A crystalline .alpha.-D-glucosyl .alpha.-D-galactoside which has a melting point of 119 123.degree. C.; a saccharide composition comprising the same; a process for producing the same or the saccharide composition comprising the same, which comprises (i) crystallizing .alpha.-D-glucosyl .alpha.-D-galactoside from its solution and (ii) collecting the grown crystalline .alpha.-D-glucosyl .alpha.-D-galactoside; a method for converting amorphous .alpha.-D-glucosyl .alpha.-D-galactoside to crystalline...

An ice cream scoop includes a handle, a bowl formed on an end of the handle, the bowl including a cutout, and a resilient rejecting member extending from the handle into the cutout and spaced from a perimeter delimiting the cutout. The handle may include two substantially parallel slits communicated with the cutout, leaving a resilient section forming a part of the resilient rejecting member. The resilient section may include a pressing portion on a rear side thereof. When rejecting of ice cream...

A method for applying a color image to a non-planar comestible may include applying a color image onto a substantially planar carrier and deforming the carrier to form a non-planar relief mold of a three-dimensional image, including deforming the color image whereby the deformed color image is proportionate relative to, i.e., is in register with, the three-dimensional image. A comestible material, e.g., chocolate, may be deposited into the relief mold to substantially overlie the color image. Th...

A scoop device for forming scoops of a material, such as ice cream or other foods, includes a frame adapted to be held in the hand of a used with a plunger extending into the user's palm to be operated by squeezing or closing the hand. A pair of scoop halves are pivotally connected to rotate between open and closed positions. A pivot plate is attached to the plunger to be moved relative to the frame by movement of the plunger. A pair of lever arms are coupled to the frame, the pivot plate, and t...

A method of making coated chewing gum products comprises the steps of providing chewing gum cores; providing a first coating syrup comprising a bulk sweetener; providing an aldehyde flavor; providing a second coating syrup separate from the first coating syrup and comprising a dipeptide sweetener; and applying the first and second coating syrups to the cores and drying the syrups to produce a coating on the cores. Calcium carbonate or another antacid may be incorporated in the coating by being m...

A novel frozen product and method for making the same are disclosed, wherein a beaded frozen product is intermixed with conventional ice cream. In this regard, the beaded ice cream (or other frozen produce) may be intermixed with soft-serve ice cream on an individual serving basis, or may be intermixed with ice cream manufactured on a large scale production (e.g., packaged with ice cream conventionally sold in grocery stores). With regard to individual servings, beads of ice cream may be injecte...

An automated machine and process to form a food product consisting of a batter shell and a food filling. The process is started with a cooking matrix that includes a plurality of cooking openings to receive the batter. The batter is cooked to form shells. The automated process then inserts the food filling into the shells, and packages the filled shells as end products.

Roasted cocoa beans having reduced levels of acrylamide, cocoa beans having reduced levels of asparagine, and an article of commerce. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for reducing the level of acrylamide in roasted cocoa beans comprising reducing the level of asparagine in cocoa beans. In another aspect, the invention provides a method for reducing the level of asparagine in cocoa beans comprising adding an asparagine-reducing enzyme to cocoa beans. In still another aspect, an arti...

A process for manufacturing milk chocolate products containing a higher than normal water content by preparing a dark chocolate containing up to 30% by weight of water, adding a milk powder suspension optionally together with seed crystals of cocoa butter or cocoa butter equivalent, and mixing under low shear. The invention also relates to high water content milk chocolate products, methods of preparing a chocolate coated ice cream article with such products and to the resulting chocolate coated...

A method for producing a chewing gum, as well as the chewing gum so produced, incorporates a physiological cooling agent, such as acyclic carboxamide, or combinations of physiological cooling agents. In another embodiment a combination of physiological cooling agents is made in a modified release structure. The modified release/cooling agents combination is preferably obtained by physically modifying the properties of the combination of cooling agents by coating and drying. When incorporated int...