US3851574A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Heat and moisture activated savory coating system for popcorn
Assignee: Pillsbury Co
•
Filing: 1972-12-26
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Granted: 1974-12-03
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Expires: 1992-12-26
Abstract
Abstract Unpopped popcorn is placed in a container such as a collapsed bag together with an edible coating which coats the popcorn as it pops to provide a savory coating or glaze such as a caramel corn glaze, a cheese coating, a pizza flavored coating, etc. The coating consists essentially of a hydrophillic and or thermoplastic film former, fat and preferably salt for flavoring. The hydrophillic film former may include hydrolysates of corn starch, molasses or other amorphous sugar or other carbohydrate or gum which is converted to a film upon exposure to moisture. A flavoring such as molasses, powdered cheese or cheese flavoring or combination of herbs in the case of a pizza flavored corn is dispersed in the film former. Upon being popped the flavored coating becomes distributed over the outer surface of the popped kernels.
Inventors
- 👤 M Katz
- 👤 L Brandberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 22:16
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D81/00; B65D81/34; B65D81/3446; B65D81/3461; B65D81/3469; A; A23; A23L; A23L7/00; A23L7/10; A23L7/161; A23L7/174; A23L7/183; A23L7/191; B65D2581/00; B65D2581/34; B65D2581/3401; B65D2581/3402; B65D2581/3421; B65D2581/3429; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A40/00; Y02A40/90; Y02W; Y02W90/00; Y02W90/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A PACKAGE OF POPCORN READY FOR POPPING IN A MICROWAVE OVEN COMPRISING AN EXPANDABLE PACKAGE FORMED FROM A FLEXBLE SHEET MATERIAL TRANSPARENT TO MICROWAVE ENERGY, SAID PACKAGE HAVING AT LEAST ONE STEAM EXHAUST OPENING THEREIN OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO ALLOW THE EXHAUST OF GAS AND STEAM WITHOUT BURSTING THE PACKAGE, A CHARGE OF UNPOPPED CORN IN THE PACKAGE AND FROM ABOUT ONE TO EIGHT PARTS OF A DISPERSION OF AN EDIBLE FAT AND AN EDIBLE HYDROPHILLIC AND THERMOPLASTIC FILM FORMER BY WEIGHT FOR EACH EIGHT PARTS BY WEIGHT OF CORN, SAID DISPERSION COMPRISING SUFFICIENT EDIBLE FAT WHEREBY WHEN THE PACKAGE IS PLACED IN SAID OVEN, THE CORN WILL BE POPPED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COATED WITH THE DISPERSION.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
A PACKAGE OF POPCORN READY FOR POPPING IN A MICROWAVE OVEN COMPRISING AN EXPANDABLE PACKAGE FORMED FROM A FLEXBLE SHEET MATERIAL TRANSPARENT TO MICROWAVE ENERGY, SAID PACKAGE HAVING AT LEAST ONE STEAM EXHAUST OPENING THEREIN OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO ALLOW THE EXHAUST OF GAS AND STEAM WITHOUT BURSTING THE PACKAGE, A CHARGE OF UNPOPPED CORN IN THE PACKAGE AND FROM ABOUT ONE TO EIGHT PARTS OF A DISPERSION OF AN EDIBLE FAT AND AN EDIBLE HYDROPHILLIC AND THERMOPLASTIC FILM FORMER BY WEIGHT FOR EACH EIGHT PARTS BY WEIGHT OF CORN, SAID DISPERSION COMPRISING SUFFICIENT EDIBLE FAT WHEREBY WHEN THE PACKAGE IS PLACED IN SAID OVEN, THE CORN WILL BE POPPED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COATED WITH THE DISPERSION.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The package according to claim 1 wherein the dispersion comprises about 80 percent to 90 percent by weight of fat and the balance comprising said film former.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The package of claim 2 wherein the dispersion is prepared by providing a mixture of film former and fat and vigorously mixing the mixture until a homogeneous dispersion is obtained.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
83 words
A package of popcorn kernels uniformly mixed with an edible film former and sucrose for popping in a microwave oven comprising an expandable package formed from a paper bag provided with longitudinally extending gussets therein to promote expansion of the bag, said bag having a steam exhaust opening therein of sufficient size to allow gas and steam escape without bursting the bag and about one to 10 parts of an edible film former and sucrose for each eight parts by weight of corn.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
83 words
A package of popcorn kernels uniformly mixed with an edible film former and sucrose for popping in a microwave oven comprising an expandable package formed from a paper bag provided with longitudinally extending gussets therein to promote expansion of the bag, said bag having a steam exhaust opening therein of sufficient size to allow gas and steam escape without bursting the bag and about one to 10 parts of an edible film former and sucrose for each eight parts by weight of corn.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
A package of unpopped popcorn adapted to form a coated popped corn product comprising a container and a quantity of corn therein together with a coating composition comprising edible hydrophillic and thermoplastic film former comprising amorphous sugar, the development of heat And the evolution of the moisture from the corn kernels during popping being adapted to activate the hydrophillic film former to form a coating in the kernels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
A package of unpopped popcorn adapted to form a coated popped corn product comprising a container and a quantity of corn therein together with a coating composition comprising edible hydrophillic and thermoplastic film former comprising amorphous sugar, the development of heat And the evolution of the moisture from the corn kernels during popping being adapted to activate the hydrophillic film former to form a coating in the kernels.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
A package of unpopped popcorn adapted to form a coated popped corn product comprising a container and a quantity of corn therein together with a coating composition comprising a hydrophillic film former and sucrose as a continuous phase and an edible fat dispersed therein as a discontinuous phase, the development of heat and the evolution of the moisture from the corn kernels during popping being adapted to activate the hydrophillic film former to form a coating on the kernels.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
79 words
A package of unpopped popcorn adapted to form a coated popped corn product comprising a container and a quantity of corn therein together with a coating composition comprising a hydrophillic film former and sucrose as a continuous phase and an edible fat dispersed therein as a discontinuous phase, the development of heat and the evolution of the moisture from the corn kernels during popping being adapted to activate the hydrophillic film former to form a coating on the kernels.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2673806A
Cited
US3689291A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-02 | 1978-06-03 | 1978-12-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-02 | 1982-06-03 | 1982-12-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-02 | 1986-06-03 | 1986-12-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |