Process for making a reduced-calorie fruit and/or vegetable spread

Abstract

A process for making, or preparing, a reduced-calorie fruit and/or vegetable spread product including whole, natural fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s), or combinations thereof, having improved flavor, texture (e.g., mouth feel), color, and nutritional value as compared to fruit and/or vegetable spread products made with conventional processes. More particularly, the process of the present invention includes a pasteurization step, using a swept-surface heat exchanger, for making fruit and/or vegetable spread products having reduced caloric and sugar content and having increased soluble dietary fiber content. The minimal processing of the present process enables the produced fruit and/or vegetable spread products to retain flavor, texture, color, vitamins and other nutrients which are, typically, lost in traditionally-processed fruit and/or vegetable spread products. The process' preferable use of squeeze tube packaging eliminates the need for cutlery in order to use or consume the fruit and/or vegetable spread products and serves to make the products more portable.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.