Process for preparing an instant baby cereal porridge product

Claim 2

A process for preparing a dry, gelatinized, cereal porridge product capable of being instantly prepared as a hot or cold cereal porridge comprising: a. preparing a slurry of cereal flour having a Mesh size less than U.S. Mesh size #40, and water in which the flour is present in an amount of from 14 to 30% inclusive based on the weight of the slurry; b. gelatinizing the cereal flour slurry by heating until such time as the gelatinized cereal flour-water mixture has achieved a temperature in the range 180°-212° F. and the viscosity of the gelatinized cereal mixture is greater than 20,000 cps as measured on a RVT Brookfield viscometer at 50 rpm using spindle #7; c. subjecting the gelatinized cereal mixture to mechanical shear of sufficient intensity and duration to reduce the viscosity of said gelatinized cereal mixture to a viscosity less than 10,000 cps as measured on a RVT Brookfield viscometer at 50 rpm using spindle #5 yielding a reduced viscosity gelatinized cereal mixture; and d. dehydrating on a drum drier the reduced viscosity cereal mixture to a moisture in the range 2.0 to 9.0% inclusive, and pulverizing the dehydrated material thereby forming the dry gelatinized cereal product.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 in which the cereal flour comprises at least 20% oat flour.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein the moisture of the reduced viscosity cereal flour-water mixture is greater than 70%, based on the weight of the mixture.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein the flour is present in the slurry in an amount of from 15% to 22% inclusive based on the weight of the slurry.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein the reduced viscosity cereal mixture is dehydrated to a moisture in the range 2.0% to 6.0%, inclusive.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein the heating is achieved by direct steam injection into the slurry.

Claim 8

A process for preparing a dry, gelatinized, cereal porridge product capable of being instantly prepared as a hot or cold cereal porridge comprising: a. preparing a slurry of cereal flour having a Mesh size less than U.S. Mesh size #40, and water in which the flour is present in an amount of from 14 to 30% inclusive based on the weight of the slurry and in which the slurry viscosity is less than 100 cps as measured on a RVT Brookfield viscometer at 50 rpm using spindle #1; b. gelatinizing the cereal flour slurry by heating through the peak gelatinization viscosity in the range of 30,000 to 70,000 cps as measured on a RVT Brookfield viscometer at 50 rpm using spindle #7, until such time as the gelatinized cereal flour-water mixture has achieved a viscosity of less than one half of the peak gelatinization viscosity; c. subjecting the gelatinized cereal mixture to mechanical shear of sufficient intensity and duration to further reduce the viscosity of said gelatinized cereal mixture to a viscosity less than 10,000 cps as measured on a RVT Brookfield viscometer at 50 rpm using spindle #5, yielding a reduced viscosity gelatinized cereal mixture; and d. dehydrating on a drum drier the reduced viscosity cereal mixture to a moisture in the range 2.0 to 9.0% inclusive, and pulverizing the dehydrated material thereby forming the dry gelatinized cereal product.

Claim 9

A process for preparing a dry, gelatinized, cereal porridge product capable of being instantly prepared as a hot or cold cereal porridge comprising: a. preparing a slurry of cereal flour having a Mesh size less than U.S. Mesh size #40, and water in which the flour is present in an amount of from 14 to 30% inclusive based on the weight of the slurry and in which the slurry viscosity is less than 100 cps as measured on a RVT Brookfield viscometer at 50 rpm using spindle #1; b. gelatinizing the cereal flour slurry by heating through the peak gelatinization viscosity in the range of 30,000 to 70,000 cps as measured on a RVT Brookfield viscometer at 50 rpm using spindle #7, until such time as the gelatinized cereal flour-water mixture has achieved a viscosity of less than one half of the peak gelatinization viscosity; c. subjecting the gelatinized cereal mixture to mechanical shear of sufficient intensity and duration to further reduce the viscosity of said gelatinized cereal mixture to a viscosity less than 10,000 cps as measured on a RVT Brookfield viscometer at 50 rpm using spindle #5, yielding a reduced viscosity gelatinized cereal mixture; and d. dehydrating on a drum drier the reduced viscosity cereal mixture to a moisture in the range 2.0 to 9.0% inclusive, and pulverizing the dehydrated material thereby forming the dry gelatinized cereal product.