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AssigneeKraft Foods Global Brands LLC
InventorsJan KARWOWSKI, Vani VEMULAPALLI, C.Y. (Eric) WANG, Kenneth MAAS, Alex GONG, Mihaelos Nicholas MIHALOS
Estimating the term…
Shredded whole grain products, such as ready-to-eat cereals, and sweet and savory snacks, such as whole grain shredded corn chips are continuously produced by pelletizing agglomerates of cooked, tempered, whole cereal grain particles. Cooked whole grains, such as corn and other non-gluten or low-gluten containing grains have a tendency to become hard and rubbery after cooking during the cooling and tempering process. The pelletization results in the production of whole grain pellets having a soft, pliable texture, which are shreddable into continuous net-like sheets on a mass production basis. The pelletizing may be at a pressure of about 200 psig to about 600 psig, preferably from about 400 psig to about 500 psig. The pelletizing temperature may be controlled to provide a pellet temperature of about 80° F. to about 120° F., preferably from about 90° F. to about 110° F., upon exiting the pelletizer.
(canceled)
A method for improving the shreddability of retrograded, whole cereal grain particles for producing a whole grain shredded food product as claimed in claim 21 wherein the whole cereal grain particles are whole corn grain particles.
5-6. (canceled)
11-14. (canceled)
A method for improving the shreddability of retrograded, whole cereal grain particles for producing a whole grain shredded food product as claimed in claim 21 wherein said whole grain particles comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of rye, oats, rice, barley, corn, wheat, and triticale.
17-20. (canceled)
A method for improving the shreddability of retrograded, whole cereal grain particles for producing a whole grain shredded food product comprising pelletizing agglomerates of tempered, cooked, whole cereal grain particles which have undergone retrogradation to a hard, fracturable texture to obtain whole grain pellets having a soft, pliable texture, the pelletizing being at a pressure of about 200 psig to about 600 psig, and the pelletizing temperature being controlled to provide a pellet temperature of about 80° F. to about 120° F. upon exiting the pelletizer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.