| MARS, INC Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120093991 | Method and Apparatus for Deep-Frying Foods - A method for deep-frying foods in which the foods to be deep-fried are delivered to hot oil or fat and transported out of the hot oil after a predetermined residence time, wherein a steam zone with superheated steam is generated above a free surface of the oil, which shields the oil from the ambient air, and from which a flow of steam corresponding to an amount of water evaporating from the deep-fried foods is withdrawn. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120076884 | Extrusion and Conditioning Apparatus - An extrusion and conditioning apparatus, with an extruder in a conveying position, leads into a conveyor housing connected in a sealed manner to a pneumatic supply line and to a pneumatic conveyor line in which extruded material can be removed pneumatically, by means of superheated steam, via the conveyor line. The extruder can be moved from the conveying position into a bypass position, in which the extruder leads to the exterior of the conveyor housing, having a means for sealing the supply and conveyor lines and the conveyor housing from the surroundings when the extruder is in the conveying and bypass positions. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120040017 | GENETIC TEST FOR LIVER COPPER ACCUMULATION IN DOGS AND LOW COPPER PET DIET - The present invention provides a method of testing a dog to determine the likelihood that the dog is protected from liver copper accumulation, comprising detecting in a sample the presence or absence in the genome of the dog of one or more polymorphisms selected from (a) SNP ATP7a_Reg3_F_6 (SEQ ID NO:142) and (b) one or more polymorphisms in linkage disequilibrium with (a). | 02-16-2012 |
| 20110247269 | PLANT STARTER KIT AND METHOD - Kits are disclosed for starting plant seedlings from seeds. The kits can employ self-watering structures and can create microenvironments that foster seed germination and seedling growth. The kits can include structures that minimize the transplanting stress to transplanted seedlings. Methods for growing seedlings from seeds also are disclosed. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110233228 | DISPENSING MACHINE - A dispensing machine for dispensing items to customers comprising a cabinet having at least one window, a plurality of supports for supporting a plurality of different items to be dispensed to customers, a pointing device for selecting a desired item from the plurality of items, an indicator associated with the pointing device and operable to provide an indication, visible through the window, of which item is being selected by the pointing device without dispensing said selected item, and a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the selected item in response to a dispensing instruction. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110210463 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING AN EXTRUDED MATERIAL - The invention relates to a method of drying an extruded material that includes the steps of: providing a gaseous atmosphere with superheated steam in a housing, extruding a material in the housing, drying the material in the gaseous atmosphere, and moving the dried material out of the housing. An apparatus for drying the extruded material is also provided. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110020501 | Fiber Enriched, Protein Coated Cereal Products - A cereal product comprising cereal kernels, wherein the cereal kernels have been at least partially milled and are coated with a coating layer, said coating layer comprising a protein matrix having particles of a dietary fiber ingredient dispersed therein. Also provided is a method of making a fiber-enriched dry cereal product comprising the steps of: coating cereal kernels that have been at least partially milled with particles of a dietary fiber ingredient and an aqueous dispersion containing a protein; followed by drying the coated cereal kernels. The dietary fiber ingredient may be a powdered stabilized cereal bran. The coated cereal products can be cooked in excess water to give cooked products having high dietary fiber content and improved palatability. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20100278938 | GENETIC TEST AND PET DIET - The present invention provides a method of determining the susceptibility of a dog to liver copper accumulation comprising detecting the presence or absence of (a) a polymorphism in the GOLGA5, ATP7a or UBL5 gene of the dog that is indicative of susceptibility to copper accumulation and/or (b) a polymorphism in linkage disequilibrium with a said polymorphism (a), and thereby determining the susceptibility of the dog to liver copper accumulation. The invention also provides a foodstuff comprising copper at a concentration of less than 21 mg/kg dry matter for use in preventing a disease attributable to liver copper accumulation in a dog having genetic inheritance of the Labrador Retriever breed. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100212507 | METHODS, CAPSULES AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FOAMED DRINKS - The invention provides a method for the preparation of a foamed drink comprising the steps of: providing a capsule containing a foamable ingredient; providing a receptacle positioned to collect fluid escaping from the capsule; injecting liquid into the capsule to mix with the foamable ingredient; allowing the foamable ingredient mixed with the liquid to escape from the capsule into the receptacle; followed by injecting further liquid into the receptacle in a jet having a diameter of from about 0.5 to about 2 mm to produce foamed liquid in the receptacle. The invention also provides capsules, apparatus and systems specifically adapted for use in the method. Preferably, the food ingredient is a milk powder, and the method produces a hot foamed beverage such as a cappuccino coffee. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100129521 | Heat Processed Products Having Altered Monomer Profiles and Processes For Controlling The Epimerization of (-)-Epicatechin and (+)-Catechin In The Products - A method for controlling the epimerization of (−)-epicatechin to (−)-catechin in an epicatechin-containing product, preferably an edible product, or of (+)-catechin to (+)-epicatechin in a catechin-containing product, comprises the step of heating the product at a temperature of up to about 200° C. and at a pH of up to about 8. Under either method, the epimerization may be carried out in an open food processor in a reduced oxygen atmosphere or in a closed food processor. The edible product may be pasteurized, boiled, or sterilized during the epimerization. Epimerization is minimized by lowering the heating temperature, by lowering the pH, and/or by lowering the heating time. Conversely, the epimerization is maximized by increasing the heating temperature, by increasing the pH, and/or by increasing the heating time. The edible product may contain or be a fruit product, a vegetable product, a cereal product, a bean product, a nut product, a spice product, or a botanical product. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100055248 | PRODUCTS CONTAINING POLYPHENOLS - Shelf-stable products, particularly beverages, containing polyphenols and optionally sterol and/or stanol esters are disclosed. Loss of polyphenols during the heat processing of the products is prevented by reducing the pH of the product by at least 0.2 after mixing and prior to heat processing. The pH of the final beverage should be about pH 4.6 to about pH 6.8. The preferred products are low fat cocoa beverages containing at least 0.2-5 micrograms of cocoa polyphenols per gram of the beverage. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100016536 | Process for Analyzing, for Separating, and for Isolating Individual Polar Protic Monomers and/or Oligomers - An improved process for separating and isolating individual polar protic monomer(s) and/or oligomer(s) on the basis of degree of polymerization. A liquid sample containing polar protic monomer(s) and/or oligomer(s) is introduced into a liquid chromatography (LC) column packed with a polar bonded stationary chromatographic phase. The individual polar protic monomer(s) and/or oligomer(s) are separated via a binary mobile phase elution. One or more individual fractions containing the monomer(s) and/or oligomer(s) are eluted. The polar protic monomer(s) and/or oligomer(s) may be proanthocyanidins, hydrolyzable tannins, oligosaccharides, oligonucleotides, peptides, acrylamides, polysorbates, polyketides, poloxarners, polyethylene glycols, polyoxyethylene alcohols or polyvinyl alcohols. The binary mobile phase comprises an A phase consisting essentially of a polar aprotic solvent and a B phase consisting essentially of a polar protic solvent. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20090286869 | Flavanols and B-Type Procyanidins and Inflammation - The invention relates to compositions, and methods of use thereof, containing certain polyphenols such as flavanols, procyanidins and derivatives thereof for treating inflammation and/or inflammation-related or associated disease or condition, and/or for the relief of pain, in a subject sensitive to a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor and/or a subject sensitive to a COX-nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090203926 | PROCESS FOR SELECTIVELY EXTRACTING PROCYANIDINS - A process is described for selectively extracting cocoa procyanidins from an aqueous mixture of cocoa polyphenols by using a particular sequence of solvents to extract selected procyanidin monomers and/or oligomers. The solvents are n-butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, diethyl ether, or mixtures of methyl acetate and diethyl ether. Preferably, the aqueous mixture of cocoa polyphenols is first extracted with n-butyl acetate. The mixtures of methyl acetate and diethyl ether are between 25:75 and 75:25 (v/v). | 08-13-2009 |
| 20090092752 | SPIRAL GAS-SOLIDS CONTACT APPARATUS AND METHOD - The invention is directed to apparatus and methods for contacting gas and solids in the manufacture of edibles, and particularly in connection with coating edible particulate solids. A drum is positioned around an inner tube so that an annular space is defined between the drum and the tube. A rotatable spiral element defines a gas pathway in the annular space, such that rotation of the spiral pushes particulate solids through the drum while the solids are contacted with gas in the annular space. | 04-09-2009 |
