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AssigneePepperidge Farm, Incorporated
InventorsFerdinand Steiner, Thomas E. Rieth
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Food pieces, such as cubed apples, the exposed pulp of which tends to discolor upon exposure to air, are treated with an acidic aqueous solution which is effective in maintaining the natural color of the exposed pulp and which comprises citric acid, calcium chloride, and sodium chloride, with the treatment of such apples being preferably practiced by means of novel apparatus which uses a screw conveyor which receives the pieces of food at its inlet end and moves them from its inlet end to its outlet end automatically while the treating solution is continuously injected into the conveyor to coat the food pieces. Injection of the treating solution is controlled in response to control signals derived from a gamma ray weigh scale which weighs the food pieces continuously as they pass through the conveyor, so that the amount of treating solution injected is maintained in predetermined proportion to the rate at which the food pieces pass through the conveyor.
In a process in which the light-colored pulp of a plant product is contacted with a composition which is effective in deterring the deterioration of the pulp, the improvement wherein the composition comprises an aqueous solution of citric acid, sodium chloride and calcium chloride in an amount effective to deter for at least 7 days the browning of said pulp stored at a non-freezing temperature within the range of about 32.degree. F. to about 42.degree. F.
A fruit or vegetable having exposed light-colored pulp and having the tendency to brown within minutes after exposure to air, wherein said exposed pulp has been contacted with a browning-inhibiting aqueous solution of citric acid, sodium chloride and calcium chloride, which, upon storage, retains its natural color and resists browning for at least a 7-day period and which is substantially free of sulfur, and sulfite and ascorbate salts.
The method of inhibiting the browning of light-colored exposed pulp pieces of fruit or vegetables having a tendency to brown within minutes after exposure to air comprising:
The method of making a composite food product containing predetermined amounts of cut apples and other edible ingredients comprising:
In a cut or peeled fruit or vegetable having exposed light-colored pulp which tends to brown within minutes after exposure to air and which has been contacted with a browning-inhibiting composition, the improvement wherein the composition comprises an aqueous acidic solution comprising citric acid, sodium chloride and calcium chloride and having a pH within the range of about 1.25 to about 1.75, which retains its natural color and resists browning for at least a 7-day period upon storage at a non-freezing temperature within the range of about 32.degree. F. to about 42.degree. F. and which is substantially free of sulfur, and sulfite and ascorbate salts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.