Abstract:
Snacks are provided that contains fruit or vegetable materials. Snacks can be formulated to provide one half of a serving and up to and including at least one serving, and fractions therebetween, of fruit or vegetable in a single 28 gram serving of snack. The snacks can comprise 12% or less fat. A fruit snack can comprise from about 12% to about 66% of fruit source solids; from about 34% to about 88% of starch; from about 0.1% to about 5.0% of water; and from about 0% to about 54% of optional ingredients.
Abstract:
A process and apparatus for producing stabilized compressed tampons are disclosed. The process includes the steps of providing a compressed tampon pledget and forcing gas through the compressed tampon. In some embodiments, the process may occur in the presence of moisture. The moisture can come from either the fibers of the material that comprises the tampon pledget and/or from the humidified gas or steam that is introduced. The process may include the steps of heating and/or humidifying the gas introduced during the process. The gas may be forced through the compressed tampon pledget intermittently during the process.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a process for providing stabilized compressed tampon pledgets. The process includes the steps of providing a compressed tampon pledget and forcing gas through the compressed absorbent pledget. In some embodiments, the process may occur in the presence of moisture, the moisture required comes from either the fibers of the material that comprises the tampon pledget and/or from the humidified gas that is introduced. The process may include the steps of heating and/or humidifying the gas introduced during the process. The gas may be forced through the compressed tampon pledget intermittently during the process. The tampon pledget may be maintained within a permeable mold during the process.
Abstract:
A microwave food carton (20) having two integral layer-divider panels (32, 34), and a one piece blank (20b) which may be erected to form the carton (20). Surface areas of the top and bottom walls (21, 26) of the carton (20), and the integral layer-divider panels (32, 34), are each provided with a layer of microwave susceptor material (40) so that they are directly heated thereby upon application of microwave energy. Such a carton (20) is particularly useful in a microwave food package for microwave heating oppositely facing surfaces of each of a plurality of food pieces disposed in three layers in the package. In such a package, one of the integral layer-divider panels (32, 34) is disposed between each two adjacent layers of food pieces; the food pieces are preferably uniformly thick and have planar upper and lower surfaces; and the carton (20) is preferably sized, relative to the sizes of the food pieces, to ensure a snug contacting relation between the microwave susceptor covered walls (21, 26) and panels (32, 34) of the carton (20), and the planar surfaces of each of the food pieces. An exemplary use of the carton (20) is to package potato strips which are preferably parfried prior to packaging; and which, upon being microwaved for a sufficient period of time, become crispened on their outsides; and provide a crisp-exterior, meaty-interior eating sensation without having to be deep fried.
Abstract:
A snack chip comprising from about 10% to about 50% of dehydrated fruit material; optionally oatmeal; from about 30% to about 90% of starch material made from materials selected from the group consisting of tapioca, rice and mixtures thereof; from about 0.1% to about 5.0% water; and from about 1% to about 20% of optional ingredients. At least about 40% of the starch material can be pre-gelatinized. The snack chip is made by combining dry ingredients with water to form a dough which is then sheeted, dried without the use of a heated extruder to form a half product, which is cooked to form the snack chip.
Abstract:
An unidirectional twist-up dispensing device (10) with incremental dosing for dispensing a product is provided. This twist-up dispensing device includes a hollow housing (20) defining a chamber (21) having an open dispensing end (24) and an open actuating end (26) having an interior surface. A piston (40) located within the chamber being limited to translational movement within the chamber. The piston having a top side (42) facing the dispensing end (24) of the housing forming a variable volume portion of the chamber for storing the product. The piston also having a threaded rod (46) extending therefrom opposite the top side. An actuator (50) having a threaded aperture therethrough that engages the interior surface of the actuating end of the housing is also provided. The threaded aperture is concentric in the actuator and the actuator is adapted to rotate with respect to the housing in only one direction. The threaded rod engages the threaded aperture such that advancement of the piston toward the dispensing end occurs when the actuator is rotated, thereby causing the product to be dispensed. An applicator (80) can be attached to the dispensing end of the housing in fluid communication with the variable volume portion (22) of the chamber wherein the product is dispensed through the applicator. The applicator comprises a ferrule (82) and an application portion (84). The ferrule is attached to the dispensing end of the housing and the application portion has at least one orifice located therein. Several versions of the applicator are illustrated, including a fiber brush and a flocked application surface.
Abstract:
A patterned, microwave field modifier (20) for use in microwave ovens which modifier may be discrete; or may be integrated into, for example, packages or packaging or wrapping type materials, or in durable or disposable cookware. The modifier may constitute a dielectric substrate (22) having a plurality of discrete surface areas which are coated with an electrically conductive coating material (24) to form discrete electrically conductive elements, and which discrete elements on a given surface are disposed in a predetermined array. Preferably the elements are elongate; and, preferably, the array constitutes a plurality of rows of linearly aligned elements which rows are in parallel relation, and in which the elements adjacent rows are in staggered relation. The electrically conductive elements are preferably formed by printing an electrically conductive ink-like coating material on the dielectric substrate. The relative values of microwave power reflectance, absorbance, and transmittance of such microwave field modifiers may be tailored to specific needs by varying the surface electrical conductance of the elements; the lengths, widths, spacing, and the degree of stagger between adjacent elements; the resistivity, shape, size, and aspect ratio of electrically conductive particles of the coating material; and the dielectric properties of the substrate and/or other constituents of the coating material.
Abstract:
A microwave food package (30) for use in microwave heating a plurality of food pieces (33) disposed in at least two layers in the package which heating is to effect crispening of exterior portions of the food pieces (33) and to brown exterior surface areas of the food pieces (33). The package (30) comprises microwave susceptor means (32, 36) for applying heat generated in the microwave susceptor means (32, 36) to oppositely facing surface areas of each food piece (33) disposed in the package (30). An exemplary package comprises, for instance, an enclosure such as a disposable carton (31), a top microwave susceptor (36), a bottom microwave susceptor, and an intermediate-elevation microwave susceptor (32) between each two adjacent layers of food pieces (33) so that oppositely facing surfaces of each food piece (33) are disposed adjacent portions of the microwave susceptors (32, 36), preferably in snug contacting relation to enable direct conductive heating of the food pieces (33) by the adjacent microwave susceptors (32, 36).
Abstract:
An injection mold assembly for a high output consumer product injection molding machine, the injection mold assembly having a simplified cooling system that is an evaporative cooling system or a cooling system including a hazardous, dangerous, or expensive cooling fluid. The simplified cooling system has a cooling fluid channel that is confined to a mold support plate.
Abstract:
Snacks are provided that contains fruit or vegetable materials. Snacks can be formulated to provide one half of a serving and up to and including at least one serving, and fractions therebetween, of fruit or vegetable in a single 28 gram serving of snack. The snacks can comprise 12% or less fat. A fruit snack can comprise from about 12% to about 66% of fruit source solids; from about 34% to about 88% of starch; from about 0.1% to about 5.0% of water; and from about 0% to about 54% of optional ingredients.