Campbell Soup Company

William M Hildebolt

Murray T Hundt

Robert E Small

David P Gaehring

Edward H Krystek

A semimoist pasta product is prepared by uniformly dispersing a finely divided salt throughout a dough of wheat flour and water, partially gelatinizing the salt-containing dough, and then drying the gelatinized dough to a moisture content of at least 15% and an A.sub.w of no more than 0.85. The dough, which can be made from wheat flour other than conventionally employed durum semolina, may also contain preservatives and color enhancing additives. The dough is formed into a pasta shape at any appropriate point after the finely divided salt is uniformly dispersed throughout the dough. The resulting semimoist pasta product is flexible, shelf stable and quick cooking.

Process for preparing quick cooking semimoist pasta and product thereof

A phased aseptic sterilization and packaging process is disclosed wherein the solid component of a product is separately sterilized within the container in which the product is ultimately sealed. The liquid component is aseptically sterilized independently, and is aseptically filled into the container in a chilled condition to quench the hot solid component prior to final sealing of the container. A novel apparatus is provided for handling the containers during processing.

Phased aseptic sterilization and packaging process and system

A bland protein product having a texture and mouth feel simulating animal meat is prepared from a dough-like mixture of proteinaceous material and water. The proteinaceous material can comprise relatively low protein content blends or even single ingredients such as soy flour. The process comprises continuously extruding the protein dough in the form of a relatively thin sheet of semi-rigid protein material into a first confined treating zone while simultaneously subjecting the thin sheet in the extrusion die to externally applied heat to texturize both surfaces of the sheet before it enters into the first confined zone. A stream of heated gas and condensables is introduced into the first confined zone to buoy up, flex and help propel the sheet of surface - texturized protein through the confined zone where additional texturization takes place. The sheet then is cut into segments by rotating longitudinal knife edges against a stationary straight edge and the segments are conveyed through a second confined zone where final texturizing takes place. Finally, the protein segments are passed through a suitable back pressure means at the end of the second confined zone, and recovered in usable form. Apparatus for performing this process is also disclosed.

Protein texturization

A bland texturized monofilament protein product having a texture and mouth feel simulating animal meat is prepared by forming an aqueous slurry of a protein material, injecting high pressure steam into the slurry to propel it through a confined treatment zone, centrifugally spinning the protein material into monofilaments, and recovering the textured monofilaments in a collection zone. Apparatus for performing this process comprises means for injecting steam into a protein slurry, means defining a confined treatment zone wherein the injected steam and protein are contacted, and means for centrifugally spinning the steam-treated protein material into monofilaments.

Protein texturization by centrifugal spinning

A bland protein product comprising large diceable chunks of texturized protein having a texture and mouth feel simulating animal meat is prepared by forming an aqueous slurry containing 40 to 50% of a protein material having a protein content of at least 70% on a solids basis, injecting steam into the slurry to propel it through a cooking tube containing a restriction means, passing the protein material through a pressure letdown pump at the discharge end of the cooking tube, and recovering the textured product in a collection zone. The injection steam pressure is chosen to maintain a product temperature of 310.degree. to 350.degree. F. and a back pressure of about 60 to 80 psi in the cooking tube. The protein material also may be subjected to further texturizing treatments after the pressure letdown pump. The process is particularly useful in the co-texturization of meat and vegetable protein mixtures. Apparatus for performing this process is also disclosed.

Protein texturization by steam injection

A bland protein product having a texture and mouth feel simulating animal meat is prepared from a dough-like mixture of proteinaceous material and water. The proteinaceous material can comprise relatively low protein content blends or even single ingredients such as soy flour. The process comprises continuously extruding the protein dough in the form of a relatively thin sheet of semi-rigid protein material into a confined treating zone while simultaneously subjecting the thin sheet in the extrusion die to externally applied heat to texturize both surfaces of the sheet before it enters into the confined zone. In the confined zone a stream of heated gas is directed at the thin sheet of surface-texturized protein to break off the leading segment of the sheet and further to propel the segments through the confined zone where additional texturization takes place. Finally, the protein segments are passed through a back pressure means at the end of the confined zone, and recovered in usable form. Apparatus for performing this process is also disclosed.

A bland protein product having a texture and mouth feel simulating animal meat is prepared by forming an aqueous slurry containing 40 to 50% of a protein material having a protein content of at least 70% on a solids basis, injecting steam into the slurry to propel it through a cooking tube, passing the protein material through a back pressure valve at the discharge end of the cooking tube, and recovering the textured product in a collection zone. The injection steam pressure is chosen to maintain a product temperature of 310.degree. to 350.degree. F. and a back pressure of about 60 to 80 psi in the cooking tube. Between the back pressure valve and the collection zone the protein material is subjected to an agglomeration and stretching treatment accomplished by passing the protein and steam mixture through a restriction means, or by injecting a stream of cold water at right angles into the cooked protein and steam mixture, or by both of these steps. Apparatus for performing this process is also disclosed.

A bland protein product having a texture and mouth feel simulating animal meat is prepared by forming a dough-like mixture of protein material and water, and extruding a continuous tubular shell of the protein dough, while simultaneously injecting steam into the interior of the tubular shell, whereby the tubular shell of protein is blown into discrete pieces of irregularly shaped protein material by the steam flow. The steam flow then propels the protein pieces into and through a confined treating zone in which further texturization is accomplished. Finally, the protein material is passed through a back pressure maintaining means and recovered in usable form. Apparatus for performing this process comprises an extrusion assembly consisting of a screw feed chamber communicating with an extrusion die assembly which produces a continuous tubular shell of extrudate. The extrusion die is provided with means for injecting steam into the interior of the tubular shell of extrudate formed. Communicating with the extrusion assembly is a confined treating zone containing a back pressure maintaining means at its discharge end.

Protein texturization by extrusion with internal steam injection

A bland protein product comprising large diceable chunks of texturized protein having a texture and mouth feel simulating animal meat is prepared by forming an aqueous slurry containing 40 to 50% of a protein material having a protein content of at least 70% on a solids basis, injecting steam into the slurry to propel it through a cooking tube containing a restriction means, passing the protein material through a pressure letdown pump at the discharge end of the cooking tube, and recovering the textured product in a collection zone. The injection steam pressure is chosen to maintain a product temperature of 310.degree. to 350.degree.F. and a back pressure of about 60 to 80 psi in the cooking tube. The protein material also may be subjected to further texturizing treatments after the pressure letdown pump. The process is particularly useful in the co-texturization of meat and vegetable protein mixtures. Apparatus for performing this process is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Mickleton, NJ, United States of America

William M Hildebolt