Meiji Seika Kaisha, has been awarded US patent 6146681 for its innovative method of impregnating baked porous products (cake) with chocolate.

The present invention provides a porous baked food material having excellent taste and texture. According to the method for the production of the food material, a baked porous food, such as a baked cake is combined with a fat-based confectionery such as chocolate. The baked porous food is embedded in a fat-based confectionery in its molten liquid state, degassed under a reduced pressure and subsequently returned to ambient pressure. Impregnation of the aerated food material with the fat based confectionery is thereby accomplished.

Other players in this area of technology, awarded earlier patents, are Borden, Food-tek, and Canada Packers.

By Navroz Havewala, just-food.com correspondent