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US4378377A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Cereal presweetened with aspartame and method of preparation

Assignee: General Mills Inc
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Filing: 1982-01-25
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Granted: 1983-03-29
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Expires: 2002-01-25
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Abstract

Abstract Disclosed are comestibles, particularly ready-to-eat cereals, having an exterior coating sweetened with aspartame as well as methods of preparing such coated comestibles. The methods of preparation comprise: (a) preparing an aqueous suspension comprising sufficient amounts of vegetable protein isolates to provide a viscosity of 50 to 25,000 cp. (65° F.) and from about 0.1% to 4% aspartame; (b) enrobing a comestible with the aqueous suspension at a temperature of from about 50° F. to 100° F. to apply sufficient amounts of aspartame so as to provide between about 0.05% to 0.4% aspartame; and then (c) drying the comestibles to a final moisture content of less than about 5%.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert J. Gajewski

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 07:17
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23L; A23L7/00; A23L7/10; A23L7/117; A23L7/122

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 36 words
A sweetened dry comestible, comprising: from about 1% to 20% of the comestible of a coating, said coating including from about 1% to 20% of a water-soluble vegetable protein isolate, and about 0.5% to 0.04% aspartame.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 36 words
A sweetened dry comestible, comprising: from about 1% to 20% of the comestible of a coating, said coating including from about 1% to 20% of a water-soluble vegetable protein isolate, and about 0.5% to 0.04% aspartame.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 13 words
The comestible of claim 1 wherein the comestible is a ready-to-eat cereal particle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 41 words
The comestible of claim 2 wherein the aspartame is present at from about 0.1% to 0.2% by weight of the comestible and wherein the water-soluble vegetable protein isolate is present at from about 2% to 13% by weight of the comestible.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 24 words
The comestible of claim 3 wherein the vegetable protein is selected from the group consisting of soy protein isolates and hydrolyzed soy protein isolates.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 65 words
A method for coating a dry comestible with aspartame, comprising the steps of: A. providing an aqueous suspension, comprising (1) from about 0.4% to 4% by weight of the suspension of aspartame, (2) from about 1% to 30% of the suspension of a water soluble vegetable protein isolate and sufficient to provide the suspension with a viscosity of about 50 to 25,000 cp. (65° F.).
Claim 7
Independent Claim 65 words
A method for coating a dry comestible with aspartame, comprising the steps of: A. providing an aqueous suspension, comprising (1) from about 0.4% to 4% by weight of the suspension of aspartame, (2) from about 1% to 30% of the suspension of a water soluble vegetable protein isolate and sufficient to provide the suspension with a viscosity of about 50 to 25,000 cp. (65° F.).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the comestible base is a ready-to-eat cereal particle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 37 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the aqueous suspension comprises from about 5% to 13% of the vegetable protein isolate, said isolate being selected from the group consisting of soy protein isolates and hydrolyzed soy protein isolates.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the weight ratio of aqueous suspension to comestible ranges from about 1:12 to 1:1.3 and wherein the temperature of the aqueous suspension ranges from about 60° F. to 80° F.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 46 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the aspartame comprises from about 0.1% to 4.0% of the aqueous suspension and wherein the vegetable protein isolate is present in the aqueous suspension in amounts sufficient to provide a viscosity of from about 500 to 10,000 cp. (65° F.).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 15 words
The comestible of claim 4 wherein the coating additionally comprises a nutritive carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the weight ratio of aqueouus suspension to comestible ranges from about 1:9 to 1:3, and wherein the aspartame comprises from about 1% to 2% by weight of the aqueous suspension.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3943258A Cited
US3947600A Cited
US3955000A Cited
US4079151A Cited
US4139639A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1986-03-28 1986-09-27 1987-03-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1990-03-28 1990-09-27 1991-03-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1994-03-28 1994-09-27 1995-03-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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