General Mills, Inc.

Vinod W Padhye

Susan L Kamper

Todd Walter Gusek

James E Langler

Stephen P Kaufman

James R Korslund

A method is provided for bonding together the layers of a laminated food product, such as farinaceous dough layers. The method comprises applying ultrasonic energy (12 kPa-25 kHz, 1,000 to 4,000 watts) to form acoustically created bonds between the food layers. The method is particularly suitable for use in preparing multilayered R-T-E cereal pieces, especially those that are center filled, exhibiting greater seam integrity and reduced leakage of the center filling.

Ultrasonic method for bonding food layers

A method is provided for bonding together the layers of a laminated food product, such as farinaceous dough layers. The methods comprise applying ultrasonic energy (12 kPa-25 kHz, 1,000 to 4,000 watts) to form acoustically created bonds between the food layers. The method is particularly suitable for use preparing multilayered R-T-E cereal pieces, especially those that are center filled, exhibiting greater seam integrity and reduced leakage of the center filling. The resultant food product has two layers with an acoustic bond between the layers.

Food products having acoustic bonds between food layers

The present invention provides methods for improving the baking properties of cake flour using either high intensity dielectric heating, (10 GHz to 3 MHz) and/or radio frequency heating (300 MHz to 3 MHz). The treated cake flour is intended as a substitute for chlorinated cake flour. The present unchlorinated, dielectrically heated treated cake flour is an essential ingredient in dry mixes for batter baked goods especially high sugar-to-flour ratio layer cakes. In addition to other dry mix ingredients, preferred dry mixes additionally essentially comprise about 0.15% to 0.45% triglycerol monostearate for even greater enhancement of finished baked goods' volume. The method comprises exposing cake flour having a moisture content of &gt;8% to sufficient amounts of radio frequency energy to heat the flour to a temperature of about 230.degree. to 270.degree. F. and to a finished moisture content of less than 6%. Preferred radio frequency heated flours are additionally characterized by a peak pasting viscosity of at least 350 Stir Number Units. In another aspect, a second method has been found that can obtain cake flours having a Stir Number Unit value of &gt;400.

Dielectric heating treatment of unchlorinated cake flour

Disclosed are food products having a first, high moisture portion and second portion comprising crisp, relatively dry materials such as puffed cereal grains or pieces without a discrete interjacent solid barrier. The high moisture phase can be a gelled diary product such as yogurt or pudding. In addition to the puffed cereal pieces, the second portion additionally essentially comprises a defined water-in-oil emulsion throughout which the pieces are dispersed. The emulsion includes a high solids, discontinuous aqueous phase, preferably gelled, dispersed within a low oil content continuous gelled oil phase. The oil phase comprises an edible liquid oil, preferably winterized, which is also gelled. The composite food products exhibit good interphasic stability for the typical refrigerated temperature distribution time periods as well as the maintenance of the relatively crisp texture of the puffed cereal pieces.

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Maple Grove, MN, United States of America

Vinod W Padhye