阅读说明：本技术 货架稳定的即食型意大利面食产品及其生产方法 (Shelf-stable ready-to-eat pasta product and method for producing same ) 是由 C·L·洛佩兹佩娜 S·D·彼得森 K·Y-T·N·洛 于 2019-03-22 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了生产具有改善的味道、质地和颜色的即食型意大利面食的方法。该方法包括在酸化水中预煮意大利面食、沥干、冷却和包装意大利面食,以及热加工该包装的意大利面食。本发明还公开了包含密封在容器中的即食型意大利面食的产品,其中该意大利面食具有高于约4.5的pH,并且其中该容器基本上不含添加的液体。(The present invention discloses a method for producing instant pasta with improved taste, texture and colour. The method comprises pre-cooking pasta in acidified water, draining, cooling and packaging the pasta, and thermally processing the packaged pasta. Also disclosed is a product comprising ready-to-eat pasta sealed in a container, wherein the pasta has a pH above about 4.5, and wherein the container is substantially free of added liquid.)

1. A method of preparing a shelf-stable pasta product comprising the steps of:

A) precooking pasta in acidified water;

B) draining the pasta;

C) rinsing the pasta;

D) cooling the pasta;

E) packaging said pasta in a sealed container; and

F) heat-processing said sealed container containing said pasta; and is

With the proviso that the pasta product does not have a pH of less than or equal to about 4.5.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pasta does not comprise added acidulant.

3. The method according to any of claims 1-2, wherein the pasta does not comprise added stabilizers.

4. The method according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the pasta does not comprise added enzymes.

5. The method according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the pasta product contains no or minimal sauce or liquid.

6. The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein the pasta comprises filled pasta.

7. The method according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the pasta comprises at least one of: semolina pasta, durum wheat pasta, vegetable pasta or combinations thereof.

8. The method of any of claims 1-7, wherein the pasta does not comprise egg white.

9. The method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the acidified water has a pH of about 4.

10. The method of any of claims 1-9, wherein the precooking occurs for about 2.5 minutes to about 25 minutes.

11. The method of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the precooking occurs at a temperature in the range of about 180 ° f to about 200 ° f.

12. The method of any one of claims 1-11, further comprising a second precooking with acidified water.

13. The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein step (D) is further defined as comprising the steps of:

a) immersing the pasta in a cold water bath; and

b) The pasta was removed from the cold water bath and the excess water was allowed to drain.

14. The method of any of claims 1-13, wherein the thermally processing step further comprises using an additional heat and/or energy source selected from the group consisting of: microwave, radio frequency, acoustic, other similar advanced thermal and/or energy generation technologies, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of any of claims 1-14, further comprising coating the pasta with oil after the cooling step.

16. The method of any of claims 1-15, wherein the packaging step further comprises flushing the package with an inert gas prior to sealing.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1-16, further comprising a freezing step, before said packaging step, to freeze said pasta.

18. The method of any of claims 1-17, wherein the pasta is more resistant to thermal processing, wherein the more resistant is defined as at least one of: the pasta is more resistant to caking of the pasta, more resistant to excessive starchy texture of the pasta, more resistant to matting of the pasta, more resistant to discoloration of the pasta, and more resistant to loss of texture of the pasta than a shelf stable ready-to-eat pasta packaged in saline and having a pH of less than or equal to about 4.5.

19. The method of any one of claims 1-18, further comprising, after the packaging step,

a) a resting step for at least 7 days; and

b) an eating step wherein said pasta product is consumed by a human or animal.

20. A product, comprising:

a sealed container having a shelf-stable ready-to-eat pasta disposed therein,

wherein the pasta is prepared by a method selected from the group consisting of those according to any of claims 1-19,

wherein the pasta has a pH greater than about 4.5, and

wherein the pasta has drained excess moisture; and is

Wherein the container is substantially free of added liquid.

Background

Various methods are currently known for producing shelf-stable ready-to-eat pasta products. Certain methods involve the use of pre-cooked pasta that is fully acidified to a pH below 4.5 (see, e.g., EPO patent nos. EP0807386 and EP 0745331). Other methods involve the inclusion of additives in the raw or final product. See, e.g., U.S. patent No. 4,552,772, which discloses the inclusion of salt during precooking; us patent No. 2,005,026, which discloses the addition of soy protein and eggs to pasta; and international patent application publication No. WO 99/02044, which discloses the addition of propyl alginate to pasta. Alternatively, other methods utilize enzymes that are added to the original ingredients and/or included during processing in order to improve the properties of the final product. See, for example, U.S. patent application publication No. US2006/0115567, which discloses the inclusion of an oxidoreductase in pasta formulations to improve hydration; and international patent application publication No. WO 2008/01940, to which glycosyltransferase is added. In another alternative, EPO patent No. EP0274891 discloses a process for preparing fresh pasta and then processing it to be shelf stable. In yet another alternative, multiple processing steps (such as, but not limited to, multiple precooking, immersion in various acidic baths, etc.) are utilized to achieve a suitable end product. See, for example, EPO patent No. EP0968659, which discloses the step of immersing pasta in an acidified water bath after precooking; and EPO patent No. EP0602953, which discloses subjecting a starch product to a second heating and cooking phase of acidification.

However, due to the various processing steps described above, currently available methods have various drawbacks in terms of their color, texture, flavor and aroma. Accordingly, there is a need for new and improved methods of producing shelf-stable, ready-to-eat pasta products that have a color, texture, flavor and aroma similar to that of homemade high quality pasta.

It has been found that acidification of spaghetti to a pH of less than or equal to about 4.3 prior to the thermal processing step including cooking will produce a product having relatively high quality; however, some additional optimization of the product produced in this way is still necessary. These additional optimization steps include: (i) fully acidifying the pre-cooked pasta; (ii) incorporating an acid in the pasta formulation; (iii) precooking in acidified water; (iv) rinsing with acidified water to reach a pasta pH below 4.5 and then milder thermal processing; and/or (v) incorporating an enzyme or stabilizer into the pasta formulation. However, taking these or similar actions will result in undesirable consumer unfriendly labels and detectable sour off-flavors.

In a specific example of one of the prior art methods, filled (filled) pasta dumplings or unfilled pasta is formed and conveyed through a continuous hot water bath (e.g., in a long flat trough with a wire mesh conveyor) at 200 ° f for about 4 to 5 minutes. The precooking step is long enough to remove excess flour/starch and achieve a significant reduction in microbial load; in addition, italian ravioli absorb about 15% -20% of the water during this step. The hot partially hydrated pre-cooked pasta dumplings are then subjected to a freezing process (such as, but not limited to, a freezing tunnel, a cryogenic tunnel, blast freezing or spiral blast freezing) wherein the pasta is a frozen solid. The frozen italian dumplings are then transported/stored and dropped into the final product trays. The brine is then deposited in the trays to completely submerge the pasta dumplings, and the trays containing the pasta are then sealed in the brine. However, the pasta produced by this method showed a slightly acidic flavour and aroma; in addition, pasta develops a rancid lingering and pink appearance during its shelf life.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for new and improved shelf-stable pasta products and methods for their production that overcome the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. The present disclosure relates to such products and methods of making and using the same. The method of the present disclosure provides for the first time the establishment of a process involving a pre-heat process preparation step that produces pasta with minimal to no excess starch, clumping, matting, discoloration or texture loss.

Drawings

FIG. 1 graphically illustrates a process diagram scaled up from a bench to a pilot plant of one non-limiting embodiment of the method of the present disclosure. "CCP" stands for "Key control Point".

Fig. 2 contains an image of a heat abuse sample from stage 3446B. Pasta (a) pre-cooked with water only showed a significantly more grey colour, while pasta (B) pre-cooked with acidified water appeared more vivid yellow.

Figure 3 contains images showing selected samples of 2% oil coated, precooked pasta (a) only with water and precooked pasta (B) acidified with 0.1% citric acid, precooked from station 3447B, parboiled for 11 minutes of over-processing.

FIG. 4 contains an image of acid precooked (0.1% w/w citric acid, 8 minutes), oil-coated Barillea mini tubular pasta cooked to F using water jet processing and (A)0rpm, (B)6rpm and (C)10rpm ₀＝4。

Figure 5 contains images of pasta pre-cooked in 0.1% w/w citric acid for 7 minutes before (a) and after (B) coating with 2% w/w sunflower oil. These pasta images appear significantly lighter than the other figures, possibly due to different lighting.

Figure 6 contains a post-processed image of pasta produced in a pilot plant: 0.1% citric acid precooker without (a) and with (B) a 2% oil coating, and 0.2% citric acid precooker without (C) and with (D) a 2% oil coating.

Figure 7 contains an image of pasta pre-cooked on the same day of production with increasing levels of citric acid (V1-0% acid, V2-0.025% acid, V3-0.05% acid, V4-0.075% acid, V5-0.1% acid).

Figure 8 contains an image highlighting the color difference between samples of Barilla mini-tubular pasta pre-cooked in water with increasing amounts of citric acid (V1-0% acid, V2-0.025% acid, V3-0.05% acid, V4-0.075% acid, V5-0.1% acid).

Figure 9 contains an image of pasta pre-cooked seven days post-production with increasing levels of citric acid (V1-0% acid, V2-0.025% acid, V3-0.05% acid, V4-0.075% acid, V5-0.1% acid).

Figure 10 contains images of commercial filled pasta products that were non-acidified precooked (top panel) and acidified precooked (bottom panel): (A) large Value mini cheese italian small dumpling; (B) great Value cheese italian dumplings; (C) buitoni fresh mini italian dumplings; and (D) Butoniti fresh mini-cheese Italian dumplings.

Fig. 11 contains images of pumpkin (a), purple carrot (B), green vegetable (C), tomato (D), and orange carrot (E) vegetable pasta produced according to the methods of the present disclosure, wherein the pasta is precooked in acidified water and cooked without liquid.

Fig. 12 contains images of orange carrot (a), tomato (B), spinach (C), and purple carrot (D) filled vegetable pasta after precooking and cooking using the methods of the present disclosure.

Figure 13 contains an image of Barilla mini-tubular pasta produced on the day of its production, precooked in water to which different types of acidulants (V1-citric acid, V2-gluco-lactone (GDL), V3-acetic acid, V4-lemon juice concentrate) were added without acid (V5).

Figure 14 contains an image of Barilla mini-tubular pasta, precooked in water seven days after its production, to which different types of acidulants (V1-citric acid, V2-gluco-lactone (GDL), V3-acetic acid, V4-lemon juice concentrate) were added without acid (V5).

Figure 15 contains the ingredient label and product image of Barilla mini-tubular pasta.

Fig. 16 contains ingredient labels and product images of Great Value frozen mini-cheese italian dumplings.

Figure 17 contains ingredient labels and product images of Great Value frozen cheese italian dumplings.

Fig. 18 contains ingredient labels and product images of Buitoni fresh mini italian dumplings.

Figure 19 contains ingredient labels and product images of Buitoni fresh mini-cheese italian dumplings.

Figure 20 contains ingredient labels and product images of barbella cheese italian dumplings.

Detailed Description

Before explaining at least one non-limiting embodiment of the method in detail by way of exemplary language and results, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Thus, the language used herein is intended to be accorded the widest possible scope and meaning and the embodiments are intended to be exemplary and not exhaustive. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Unless otherwise defined herein, mechanical and technical terms used in connection with the present disclosure shall have the meanings that are commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, unless the context requires otherwise, singular terms shall include the plural, and plural terms shall include the singular. The products and methods described above are generally produced and performed according to conventional methods well known in the art and as described in various general and more specific references that are cited and discussed throughout the present specification.

All patents, published patent applications, and non-patent publications mentioned throughout the specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. All patents, published patent applications, and non-patent publications cited in any section of this application are expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual patent or publication were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

All of the compositions, products, and/or methods disclosed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions, products, and methods of this disclosure have been described in terms of particular embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions, products, and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the disclosure. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Unless otherwise indicated, as used in accordance with this disclosure, the following terms should be understood to have the following meanings:

in the claims and/or the specification, the use of the terms "a" or "an" when used in conjunction with the term "comprising" may mean "one," but may also be consistent with the meaning of "one or more," at least one, "and" one or more than one. Thus, the terms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a compound" can refer to one or more compounds, two or more compounds, three or more compounds, four or more compounds, or a greater number of compounds. The term "plurality" means "two or more".

The use of the term "at least one" should be understood to include one as well as any number greater than one, including but not limited to 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, etc. The term "at least one" can be extended to 100 or 1000 or more, depending on the term to which it is attached; further, the amount 100/1000 should not be considered limiting, as higher limits may also produce satisfactory results. Further, use of the term "X, Y and at least one of Z" will be understood to include X only, Y only, and Z only, as well as any combination of X, Y and Z. The use of ordinal number terms (i.e., "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc.) is for the purpose of differentiating between two or more items and is not meant to imply any order or sequence or importance to one item over another or any order of addition, for example.

The term "or" as used in the claims is intended to mean the inclusive "and/or" unless explicitly indicated to mean the mere substitution or unless the substitutions are mutually exclusive, but the disclosure also supports the definition that refers to the mere substitution and "and/or". For example, the condition "a or B" satisfies any one of the following: a is true (or present) and B is false (or not present); a is false (or not present) and B is true (or present); both a and B are true (or present).

As used herein, any reference to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "an example," "e.g.," or "an example" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one non-limiting embodiment. For example, the appearances of the phrase "in some embodiments" or "an example" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiments. Furthermore, all references to one or more embodiments or examples should be understood as non-limiting with respect to the claims.

Throughout this application, the term "about" is used to indicate that the value includes an inherent variation in error of the device/composition/product/device/kit, the method used to determine the value, or a variation present in the subject. For example, and without limitation, when the term "about" is used, a specified value may vary from a specified value plus or minus twenty percent, or fifteen percent, or twelve percent, or eleven percent, or ten percent, or nine percent, or eight percent, or seven percent, or six percent, or five percent, or four percent, or three percent, or two percent, or one percent, as such variations are suitable for performing the disclosed methods and as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The term "about" can also be understood to mean a number in a range of values. Moreover, all numerical ranges herein should be understood to include all integers or fractions within the range.

As used in this specification and claims, the word "comprising" (and any form of "comprising", such as "comprises" and "comprises)", "having" (and any form of "having", such as "having" and "has)", "including" (and any form of "including", such as "including" and "including") or "containing" (and any form of "containing", such as "containing" and "containing", is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

As used herein, the term "or combinations thereof refers to all permutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, "A, B, C or a combination thereof" is intended to include at least one of: A. b, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. With continued reference to this example, expressly included are combinations containing repetitions of one or more items or terms, such as BB, AAA, AAB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and the like. Those of skill in the art will understand that there is generally no limitation on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.

As used herein, the term "substantially" means that the subsequently described event or circumstance occurs entirely or that the subsequently described event or circumstance occurs to a large extent or degree. For example, the term "substantially" when associated with a particular event or circumstance means that the subsequently described event or circumstance occurs at least 80% of the time, or at least 85% of the time, or at least 90% of the time, or at least 95% of the time. For example, the term "substantially adjacent" may mean that two items are 100% adjacent to each other, or that two items are in close proximity to each other but not 100% adjacent to each other, or that a portion of one of the two items is not 100% adjacent to the other but in close proximity to the other item.

As used herein, the term "added" is understood to refer to elements that are incorporated into the composition, not elements that are naturally inherently present in the composition.

As used herein, the term "precooking" will be understood to refer to a cooking and/or hydration process in which a food substance is placed in hot water, removed after a time interval, and then exposed to a cooling step, such as (but not limited to) placing the food substance in cold water or under flowing cold water.

As used herein, the term "cold water bath" will be understood to refer to a water bath that cools a food substance to a temperature below its current temperature. Non-limiting examples of the temperature of the cold water bath as used according to the present disclosure include: at or below about 50F, at or below about 40F, at or below about 30F, in the range of about 50F to about 30F, in the range of about 40F to about 30F, and in the range of about 50F to about 40F. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "cold water bath" will be understood to include an ice water bath.

As used herein, the term "shelf-stable" means that the food product is capable of being safely stored in a sealed container at ambient or room temperature and sold in this manner while still having an effective shelf life in which the taste, texture, and nutritional aspects (i.e., nutritional integrity, nutritional potency, etc.) of the product are retained. Examples of time periods considered "effective shelf life" include, but are not limited to, at least about two months, at least about three months, at least about four months, at least about five months, at least about six months, at least about twelve months, and longer.

As used herein, the term "thermal processing" refers to a food sterilization technique in which the food is heated at a temperature high enough to destroy microorganisms and enzymes. The particular amount of time required depends on the particular food and the growth habits of the enzymes or microorganisms. Both the texture and the nutritional content of the food can be altered by the heat processing. Some examples of thermal processing include, but are not limited to: retort, Ultra High Temperature (UHT) or aseptic processing, pasteurization, ultra pasteurization, hot filling, Extended Shelf Life (ESL), microwave assisted heat sterilization (MATS), high pressure and ultra high pressure processing (HPP/UHPP), and High Intensity Light Pulse (HILP) processing, as well as other treatments recognized in the industry, and any combination thereof.

As used herein, the term "vegetable pasta" will be understood to mean pasta containing at least 3% by weight vegetables. As used herein, the term "vegetable" is intended to include vegetable solids, including but not limited to: fresh vegetables, vegetable powder, vegetable puree, vegetable paste, and combinations thereof.

As used herein, the term "acidulant" refers to a food additive that imparts an intense taste (i.e., acidic, soured, and/or acidic flavor) to a food and acts as a preservative to lower the pH of the food.

Turning now to the methods of the present disclosure, these methods provide for the first time the establishment of a pre-heat preparation step that produces shelf-stable ready-to-eat pasta with minimal to no clumping, excess starch, matting, discoloration, or texture loss. In certain non-limiting embodiments, these methods include the ability to thermally process pasta without sauce or liquid. Shown herein is the pre-cooking of pasta in acidified water to produce pasta that withstands thermal processing without the addition of liquids or sauces and that exhibits color, texture, flavor and aroma similar to homemade high quality pasta. These methods have proven useful with both unfilled and filled pasta, "regular" semolina pasta and durum pasta, vegetable pasta and pasta with and without eggs or egg white. These methods have the added benefit of not requiring the pasta product itself to reach a pH of 4.6 or less.

By using an acid pre-cooking step rather than directly acidifying the pasta, the method of the present disclosure bypasses the need to rely on achieving a pasta pH below 4.5-4.6. Furthermore, the acid precooking step can be performed with precooked water having an acidification level as low as about 0.05% citric acid, and still obtain the aforementioned benefits. Other advantages of the methods of the present disclosure include (a) no water (or other liquid) is added to the package/container, which water may be absorbed during one or more of the processing steps; and (b) without any acidification after the cooking step.

The shelf-stable ready-to-eat pasta produced by the method of the present disclosure, which includes heat processing using acidified precooked water and no added liquid, has a firmer texture and brighter color that better withstands heat processing. In addition, the pasta can be subjected to more severe thermal processing conditions (as opposed to the requirement for "milder" thermal processing of the highly acidic pasta products designated to the prior art). In addition, in these processes, there is no need to add acidulants, stabilizers or other additives to ensure that the pasta, which is thermally processed in the absence of liquid, can withstand the thermal processing steps (as required by some processes of the prior art) to produce a high quality product. Further, the method of the present disclosure eliminates the need for excess brine, water, sauce, or other liquid present in the container/tray.

It has been observed that pasta pre-cooked in acidified water absorbs less water, which means that it can enhance and maintain (or even reduce) the pore size in the pasta matrix and/or affect the water absorption of the starch granules present in the matrix. Precooking pasta in acidified water also causes chemical changes in surface proteins and starches. Thus, a higher rigidity of the pasta can be produced, allowing the pasta to better withstand thermal processing.

Furthermore, the method of the present disclosure has proven to be effective in commercial grades of semolina and durum pasta, filled and unfilled pasta, and filled and unfilled pasta with substantial vegetable powder that are not designed for industrial work. The methods of the present disclosure have also been tested by fixed and rotary water jet cooking, and both techniques can be used in accordance with the present disclosure.

Certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods of making pasta products. The method comprises the following steps: (A) precooking pasta in acidified water; (B) draining the pasta; (C) rinsing the pasta (for example, but not limited to, to remove excess starch); (D) cooling the pasta (for example, but not limited to, to prevent further hydration); (E) packaging the pasta in a sealed container; and (F) heat-processing the pasta in the sealed container; with the proviso that the pasta product does not have a pH of less than or equal to about 4.5.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta product is a shelf stable pasta product.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where the pasta product exhibits no or minimal caking after processing.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where the pasta product exhibits no or minimal excess starch after processing.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta product exhibits no or minimal dulling after processing.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where the pasta product exhibits no or minimal discoloration after processing.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where the pasta product exhibits no or minimal loss of texture after processing.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta formula does not contain added acidulant.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta formula does not contain added stabilizers.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta formula does not contain added alginate.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta formula does not include added propyl alginate.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta formula does not contain added enzymes.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta formula does not contain egg white.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta product contains no or minimal added sauce or liquid during the thermal processing step (i.e., the pasta sealed in the container contains no or minimal added sauce or liquid).

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta product does not contain or contains minimal added sauce or liquid during the cooking step (i.e., the pasta sealed in the container does not contain or contains minimal added sauce or liquid).

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta is filled pasta.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta is a non-filled pasta.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta is semolina pasta.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta is a durum wheat pasta.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include where the pasta is a vegetable pasta.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where acidification of the precooked water reaches a pH of about 4.

The precooked water can be acidified using any acid that allows the production of pasta products according to the present disclosure. In at least one non-limiting embodiment, the precooked water comprises citric acid. Any amount of citric acid that allows the precooked water to function according to the present disclosure may be present. In a specific (but non-limiting) embodiment, the acidified precooked water comprises about 0.05% to about 0.3% citric acid. Any integer or non-integer value within this range is expressly claimed by the present disclosure; non-limiting examples thereof include 0.05% citric acid and 0.1% citric acid.

In an alternative non-limiting embodiment, the precooked water is acidified using an acid other than citric acid, such as (but not limited to) one selected from the group consisting of: lemon juice, lemon juice concentrate, distilled vinegar, acetic acid, gluco-lactone (GDL), or combinations thereof. In a specific (but non-limiting) example, lemon juice and/or lemon juice concentrate is used to acidify the precooked water. In another specific (but non-limiting) example, distilled vinegar is used to acidify the precooked water. In yet another specific (but non-limiting) example, acetic acid is used to acidify the precooked water. In another specific (but non-limiting) example, gluco-lactone (GDL) is used to acidify the precooked water.

The pre-cooking step can be carried out for any period of time at any temperature that allows the production of pasta products according to the present disclosure. In at least one non-limiting embodiment, the pasta is pre-cooked in the acidified water at a temperature in the range of about 180 ° f to about 200 ° f for a period of time in the range of about 2.5 minutes to about 25 minutes (depending on the type of pasta used). These parameters, while not limiting to the scope of the present disclosure, have been shown herein to preserve the color and texture of pasta and minimize or prevent dulling, excess starch, loss of firmness and discoloration of the pasta, as well as other undesirable changes to pasta caused by the various treatments used in the prior art. Further, the methods of the present disclosure may eliminate the need for egg white to be present in the pasta formulation (although it should be understood that any of the pasta used in accordance with the present disclosure may still include egg/egg white, if desired).

In at least one non-limiting embodiment of the method, the cooling step further comprises the steps of: a) immersing the pasta in a cold water bath; and b) removing the pasta from the cold water bath and allowing excess water to drain. The pasta can be submerged in the cold water bath for any period of time that allows the production of a pasta product according to the present disclosure. For example, but not limited to, the pasta may be submerged in the cold water bath for a period of time in the range of about 10 seconds to about 60 minutes, such as, but not limited to, about 2 minutes. In a specific (but non-limiting) embodiment, the cold water bath is an ice water bath.

The thermal processing step may be performed using any food sterilization technique in which the food is heated at a temperature high enough to destroy microorganisms and enzymes. The particular amount of time required depends on the particular food and the growth habits of the enzymes or microorganisms. Non-limiting examples of hot working techniques that may be utilized in accordance with the present disclosure include: retort, Ultra High Temperature (UHT) or aseptic processing, pasteurization, ultra pasteurization, hot fill processing, Extended Shelf Life (ESL) processing, microwave assisted heat sterilization (MATS), high and ultra high pressure processing (HPP/UHPP), High Intensity Light Pulse (HILP), and other art recognized techniques in the industry, as well as any combination of two or more of the foregoing.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the thermal processing step comprises cooking. At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where cooking includes immersion cooking. At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where the cooking includes water jet cooking. At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where the cooking includes fixed water jet cooking. At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where the cooking includes rotary water jet cooking. When cooking with rotating water sprays, at least one non-limiting embodiment of the process is intended to include instances where the digester is rotated in the range of about 0rpm (revolutions per minute) to about 6 rpm.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the particular thermal process used in the thermal processing step is supplemented by the use of one or more additional heat and/or energy sources. For example (but not limited to), additional sources may be selected from the group consisting of: microwave, radio frequency, acoustic, other similar advanced thermal and/or energy generation technologies, or combinations thereof.

The method of the present disclosure may include one or more additional steps. For example, but not limiting of, at least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include a second precooking step using acidified water as described above.

Alternatively (and/or in addition), at least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to further comprise the steps of: a) immersing the pasta in an ice-water bath; and b) removing the pasta from the ice water bath and allowing excess water to drain. The pasta can be submerged in the ice water bath for any period of time that allows the production of a pasta product according to the present disclosure. For example, but not limited to, the pasta can be submerged in an ice water bath for a period of time in the range of about 10 seconds to about 60 minutes, such as, but not limited to, about 2 minutes.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include wherein after the cooling step, the pasta is coated with oil. The oil coating step may be performed by any method known in the art or otherwise contemplated herein. For example, but not limited to, the oil coating step may include coating the pasta with oil by spraying. Further, in certain non-limiting embodiments, the pasta product is coated with oil and agitated, vibrated, and/or tumbled to help provide a more uniform oil distribution.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the package is flushed with an inert gas prior to sealing.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include a freezing step prior to the packaging step to freeze the pasta prior to packaging. The pasta may be frozen by any method known in the art or otherwise contemplated herein that allows for the production of a pasta product according to the present disclosure. For example, but not limited to, the pasta may be frozen in a low temperature tunnel, frozen in a freezing tunnel, frozen by blast freezing, and/or frozen by spiral blast freezing.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include a shipping step after the freezing step, whereby the pasta is shipped for packaging, further processing and/or storage.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include a storage step after the freezing step. At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta is stored frozen.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta is coated with oil after the freezing step. The oil coating step may be performed by any method known in the art or otherwise contemplated herein. For example, but not limited to, the oil coating step may include coating the pasta with oil by spraying the oil onto the pasta. Further, in certain non-limiting embodiments, the pasta product is coated with oil while the pasta is being stirred, shaken, and/or tumbled to help provide a more uniform oil distribution.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where the pasta product is more resistant to heat processing. As used herein, the term "more resistant" will be understood to mean the ability of pasta to be less affected by permanent changes/deformations of one or more of its structural properties when compared to prior art pasta products. For example (but not limited to), one or more of the following may be true: (i) pasta products are more resistant to caking; (ii) pasta products are more resistant to excessive starch formation (i.e., excessive "starchiness"); (iii) pasta products are more resistant to shine; (iv) pasta products are more resistant to discoloration; and/or (v) the pasta product is more resistant to loss of texture.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where there is a resting step after packaging. The resting step can be any period of time that allows the production of pasta products according to the present disclosure. For example, but not limited to, the resting step may last for at least about 7 days.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include where there is a resting step after packaging for at least 7 days after packaging, and where the resting step is followed by a feeding step.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include situations where there is an eating/eating step after packaging, wherein at least a portion of the pasta is consumed by the human or animal during the eating/eating step.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include the case where the pasta product is not refrigerated after the packaging step. However, it should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure may also include subjecting the pasta product to refrigeration or freezing after the packaging step, if desired.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include a pre-heat process preparation process that produces pasta with minimal to no lumping, excess starch, dulling, discoloration, or texture loss when compared to homemade pasta. The method comprises thermally processing the pasta without the addition of sauce or liquid. The method comprises pre-cooking pasta in acidified water, shown herein as producing pasta that withstands thermal processing without liquid or sauce, and the pasta produced by the method has a color, texture, flavor and aroma similar to homemade high quality pasta. The method has proven useful for unfilled pasta, filled pasta, "regular" semolina pasta and durum pasta, vegetable pasta and pasta with and without egg white; this process also has the added benefit of not requiring the product to reach a pH of 4.6 or lower.

At least one non-limiting embodiment of the method is intended to include a precooking process of preparation that produces pasta with minimal to no lumping, excess starch, dulling, discoloration, or loss of texture when compared to homemade pasta. The method comprises a cooking process without the addition of sauce or liquid. The method comprises pre-cooking pasta in acidified water, which is shown herein as producing pasta that withstands cooking without liquid or sauce, and the pasta produced by the method has a color, texture, flavor and aroma similar to homemade high quality pasta. The method has proven useful for unfilled pasta, filled pasta, "regular" semolina pasta and durum pasta, vegetable pasta and pasta with and without egg white; this process also has the added benefit of not requiring the product to reach a pH of 4.6 or lower.

In a particular (but non-limiting) embodiment of the method, the pasta is precooked in acidified water, and the cooked pasta is drained thoroughly and rinsed to remove excess starch, then cooled to hinder further hydration. After the optional additional rinsing step, the pasta is drained of excess moisture and then filled into one or more selected containers. The vessel is flushed with an inert gas to provide a small amount of headspace and then sealed. The product is thermally processed in a cooker such as, but not limited to, a cooker with sprayed water and a rotation of about 0 to about 6 rpm. In an optional step, the pasta is frozen (e.g., without limitation, cryogenically frozen) after the acid pre-cooking step to facilitate filling of the container during processing.

Certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to pasta products produced by any of the above methods. In a particular (but non-limiting) embodiment, the pasta product may also have one or more of the characteristics listed below.

Certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to products comprising a sealed container having shelf-stable, ready-to-eat pasta disposed therein. The pasta has a pH above about 5 (such as but not limited to above about 4.5 or above about 4.6) and the pasta has been drained of excess moisture such that the container is substantially free of added liquid.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta is produced from durum wheat and/or semolina.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta comprises eggs. In another non-limiting embodiment, the pasta comprises substantially no eggs.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta is filled.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta is without a filling.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta has a high vegetable content.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta has been cooked in a sealed container and in the absence of added liquid in the sealed container.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta has improved taste, texture and color when compared to a shelf stable, ready-to-eat pasta packaged in saline and having a pH of less than or equal to about 4.5.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta has less bleaching in color when compared to a shelf-stable, ready-to-eat pasta packaged in saline and having a pH of less than or equal to about 4.5.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta tastes less acidic when compared to a shelf-stable, ready-to-eat pasta packaged in saline and having a pH of less than or equal to about 4.5.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta comprises substantially no added acidulant.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta comprises substantially no added stabilizer.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta comprises substantially no added alginate.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta comprises substantially no propyl alginate.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta does not contain added enzymes.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the pasta contains substantially no added sauce.

In a certain non-limiting embodiment, the product is sized and shaped for consumption by a toddler. In alternative non-limiting embodiments, the product is sized and shaped for consumption by adolescents and/or adults.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the pasta exhibits no or minimal caking.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the pasta exhibits no or minimal excess starch.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the pasta exhibits no or minimal dulling.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the pasta exhibits no or minimal discoloration.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the pasta exhibits no or minimal loss of texture.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to include the following: the method according to the invention places the pasta in a second hot water cooking pot filled with acidified water to impart texture and additional hydration (another 10% -20%) required for thermal processing, as well as to cause chemical changes of surface proteins and starches; the fully hydrated acid pre-cooked pasta is then frozen. At least one embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to include that these frozen but now fully hydrated pasta (such as but not limited to pasta dumplings) can be oiled (such as but not limited to by spraying oil mist) either before or after being dropped into the final tray. Applying oil to the pasta prior to deposition into the tray will provide easier deposition.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to include situations where pasta is to be dispensed while frozen. For example, but not limited to, depositing pasta in a tray, it is much simpler for frozen pasta than for thawed pasta. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the use of frozen pasta. Indeed, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to include situations where the pasta is placed after partial or complete thawing.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to include situations where pasta can be oiled before the product is frozen. At least one embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to include instances where a vibration or tumbling step is added to better coat substantially all surfaces with oil.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to include the following: there was a resting period of about seven days before the product was consumed to allow complete equilibration of the product, allowing for any uneven moisture distribution where portions of the pasta appear to be over hydrated while other portions appear to be under hydrated to reach equilibrium. This allows any uneven hydrated spots to disappear, giving the noodles a uniform bright colour and a chewy texture.