The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 31, 2004
Filed:
May. 19, 2000
Julie A. Emsing, York, PA (US);
Sue E. Zaccano, Harrisburg, PA (US);
Philip C. Ward, Palmyra, PA (US);
Hershey Foods Corporation, Hershey, PA (US);
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a continuous process for making a high solids confectionery product containing agar-agar using high temperature short time processing. The process comprises (a) preparing a homogenous mixture comprising agar-agar, an agar-agar dispersing agent in an amount sufficient to disperse and suspend the agar-agar to control hydration when in contact with water and heat, a sweetening effective amount of a sweetener, and water, said homogenous mixture containing a solids content ranging from about 60% to about 80% by weight solids; (b) feeding the homogenous mixture of step (a) to a heating apparatus having an inlet and outlet with heating means interposed therebetween, and subjecting said mixture to a high temperature short time continuous process under conditions sufficient to cook and concentrate the mixture and to evaporate the water to form water vapor; (c) removing the formed water vapor formed in step (b); and (d) cooling said mixture, thereby forming a high solids confectionery product, all of said steps (a), (b) (c) and (d) being conducted in a continuous process.