Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Packaged or wrapped product – Having nonedible spacer to segregate all units of multiunit...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-09-11
Cano, Milton (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Packaged or wrapped product
Having nonedible spacer to segregate all units of multiunit...
C426S618000, C206S568000, C222S094000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287612
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to liquid and squeezable food products and a squeezable package for use in consuming such products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of snack and/or dessert food products packaged in squeezable containers are known in the art. For example, Kraft Foods of Glenview, Ill. offers a squeezable gelatin and pudding product line. In like manner, Energy Zone of Westlake Village, Calif., produces a line of squeezable gelatin, pudding and applesauce varieties. Further, General Mills has recently introduced a yogurt product packaged within a tube that can be served refrigerated, frozen or thawed.
A variety of double-compartment package configurations are known in the art. For example, German Patent Publication No. DE 1 511 942 discloses a two-compartment package formed from three parallel films, but consumption of a squeezable combination of two different but complementary food products at the same time is not intended.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,615 discloses a sealed package formed of metal-foil-polyethylene having two compartments designed to have a lubricant or other material enclosed in one compartment, and a catheter or other medical or surgical device in the other compartment. A rupturable ultrasonic seal is provided between the compartment so that the catheter or the like has its tip and least adjacent portions covered with lubricant at the time of the use. The consumption of food products with such a package is not intended and would not be appropriate.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,081 discloses a cylindrical package forming compartmented portions. The package may contain chemical materials which when united form mixtures containing reactive components. It is not intended to serve a foodstuff by using such a package.
As noted above, prior art squeezable foods are mainly of the snack and/or dessert variety. Moreover, the snack and/or dessert of the prior art are traditionally of a gel-like consistency, and are intended to be consumed as a simple food product or a mixture expelled from a single-compartment package. Thus there is a long-felt need, which is satisfied by the invention described herein, for convenient, nutritionally balanced liquid and squeezable foods and packages for directly delivering such squeezable foods to the consumer without requiring knives, spoons or other eating utensils. There is also a need to provide a squeezable foodstuff having sensory and nutritive properties identical or close to a complete solid food or meal, and this is also provided by the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to novel liquid food products. A first embodiment of these products is directed to a drinkable liquid food product. The primary ingredient of the drinkable liquid food products of the invention is oat milk. Oat milk is an important source of beta-glucan and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its cholesterol-lowering properties. It is presumed that oat milk participates to the reduction of coronary heart diseases. Additional ingredients, such as fruit puree, fruit pieces, nuts, cereals, cookie crumbs, vegetables and/or tapioca starch granules, or mixtures thereof, may if desired, be combined with the oat milk component to provide the resultant drinkable products with a variety of textures and/or tastes.
A second embodiment of the invention relates to a multi-component combinable squeezable substantially liquid food product having the sensory and nutritive properties close to solid food or meal upon recombination.
More specifically, the squeezable food products comprises (1) a first food component forming a base component and (2) a second food component combinable with the first component to form a complete food upon consumption. More preferably, the first component is a cereal-based component whereas the second component is a filling component.
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Mill Milk Research Article, Rytter et al., http://www.millmilk.com/research.htm, page 1, best date=, Oct. 1997.*
Mill Milk Website Homepage, http://millmilk.com, pps. 2,5,7-8, & 13, best available date=, Oct. 1998.
Holm Jorgen
Kempin Klaus
Mandava Rao
Cano Milton
Daverman Sherry A.
Nestec S.A.
Winston & Strawn
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