US4117172A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for preparing simulated soft centered fruits
Assignee: Lever Brothers Co
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Filing: 1976-05-07
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Granted: 1978-09-26
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Expires: 1996-05-07
Abstract
Abstract A fruit product having a texture which on eating is sensed as non-uniform like that of soft centered fruits such as gooseberries and cherries is prepared by a process in which fruit pulp or puree admixed with an alginate or pectate sol is brought into contact with a dissolved calcium ion so that part of the sol is gelled and the fruit pulp or puree is distributed between a fluid or plastic core of alginate or pectate sol and a firm exterior of calcium alginate or pectate gel and the product is heated to prevent the core from becoming a firm gel.
Inventors
- 👤 Noel James Bradshaw
- 👤 David Savage
- 👤 Michael Edwin Sneath
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 17:51
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23B; A23B7/00; A23B7/005; A23B7/0053; A23B7/0056; A23L; A23L21/00; A23L21/10; A23L21/18; A23L29/00; A23L29/20; A23L29/206; A23L29/231; A23L29/256; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S426/00; Y10S426/803
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A process for preparing a fruit product consisting essentially of the steps of (a) mixing fruit pulp or puree and an aqueous alginate or pectate sol to form a mixture; (b) extruding the mixture to form drops of the mixture; (c) treating the drops with an aqueous solution of an edible calcium salt to give the drops a skin of calcium alginate or pectate and a fluid or plastic core; and (d) while the drops still have a fluid or plastic core, heating the treated drops to a temperature of 70° C to about 100° C to prevent full gelation of the sol in the interior of the drops said process thereby producing said fruit product with a firm outer skin and a softer interior.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
A process for preparing a fruit product consisting essentially of the steps of (a) mixing fruit pulp or puree and an aqueous alginate or pectate sol to form a mixture; (b) extruding the mixture to form drops of the mixture; (c) treating the drops with an aqueous solution of an edible calcium salt to give the drops a skin of calcium alginate or pectate and a fluid or plastic core; and (d) while the drops still have a fluid or plastic core, heating the treated drops to a temperature of 70° C to about 100° C to prevent full gelation of the sol in the interior of the drops said process thereby producing said fruit product with a firm outer skin and a softer interior.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 whereby in steps (b) and (c) the mixture is extruded below the surface of the aqueous solution of the edible calcium salt.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 whereby the extruded mixture is cut to form the drops while suspended in the aqueous solution.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the sol in step (a) is an aqueous alginate sol and wherein the treated drops in step (d) are heated at 85° C or above for at least two minutes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the fruit pulp or puree is gooseberry pulp or puree.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process as claimed in claim 5 in which the sol used is an alginate sol with a ratio of mannuronic acid residues to guluronic acid residues greater than 1:1.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the fruit pulp or puree is cherry pulp or puree.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process as claimed in claim 7 in which the sol used is an alginate sol with a ratio of mannuronic acid residues to guluronic acid residues of less than 1:1.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
146 words
A process for preparing a fruit product consisting essentially of the steps of: (a) mixing fruit pulp or puree and an aqueous alginate or pectate sol to form a mixture; (b) extruding the mixture to form drops of the mixture; (c) treating the drops with an aqueous solution of an edible calcium salt to give the drops a skin of calcium alginate or pectate; (d) removing the treated drops from the aqueous solution of the edible calcium salt and putting the treated drops into an aqueous syrup; and (e) while the drops still have a fluid or plastic core, heating the treated drops in the aqueous syrup to a temperature of 70° C to about 100° C to prevent full gelation of the sol in the interior of the drops said process thereby producing a fruit product with a firm outer skin and a soft interior.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
146 words
A process for preparing a fruit product consisting essentially of the steps of: (a) mixing fruit pulp or puree and an aqueous alginate or pectate sol to form a mixture; (b) extruding the mixture to form drops of the mixture; (c) treating the drops with an aqueous solution of an edible calcium salt to give the drops a skin of calcium alginate or pectate; (d) removing the treated drops from the aqueous solution of the edible calcium salt and putting the treated drops into an aqueous syrup; and (e) while the drops still have a fluid or plastic core, heating the treated drops in the aqueous syrup to a temperature of 70° C to about 100° C to prevent full gelation of the sol in the interior of the drops said process thereby producing a fruit product with a firm outer skin and a soft interior.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein in steps (b) and (c) the mixture is extruded below the surface of the aqueous solution of the edible calcium salt.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as claimed in claim 10 wherein the extruded mixture while suspended in the aqueous solution is cut to form the drops.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
67 words
A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the sol in step (a) is an aqueous alginate sol and the treated drops in step (e) are heated at 85° C or above for at least two minutes. 13. A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the treated drops are heated in the aqueous syrup within one hour of the treated drops being removed from the aqueous
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
solution of the edible calcium salt. 14. A process as claimed in claim 13 wherein the treated drops are heated within 30 minutes of the treated drops being removed from the aqueous solution of the edible calcium salt.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as claimed in claim 9 in which the drops are treated with the aqueous solution of the edible calcium salt for about 10 to about 30
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
minutes. 16. A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the aqueous sugar
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
syrup contains 0.1 to 0.5% by weight of an edible calcium salt. 17. A process as claimed in claim 9 in which the fruit pulp or puree is
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
gooseberry pulp or puree. 18. A process as claimed in claim 17 in which the sol used is an alginate sol with a ratio of mannuronic acid residues
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
to guluronic acid residues greater than 1:1. 19. A process as claimed in
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
claim 9 in which the fruit pulp or puree is cherry pulp or puree. 20. A process as claimed in claim 19 in which the sol used is an alginate sol with a ratio of mannuronic acid residues to guluronic acid residues of less than 1:1.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-09-25 | 1982-03-27 | 1982-09-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-09-25 | 1986-03-27 | 1986-09-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-09-25 | 1990-03-27 | 1990-09-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |