(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0093727 A1 Whited Et Al
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US 20060093727A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0093727 A1 Whited et al. (43) Pub. Date: May 4, 2006 (54) NUT BUTTER VARIEGATE AND PROCESS Publication Classification FOR PREPARING (51) Int. Cl. A2.3L I/38 (2006.01) (75) Inventors: Sonya Annette Whited, Piscataway, NJ (52) U.S. Cl. .............................................................. 426/633 (US); Christopher Burce Puno, (57) ABSTRACT Neshanic Station, NJ (US) In a first embodiment, the invention is directed to a process for making a variegated nut spread comprising (a) forming Correspondence Address: an enclosure from a film, b) pumping a nut spread into the UNILEVER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY enclosure; and (c) before, during, or after step (b), pumping GROUP in a separate stream of an inclusion to form a variegated nut 700 SYLVANAVENUE, spread; and (d) sealing the enclosure to form a container BLOG C2 SOUTH without homogenizing the nut spread and inclusions. The ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ 07632-3100 (US) inclusion is generally another food component which is desirably eaten with peanut butter, such as fruit filling variegate, banana, marshmallow filling, chocolate, bacon (73) Assignee: Unilever Bestfoods, North America bits, etc. The invention is also directed to a nut spread, comprising discrete inclusions selected from the group con sisting of chocolate syrup, fruit and mixtures thereof. The (21) Appl. No.: 10/976,335 inclusions in the nut butter of the inventions are discrete so that consumers can experience simultaneously organoleptic (22) Filed: Oct. 28, 2004 properties both of the inclusions and the nut butter. Patent Application Publication May 4, 2006 Sheet 1 of 2 US 2006/0093727 A1 Patent Application Publication May 4, 2006 Sheet 2 of 2 US 2006/0093727 A1 FiG 2 US 2006/0093727 A1 May 4, 2006 NUT BUTTER VARIEGATE AND PROCESS FOR located in Mason, Ohio. The 2.12 oz. pouches of Peanut PREPARING Butter & Concord Grape Jelly Combo and Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Combo are presented in boxes that state, BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION “Nutritious and fun—Grab and go—Easy lunches—Hiking, biking, camping, sporting events—No cutlery needed.” 0001 Peanut butter is widely enjoyed and finds a variety Squeezers is said to be a registered trademark of Thermo of uses. The most common use of peanut butter is in preparing Sandwiches. Product characteristics which are Pac, Inc. responsible for peanut butter's wide acceptance and popu 0012. The West County Times of Sep. 10, 2000 in an larity are its flavor, its good nutritional properties and its article about Scouts mentions lunching on crackers with Suitability for consumption alone or in combination with a Squeezable peanut butter and jelly. variety of other foods. 0013 An article in The Washington Post on Aug. 30. 0002 While peanut butter is much appreciated as a food, 2000, p F01 entitled EYE ON THE AISLES: Jump for Jerky individuals assigned to clean eating utensils often feel by Carole Sugarman mentions that “last September a Los differently. Peanut butter tends to adhere to knives, spoons Angeles company named Visionary Brands rolled out Pea and the like. Removal of peanut butter from those objects is nut Squeeze peanut butter in an easy-to-squirt plastic a nuisance at best; any member found to have left peanut bottle. butter on a utensil during an after hours Snack may well be 0014. The Enertia Trail Foods catalogue on the Internet at ostracized within his household. least as early as Sep. 16, 2002 shows a “Peanut Butter 0003 Recently, new forms of peanut butter products have Squeezers’ product in a mayonnaise-type pouch. On page been marketed. These include squeezable peanut butter in 11, a “Peanut Butter/Jelly Combo Squeezers' product is the form of sticks and tubes. The sticks afford a nutritious mentioned. snack, especially for children. Both forms provide a conve 0.015 Wong et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,783 is directed to nient way to eat peanut butter while avoiding the chore of a fluid Suspension of Sugar and oil which is useful in making cleaning peanut butter from a utensil. nut spreads having high levels of Sugar. It is said that having the sugar in the form of a fluid suspension with the oil allows 0004 Peanut butter has also been marketed in admixture the Sugar to be easily mixed with the nut Solids containing with other ingredients such as chocolate. Unfortunately, mixture. The combining of the Sugar and oil and the nut these products have tended not to afford consumers the solids-containing mixture can be made continuous such as distinct and enjoyable sensations afforded by each of the by co-blending the two streams in a static or in-line mixer or ingredients individually. series of mixers. The water soluble solids in the fluid 0005) A variety of peanut butter products have been Suspension Such as the Sugar, salt and the like preferably reported in the popular and the patent literatures. have a relatively fine particle size. Chocolate may be blended into the Wong et al. nut solids mixture. Many 0006 An article entitled “RESERVISTS BRING THEIR flavorants are mentioned and it is said that these can be BOSSES ALONG ON TRAINING: CIVILIANS RIDE delivered from flavored or flaked bits. Wong et al. prefer HUMMERS AND HELICOPTERS AND SNACK ON cocoa solids enrobed or encapsulated by Sugar, which are MRES” in the Nov. 4, 2001 issue of the St. Louis Dispatch said to impart a more milk chocolate-like flavor and avoid describes someone Squeezing peanut butter from a tube onto imparting a bitter aftertaste to the nut spreads. The nut a cracker. spreads are said to be prepared by combining the fluid 0007. In the Oct. 17, 2001 edition of the Straits Times Suspension and the nut Solids-containing mixture so as to (Singapore), an article with a headline entitled “Radios form a Substantially homogeneous blend. Intense mixing Being Dropped to woo Afghan Hearts' describes a drawing Such as high shear mixing is said not to be required. In showing how tubes of peanut butter should be squeezed. Example 2, apple flakes are added via an ingredient feeder. 0008 An article in the Congressional Quarterly DBA 0016 Germick et al. US Patent Application Publication Governing Magazine dated September, 2001 accompanied No. 2003/0009987 discloses a food product, preferably a by the headline: “A STICKY STATE OF AFFAIRS’ men food ingredient, in the form of a dye, pigment or similar tions that California prisons pack plastic peanut butter and colorant in a random pattern in a refrigerated, thixotropic, jelly "squeezes' in lunch bags for prisoners who have food material, preferably a cultured dairy product and most off-site job. preferably refrigerated yogurt held in a flexible wall pouch. The second food ingredient is said to remain in the irregular 0009. The Pantagraph of Aug. 12, 2001, in a headline and random pattern for the intended shelf life of the product. entitled “Scout records events of national conference” men The food ingredient is produced by Supplying the food tions that in 1997, the Scouts had crackers, squeeze cheese, ingredient through a Supply tube extending through an Squeeze peanut butter, Squeeze jelly, and trail mix. injection tube and into a fill pipe and a fill tube. O010 CNN THE SPIN ROOM 22:30 of May 14, 2001 0017 Jerry Boy PB N'Go peanut butter is said to come reported that a company called P.J.'s Squares, has sent to the in five flavors in both creamy and crunch. Flavors include White House a couple of cases of little plastic squeezey Cinnamon Surprise, Munchy Crunchy, Jalapeno Kick, Cara things, like you might get mustard in or mayonnaise, but mel-Carmel Crunch and Dreamy Creamy. The products are these are full of peanut butter and jelly. described at http:/www.clorders.com/erryboy.htm. 0011 Newsletter DatabaseTM, Copyright 2001 Marketing 0018) A product has been sold in the United States under Intelligence Service Ltd., Product Alert of Mar. 26, 2001 the name Jif R Smooth Sensations, which includes blended discloses "Squeezers,' available from Portion Pac, Inc., peanut butter and chocolate. US 2006/0093727 A1 May 4, 2006 0019. A product, Doubly Delicious, has been sold in the as a filling or a particulate. The nut spread and additional United States under the Skippy(R) brand which includes food component are combined in Such a way that the peanut butter and distinct chocolate pieces. presence of the additional component is discernable as a 0020 Despite all of the attention which has been directed separate component, visually or by taste. The inclusion may, to peanut butter products, and the use of peanut butter for example, add solids, texture and/or flavor. Examples of combined with other components, there is a need for peanut inclusions include fruit flavored variegates, banana, marsh and other nut butter products where the nut butter is com mallow filling, chocolate, bacon bits, etc. bined with one or more other components in Such a way that 0027. The nut spreads used in the invention include consumers can readily perceive the presence of both, includ stabilizer, but in limited amounts. Levels of from 0.5 wt.% ing their individual favorable organoleptic sensations. There through 1.75 wt.% are preferred. The stabilizer is preferably is further a need for readily applied peanut butter products a fully or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. The inclusion admixed with other, separately perceivable, desirable edible of modest amounts of stabilizer facilitates formulation of a components, such as jelly and chocolate. nut spread which is squeezable and has good mouth feel but does not flow uncontrollably. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0028. For a more complete understanding of the above 0021.