Uniformly-colored, cheese flavored, microwaveable popcorn

In a kit for preparing cheese-flavored popcorn with microwaves comprising:

• an elongate bag with a pair of ends between which a front panel, a back panel, and inwardly-folded gussetted side panels connecting the front panel and the back panel extend containing a plurality of corn kernels and solidified oil or shortening as ingredients, the ingredients substantially filling said bag cross-sectionally equidistant from the ends of the bag, said bag being a laminate having an outer paper layer, an inner paper layer of greaseproof paper, and a microwave susceptor between the inner and outer layers in the front panel of said bag, said bag being suitable for placement in a microwave oven to effect popping of the corn kernels with microwaves to form popped corn kernels;
• a sealed, flexible packet formed from a laminate having layers of a polymeric material, metal foil, and paper and containing a powdered cheese formulation comprising a blend of F D & C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6 food color, the powdered cheese formulation being of different color than said popped corn kernels and being present only in an amount at which, when said powdered cheese formulation is applied to the plurality of popped corn kernels, after microwave popping, said popped corn kernels have a mottled appearance, wherein the improvement comprises incorporating in said bag a blend of F D & C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6 food color substantially similar to the food color in the powdered cheese formulation and in an amount such that, during microwave popping of the corn kernels, the food color in said bag is distributed and coats the popped corn so that when the powdered cheese formulation in said packet is applied to the popcorn in said bag, after its removal from the microwave oven, a cheese-flavored popcorn product with a uniform, unmottled, and pleasing appearance is produced.

In a product for preparing cheese-flavored popcorn with microwaves comprising:

• an elongate bag with a pair of ends between which a front panel, a back panel, and inwardly-folded gussetted side panels connecting the front panel and the back panel extend, said bag being a laminate having an outer paper layer, an inner layer of greaseproof paper, and a microwave susceptor between the inner and outer layers in the front panel of said bag, said bag being suitable for placement in a microwave oven to effect popping of the corn kernels with microwaves to form popped corn kernels and
• popcorn ingredients substantially filling said elongate bag cross-sectionally equidistant from the ends of the bag, said popcorn ingredients comprising a plurality of corn kernels, solidified oil or shortening, and a powdered cheese formulation comprising F D & C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6 food color, the powdered cheese formulation being of different color than said popped corn kernels and being present only in an amount at which, when the powdered cheese is applied to the plurality of popped corn kernels, said popped corn kernels have a mottled appearance, wherein the improvement comprises incorporating in said bag a blend of F D & C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6 food color substantially similar to the food color in the powdered cheese formulation, and in an amount such that, during microwave popping of the corn kernels, the food color in said bag is distributed and coats the popped corn so that when the powdered cheese formulation is applied to the popcorn, a cheese-flavored popcorn product with a uniform, unmottled, and pleasing appearance is produced.