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:
Sep. 04, 2007
Filed:
Aug. 01, 2002
Dean F. Funk, Brooklyn Park, MN (US);
Dean F. Funk, Brooklyn Park, MN (US);
General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
Composite food products comprising a first soft plastic nonfrangible major portion having a water activity of 0.5 or less and about 1% to 15% % of a second food portion of small direct expanded puffed particulates fabricated from a cooked cereal dough. The puffed pieces are formed by direct puffing or expansion into individual pieces rather than by grinding or size reducing larger cereal pieces. The puffed cereal particulates thus have a continuous unbroken skin or surface surrounding the particulates as a result of the direct expansion formation. The particulates have a size ranging from about 0.5 to 2 mm, a moisture content of less than 6%, and, a bulk density ranging from about 0.15 to 0.25 g/cc. The cooked cereal dough from which the particulates are fabricated comprises at least 45% rice flour. The products exhibit a crispy texture notwithstanding the softer texture of the major phase.