Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Plant material is basic ingredient other than extract,...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-25
2003-02-25
Pratt, Helen (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Plant material is basic ingredient other than extract,...
C426S506000, C426S524000, C426S640000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06524640
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process for fully processed shelf-stable vegetables. The consumption of fruits and vegetables has taken new importance in our diet because of their role in minimizing certain degenerative diseases and in enhancing our quality of life. These plant products are low in fat and high in natural antioxidant vitamin A and vitamin C. Cao et al. (1996) indicated that based on a serving size, kale, beets, red peppers, brussels sprouts, broccoli flowers, spinach, potatoes, and corn are likely to provide the largest amount of antioxidant as determined by oxygen radical absorbency score (ORAC
Roo.
). However, vegetables are seasonal and perishable. Moreover, vegetables typically require washing, peeling, cutting, and cooking before they can be consumed.
Various preservation methods such as freezing, canning, freeze drying, air drying, and vacuum drying are processes that prevent or minimize chemical, enzymatic, and microbial changes leading to quality loss and spoilage are aimed at extending the life and the uses of vegetables. In most instances, a frozen vegetable is closer in quality characteristics to the fresh produce than a canned or dried vegetable. A frozen vegetable is also perishable, like fresh produce, and requires the steps of thawing and cooking before consumption. A canned vegetable is shelf-stable when the cans are unopened, but canned vegetables lack fresh vegetable characteristics. Dried vegetables tend to be discolored and therefore, are not appealing. Recently developed dehydro-frozen vegetables containing 40% to 50% moisture are partially dried and frozen products. These products have more solids than the frozen or individually quick frozen (IQF) vegetables and are used in food preparations because of their ease of handling and value per pound basis. However, these vegetables also require frozen storage.
I am currently aware of two patents relevant to my high solids containing processed vegetables and the process therefore. U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,969 (Lioutas), disclosed a process using fresh vegetables for manufacturing dried green vegetables, especially broccoli florets and pea-pods. The invention is an immersion bath having five times the weight of the vegetables processed made up of buffering systems and antioxidants. The water activity of the finished product (A
w
) is given as 0.3 to 0.85. The product may contain a high proportion of glycerin and salt. The very high levels of salt make the vegetables taste salty. The higher levels of glycerin potentially lead to bitterness and stickiness in the dried product. The shelf-life of the products is not clearly apparent (the color stability is given as six months) and the water activity (A
w
) range indicated is very broad (0.3 to 0.85). I believe that at higher A
w
(beyond 0.65), the products would need preservatives or low temperature storage to prevent microbial spoilage. To the applicant, this process appears rather cumbersome for industrial scale production as it uses a complex treatment mixture and processing steps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,873 (Aebi et al.), discloses a process for preparing low moisture green bell peppers and onions by immersing the vegetables in an osmotic solution made up of high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, glucose, fructose, maltose, sorbitol, maltitol honey, hydrogenated corn syrup or mixtures thereof. Next, the vegetables are removed and dried. This process results in heavily coated vegetables that tend to cling together when dried.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, high solids containing vegetables are produced by immersing vegetables in a liquid of predetermined Brix until the vegetables reach a level of about 28 Brix to about 40 Brix where the liquid contains corn syrup, glycerin, and salt, removing the vegetables from the immersion, and drying the vegetables. Optionally, the vegetables may be sprayed with a vegetable oil prior to drying the vegetables. The resulting product has a high solid content and is soft, moist, and fresh-like in taste, texture, and appearance. It is also shelf-stable, microbiologically safe and ready to use.
These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the preferred embodiment, individually quick frozen vegetables are immersed in an immersion bath of from about 40 Brix to about 60 Brix at a temperature of from about 110° F. to about 130° F., for a time sufficient to bring the vegetables from a low of about 4 Brix to about 6 Brix to a level of about 28 Brix to about 40 Brix. The high solids containing vegetables are removed and preferably rinsed with a diluted immersion medium. They are then preferably lightly sprayed with vegetable oil, and then dried to a water content of about 8% to about 15% and a water activity of about 0.4 to 0.6. The soluble (sugars) solid and non-soluble (starches, celluloses, hemicelluloses, and fibers) solid content of the processed vegetables will be from about 84% to about 92%.
The Vegetables
The starting materials for the patent application are individually quick frozen (IQF) vegetables and preferably USDA grade-A vegetables. These vegetables are either diced or whole (as in the case of sweet corn or garden green peas). The use of individually quick frozen vegetables allow for the separation of the initial preparatory steps of sorting, grading, cutting, peeling, blanching, etc., that are routine plant operations involved with fresh vegetables performed at the point of a vegetable production. Using IQF vegetables affords additional flexibility. A processing plant making the high solid containing value added, shelf-stable product of the present invention does not need to be: near a vegetable growing area and the processing operations can be performed year round.
The Immersion Bath
Next, the individually quick frozen vegetables are immersed in an immersion bath, that is a liquid medium of predetermined Brix as measured on the Brix scale. The Brix scale is a hydrometer scale for sugar solutions, graduated so that its readings at a specified temperature represent percentages by weight of sugar in the solution.
The immersion processing of vegetables is intended to increase the vegetable soluble solids content from an initial low of about 4 Brix to about 6 Brix to a level of about 28 Brix to about 40 Brix, depending on the vegetable. The increased soluble solids bind with the available water content of the vegetables. Thus, the immersion manages the state and concentration of water in the vegetable. Binding and retaining this water is central to maintaining a vegetable's shape, texture, and overall fresh-like quality. The immersion liquid also stabilizes the color of a vegetable and aids in the retention of nutrients by binding with these constituents so they may not be freely available for oxidative, enzymatic, and other degradations.
The key consideration in selecting the components of the immersion liquid here are: a natural, preservative or additive free product, the ability to maintain the natural taste and flavor of vegetables, the simplicity of handling and monitoring, recyclability, cost, and availability. Previously, chemicals, buffering systems, surfactants and antioxidants have been used. However, on an industrial scale, processes incorporating these ingredients are cumbersome to monitor and manage and the natural and preservative or additive free image of the finished product is compromised.
In contrast, the process of the present invention requires only three ingredients in its immersion solution. All are considered natural. The three ingredients are: corn syrup, glycerin, and iodized salt. Corn syrup comprises the main ingredient (about 88% to about 92%) followed by glycerin (about 6.5% to about 10.0%—based on the weight of immersion liquid) and salt (about 1.0% to about 2.0%—based on the weight of a vegetable processed).
The preferred corn syr
Graceland Fruit, Inc.
Pratt Helen
Price Heneveld Cooper DeWitt & Litton
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