Compositions and methods for treating stored potatoes to inhibit the growth of sprouts, and/or to “burn” sprouts, include the use of allyl isothiocyanate (“AITC”), which may be generated from exposing a Brassica meal powder (i.e., a powder derived from a member of the mustard plant family) to water. The AITC generated may provided an all-natural sprout-inhibiting agent that is effective to inhibit sprouting in stored potatoes for several weeks, if not months. Alternatively, the AITC may be synthetically produced. The potatoes may be exposed to the AITC while air containing the AITC is circulated through the potato pile, after which the potato storage facility may be ventilated to expose the potatoes to fresh air. The exposure of the potatoes to AITC may be repeated.

The document provides nutritional supplement compositions. For example, nutritional supplement compositions containing a potato polysaccharide preparation, methods for obtaining potato polysaccharide preparations, methods for making nutritional supplement compositions containing a potato polysaccharide preparation, and methods for increasing or decreasing expression of polypeptides involved with mitochondria activity or function are provided.

The document provides nutritional supplement compositions. For example, nutritional supplement compositions containing a potato polysaccharide preparation, methods for obtaining potato polysaccharide preparations, methods for making nutritional supplement compositions containing a potato polysaccharide preparation, and methods for increasing or decreasing expression of polypeptides involved with mitochondria activity or function are provided.

The present invention relates to the field of the food industry; it is aimed more particularly at the preparation of food products, namely a range of cream analogues, composed of vegetable ingredients and having functional and organoleptic properties close to those of dairy products.

An apparatus and method suitable for performing cutting operations on a product to yield a reduced-size product, for example, slicing, strip-cutting, dicing, shredding, and/or granulating a food product. The apparatus includes a casing, an impeller adapted for rotation within the casing about an axis thereof, and knives that perform, in sequence, slicing, strip-cutting and crosscutting on a product to produce reduced-size products. The apparatus is capable of performing a method by which a product is introduced into the impeller and the impeller is rotated to slice the product with a slicing knife and produce therefrom slices having peaks and valleys on opposite surfaces thereof and a cross-sectional shape that periodically varies in thickness. Strips are then produced from each of the slices by forming parallel cuts, each coinciding with a peak of each slice so that each strip has a width substantially identical to a wavelength of the slice.

An apparatus and method suitable for performing cutting operations on a product to yield a reduced-size product, for example, slicing, strip-cutting, dicing, shredding, and/or granulating a food product. The apparatus includes a casing, an impeller adapted for rotation within the casing about an axis thereof, and knives that perform, in sequence, slicing, strip-cutting and crosscutting on a product to produce reduced-size products. The apparatus is capable of performing a method by which a product is introduced into the impeller and the impeller is rotated to slice the product with a slicing knife and produce therefrom slices having peaks and valleys on opposite surfaces thereof and a cross-sectional shape that periodically varies in thickness. Strips are then produced from each of the slices by forming parallel cuts, each coinciding with a peak of each slice so that each strip has a width substantially identical to a wavelength of the slice.

Methods and systems for making a high-purity α-lactalbumin composition are described. The composition may be made by providing a whey protein mixture, and adding an alkaline solution to the mixture to make the mixture alkaline and promote the aggregation of ß-lactoglobulin proteins. The alkaline whey protein mixture is filtered into a ß-LG aggregate composition and a α-LA enriched composition. A final α-lactalbumin enriched composition sourced from the α-LA enriched composition is dried into the high-purity α-lactalbumin composition (a powdered dairy composition) that is at least 70 wt. % α-lactalbumin on a protein basis. A protease enzyme may optionally be added to the α-LA enriched composition to form an enzymatically treated α-LA enriched composition that becomes the source of the final α-lactalbumin enriched composition.

A method of peeling tubers includes providing a peeler device defining a cavity surrounded by a peeling mechanism, inputting tubers to be peeled into the cavity, directing electromagnetic radiation from an illumination device into the cavity, detecting electromagnetic radiation reflected into lens of a camera from tubers located in the cavity during a peeling operation by the peeling mechanism, and operating the peeler device based on the reflected electromagnetic radiation detected by the camera. Also disclosed is an apparatus for carrying out the method.

A hard cheese analogue may be produced from a root vegetable-derived product. This liquid potato product may be formed from raw potatoes, which are subsequently treated and subjected to a high shear processing step, which allows for the formation of a liquid potato product exhibiting non-Newtonian rheological properties. Subsequently, this liquid potato product may be solidified over time to form the hard cheese analogue. Unlike certain other dairy-free cheese analogues, the present cheese analogue may be sliced, cut, shredded, and melted.

A hard cheese analogue may be produced from a root vegetable-derived product. This liquid potato product may be formed from raw potatoes, which are subsequently treated and subjected to a high shear processing step, which allows for the formation of a liquid potato product exhibiting non-Newtonian rheological properties. Subsequently, this liquid potato product may be solidified over time to form the hard cheese analogue. Unlike certain other dairy-free cheese analogues, the present cheese analogue may be sliced, cut, shredded, and melted.