# US 10,440,980 B2 · Shelf stable fried product and process for creating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,440,980 B2 - Document ID: US10440980B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/043,382 - Filed: 2018-07-24 - Published: 2019-02-21 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2008-07-18 - Assignees: ConAgra Foods RDM, Inc. - Applicants: Conagra Foods RDM, Inc. - Inventors: Janet O. Wheeler; Deborah Dihel; Kevin Mellor; Jeffrey Schneider; Kristin Mills; Roger Samoray; Moses Sanchez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10440980B2 ## CPC - A23L 19/18: Roasted or fried products, e.g. snacks or chips - A23L 5/11: {using oil} - A23L 19/00: Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof (marmalades, jams, jellies or the like A23L21/10; treating harvested fruit or vegetables in bulk A23N) - A23L 19/05: {Stuffed or cored products; Multilayered or coated products; Binding or compressing of original pieces} - A23L 19/105: {Sweet potatoes} - A23P 20/10: Coating with edible coatings, e.g. with oils or fats - B65B 25/001: {of foodstuffs, combined with their conservation (B65B25/041, B65B25/062, B65B25/067 take precedence)} - A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) - A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION ## Abstract A shelf stable fried product and a process for creating a shelf stable fried product is disclosed. Aspects include a process for managing fat migration, moisture migration, and cell degrading of a food product during frying. Aspects further include a resulting shelf stable food product that includes a crispy and/or crunchy texture and a desirable fat distribution. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A packaged shelf stable food product which is ready for consumption from a package without cooking or thawing preparation, the packaged shelf stable vegetable product having an inner portion and an outer portion, the shelf stable vegetable product comprising: a fried food portion; a surface application portion on a surface of the fried food portion; a fat content of the outer portion of about 55% to about 95% of total fat content of the packaged shelf stable food product which is ready-for-consumption from the package without cooking or thawing preparation; about 0% wt moisture to about 10% wt moisture of the packaged shelf stable food product which is ready-for-consumption from the package without cooking or thawing preparation; and a water activity of about 0 to about 0.6 of the packaged shelf stable food product which is ready-for-consumption from the package without cooking or thawing preparation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the outer portion includes the surface application portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 2, wherein the outer portion includes a primed portion of the fried food portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 3, wherein the surface application portion includes about 20% to about 95% of the total fat of the shelf stable food product. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 3, wherein the inner portion includes an unprimed portion of the fried food portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 5, further comprising a fat differential between the inner portion and the outer portion of about 10% to about 90%. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the fried food portion includes at least one member of a group comprising: a strip cut, a shoestring cut, a criss cut, a crinkle cut, a helical cut, a waffle cut, a straight cut, and a lattice cut. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the fried food portion is at least one member of a group consisting of: onion, avocado, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, corn, beans, peppers pepperoncini, cucumber, pickle, peas, squash and zucchini. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the shelf stable food product further comprises a hardness of about 2000 g to about 4000 g at a strain of about 8 mm to about 15 mm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the packaged shelf stable food product further comprises a hardness of about 1000 g to about 4600 g at a strain of about 2 mm to about 6 mm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the wt moisture is about 0% wt moisture to about 5% wt moisture. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the wt moisture is about 0% wt moisture to about 3% wt moisture. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the water activity is about 0 to about 0.4. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the fried food portion is at least one member of a group comprising: an atmospheric fried food portion and a vacuum fried food portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The packaged shelf stable food product of claim 1, wherein the fried food portion includes a primed portion and an unprimed portion, wherein the primed portion includes a concentration of complex carbohydrates in relation to the unprimed portion. ### Claim 16 A process for making a packaged shelf stable food product which is ready for consumption from a package without cooking or thawing preparation, the process comprising: cutting a food into a least one piece priming the food piece; applying a surface application to the primed food piece to create a food piece having a surface application; frying the food piece having the surface application to a final moisture content of about 0% wt moisture to about 10% wt moisture to create a fried food product; and packaging the fried food product in a package having reduced atmospheric oxygen levels to create the shelf stable food product which is ready for consumption from a package without cooking or thawing preparation, wherein the shelf stable food product includes: a fried food portion; a surface application portion proximal a surface of the fried food portion; a fat content of an outer portion of the shelf stable food product of about 55% to about 95% of total fat content of the shelf stable food product; a final moisture content of about 0% wt moisture to about 10% wt moisture; and a water activity of about 0 to about 0.6. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The process of claim 16, wherein cutting the food includes cutting the food to have at least one member of a group comprising: a strip cut, a shoestring cut, a criss cut, a crinkle cut, a helical cut, a waffle cut, a straight cut, and a lattice cut. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The process of claim 16, herein the fried food portion is at least one member of a group consisting of: onion, avocado, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, corn, beans, peppers, pepperoncini, cucumber, pickle, peas, squash and zucchini.