieces from the laminated mass; D) drying/toasting the individual pieces to 2% to 6% finished moisture; and, optionally E) applying one or more topical coatings to form finished cereals products with multiple layers.

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Bloomington, MN, United States of America

Terry T Kirihara