US 4,435,430 AGranted

Enzyme-saccharified all natural, ready-to-eat cereal from whole cereal grain

AssigneeGeneral Foods Corporation

InventorsCharles V. Fulger, Ernest K. Gum

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A process for producing an all natural, enzyme-saccharified, cereal derived from whole grain is disclosed. The process involves milling and separating the whole grain to produce a bran fraction, an endosperm fraction, and a germ fraction. The germ fraction is processed by toasting and grinding and preferably by removing bran before the toasting. The bran fraction and any bran material separated out from the ground germ is treated to increase its functionality by milling to a particle size of from 5 to 100 microns. The endosperm fraction is coarsely milled, made into a slurry, cooked and then enzymatically hydrolyzed. The final step involves recombining the processed fractions, to form a cereal dough which is further processed to produce a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal. Optionally from 1-15% of the whole grain may be malted and added into the cereal dough.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A process for preparing an enzyme-saccharified, ready-to-eat cereal derived from a whole cereal grain comprising:

(a) milling and separating a whole cereal grain to produce a germ fraction, a bran fraction and an endosperm fraction;
(b) processing the germ fraction by:
(i) toasting the germ fraction, and
(ii) grinding the toasted germ to a particle size of from 0.25 to 2.0 millimeters;
(c) treating the bran fraction to improve its functionality by milling said bran fraction to a particle size of from 5 to 100 microns;
(d) processing the endosperm fraction by:
(i) milling to a practicle size less than 2 millimeters,
(ii) forming a slurry containing from 15 to 60% by weight of said milled endosperm,
(iii) cooking the milled endosperm until substantially all the starch is gelatinized, and
(iv) enzymatically hydrolyzing from 15 to 75% by weight of said endosperm to form soluble saccharides such that the ready-to-eat cereal contains from 7.5 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness up to 50 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness;
(e) recombing the ground, toasted germ of step (b)(ii), the milled bran of step (c) and the enzymatically hydrolyzed endosperm of step (d)(iv) to form a cereal dough containing whole grain levels of protein, fiber and digestible carbohydrates;
(f) obtaining a ready-to-eat cereal from said cereal dough.

9 more elements

A process for preparing an enzyme-saccharified ready-to-eat cereal derived from whole cereal grain fractions, said fractions comprising a germ fraction, a bran fraction and an endosperm fraction, all of said fractions being derived from a cereal grain, said fractions being present in the same proportions as present in the whole cereal grain, said process comprising:

(a) processing the germ fraction by:
(i) toasting the germ fraction, and
(ii) grinding the toasted germ to a particle size of from 0.25 to 2.0 millimeters;
(b) treating the bran fraction to improve its functionality by milling said bran fraction to a particle size of from 5 to 100 microns;
(c) processing the endosperm fraction by:
(i) milling to a particle size less than 2 millimeters,
(ii) forming a slurry containing from 15 to 60% by weight of said milled endosperm,
(iii) cooking the milled endosperm until substantially all the starch is gelatinized, and
(iv) enzymatically hydrolyzing from 15 to 75% by weight of said endosperm to form soluble saccharides such that the ready-to-eat cereal contains from 7.5 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness up to 50 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness;
(d) recombining the ground, toasted germ of step (a)(ii), the milled bran of step (b) and the enzymatically hydrolyzed endosperm of step (c)(iv) to form a cereal dough containing whole grain levels of protein, fiber and digestible carbohydrates;
(e) obtaining a ready-to-eat cereal from said cereal dough.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.