Microwave popcorn fortified with calcium and method of preparation
AssigneeGeneral Mills, Inc.
InventorsPamela J. Dickerson, Brian E. Glass
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are microwave popcorn articles comprising any conventional microwave popcorn bag, and a food charge disposed therein comprising kernel popcorn, fat, salt and sufficient amounts of a calcium ingredient to provide a total calcium content of about 360 to 3600 mg per 100 grams of unpopped popcorn. Preferably the salt and calcium ingredients are essentially characterized by having a mean particle size of less than 25 μm. Methods of preparing such microwave popcorn articles are disclosed wherein some of the salt and/or calcium ingredient is added to the fat slurry while the balance is added in particulate form in a separate step after the fat and kernel popcorn have been added to the bag.
Claims39
A method for filling a microwave popcorn bag with a food charge of popcorn kernels, a fat slurry, and a particulate, comprising the steps of:
- A. providing a microwave popcorn bag having a sealed portion, an open sealable top portion defining an orifice and a seal area extending across the orifice in an open configuration and in a vertically aligned orientation;
- B. filling the bag through the upper orifice with a quantity of popcorn kernels and the fat slurry;
- C. filling the bag through the upper orifice with a quantity of a particulate after the bag is filled with the popcorn kernels and the fat slurry;
- and
- D. sealing the open top end of the popcorn bag after the bag has been filled with the quantity of popcorn kernels, the fat slurry, and the quantity of particulate.
A microwave popcorn article exhibiting desirable organoleptic attributes comprising:
- a continuously sealed microwave popcorn bag, and
- a food charge disposed therein of popcorn and fat uniformly dispersed upon the popcorn, said charge comprising:
- A. about 50 to 98% of the product of unpopped popcorn kernels,
- B. about 2 to 40% of the product of an edible fat uniformly dispersed upon the popcorn kernels,
- C. about 1 to 4% of the product of salt at least 60% of which having a mean particle size of less than 25 microns, and
- D. sufficient amounts of a calcium ingredient to provide a total calcium content of about 360 to 3600 mg per 100 grams of unpopped popcorn.
In a microwave popcorn article comprising a sealed microwave popcorn bag and a food charge disposed within the bag comprising popcorn, fat and salt, the improvement comprising:
- fortifying the food charge with a calcium ingredient in amounts sufficient to provide 360 to 3600 mg per 100 grams of unpopped popcorn, and
- wherein the calcium ingredient has a mean particle size of less than 25 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.