A flash boiling apparatus for a liquid food product that includes particles, the apparatus including a vacuum vessel provided with a product inlet and a product outlet for liquid food product, a pressure relief valve arranged upstream the product inlet for providing a pressure drop that results in flash boiling of the liquid food product, and an inlet section arranged between the pressure relief valve and the product inlet, for conveying the liquid food product from the pressure relief valve to the product inlet. The inlet section includes a through-flow area that increases in a direction from the pressure relief valve to the product inlet, such that a flow velocity of the liquid food product decreases when it passes the inlet section.

The present invention is direct to an edible composition in which fruit, vegetables and/or nuts, in conjunction with a hydrocolloid, are treated with pressure and/or heat to form an edible composition that is dimensionally stable, ambient stable for at least 12 months, has a moisture content greater than 50 wt. %, has a pH less than 4.5, has a water activity greater than 0.5, is commercially sterile, is free of artificial flavors, has a solids content greater than 10 wt. %, and does not exhibit syneresis. Also provided is a method for preparation of the edible composition.

The present invention is direct to an edible composition in which fruit, vegetables and/or nuts, in conjunction with a hydrocolloid, are treated with pressure and/or heat to form an edible composition that is dimensionally stable, ambient stable for at least 12 months, has a moisture content greater than 50 wt. %, has a pH less than 4.5, has a water activity greater than 0.5, is commercially sterile, is free of artificial flavors, has a solids content greater than 10 wt. %, and does not exhibit syneresis. Also provided is a method for preparation of the edible composition.

A device for indicating exposure to a pressure. The device may include a base layer, a plurality of microcapsules, and a coating, with the microcapsules being disposed between the base layer and the coating. The microcapsules contain a indicator material that can be released once the microcapsules burst. The microcapsules then have a compressive bursting strength that is chosen or designed to be less than a selected pressure (e.g., the pressure being that to which a particular article may be exposed during high pressure processing). Thus, when the device is subjected to a pressure greater than the compressive bursting strength, at least some microcapsules burst, the indicator material is released from the microcapsules, and the release of the indicator material can be detected by observation of the device. The device may be a label that is associated (such as by being affixed) to the article being subjected to pressure (or multiple labels being associated (such as by being affixed) to multiple articles. Alternatively, the device may be associated with an article or articles without being affixed thereto.

The present invention relates to high pressure processing (HPP) methods of and containers for preparation of food products such as solid or semi-solid foods, beverages and food supplements containing high-pressure sensitive probiotics and other high-pressure sensitive substances, which maintain their viability, biological activity and other beneficial properties in the prepared food product. The present invention also relates to pasteurized food products containing biologically active high-pressure sensitive probiotics, other high-pressure sensitive substances, or their combinations.

The present invention relates to high pressure processing (HPP) methods of and containers for preparation of food products such as solid or semi-solid foods, beverages and food supplements containing high-pressure sensitive probiotics and other high-pressure sensitive substances, which maintain their viability, biological activity and other beneficial properties in the prepared food product. The present invention also relates to pasteurized food products containing biologically active high-pressure sensitive probiotics, other high-pressure sensitive substances, or their combinations.

A method is described for making a treated fruit having improved flavor, texture, and/or yield over thermally pasteurized fruit. The method includes providing a packaged premix that includes fruit with pectin methylesterase, calcium, and sugar, tempering the premix to produce tempered fruit, then treating the tempered fruit with high pressure pasteurization.

A freeze drying method including vacuuming freezing food, confirming operational status of at least one of a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a heating system, a cooling system, and/or a vacuum pump, and/or performing at least one of pre-frozen or not frozen status check, a chamber pre-freezing process, a vacuum leak check, a drying process, a final dry process, including any of such processes described in the specification.

A method for preparing beverages by extraction, employing high-pressure processing (HPP), for the bulk production of enriched beverages, ready for consumption and with an extended useful life. The method uses high hydrostatic pressures to perform a solid-liquid extraction and/or infusion (e.g. cold infusion) with an improved extraction rate and/or yield, and simultaneously inactivating spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms to increase its safety and useful life. The method includes placing a mix (8) of solids and liquids in a bag (3) located within a vessel (4) and pressurising same to a pre-set pressure (up to 800 MPa) and maintaining said pressure (10) for a pre-set period of time. The method includes the subsequent depressurisation of the vessel (11) and the removal of the mix from the bag (12), filtering the same under ultra-clean conditions (13), thus obtaining a safe, particle-free beverage, enriched with the extracted compounds of interest.

A process for the production of fat-encapsulated follistatin. The process includes metering fat having a melting point of at least 40° C. into an extruder, heating the fat in the extruder during rotation of the at least one screw, metering the follistatin into the extruder barrel to produce a flowable mixture, cooling the flowable mixture in a downstream adjacent section of the extruder barrel, subsequently discharging the mixture through an extruder die, and comminuting the mixture after it discharges from the extruder die.