A method of producing a multicoated edible snack product comprising providing an edible core, applying a first layer over the outer surface of the edible core. The first layer is cooked to form a hardened first layer over the edible core. A second layer is applied over the hardened first layer, and cooked to form an expanded second layer. The hardened first layer provides a crunchy aspect to the snack product and the expanded second layer provides a soft exterior to the snack product when biting into the snack product.

Compositions for forming protective coatings on, e.g., agricultural products, can form a lamellar structure on the surface of the agricultural product that forms a barrier to, e.g., water and gas.

One or more methods are disclosed to provide for the preparation of a food product that can be quickly cooked, while exhibiting flavors, textures, and colors of more traditional and time consuming cooking methods. The method produces a food product with the full flavor profile of barbeque, with the ease of a ready-made meal. The preparation prior to packaging facilitates a Maillard reaction and carmelization of the food product. The method can include marinating the food product, searing an outside portion of the food product, smoking the food product, vacuum sealing and then cooking the food product using a sous vide method. The prepared food product can then be easily heated by the end user for consumption.

An expandable bowl has an open top and a plurality of configuration changing side members connecting the open top to a base member. The configuration changing side members are designed to allow a user to pull the base member to changing the side members from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, thereby increasing the overall volume of the bowl. The expandable bowl may be useful for various products, such as pre-packaged salads, where the salads may be packaged and displayed in the collapsed configuration, thereby minimizing shelf space, and may be changed to the expanded configuration by a user to permit tossing of the salad without risking spillage of the contents of the bowl.

Legume plant-based proteins, especially pea protein, are used as a primary source for twin-screw extrusion to manufacture an intermediate moisture, texturized protein piece that can be further processed by controlled hydration and coated with a batter, breading, or coating to produce a comestible product. Protein is the predominate ingredient (70-95%) in the extruded piece. In the preferred embodiment, the protein is pea powder and flavor is provided by addition of yeast extract to impart beef, chicken, or pork flavor. Additional components in the form of hydrophilic polymers and alkalai are also added prior to extrusion to insure desired texture and handling properties. The hydrophilic polymers impart functional properties such as water-binding, thereby aiding in foaming, emulsifying, texturizing, and gelation, important to manufacturing an intermediate moisture texturized plant-protein product by extrusion.

This disclosure relates to a product, a beverage product, and an infusion formulation that each include at least two rare sugars, for example allulose and tagatose. The combination of allulose and tagatose synergistically sweeten the product, beverage product, and infusion formulation. The product includes a food body having a food component and an infusion component. The infusion component includes at least two rare sugars. The beverage product includes a consumable liquid and at least two rare sugars. This disclosure further relates to methods for preparing a food product and beverage product.

A method of applying thin layers of a peanut butter and a molten chocolate onto a frozen food product, in some instances fruit, that is at temperatures below 0° C. in such a way that reduces free oil migration out of the peanut butter and prevents discoloration and brittleness of the applied chocolate.

Methods and systems for selectively applying a treatment to a plant item is provided. The method may include conveying, in an industrial processing line, at least one plant item in the batch of plant items to a sensing region having one or more sensors, assessing, with the one or more sensors and a computing device, one or more properties of the at least one plant item associated with ripeness and/or another attribute, conveying the at least one plant item to a treatment region, determining a treatment to apply to the at least one plant item based on the assessed one or more properties; and applying, in the treatment region, the treatment to the at least one plant item.

Legume plant-based proteins, especially pea protein, are used as a primary source for twin-screw extrusion to manufacture an intermediate moisture, texturized protein piece that can be further processed by controlled hydration and coated with a batter, breading, or coating to produce a comestible product. Protein is the predominate ingredient (70-95%) in the extruded piece. In the preferred embodiment, the protein is pea powder and flavor is provided by addition of yeast extract to impart beef, chicken, or pork flavor. Additional components in the form of hydrophilic polymers and alkalai are also added prior to extrusion to insure desired texture and handling properties. The hydrophilic polymers impart functional properties such as water-binding, thereby aiding in foaming, emulsifying, texturizing, and gelation, important to manufacturing an intermediate moisture texturized plant-protein product by extrusion.

The present invention relates to a “fat blocking” composition that contains pea protein, and optionally an antioxidant, for application to food, where the composition is capable of reducing the overall fat absorption by at least 20% when the composition is applied to the food prior to frying or cooking the food. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a process for preparing the pea protein composition to have a pH between about 4 to 6. Another aspect of the present invention relates to methods for reducing the overall fat absorption by coating an uncooked food with a composition that contains pea protein, and optionally an antioxidant, prior to frying, where the amount of oil and/or fat absorbed by the food during cooking is substantially reduced.