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AssigneeGeneral Mills, Inc.
InventorsChristine M. Dosch, John James Fenske, Jason Herzog, James David Nelson, Christine M. Nowakowski
Estimating the term…
A taco shell is produced by applying a plasticizing agent to a targeted region including a base or spine portion of a hard taco shell and lower sections of taco shell sidewalls, thereby softening the targeted region, preferably across a strip width between 16 mm-20 mm, and enabling the sidewalls of the hard taco shell to engage each other without cracking or otherwise breaking the taco shell. As a further result, when the taco shell is bitten, the softened targeted region has some hinging flexibility or pliability which reduces the potential for any crack propagation. Therefore, the structural integrity of the hard taco shell can be better maintained during packaging and while be eaten, resulting in retention of the fillings and less mess. If desired, an anti-migration agent can also be applied to assure containment of the plasticizing agent in the targeted region.
A method of producing a hard taco shell having opposing sidewalls including lower sections joined by a base portion comprising applying a plasticizing agent to a targeted section of the hard taco shell, with the targeted section including the base portion and each of the lower sections of the sidewalls to soften the targeted section, thereby increasing hinging flexibility or pliability of the targeted section versus a remainder of each of the opposing sidewalls and enabling the opposing sidewalls to even engage each other without breaking the hard taco shell.
A hard taco shell comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.