Baking&Snack - March 2011 - 137

RECENT PATENTS
PIZZA LINE AUTOMATION

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■ US Patent No. 7,858,130 (Dec. 28, 2010), M. Malenke, et al., assigned to Nestec S.A., Vevey, Switzerland. This automated system handles and transports pizza crusts or other stackable food products between formation and downstream production operations. The system can use a combination of a fluffer assembly, an unstacker assembly and an accumulator assembly. The fluffer assembly makes lateral and vertical movement relative to a stack of food products. The unstacker features a loader for receiving a fluffed stack of food products, and lift platforms are arranged on opposite lateral sides of the picking mechanism for reciprocal up-and-down movement. The accumulator assembly temporarily collects food products received via a conveyor from the unstacker assembly or directly from a transport mechanism that was previously loaded with singulated product. It then dispenses the products individually at an approximately regular pitch onto another conveyor that transports food products to a handling unit.
SWEETENER

fermented dough. In the final stage of baking, the dough is baked using superheated steam. The dough may be first par-baked, and after storing at room temperature or freezing, the dough may be completely baked.
ACRYLAMIDE REDUCTION

drying step that simulates conventional frying dehydration rates. A food such as a corn or potato-based snack produced by this method is a low-fat, ready-to-eat offering with the conventional texture and taste associated with fried snack products.
BAKED POTATO SLICES

■ US Patent No. 7,867,529 (Jan. 11, 2011), D. Zyzak, et al., assigned to The Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, OH. Food manufacturers can reduce acrylamide in food products by reducing the level of asparagine in a food material before final cooking. As an alternative, an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing the amide group of free asparagine can be added to the food product. The product is labeled to communicate to consumers that a food product has reduced or low levels of acrylamide or asparagine.
FLAKING GRAINS

■ US Patent No. 7,867,535 (Jan. 11, 2011), A. Anand, et al., assigned to Frito-Lay North America, Inc., Plano, TX. Using a raw potato slice, the manufacturer can produce a baked snack chip with a light, crispy, expanded texture similar to a fried potato chip. The snack chip is formed by compressing and heating a partially dried potato slice and then expanding the potato slice. Alternatively, the expanded potato slice is compressed again.
NONFLAMMABLE RELEASE AGENT

■ US Patent No. 7,862,845 (Jan. 4, 2011), M. Magomet , et al., assigned to PureCircle Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Highly purified stevioside and rebaudioside A were prepared from sweet glycoside extracts obtained from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. The resulting mixtures are suitable as non-calorie, non-cariogenic, non-bitter, non-lingering sweeteners, which may be advantageously applied in foods, beverages and milk products.
SUPERHEATED-STEAM-BAKED BREAD

■ US Patent No. 7,867,532 (Jan. 11, 2011), S. Freeman, et al., assigned to Lextron, Inc., Greeley, CO. An automated system helps minimize manual intervention yet optimizes a steam flaking process for grains. A calibration technique may be included to assist in automatic adjustment of system parameters to account for less than optimal operating conditions. Control may occur from a remote interface, and a user’s computer communicates with an industrial controller such as a PLC through the Internet or a private network. The PLC is typically located at the site where the grain is to be processed. The PLC may receive various system inputs and generate system control outputs in accordance with programs installed on the PLC or through some selected manual intervention as controlled by the user at the remote location.
HEALTHY SNACK FOOD

■ US Patent No. 7,867,542 (Jan. 11, 2011), R. Gebhardt, et al., assigned to ACH Food Companies, Inc., Cordova, TN. An aqueous, nonflammable release composition for use in food preparation comprises water; de-oiled, powdered lecithin; and less than 10% oil. The de-oiled, powdered lecithin is water-miscible, which facilitates the use of less or no oil in a release composition and allows the use of a nonflammable propellant. The nonflammable release composition may be applied to cooking utensils such as baking and frying pans to prevent or inhibit food from sticking during cooking and to facilitate cleaning.
SUGAR-FREE CHOCOLATE CONFECTION

■ US Patent No. 7,867,528 (Jan. 11, 2011), Y. Kawakami, assigned to Kobeya Baking Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan. A method for producing bread or raisin bread includes the steps of mixing separate leaven or yeast into bread dough, fermenting the dough, dividing and forming the dough, fermenting the dough again, and baking the www.bakingbusiness.com

■ US Patent No. 7,867,533 (Jan. 11, 2011), J. Bows, et al., assigned to Frito-Lay Trading Co. GmbH, Switzerland. A healthy snack food with an appearance and taste similar to conventional fried snack products is made without the use of an oil-frying process. Food slices from a starch-based food or dough are blanched, and a controlled amount of oil can be added to enhance final organoleptical properties. The food slices are then rapidly dehydrated to a lower moisture content in a primary

■ US Patent No. 7,867,544 (Jan. 11, 2011), A. Buck, et al., assigned to Archer Daniels Midland Co., Decatur, IL. An amorphous sugar-free sweetening composition acts as a sugar substitute in the production of a chocolate confection. Maltitol syrup may be employed in a chocolate confection mixture with a dry milk substitute composition to form a chocolate confection with improved taste and texture characteristics compared with other sugar-free chocolate confection compositions. Other amorphous sweetening compositions may be used in the production of chocolate compositions. Methods of making chocolate compositions are also disclosed. March 2011 / BAKING & SNACK

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Baking&Snack - March 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking&Snack - March 2011