Water absorbers and separation mechanisms for application to high moisture foodstuffs
AssigneeConAgra Foods RDM, Inc.
InventorsChristopher B. Puno, Sharon F. McGuire, Amanda R. Schlenker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A frozen food product is described to include frozen foodstuffs combined with a polysaccharide, protein, or other water absorber, individually or in combination, separated from the food stuff through one or more mechanisms including but not limited to, suspension of the polysaccharide, protein, or other water absorber in oil, encapsulation of the polysaccharide, protein, or other water absorber, or a dry mixture of the polysaccharide, protein, or other water absorber and seasoning applied to frozen foodstuffs. As the frozen foodstuffs are cooked, water expressed from the foodstuffs activates or hydrates the polysaccharide, protein, or other water absorber.
Claims21
-28. (canceled)
A frozen food product, the frozen food product comprising:
- a food portion including a vegetable or fruit portioned from a whole vegetable or fruit, the food portion being in a frozen state;
- and
- a slurry including a polysaccharide suspended in an oil and applied to the food portion, the slurry present in an amount from about 1% to about 17% by weight of the frozen food product, the polysaccharide in at least one of a dehydrated state or an inactivated state in the oil, the polysaccharide included in an amount from about 0.08% to about 0.22% by weight of the frozen food product, the oil present in an amount from about 1% to about 2.5% by weight of the frozen food product to physically separate the polysaccharide from water contained by the food portion in the frozen state, wherein the polysaccharide contacts water expressed from the food portion during thawing of the food portion, and wherein the water is at least one of bound by or adhered to the polysaccharide when the food portion is in an unfrozen state.
A pre-packaged frozen food product, the frozen food product comprising:
- a food portion including a vegetable or fruit portioned from a whole vegetable or fruit, the food portion being in a frozen state;
- a slurry including a water absorber suspended in an oil, the slurry present in an amount from about 1% to about 17% by weight of the frozen food product, wherein the water absorber includes a polysaccharide suspended in the oil in at least one of a dehydrated state or an inactivated state in the oil, the polysaccharide included in an amount from about 2% to about 4% by weight of the slurry, the oil present in an amount from about 50% to about 70% by weight of the slurry to physically separate the polysaccharide from water contained by the food portion in the frozen state, wherein the polysaccharide contacts water expressed from the food portion during thawing of the food portion, and wherein the water is at least one of bound by or adhered to the polysaccharide when the food portion is in an unfrozen state;
- and
- a sealed package containing the food portion and the slurry.
A pre-packaged frozen food product, the frozen food product comprising:
- a food portion formed into an elongated shape in an amount from about 70% to about 99% by weight of the frozen food product, the food portion including a vegetable or fruit portioned from a whole vegetable or fruit and being in a frozen state;
- a slurry including a polysaccharide suspended in an oil in at least one of a dehydrated state or an inactivated state in the oil, the slurry present in an amount from about 1% to about 17% by weight of the frozen food product, the oil physically separating the polysaccharide from water contained by the food portion in the frozen state, wherein the polysaccharide contacts water expressed from the food portion during thawing of the food portion, and wherein the water is at least one of bound by or adhered to the polysaccharide when the food portion is in an unfrozen state;
- and
- a sealed package containing the food portion and the polysaccharide suspended in the oil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.