US4656040A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for preparing an all grain, enzyme-saccharified cereal and product produced
Assignee: General Foods Corp
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Filing: 1983-03-31
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Granted: 1987-04-07
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Expires: 2003-03-31
Abstract
Abstract A process is disclosed for producing an all-grain, enzyme-saccharified cereal derived from cereal grain components. The process involves saccharifying an endosperm fraction to form a syrup containing soluble saccharides and adding to the saccharified endosperm a matrix-forming ingredient which is either a modified bran material, a toasted ground germ or a combination of these two ingredients to form a cereal dough, and subsequently processing the cereal dough to obtain a ready-to-eat cereal.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles V. Fulger
- 👤 Ernest K. Gum
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:53
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23L; A23L7/00; A23L7/10; A23L7/117; A23L7/135; A23L7/104; A23L7/107
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
A process for preparing an all-grain enzyme-saccharified, ready-to-eat cereal from an endosperm fraction and a bran fraction, or a germ fraction or combination bran and germ fractions which comprises: (a) processing the endosperm fraction by: (i) milling to a particle size less than 2 millimeters, (ii) forming a slurry containing from 15 to 60% by weight of said milled endosperm, (iii) cooking the milled endosperm until substantially all the starch is gelatinized, and (iv) enzymatically hydrolyzing from 15 to 75% by weight of said processed endosperm to form soluble sacharides such that the ready-to-eat cereal contains from 7.5 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness up to 50 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness; (b) adding to said hydrolyzed endosperm a matrix forming ingredient which is either a modified bran fraction, a toasted ground germ fraction or combination of these two ingredients thereby forming cereal dough; and (c) obtaining a ready-to-eat cereal from said cereal dough.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
A process for preparing an all-grain enzyme-saccharified, ready-to-eat cereal from an endosperm fraction and a bran fraction, or a germ fraction or combination bran and germ fractions which comprises: (a) processing the endosperm fraction by: (i) milling to a particle size less than 2 millimeters, (ii) forming a slurry containing from 15 to 60% by weight of said milled endosperm, (iii) cooking the milled endosperm until substantially all the starch is gelatinized, and (iv) enzymatically hydrolyzing from 15 to 75% by weight of said processed endosperm to form soluble sacharides such that the ready-to-eat cereal contains from 7.5 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness up to 50 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness; (b) adding to said hydrolyzed endosperm a matrix forming ingredient which is either a modified bran fraction, a toasted ground germ fraction or combination of these two ingredients thereby forming cereal dough; and (c) obtaining a ready-to-eat cereal from said cereal dough.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the toasted ground germ fraction is produced by: (a) toasting the germ fraction at a temperature of from 110° C. to 160° C. for 15 to 175 minutes; and (b) grinding the toasted germ fraction to a particle size of from 0.25 to 2.0 millimeters.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process according to claim 2 wherein the germ fraction is toasted at a temperature of from 130° C. to 155° C. for 20 to 30 minutes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the germ fraction is first processed by separating bran material out of said fraction prior to toasting.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process according to claim 2 wherein oil contained within the germ fraction is separated out by extraction or expulsion prior to toasting.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the modified bran fraction is produced by milling the bran fraction to a particle size of from 5 to 100 microns.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process according to claim 6 wherein said bran fraction is milled to a particle size of from 20 to 60 microns.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the enzymatic hydrolysis of the endosperm comprises a treatment process whereby the endosperm at a 18-55% solids content is subjected to the enzymatic action of α-amylase simultaneously with fungal glucoamylase at a pH of from 4.5 to 6 at a temperature of 40° to 75° C. for 1 to 4 hours.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the pH is from 4.8 to 5.2 and the temperature is from 55° to 70° C.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the ready-to-eat cereal contains from 10 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness to 45 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the ready-to-eat cereal contains from 35 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness to 40 parts sucrose-equivalent sweetness.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
The process according to claim 1 additionally comprising the steps of: (a) malting a cereal grain; (b) milling the malted grain to a flour consistency; and (c) adding said malted grain flour to the cereal dough such that the ready-to-eat cereal will contain from 1 to 15% of said malted grain flour.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 12 wherein bran material is separated from the milled malted grain prior to the addition of the malted grain to the cereal dough.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the endosperm fraction, bran fraction and germ fraction are obtained from corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, rice, sorghum or millet and where the ready-to-eat cereal contains levels of said fractions which are different than levels present in a whole cereal grain.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
9 words
The product produced by the process of claim 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) | 1990-04-06 | 1990-10-06 | 1991-04-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-04-06 | 1994-10-06 | 1995-04-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-04-06 | 1998-10-06 | 1999-04-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |