US5024996A — R-T-E cereal with soluble fibers

Claim 1

Independent Claim 119 words

A ready-to-eat R-T-E cereal which is high in total dietary fiber, comprising a cereal composition including: A. about 20% to 80% by weight of the cereal composition of a starchy cereal ingredient; B. about 10% to 70% by weight of the cereal composition of a barley flour extract having glucan content of about 18% to 50% by weight; C. sufficient amounts of an insoluble fiber source so as to provide the cereal composition with a weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber of about 1 to 5:1; D. a moisture content of about 1% to 6% by weight of the cereal composition; and wherein the minimum soluble fiber content is about 10% by weight of the cereal composition.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 119 words

A ready-to-eat R-T-E cereal which is high in total dietary fiber, comprising a cereal composition including: A. about 20% to 80% by weight of the cereal composition of a starchy cereal ingredient; B. about 10% to 70% by weight of the cereal composition of a barley flour extract having glucan content of about 18% to 50% by weight; C. sufficient amounts of an insoluble fiber source so as to provide the cereal composition with a weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber of about 1 to 5:1; D. a moisture content of about 1% to 6% by weight of the cereal composition; and wherein the minimum soluble fiber content is about 10% by weight of the cereal composition.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 41 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 1 wherein the cereal composition additionally comprises: E. about 10% to 70% by weight of the cereal composition of an oat member selected from the group consisting of oat flour, oat bran, and oat bran concentrate.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 41 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 2 wherein the weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber is at least 1:1, and wherein the oat member has a soluble fiber content of about 4% to 30% by weight of the oat bran.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 19 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 3 wherein the cereal composition comprises about 3 to 10 g/oz of soluble fiber.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 58 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 4 wherein the cereal composition additionally comprises: F. about 0.1% to 15% by weight of the cereal composition of a soluble fiber source member selected from the group consisting of guar gum, locust bean gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, high methoxyl pectin, gum acacia, xanthan, conjac mannon, wheat pentosan, soy fiber concentrate, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 36 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 5 wherein the insoluble fiber source comprises a member selected from the group consisting of sugar beet fiber, wheat bran, corn bran, soy fiber, rice bran, barley bran and mixtures thereof.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 25 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 6 additionally comprising: G. about 1% to 30% by weight of the cereal composition of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetening agent.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 10 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 7 containing a sugar coating.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 47 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 8 containing about 3 to 10 g/oz soluble fiber, and wherein the R-T-E cereal is in flake form, wherein the water activity ranges from about 0.1 to 0.45, wherein the weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber is greater than 1:1.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 15 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 9 wherein the cereal is fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 233 words

A method for preparing an R-T-E cereal of good eating quality and high levels of soluble fiber, comprising the steps of: A. forming an homogeneous cereal blend comprising (1) about 20% to 80% by weight of a starchy cereal ingredient, (2) about 10% to 70% by weight of a barley flour extract having a soluble fiber content of about 15% to 50% by weight of beta glucan, (3) sufficient amounts of an insoluble fiber source so as to provide the blend with a weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber of about 1 to 5:1, (4) about 20% to 200% by weight water, the weight percents of ingredients (1) to (3) being based on the total dry weight of the cereal blend, wherein the minimum soluble fiber content of the blend is about 3 g/oz (dry weight basis), and wherein the total fat content is less than about 10% by weight (dry weight basis); B. cooking the blend with steam at a steam pressure of about 2 to 35 psig for about 5 to 30 minutes to form a cooked cereal using low shear agitation; C. extruding the cooked cereal with low shear mixing to form a cooked cereal dough extrudate; D. forming the cooked cereal dough extrudate into sized shapes and pieces; and E. drying the pieces to a water activity of about 0.1 to 0.45 to form R-T-E cereal pieces.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 233 words

A method for preparing an R-T-E cereal of good eating quality and high levels of soluble fiber, comprising the steps of: A. forming an homogeneous cereal blend comprising (1) about 20% to 80% by weight of a starchy cereal ingredient, (2) about 10% to 70% by weight of a barley flour extract having a soluble fiber content of about 15% to 50% by weight of beta glucan, (3) sufficient amounts of an insoluble fiber source so as to provide the blend with a weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber of about 1 to 5:1, (4) about 20% to 200% by weight water, the weight percents of ingredients (1) to (3) being based on the total dry weight of the cereal blend, wherein the minimum soluble fiber content of the blend is about 3 g/oz (dry weight basis), and wherein the total fat content is less than about 10% by weight (dry weight basis); B. cooking the blend with steam at a steam pressure of about 2 to 35 psig for about 5 to 30 minutes to form a cooked cereal using low shear agitation; C. extruding the cooked cereal with low shear mixing to form a cooked cereal dough extrudate; D. forming the cooked cereal dough extrudate into sized shapes and pieces; and E. drying the pieces to a water activity of about 0.1 to 0.45 to form R-T-E cereal pieces.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 11 wherein the cereal blend additionally comprises: (5) about 10% to 70% by weight of the blend of oat flour or oat bran.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 12 wherein the weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber is at least 1:1.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 41 words

The method of claim 13 wherein the blend comprises: (6) about 0.1% to 15% by weight of the blend of a soluble fiber source member selected from the group consisting of guar gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, high methoxyl pectin, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 57 words

The method of claim 14 wherein the moisture content of the cooked cereal blend ranges from about 15% to 50% by weight, wherein in step D, the method includes the substep of forming flaked pieces, and wherein in step F, the method includes the substep of toasting the flaked pieces to form toasted, dried flaked R-T-E pieces.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 15 wherein the method further, includes: F. providing a sugar coating to the flaked R-T-E pieces.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 54 words

A method for lowering plasma cholesterol levels comprising administering to a human susceptible to or afflicted with hypercholesterolemia an R-T-E cereal composition of claim 1 and wherein the R-T-E cereal is administered to provide about 0.5 to 1.5 g of cereal per kilogram of body weight per day over an extended period of time.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 53 words

A method for lowering plasma cholesterol levels comprising administering to a human susceptible to or afflicted with hypercholesterolemia an R-T-E cereal composition of claim 2 and wherein the R-T-E is administered to provide about 0.5 to 1.5 g of cereal per kilogram of body weight per day over an extended period of time.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 54 words

A method for lowering plasma cholesterol levels comprising administering to a human susceptible to or afflicted with hypercholesterolemia an R-T-E cereal composition of claim 8 and wherein the R-T-E cereal is administered to provide about 0.5 to 1.5 g of cereal per kilogram of body weight per day over an extended period of time.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 101 words

A ready-to-eat cereal of superior eating quality which is high in dietary soluble fiber, comprising a cereal composition including: A. about 20% to 80% by weight of the cereal composition of a starchy cereal ingredient; B. sufficient amounts of a soluble fiber source to provide about 2.8 g to about 10 g/oz of soluble fiber; C. sufficient amounts of an insoluble fiber source so as to provide the cereal composition with a weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber of about 1 to 5:1; D. a moisture content of about 1% to 6% by weight of the cereal composition; and

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 101 words

A ready-to-eat cereal of superior eating quality which is high in dietary soluble fiber, comprising a cereal composition including: A. about 20% to 80% by weight of the cereal composition of a starchy cereal ingredient; B. sufficient amounts of a soluble fiber source to provide about 2.8 g to about 10 g/oz of soluble fiber; C. sufficient amounts of an insoluble fiber source so as to provide the cereal composition with a weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber of about 1 to 5:1; D. a moisture content of about 1% to 6% by weight of the cereal composition; and

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 48 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 20 wherein the soluble fiber source is a member selected from the group consisting of high beta glucan barley flour, guar gum, locust bean gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, high methoxyl pectin, gum acacia, xanthan, conjac mannon, wheat pentosan, soy fiber concentrate, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 43 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 21 wherein the cereal composition additionally comprises: E. about 10% to 70% by weight of the cereal composition of an oat member selected from the group consisting of oat flour, oat bran, oat bran concentrate and mixtures thereof.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 41 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 22 wherein the weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber is at least 1:1, and wherein the oat member has a soluble fiber content of about 4% to 30% by weight of the oat bran.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 19 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 23 wherein the cereal composition comprises about 3 to 6 g/oz of soluble fiber.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 36 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 24 wherein the insoluble fiber source includes a member selected from the group consisting of sugar beet fiber, wheat bran, corn bran, soy fiber, rice bran, barley bran and mixtures thereof.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 25 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 25 additionally comprising: F. about 1% to 30% by weight of the cereal composition of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetening agent.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 10 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 26 containing a sugar coating.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 47 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 27 containing about 3 to 10 g/oz soluble fiber, and wherein the R-T-E cereal is in flake form, wherein the water activity ranges from about 0.1 to 0.45, wherein the weight ratio of soluble fiber to insoluble fiber is greater than 1:1.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 16 words

The R-T-E cereal of claim 28 wherein the R-T-E cereal is fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-06-17	1994-12-17	1995-06-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-06-17	1998-12-17	1999-06-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-06-17	2002-12-17	2003-06-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

R-T-E cereal with soluble fibers

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