Disclosed is a cheese powder, methods for manufacturing the cheese powder, and a cheese-based food product made therefrom. The method includes: providing an aromatic matrix resulting from culturing a flavoring microorganism in a culture medium, and a texture matrix, at least some of the proteins of which consist of coagulating proteins which have not been subjected to prior coagulation; optionally mixing the aromatic matrix and the texture matrix to obtain a matrix mixture; and drying the matrices or the mixture of matrices to obtain a powder consistency, when the matrices or the mixture of matrices has a consistency ranging from liquid to paste. The obtained cheese powder has the following features: a total dry extract greater than or equal to 95% m/m, a water activity (aw) having a value of 0.1 to 0.25, and the coagulating proteins derived from the texture matrix have not been subjected to prior coagulation.

A method of dehydrating and rehydrating mycelium includes growing fungal cells in a growth media such that the fungal cells produce a mycelium mass having a protein content of greater than 40 wt % of a dry mass of the mycelium mass. The method includes separating the mycelium mass from the growth media, compacting the mycelium mass, and dehydrating the compacted mycelium mass to produce a dehydrated mycelium mass having a moisture content in a range of 5 wt % to 60 wt % and a first hardness in a range of 0.007 kgf/mm.sup.2 to 0.018 kgf/mm.sup.2. The method includes rehydrating the dehydrated mycelium mass to form a rehydrated mycelium mass having a moisture content of greater than 60 wt % and a second hardness in a range of 0.00035 kgf/mm.sup.2 to 0.007 kgf/mm.sup.2.

A system for rehydrating a food item includes a housing, a casing, an actuator, a moisture source, and a plate. The moisture source includes an outlet and an enclosed vessel having liquid. The liquid is released by steam or pressure as moisture into a first end of a conduit. The system has a plate with a top surface, a bottom surface and an opening traversing between the two. A casing couples with the top surface of the plate. The second end of the conduit couples with the opening. The casing has a pivot point. An actuator couples the casing on a first end and the housing at a second end. The actuator moves the casing from a first position to a second position by rotation about the pivot point. In the first position, the moisture flows towards the plate and in the second position moisture flow is idled.

A system and methodology for rehydrating perishable items (e.g., flowers, fresh food items, such as fruits, vegetables, other produce, and nuts) during storage and transportation thereof. The osmotic rehydration apparatus includes a pressurized chamber, a humidifier, an ozone generator, an electrostatic sprayer, a reservoir containing saline, and an air compressor. The perishable items are placed in the osmotic chamber under positive pressure. A film of saline solution is applied to the surface of the perishable items via an electrostatic sprayer. The saline/chlorine film on the perishable items is dried, and the osmotic chamber is saturated with ozone gas via an ozone generator. The osmotic chamber is then saturated with tiny pure water droplets via a humidifier or an electrostatic sprayer. The pressure within the chamber is raised to a pressure above atmospheric pressure. The osmotic chamber is then placed inside a cooler at a temperature slightly above freezing.

Subject-matter of the present invention is a composition suitable for the preparation of food products essentially intended for subjects with swallowing difficulty and/or malnourished subjects. Further subject-matter of the invention is a process for the preparation of such food products and the so-prepared food products.

A system and methodology for rehydrating perishable items (e.g., flowers, fresh food items, such as fruits, vegetables, other produce, and nuts) during storage and transportation thereof. The osmotic rehydration apparatus includes a pressurized chamber, a humidifier, an ozone generator, an electrostatic sprayer, a reservoir containing saline, and an air compressor. The perishable items are placed in the osmotic chamber under positive pressure. A film of saline solution is applied to the surface of the perishable items via an electrostatic sprayer. The saline/chlorine film on the perishable items is dried, and the osmotic chamber is saturated with ozone gas via an ozone generator. The osmotic chamber is then saturated with tiny pure water droplets via a humidifier or an electrostatic sprayer. The pressure within the chamber is raised to a pressure above atmospheric pressure. The osmotic chamber is then placed inside a cooler at a temperature slightly above freezing.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a dainty-food-like food product that efficiently takes advantage of soybean protein and has favorable texture. A dainty-food-like food product that is thin in thickness and provides favorable texture can be obtained by causing 100 parts by weight of textured soybean protein to absorb water in a specific amount range of 100-300 parts by weight, and flattening and applying pressure on the resultant material while heating said material at 100° C. or higher.

A method for extending shelf life of germ remained rice includes evenly spreading the germ remained rice on a sheet tray, and moderately moistening the germ remained rice, packing the germ remained rice moistened, and irradiating the germ remained rice with an electron beam.

The invention is directed broadly to a method of preparing a texture modified starch-based food product, comprising the steps: (a) dehydrating a starch-based food to remove excess water; (b) grinding the dehydrated starch-based food to form a fine powder; (c) adding a carrier to coat the fine powder; (d) rehydrating the coated powder to form a paste; and (e) forming the paste into the texture modified starch-based food product shaped and textured to a generic serve of the starch-based food selected to form the paste.

A milk food product is provided that when mixed with baby food and given regularly to a baby will reduce the likelihood of the baby developing a food allergy. The milk food product is produced by taking milk and mixing or whipping the milk with other ingredients such as rice, tapioca, wheat, corn, nut flours, soy flour, or bean flour. The resulting batter is then baked in order to produce a cake-like product. The resulting cake is then dried in order to remove substantially all moisture. The dried cake is then ground or milled into a powder.