General Mills has a US Patent 6210720 for ready-to-eat cereal products fortified with high calcium levels of superior appearance (Hunter color value over 51) and reduced discoloration.


Competitors in specific technology (food fortification):
Procter & Gamble, Nabisco, Suntory Limited, Nabisco Brands Inc., Kellogg, Quaker Oats, Universal Foods, The Ohio State University Research Foundation, Recot Inc.


Abstract:



    Lightly cooked cereal dough products are provided that are fortified with at least a 0.3% calcium at least a portion of which is supplied by CaCO2 exhibiting reduced discoloration such as RTE cereals and grain based snacks. The dried cereal finished products are fabricated from cooked cereal doughs that can comprise rice and/or corn and minor levels of other conventional cereal ingredients and calcium carbonate. The cooked cereal doughs additionally contains effective amounts of calcium sequestrants. Methods for preparing such calcium fortified cooked cereal compositions and dried cereal finished food products are: A. providing a lightly colored calcium fortified cooked cereal dough or mass containing at least 0.3% calcium (dry weight basis) at least a portion of which is supplied by calcium carbonate and sequestrants; B. forming the lightly colored calcium fortified cereal dough into pieces; and, C. drying the pieces to form the present rice based finished food products fortified with high levels of calcium.


First of 20 Claims (of 38):



    A method of providing calcium fortified cooked cereal dough products, comprising the steps of:


    A. providing a lightly colored calcium fortified cooked cereal dough or mass containing at least 0.3% calcium (dry weight basis) at least a portion of which is supplied by calcium carbonate and about 0.005% to 0.005% of calcium sequestrant, wherein at least a portion of the calcium sequestrant is constituted by sodium hexametaphosphate;


    B. forming the lightly colored calcium fortified cereal dough into pieces; and, C. drying the pieces to form finished food products fortified with high levels of calcium.


By Navroz Havewala, just-food.com correspondent