text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Apr 21, 1998
|Filing date
|Jan 20, 1995
|Priority date
|Jan 20, 1995
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Daniel L. Beyer, Theodore E. Jach, Dennis L. Zak, Ralph A. Jerome, Frank P. DeBrincat
|Original Assignee
|Mars, Incorporated
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (25), Non-Patent Citations (22), Referenced by (40), Classifications (62), Legal Events (8)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to edible products, such as a food or a pharmaceutical composition, which are coated with edible inorganic films. The invention also relates to a method of producing an edible product having an inorganic coating, and an apparatus for processing edible products coated with an inorganic film.
The invention also relates to reducing food packaging waste and disposal problems as the outer package material requirements may be reduced if the edible product itself is more shelf-stable.
Moreover, the invention also allows for the creation of new food products and low fat products that require the use of moisture which heretofore would have had a negative impact on shelf-life.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many conventional food products, moisture, oxygen, or fat migrates to soften, oxidize or bloom the products, limiting the product's shelf-life. "Shelf-life" is the time that elapses before stored foods become unsuitable for use due to degradation. The migration of moisture, oxygen or other components in foods can cause deleterious changes in the taste, texture, smell, nutritive value, storage stability and saleabilty of products. "Texture" is the structure, feel, and appearance of a product, including the nature and arrangement of the constituent particles on a substance. The transfer of moisture can occur between a food and its environment and/or within different components of a nonhomogeneous food system. For example, deterioration of the texture of dry bakery materials, such as the crust of a filled pie, occurs when moisture is transferred from the high-moisture filling to the crust. At the same time, the filling changes because of loss of moisture to the crust or atmosphere, resulting in a gummy or sticky consistency.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,365 to Haynes et al. discloses that chocolate chips used in cookies lose chocolate flavor impact on aging. This loss of flavor has been found to be due to the higher water activity of the cookie crumb relative to the much lower water activity in the chocolate chips. Specifically, the moisture in the cookie crumb diffuses into the chocolate chips and desorbs the chocolate flavor compounds present therein. These desorbed compounds then diffuse back into the cookie crumbs. The result is chocolate chip cookies which have less chocolate flavor impact over time. The present invention would overcome this problem by providing a moisture barrier coating on the surface of the chocolate chips to prevent the migration of moisture.
Similarly, problems exist when candy coated confections are added instead of, or in conjunction with, chocolate chips to cookies or ice cream products. It has been found that over time the coloring of the candy coating often runs, causing discoloring of the cookie or ice cream. The present invention would overcome this problem by providing a barrier on the candy coating to prevent it from running.
Edible films are of tremendous importance because of the impact they have on obviating the problems noted above and on extending the shelf-life of foods. Edible films also expand the opportunities for new foods and increase the consumer expectation for a variety of fresh foods by reducing the requirements for antioxidants and preservatives. There also is a benefit in expanding distribution channels due to extended shelf-life for foods. In addition, the edible films reduce the amount of packaging required to preserve the edible product since the film acts as a barrier to moisture and/or oxygen and improves the shelf-life. By reducing packaging needs, the edible films have a beneficial effect on environmental regulations and concerns.
The use of edible barriers on food products to minimize the deleterious effects described above is known in the art. However, thus far, the development of edible water and oxygen barriers has focused upon barriers containing organic materials, particularly lipids and proteins. The development of water vapor barriers has centered upon barriers containing primarily cellulose, lipid and protein. In general, barriers containing lipid are less permeable to water vapor than barriers containing proteins. However, protein containing barriers are not practical for certain products, for example fruits.
A non-lipid support is required to reduce the brittleness/fragility associated with barriers containing lipids. Cellulose films are commonly used as a support film. Plasticizers are then added to reduce the brittleness. Proteins can be used in both the support film and the barrier, but these are often not as effective as a lipid barrier.
Recent work has been concentrated on protein and carbohydrate films. Proteins such as collagen, zein, gelatin, gluten and various milk proteins have been the focus of much recent work. Carbohydrates such as chitosan, modified cellulose, and methyl cellulose are also being studied. These materials are useful in many food areas where water activity must be maintained to retain the product's quality and microbial safety. More research is needed before these technologies will become more widely accepted.
The underlying problem with prior art edible films is the large quantities required for the barrier to be effective. The effective quantity is directly related to the coating thickness. With a thicker barrier there is poor consumer acceptance because a thicker barrier affects the mouth feel quality due to textural differences. In general, the more effective coatings have poorer mouth feel quality. An example of this phenomenon would be a wax film barrier. Wax is an effective barrier, but with a wax barrier it's necessary to add an amount such that it becomes tough in the mouth and does not melt (i.e. paraffin wax). Fruits are sometimes provided with wax layers to increase shelf-life but these wax layers are detectable by consumers and are thus undesirable. These waxes, however, decrease moisture loss by a half.
Shellacs are effective moisture barriers, and are water or solvent disperseable. While solvents are the most effective dispersant for shellacs they are undesirable as solvent flavor is absorbed into the food.
There are no known edible products that utilize the insoluble inorganic films that are disclosed by this invention. Other water based barriers have only a fraction of the effectiveness in comparison with the presently disclosed insoluble inorganic coatings, for example a SiO2 coating. The food industry has thus far mostly used fat, gums or proteins as barriers. The primary limitation of these prior art coatings are the large quantity required to be effective, thus altering the taste and mouth-feel of the product. In some cases crystallizing proteins or starches on the surface will improve the moisture barrier for the food. In most cases those components are soluble in water.
Therefore, ideally, the optimal barrier would be an ultra thin non-toxic layer which is not perceived in the mouth, and insoluble in water. Such a barrier would prevent oxygen and moisture migration for long periods of time.
The following references and those referred to hereinafter, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference, disclose the state of the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,093,260 to Wilder et al. discloses the detrimental effect salt has in fat containing ready-to-eat cereal foods. When salt is used in the common manner of making these foods, its presence results in appreciable amounts of free hydrochloric acid. The patent discloses a process whereby salt flavor may be obtained without jeopardizing the keeping qualities of food having a substantial fat content by avoiding the addition of the salt to the food until after the completion of the high-temperature operation which results in the decomposition of the fat within the food. (Column 2, lines 49-56). After the high temperature toasting operation, the foods are coated with a salt solution and dried to obtain a food product having the essential salt flavoring without its detrimental effects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,219 to Shaw et al. discloses a method of extending the storage life of frozen cooked foods, such as meats, poultry and fish. The method comprises the steps of cooking the food, coating the cooked food with an edible coating having a composition comprising the calcium salt of carrageenan, freezing the food coated with the calcium salt of carrageenan, and storing the coated food in the frozen state. The coating is applied in a substantially uniformly thick coating on the food.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,460 to Ciliberto et al. discloses granular water-soluble food ingredients, which deteriorate upon exposure to the atmosphere, that are protected by encapsulation in a protective coating containing a fatty acid derivative and a flow agent, i.e. fumed silica or carboxymethylcellulose. The resulting coated particles have an improved shelf life and still are substantially instantaneously soluble in water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,502 to Roland et al. discloses a coated food product formed by applying an aqueous dispersion containing water soluble algin to the surface of a food substrate. The aqueous dispersion has a viscosity effective to substantially uniformly coat the surface of the food substrate. A dry gelling mixture is then applied to the algin coated food substrate for a period of time sufficient to form a substantially continuous edible alginate film along the surface of the food substrate. The film is sufficient to effectively retard the migration of moisture from the surface of the food substrate thereby retarding dehydration. The film also forms an oxygen barrier for retarding oxidation of the food substrate and retaining flavor within said food substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,924 to Woznicki et al. discloses a method of coating pharmaceutical tablets, foods, confectionery forms and the like with polydextrose or a combination of polydextrose and cellulosic polymer, or a layer of polydextrose overcoated with a layer of cellulosic polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,502 to Meyers et al. discloses a method of prolonging the shelf-life of sticks of chewing gum by coating both sides with an aqueous solution of an edible film forming agent, preferably a cellulose derivative, which, when partially dried, serves as an adhesive. A layer of wax is then applied to each of the layers of edible film forming agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,273 to Ito discloses edible containers suitable for frozen confections (e.g., ice cream, frozen yogurt and the like) and other food products made by initially baking a dough. The method involves sandwiching a farinaceous batter mixture containing sugar, oil and flour between a pair of heated platens and then heating and baking the batter mixture to effect alphatization of the starch and to evaporate moisture. Thus, after the initial baking, a de-watered edible sheet of baked batter will result. The de-watered edible sheet of baked batter is then re-moisturized (e.g., by spraying), molded to form a container and baked to form a crispy container for frozen confections and other food products.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a food product having an edible film coating which results in an extended shelf-life for the food product.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for producing an edible product coated with an edible film.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a pre-made sheet of edible material which can be formed and subsequently applied as a coating onto an edible product.
The present invention relates to an edible film which overcomes the textural problems associated with coating edible products by using a continuous inorganic composition as a barrier layer. It is desirable to produce a layer that is very thin (0.05 micron or less) and amorphous to prevent cracking of the barrier if the product is flexed. The inorganic substance is preferably insoluble.
The main objective of the invention includes improving the shelf-life of food products and/or the flavor impact of food products. The present invention offers several advantages in comparison to current moisture barrier technology. The primary advantage is to increase the shelf-life of food products without effecting the taste and texture. The advantages also include the ability to develop new products with dual textures like crunchy jelly filled confections that would not become soft since the film would form a barrier between the jelly portion and the crunchy portion. Further, the advantages include the reduction of packaging used to protect food products, thereby reducing cost and environmental waste. Moreover, all these advantages are achieved without greatly effecting the look, taste, scent or feel of the edible product.
The application of an inorganic film onto an edible product may be performed by a number of methods.
In one preferred method, the product is placed in a batch or continuous system that can produce a plasma. The system can be a simple corona discharge or as complex as a chemical plasma deposition. In any system, a higher success rate is achieved with a drier, more heat resistant, smoother, lower fat and higher density product.
The method preferably is one which enables the formation of a thin inorganic film inexpensively and quickly. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a process in which the coating step is one of a series of steps in the continuous production of edible products.
The resultant coating covers the edible product to the extent necessary to improve shelf-life by maintaining water activity or retaining flavor. This may result in a coating on the entire product or a portion of the heterogenous product. For example, a pizza dough that has been baked is coated on one surface so that the high moisture sauce subsequently applied will not effect the baked dough, thereby improving the shelf-life of the product. The invention also allows for differently flavored foods (i.e. crackers) being packed within the same package without detrimental mixing of the flavors.
In some embodiments, there is a barrier to moisture transfer, but not a barrier to the transmission of oxygen, or vice versa. Lowering the oxygen permeability of food products decreases lipid oxidation, nonenzymatic browning and microbial growth. For example, if the edible product is high in polyunsaturated fat, a barrier extremely resistant to oxygen permeability is desired. Conversely, if the edible product is fresh fruits or vegetables, maintaining a proper balance of respiration is necessary to avoid anaerobic respiration which decreases the consumer acceptance of the product. Accordingly, the inorganic barrier selected has the desired character to result in a coated edible product having the desired properties.
The edible inorganic film is substantially continuous over at least a portion of, or over the, entire food product. The edible film is also thin (0.0001 to 0.5 microns) so that the product feel, look, and taste are not adversely affected. The edible film is advantageously thin enough, and the amount of inorganic material on the food product is advantageously small enough, so that the resultant coated edible product is within the standards and regulations (such as those published in Section 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations) for edible products.
The coating systems that may be used to coat an inorganic material on the surface of edible products include: (1) sputtering or analogous thermal sublimation; (2) electron beam; and (3) plasma deposition. The level of development of the technology relating to the coating of inorganic materials has been intense in recent years. Both the biomedical and electronics fields have been involved in the technology because inorganic films have great utility in these areas as well.
Since high heat and/or low vacuums are often needed to make a plasma, care must be taken to avoid changing the products' composition or texture, for example, evaporation of moisture on the surface which is being coated. Lower vacuum processes are preferable if done at ambient or low temperature. Drier foods have shown a higher success rate as evaporation at the surface of the food is minimal if the food has a low moisture content. In certain applications, depending on the type of food product, it is also possible to freeze the food product to prevent evaporation.
Sputtering or analogous thermal sublimation systems take a target composition and bombard it with ions which have been accelerated towards the target by high radio frequencies or direct current potential. The momentum of the impacting ions transfers energy to the surface atoms of the target causing them to be ejected at high velocities onto the substrate to be coated.
An electron beam process imparts ample energy to sublime the substrate in a vacuum. However, the sublimation temperatures are generally too high for some edible products and the energy levels of the e-beam are ˜20-40 kilowatts per gun and require nuclear shielding. While an electron beam process may be utilized it is more expensive, making it less attractive for food industry applications.
Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is activated by means of electromagnetic energy which must be sufficient so that the gas or liquid separates into electrons, ions, and free radicals and other excited state species. "Plasma" is an ionized gas which contains substantially equal numbers of ions and electrons. The precursor compound is vaporized and introduced into a vacuum chamber where it is subjected to an electronic discharge. The electromagnetic field causes electrons to be ejected, creating ions and initiating a chain reaction to generate more charged particles. The excited species of gas in the glowing plasma is attracted to the surface of the food where the excited and neutral species of the compound are deposited on the substrate surface and built up atom by atom until a continuous layer is formed.
Microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition uses microwave energy in addition to the above process. This creates a similar product as described above.
The frequencies typically used in chemical plasma depositions range from about 10 KHz to about 1 GHz, preferably 10 KHz to 100 MHz, and pressures vary from about 0.00001 to about 50 torr. The power coupling can be capacitive, inductive or microwave.
While any of the above described coating processes may be employed the preferred method of coating the edible product is by chemical plasma deposition (CPD) if the products are required to be very uniform. Sputtering is the preferred method when high degrees of control are not needed, but rather less expensive production costs are important. The main advantage with CPD is that the process can be performed at lower vacuums and temperatures than sputtering. The main advantage of sputtering is that it reduces the possibility of side reactions which can form contaminates in the coating. Both sputtering and CPD are processes that have been improved and developed over the last 15 years by the electronic and biomedical fields. Also, CPD films have now been approved by the FDA for the flexible packaging on food contact surfaces.
In chemical plasma deposition a thin film depositing plasma is formed in a chamber by introducing at least one gaseous precursor into a region having a controlled electrical field. The process parameters that are usually controlled include the internal pressure level, the electrical field characteristics, the composition of the gas and its flow rate into the plasma. Varying these parameters will vary the characteristics and properties of the resultant film. It is, of course, desirable to control these plasma variables to produce a film coating having the desired film properties. As applied to the present invention, it is necessary to adjust the parameter to result in a film coating being substantially continuous, as well as having a uniform thickness and composition.
One method, disclosed by Felt et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,199, involves a process of depositing a thin film onto a surface of a substrate with the use of a plasma, wherein the plasma optical emission is monitored, analyzed and the results used to automatically control the nature of the plasma in order to control the characteristics of the deposited thin film.
"Edible product" refers to either a food product or a pharmaceutical which can be consumed by humans or nonhumans (i.e., pets). The edible product can also include foods that are to be used only for display. The properties of the edible product to be coated, such as its surface smoothness, moisture content, heat resistance, fat content and density play an important consideration in the selection of the types of edible substrate material and its method of application. Optimal results are achieved when the food surface is smooth and dry. With a smoother surface a thinner coating has been found to be effective. The surface moisture of the product is also an important consideration since it is more difficult to coat a surface which is evaporating. More heat resistant products enable the use of lower pressure or vacuum processes and higher process temperatures to maintain the plasma which lower manufacturing costs. Higher fat products are non-polar making it more difficult for the coating to adhere to the surface. The surface will change due to the polymorphic nature of fats. Fats will change crystalline structures over time to achieve its lowest thermodynamic state. The polymorphic changes are generally to larger crystal sizes. This polymorphic expansion may cause cracking or irregularities in the coating. These problems are overcome by using edible products having a surface with a low fat content.
Also higher density products react better in a vacuum process because they will not expand. Products that expand could develop cracks in the coating and decrease the edible film's effectiveness. Freezing the products before the process may decrease many of these problems. However, since coatings formed by sputtering and CPD are amorphous and therefore inherently flexible, the problem of cracks caused by substrate expansion is not significant.
In another embodiment of the invention a precoating edible barrier is applied which covers some of the voids in the edible product, resulting in a smoother surface. This product is then coated with an inorganic layer. Such a process is beneficial in edible products where an enzyme or acid/base reaction could degrade the precoating. When that occurs the inorganic layer for barrier protection remains. This process is commercially important as it avoids the associated problems and expense of producing a plasma deposition at the food manufacturing plant.
Examples of some of the possible existing types of edible products that may be coated according to the present invention include:
Low moisture foods that need expensive barrier protection to prevent them from being soggy.
Hard candy that becomes sticky when exposed to high humidities.
Cookies and potato chips that also become soggy or stale when the bag is opened or stored for long periods of time and lose their crunch.
Food products that are for display, thereby requiring long shelf-lives. These products discolor and crack with time due to moisture loss.
Sugar coated confections/pharmaceuticals to prevent the color coating from rubbing off on the hands. Air and humidity solubilizes the coating sugars that carry the coloring.
Ready to eat cereals that when served in milk become soggy with time.
Cookies with jelly topping of chocolate chips which become soggy or lose chocolate flavor over time, thereby reducing shelf-life or taste.
Low fat systems which generally reduce fat by adding water, and which dry out over time limiting shelf-life.
The present invention enables the creation of otherwise impractical low fat/high moisture products by forming a moisture barrier film on high moisture foods to prevent the dehydration of the product. Accordingly, high moisture foods, such as low fat systems, with long shelf-life are achieved.
Oxygen sensitive systems containing nuts or milk fat that become rancid with time as oxygen migration, and thus lipid oxidation, are reduced by the present invention.
Other products for which the present invention is beneficial are highly flavored snacks of different flavors. At present these need to be packed in different containers or the flavors will be exchanged, thus altering the quality of the product. With the barrier coating of the present invention they can be packed together. For example, products such as chips or other products coated with an inorganic film would form an aroma barrier, making it possible for multi-flavored chips to be packaged within the same container as well.
The coating composition may be any inorganic material. Preferably, the coating material is GRAS certified (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the Food and Drug Administration or can be readily certified as GRAS. More preferably, the coating material forms a barrier against moisture and/or oxygen migration. The preferred coating compounds include SiO2, SiO, CaO, ZnO, TiO2 and MnO. SiO2 is desirable in that it is GRAS certified, forms a good barrier and has been used as an ultrathin coating in other fields, such as electronics. CaO is also desirable because of its well known nutritional value. It is particularly preferable to coat SiO2, MnO, CaO and TiO2 on surfaces of foods since these compounds are either approved additives, approved dietary supplements, or approved color additives. It is also possible to coat other fortifying minerals on the surface of foods.
The inorganic coating composition is also preferably insoluble or only dispersible in water. "Dispersible" is defined as being the phase of a disperse system consisting of particles or droplets of one substance distributed through another system. This is to insure the resultant films form a lasting effective moisture barrier so that the shelf-life of the product is improved.
The purity of the coating should be controlled in order to insure the resulting edible product is safe. "Purity" is defined as being substantially free from anything that adulterates or taints the edible product. In particular, the term refers to the coating composition being free from contaminates that would affect the safety of the product. Generally the coating composition should be at least 80% pure, preferably at least 90% pure, more preferably at least 95% pure, even more preferably at least 99% pure and most preferably at least 99.9% pure.
SiO2 is particularly advantageous since it is an approved additive ingredient that can be used in food up to 2.0 wt %. Furthermore, SiO2 powders are already commonly used as anti-caking agents. In addition, SiO and SiO2 are currently used in coatings on plastics and glasses to improve oxygen barrier properties. Considered to be retortable and recyclable microwave barriers, glassy materials on plastics were applied to packaging to provide a high oxygen barrier to plastic package films or bottles that were transparent to microwave energy. See, Brody, A. L., "Glass-coated Flexible Films for Packaging: An Overview", Packaging Technology & Engineering, February 1994, pages 44-47, hereby incorporated by reference.
The coating compositions of the present invention may comprise a mixture of SiO and SiO2. The coating composition may be given the designation SiOx because the composition is a mixture, wherein 1≦x≦2.
Various compounds utilized as the Si source for chemical vapor deposition (CVD)/chemical plasma deposition (CPD) include organosiliconic esters, anhydrides (often referred to as organosilicates), silane (SiH4), disilane (Si2 H6), and chlorosilanes. Also, included is tetraethoxysilane, (Si(OC2 H5)4), also known as tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). See, Tedder et al., "Mechanistic Studies of Dielectric Thin Film Growth by Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition: The Reaction of tetraethoxysilane with SiO2 Surfaces", Journal of Applied Physics, volume 69(10), May 15, 1991, pages 7037-49, hereby incorporated by reference.
Another known precursor for use in plasma deposition includes a mixture of HMDSO (hexomethylene disiloxane), O2 and He.
A low temperature CVD of SiO2 films is disclosed in Desu et al., "Low temperature CVD of SiO2 Films Using Novel Precursors", J. Electrochem. Soc., vol. 139, no. 9, September 1992, hereby incorporated by reference. Novel precursors, hydridospheresiloxanes, namely, HT8(Oh -H8 Si8 O12) and HT10(D5h -H10 S10 O15), are taught for use in SiO2 deposition in high yields starting from HSiCl3. This procedure results in excellent quality SiO2 thin film deposited on a single crystal silicon substrate. The films are grown at 500� C. and at atmospheric pressure using moist oxygen as a coreactant.
The resultant coating should be substantially continuous. "Substantially continuous" is defined as being at least 80% continuous, preferably 90% continuous, more preferably 95% continuous and most preferably 99% continuous. Although cracking, chipping or incomplete application of the coating may reduce the effectiveness of the barrier, such a coating still achieves a reduction in the effects of moisture and/or oxygen migration on the food product. Optimally, however, a continuous coating should be formed as the less continuous the coating, the less effective the barrier mechanism. The inorganic coating should be continuous over at least a significant portion of the edible product and preferably over the entire surface of the edible product. The coating should be thin to reduce the chance of cracking or chipping.
The coatings formed by sputtering and CPD are amorphous, which provides flexibility to further prevent cracking or chipping. The flexible character of the coatings can be increased by adding additives during the coating process.
The thickness of the coating is also an important consideration. The thickness of the coating is proportional to the weight percentage of coating composition with respect to the weight of the edible product. It is often preferred or required to maintain the content of the coating composition to a minimum because of safety concerns or regulatory requirements. In addition, the thickness of the coating is also important since it can affect the character of the edible product, including the product's taste, texture and smell. Also, the thickness of the coating ultimately determines the effectiveness of the film as a barrier.
Since the mouth can detect particle sizes of 20 microns or greater as gritty or chalky the inorganic coating should have a thickness of less than about 0.5 microns. Preferably, the inorganic film should have a thickness of about 0.0001 to 0.2 microns, more preferably about 0.0001 to 0.1 microns, even more preferably about 0.0002 to 0.05, and most preferably about 0.0005 to 0.02 microns.
The inorganic coating should also be substantially uniform in both its thickness and composition. "Substantially uniform" is defined as being that uniformity necessary to result in a product having the desired properties, preferably with less than a 100% variation, more preferably less than 50% variation, even more preferably less than 25% variation, and most preferably less than 10% variation.
The amount of coating used to cover the edible product is to be controlled so that the resultant product is safe. This will depend on the edible product and the coating materials used. Generally, the amount of coating composition in the resultant edible product should be less than about 0.05 wt %, preferably less than about 0.01 wt %, more preferably less than about 0.005 wt %, even more preferably less than 0.001-0.002 wt %, most preferably less than about 0.0005 wt %.
Additional objects, advantages and features of the various aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of its preferred embodiments, such description being given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 illustrates an elevational view in section of a portion of an elliptical edible product covered by a sugar coating, a polish and finally an edible inorganic coating;
FIG. 2 illustrates an elevational view in section of a portion of an elliptical edible product having a first sugar shell, then an inorganic edible precoating and then covered by a polish coating;
FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view partly in section of an edible bar product in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention an edible bar product coated with an edible inorganic coating and then covered with a second coating;
FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view partly in section of an edible bar product in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention of an edible bar product precoated with an edible inorganic coating and then covered by a second edible coating;
FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view partly in section of an edible bar product in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention of an edible bar product coated with an edible inorganic coating;
FIG. 6 is a schematic flow diagram for a batch apparatus used for coating edible products with an edible film;
FIG. 7 is a schematic flow diagram for a continuous apparatus used for coating edible products with an edible film; and
FIG. 8 is a schematic flow diagram for a batch apparatus to produce an edible film on a films product.
Referring initially to FIG. 1, an edible product is illustrated that includes an elliptical chocolate product 1 coated with a first sugar coating to form a sugar shell 2, further coated with a polish 3, and finally coated with an inorganic coating 4.
FIG. 2 illustrates an elliptical chocolate product 5 coated with a sugar shell 6, further coated with an inorganic coating 7 and finally coated with a polish 8.
FIG. 3 illustrates an edible product comprising a center of confection components 9 coated with an inorganic coating 10, and finally enrobed in a chocolate coat 11.
FIG. 4 illustrates an edible product comprising a center of confection components 12 coated with an inorganic coating 13 and finally enrobed in a chocolate coating 14.
FIG. 5 illustrates an edible product comprising a center of confection components 15 coated with a chocolate coating 16, and finally coated with an inorganic coating 17.
FIG. 6 illustrates a batch sputtering process where the food to be coated is placed in an enclosed plasma deposition apparatus 17 in plasma deposition area 19. After door 18 is closed, a vacuum is pulled by pump 20, and the enclosed area is back flushed with an inert or reacting gas through supply line 21 and brought up to processing vacuum. An electrical current from a suitable power source (not shown) is supplied through electrodes 22 to create the plasma. After adequate time for coating the product, electrical current and pump 20 are shut off and gas 21 exhausted to permit door 19 to be opened and the coated product removed.
FIG. 7 illustrates a continuous system for a plasma depositor. In the continuous process for plasma deposition three separate enclosed chambers 1, 2 and 3 are used with each chamber being under separate vacuum control. Product enters chamber 1 on conveyor belt 28 through a star valve 25 which precludes entry of outside air. A vacuum is maintained in chamber 1 by pump 26 through valve 27 and an inert or reactive gas through supply line 29 flushes the product. Conveyor belt 28 moves the product through star valve 30 into chamber 2. Star valve 30 isolates chamber 1 from chamber 2. After passing through star valve 30 the product is deposited on conveyor belt 31 to plasma depositing area 32. Plasma is created by electrical current from a power source (not shown) supplied through line 33 to electrodes 34 in the presence of the inert or reactive gas and vacuum is maintained by pump 35. The plasma coats the product. The coated product then passes through star valve 36 to chamber 3 on conveyor belt 37. A vacuum less than that in chamber 2 is maintained in chamber 3 by pump 38. The product then exits chamber 3 through star valve 39 and onto a conveyer belt to the conventional food processing line.
FIG. 8 illustrates a sputtering depositor that coats a sheet of edible inorganic film onto a flexible sheet 49. The edible coating can be subsequently separated from the flexible sheet 49 and incorporated into products such as those shown in FIG. 4. A pre-made flexible sheet 49 is placed in a chamber 43. The flexible sheet is unrolled from feed drum 40 over a chill roll 41. The inorganic target 48 is placed on a plate 50 and sputtered onto flexible sheet 49 by applying electrical energy through supply 47 in the presence of gas obtained from gas supply 44 regulated by a valve 45. The coated flexible sheet 51 is then taken up by take-up drum 42. The vacuum, power, and gases are shut off before the product is removed. The process is somewhat similar to the deposition system of FIG. 6, as a vacuum is pulled in chamber 43 first to remove air by one or more pumps 46 and reacting and/or inert gases are introduced into the chamber for the deposition process. However, unlike CPD, where the gas is ionized and the charged ions attracted to the product, in sputtering, charge particles are accelerated into the target which results in particles from the target being ejected onto the substrate, here flexible sheet 49. The resultant pre-made sheet of inorganic material may be stored, separated from the flexible sheet and applied onto an edible product as a barrier.
Experiments have been completed using both Sputtering and Chemical Plasma Depositions (CPD) techniques. In both cases, the outer polish coating used on certain products appear to cause the SiO2 to produce dusty patches on the coated product. Also, it was discovered that a certain operating wattage range (about 50 watts) was preferable for products with low melting temperatures, such as chocolate products (melting temperature about 20� C.).
Sputtering is a more severe vacuum process than CPD. Also, CPD places an estimated 1000 angstrom layer on the product about 10� times faster then sputtering. CPD produced a coating comparable to that produced by sputtering, but at only 50 Watts.
The edible product used was SKITTLES� Bite Size Candies. Theses are a sugar coated fruit flavored toffee candy. In the manufacture of SKITTLES� Bite Size Candies, sugar is mixed with the flavor to form the toffee. The toffee is then formed into an elliptical center. The center is then coated with a sugar solution and air dried. The product is polished and finally printed with the letter S. SKITTLES� heretofore have exhibited adverse effects when exposed to excessive moisture for long periods.
The SKITTLES� product was placed into a reaction chamber of a laboratory apparatus of the type shown in FIG. 6 and the door of the chamber closed. A vacuum was then pulled to a base pressure of 50-200 mtorr. The chamber was flushed with Argon at 45 sccm and then by oxygen at 8 sccm until the chamber was full of pure oxygen. The TEOS (tetraethylorthosilicate) tube was heated to 95� C. to vaporize the TEOS before entering the chamber. The power was turned on to about 50 watts and fed through an RF coupling device that was set at 13.56 MHZ. The plasma was started and the TEOS valve was turned on to allow the TEOS to react with the oxygen in the plasma and coat the SKITTLES� Bite Size Candies. After 10 minutes the power, the oxygen and TEOS gases and lastly the vacuum pump was shut off. The chamber was opened and product was removed.
Preferably the electrical power should be supplied to the bottom plate and the product set on this bottom or "hot" plate. Alternatively, the power may be supplied directly to the edible product if it is conductive. This procedure allows the SiO2 to directly coat the surface with reduced dusting. This is due to the positive nature of SiO+ from the TEOS. In any case, the process resulted in the reduced dusting of the SiO2 on the surface that was formed in the plasma and coated the product. Thus, the SiO2 was placed on the product without dusting.
______________________________________ Range Ideal______________________________________Electrode Separation 1-3 inches (1.5)Electrode Area 15-50.0 inches (32.0)Argon Flow 25-100 sscm (45 sscm)Oxygen Flow 1-20 sscm (8 sscm)TEOS temperature 85-110� C. (95� C.)RF (13.56 MHZ) 25-100 watts (50 watts)Deposition time 5-25 minutes (15 mins)Base pressure 50-500 mtorr (200 mtorr)______________________________________
The coated SKITTLES� were tested by evaluating the effects of exposure to moisture. An uncoated SKITTLES� was placed in a vial of water and began dissolving immediately. A SKITTLES� coated with the inorganic film was placed in a vial of water and did not begin to dissolve until after 4 minutes. It is believed that this time can be still further increased if `pin holes` present in the coating are reduced or eliminated and a more even inorganic coating is placed on the product. It is envisioned that with a more carefully constructed apparatus the number and size of `pinholes` will be reduced.
In this example, TWIX� Caramel Cookie Bars are used. Twix� Bars are cookies that are topped with a caramel coating then enrobed with chocolate. This type of product is illustrated in FIG. 4. The shelf-life is somewhat limited due to water migration from the caramel to the cookie. This water migration softens the cookie and with age a poorer quality product than initially manufactured results. In this example, the preprocess apparatus is installed before an apparatus as illustrated in FIG. 7 to produce a cookie cut into bar lengths. Then the product is passed through the star valve 25 which is designed to allow for the insertion of the product into a chamber 1 where a vacuum was pulled to 20 torr without dropping the vacuum level. The product then passes through star valve 30 to chamber 2 where the plasma coats the product with the inorganic layer. After coating the product passes through star valve 36, into chamber 3 which is maintained at a vacuum of 30 torr. After passing through star valve 39 the product exits having been coated with an inorganic film. The product then continues on the conventional confectionery line for further processing. The barrier on the cookie reduces the migration of moisture and oxygen to and from the cookie, thereby increasing the shelf-life of the product.
This example uses "M&M's"� Chocolate Candies which are elliptically shaped chocolate centers coated with a sucrose solution containing coloring to form a candied coating. The color coating on the "M&M's"� Chocolate Candies eventually rubs off in time when exposed to humid conditions. To increase the quality of the confection a moisture barrier according to the present invention is desirable. In this example a batch process which entails placing a perforated bed rotating pan ("perforated tumbler") inside a plasma reactor similar to FIG. 7, is employed. The product is placed into a tumbler which is then placed into chamber 1 and then a vacuum is pulled to 0.1 torr. The tumbler is then back flushed with O2 to a vacuum of 10 torr. The tumbler is then set into motion into chamber 2 and the plasma starts to coat the product. After coating, the chamber is pressurized and product removed from the tumbler. The inorganic coating on the chocolate candies improves the shelf-life and quality of the product by reducing the deleterious effects of exposure to moisture.
In this example, coated chocolate chips or coated "M&M"'s� Chocolate Candies or "M&M's"� Milk Chocolate Baking Bits are used. These types of candies generally bleed their color into food products, such as cookie or ice cream products when they are added to such products. This produces a "halo" or color ring within the product that in some cases is not aesthetically appealing. Products and/or their ingredients are coated similar to EXAMPLE 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) to reduce this discoloring. The coated products are incorporated into cookie or ice cream products without the resultant "halo formation".
Coated "ready to eat" cereals become soggy in milk soon after the milk is added to the cereal. By the time the consumer finishes the bowl, the cereal is generally soggy. With the exception of sugar coated cereals, this attribute lowers the eating appeal of the food product. It is possible to reduce moisture migration with the technology of the present invention by coating the cereal with an inorganic coating, without the need to add extra sugar. Because cereals are already fortified, this coating will add to the mineral and nutritional claim if the inorganic film contains nutrients. A process to coat cereals may be performed using the apparatuses shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The barrier formed on the cereal will be optimized so that the product does not become soggy when mixed with milk. Since the cereal product is only exposed to milk for a relatively short period of time (1-10 minutes), the coating thickness can accordingly be adjusted. If an oxygen/moisture barrier coating is used the resultant product will also have a longer shelf-life due to decreased oxygen migration. The product will therefore be less likely to become stale.
As illustrated by the foregoing description and examples, the present invention has great application for the formulation of a wide variety of edible products. The present invention provides for edible products having extended shelf-life and uses without detrimentally affecting the taste, texture and smell of the product. The present invention allows for the reduction of the cost of packaging without reducing the shelf-life of the product as less expensive packaging may be used instead of more costly foil or barrier packaging materials. This is a further environmental benefit in that such expensive packaging material are not readily biodegradable.
The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitations, and there is no intention in the use of such terms or expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described as portions thereof, its being recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.
|Cited Patent
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|Mar 10, 1992
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|Feb 26, 1990
|Mar 24, 1992
|Dubois Grant E
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|Apr 21, 1992
|Feb 15, 1994
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|Sadaharu Ito
|Method of producing an edible container
|Apr 23, 1992
|Jul 12, 1994
|Viskase Corporation
|Cooked food product package
|Title not available
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|"ECD: Silica Barrier-Coating Technology", 1994 Trade Show Print .
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|Tedder et al., Mechanistic Studies of Dielectric Thin Film Growth . . . , J. Appl. Phys. vol. 69(10), pp. 7037 7049 (1991).
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Nov 29, 2000
|Sep 9, 2003
|Nestec S.A.
|Preventing stickiness of high-boiled confections
|Mar 13, 2003
|May 3, 2005
|Adi Shefer
|Multi component controlled release system for oral care, food products, nutraceutical, and beverages
|Dec 15, 2000
|May 17, 2005
|Mars, Incorporated
|Chocolate confectionery having high resolution printed images on an edible image-substrate coating
|Apr 4, 2001
|Aug 9, 2005
|Sonoco Development, Inc.
|Laminate for gum packaging
|Jan 12, 2004
|Jul 11, 2006
|Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
|Method for making a dual-textured food substrate having large seasoning bits
|Oct 21, 2002
|Jun 19, 2007
|L. Perrigo Company
|Readily dispersible dietary fiber composition
|Jan 12, 2006
|Aug 4, 2009
|Frito-Lay North America, Inc
|Snack food having large bits
|Jan 6, 2006
|Jul 10, 2012
|Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
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|Dec 7, 2007
|Feb 26, 2013
|Firmenich Sa
|Active ingredient delivery system with an amorphous metal salt as carrier
|Aug 3, 2012
|Aug 12, 2014
|Scott A. Lange
|Edible baking liner
|Oct 8, 2004
|Feb 14, 2017
|Gumlink A/S
|Confectionery product comprising low molecular weight polyvinyl acetate
|Dec 15, 2000
|Aug 22, 2002
|Ben-Yoseph Eyal M.
|Chocolate confectionery having high resolution printed images on an edible image-substrate coating
|May 24, 2002
|Jan 2, 2003
|Energy Sciences, Inc.
|Particle beam processing apparatus and materials treatable using the apparatus
|Mar 13, 2003
|Aug 14, 2003
|Adi Shefer
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|Oct 21, 2002
|Apr 22, 2004
|Frank Hoess
|Readily dispersible dietary fiber composition
|Jul 31, 2003
|May 13, 2004
|Imtiaz Rangwalla
|Particle beam processing apparatus and materials treatable using the apparatus
|Jun 5, 2002
|Jul 29, 2004
|Goodwin Andrew James
|Surface treatment
|Jul 19, 2002
|Dec 2, 2004
|Bastiaans Johannes Adrianus Henricus Petrus
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|Jan 12, 2004
|May 5, 2005
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|Dec 29, 2004
|May 26, 2005
|Adi Shefer
|Multi component controlled release system for oral care, food products, nutraceutical, and beverages
|Jan 6, 2006
|Jun 1, 2006
|Heywood Adrianna A
|Method for making a dual-textured food substrate having large seasoning bits
|Jan 12, 2006
|Jun 1, 2006
|Barber Keith A
|Snack food having large bits
|Feb 17, 2005
|Aug 17, 2006
|Albritton Dora M
|Method for making a chocolate-coated pig skin product
|Oct 27, 2006
|Mar 1, 2007
|Energy Sciences, Inc.
|Particle Beam Processing Apparatus and Materials Treatable Using the Apparatus
|Sep 27, 2007
|Mar 27, 2008
|Gordon Smith
|Seasoning and method for enhancing and potentiating food flavor utilizing microencapsulation while reducing dietary sodium intake
|Oct 10, 2005
|Aug 27, 2009
|Martin Topsoe
|Confectionery Product
|Dec 7, 2007
|Mar 4, 2010
|Amal Elabbadi
|Active ingredient delivery system with an amorphous metal salt as carrier
|Oct 8, 2004
|Jun 24, 2010
|Gumlink A/S
|Confectionery Product
|Feb 5, 2010
|Jul 8, 2010
|Sfk Systems A/S
|Method And An Apparatus For Thawing Frozen Meat
|Jul 31, 2009
|Feb 3, 2011
|Haile Mehansho
|Moisture migration reduction layer for a food product
|May 14, 2009
|Apr 7, 2011
|Amal Elabbadi
|Delivery system for an active ingredient
|Oct 21, 2010
|Apr 28, 2011
|Conagra Foods Rdm, Inc.
|Seasoning and method for seasoning a food product while reducing dietary sodium intake
|Aug 23, 2010
|Jul 14, 2011
|Scott Lange
|Edible Baking Liner
|May 19, 2011
|Sep 22, 2011
|Stutman Peter S
|Remotely controlled system and method for the preparation of a user-defined food product or beverage
|Feb 25, 2003
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|Kerry Green
|Fertilizer pellet with plant nutrient fine powder coating and method of preparing thereof
|May 16, 2007
|May 20, 2015
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|Sep 16, 2014
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|Mars, Incorporated
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|U.S. Classification
|424/439, 426/138, 424/474, 426/654, 426/97, 426/98, 426/292, 426/284, 426/322, 426/94
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jan 20, 1995
Owner name: MARS, INCORPORATED, VIRGINIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:BEYER, DANIEL L.;JACH, THEODORE E.;ZAK, DENNIS L.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:007328/0339
Effective date: 19950119
|Nov 24, 1998
|Certificate of correction
|Jun 15, 1999
|Certificate of correction
|Sep 26, 2001
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Sep 23, 2005
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Nov 23, 2009
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Apr 21, 2010
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Jun 8, 2010
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20100421


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
New car sales in South Africa increased 18.3% year on year to 54,067 units in July according to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (NAAMSA).
Get full access to all content, just $1 for 30 days
A Message From The Editor
just-auto gives its paid members access to the very best automotive market coverage.
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text: You go in the palace in Lut Gohlein, go all the way down until you reach a portal. Enter it, and find The Summoner. Kill him (though when I did this I died without hitting him once, and when I went back after "finishing" The Summoner quest, he [and the monsters] were gone!) and then read the journal. Then go in the red portal to the Canyon of the Magi. Activate the waypoint and then scout along the perimetre, until you find the tomb (it has a triangle on it). That's the real tomb (though it's advised that you are lvl 21+ before entering so that you can kill the boss [Duriel], just train in the fake tombs).


text: PlotEdit Baboon Orders Yosemite Sam & Spike The Bulldog to kidnap Lyndsey Duck & Sheeba Cat, One Morning Daffy & Tom finds out their dates are missing so It's up to them & the rest of the goodies to rescue them. Possible ScriptEdit (Usual Opening Theme) Retrieved from "http://madagascar-fandom.wikia.com/wiki/Daffy_%26_Tom_Big_Trouble?oldid=22888" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: Castaras Fandom Fan-Fic Crossovers Add category Cancel Save


text:
Double Coconut Cream Pie
READY IN: 35mins
Recipe by Bliss
The best coconut cream pie ever!!
Top Review by c1jarratt_1483772
This is a delicious pie. I, too, had problems with a runny filling. It bubbled and was thick - but after putting in the oven for the merengue to brown - and when it cooled in the fridge until the next day - the filling was now loose? II'n not sure if it was the merengue cooking or if it loosens after cooking. Next time I will use more cornstarch. I also used 2% milk - perhaps that was the cause?
See Discussion:17 Reviews
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1 cup sugar
- 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups milk
- 5 eggs, seperated
- 3⁄4 cup coconut
- 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 9 inches baked pie crusts
- 1⁄4 cup sugar
- 1⁄4 cup coconut
Directions See How It's Made
- For filling, in a saucepan, combine the 1 cup sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat till mixture is thickened and bubbly.
- Remove the saucepan from heat.
- In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork.
- Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot filling into yolks. Return all to saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove mixture from the heat.
- Stir in the 3/4 cup coconut, the butter and vanilla. Pour filling into baked piecrust.
- For meringue, in a mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer till soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar, beating till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight)and sugar dissolves.
- Immediately spread meringue over hot filling
- in piecrust, carefully sealing to edge of pastry to prevent shrinkage.
- Sprinkle the 1/4 cup coconut over the top.
- Bake the pie in a 350° oven for 15 minutes or till golden. Cool the pie completely on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.
- Makes 8 servings.


text:
Friday was a day of dramatic testimony at the pre-trial hearing in the case of Bradley Manning.
This story is based on a radio interview. Listen to the full interview.
He's the soldier who allegedly released hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the website WikiLeaks.
The US Army private is due to be court-martialed on 22 charges, including "aiding the enemy."
Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with reporter Arun Rath, who is covering the pre-trial hearing for The World and PBS Frontline.


text:
Landing Page Copy
In the current state of digital marketing, one heavily reliant on engagement through personalization, landing pages are a marketers best friend. As buyers are interacting with content to do their own research, on multiple channels, Google is constantly using different factors to help them find the exact content that they are looking for. Marketers use landing pages to provide users in their target audience with personalized experiences based on pain points or search terms that are important to them. Here are some things to know about creating landing page copy.
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text:
AFSCME Local 698 continues to fight for a fair contract. GEO members showed great support for their union brothers and sisters at a similar picket 2 weeks ago. Let's show them that we still have their backs!
June 22, 2006 – 4:30 – 5:30pm
Kirby Ave and Oak Street
Contract negotiations have been going on since early Fall and recently Local 698 requested arbitration. They have not received a raise since August of 2004. AFSCME Local 698 is the oldest local on campus and represents a diverse group of employees, including library specialists, agricultural workers, animal caretakers, aircraft mechanics, crash rescue and security specialists, telephone operators, storekeepers, nurses, nurse practitioners, radiographers and others in McKinley and the theatrical stitchers who work at Krannert.
The UI has offered them a 2% year one with no back pay…with year two and three at 1.5% LESS than the rate the UI gives to other employees in those years! The UI says that is their best and last offer!
If you have questions you can contact Vice President Margaret Lewis at 417-0948 or President of the local Jim McGuire at 649-7641.


text:
Boat Shoes Map Classic
119.95€ 69.99€ VAT included
- hard-wearing leather
- soft cushioning
- non-slip treaded sole
Color : Dark Brown
This product is currently not available.
No Stock
Authentic boat shoes made of high-quality, hard-wearing leather. With a non-slip sole, its soft cushioning and timeless classic design, this is the perfect shoe for relaxed boat trips and nautical autumn outfits.


text:
We have just come home from 5 nights at the Samaya and what an amazing place it is. The staff bent over backwards to our needs and were addressing us by our names in a very short time, couldn't be more helpful, the room was to die for from the sitting room through to the amazing bedroom, the bed was very comfy, with the best pillows, then into the bathroom with a jacuzzi, shower and toilet also with an outside shower. The resort is a small boutique style with pool villas. Definatley will be going back.. can't rate highly enough. All the staff were so friendly and helpful.
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Samaya Seminyak has an outdoor pool, a steam room, a sauna, and a fitness facility. This 5-star Luxury Boutique Seminyak property features massage and treatment rooms, body treatments, and facial treatments. Business amenities at this 5-star Luxury Boutique property include complimentary wireless Internet access and business services. Samaya Seminyak has an award winning restaurant Breeze and a bar/lounge. 24-hour room service is available. Transportation services at this property include a complimentary airport shuttle (available on request) and a complimentary area shuttle within 2000metres. The staff can arrange wedding services, dry cleaning/laundry services, currency exchange, and computer rentals. Additional amenities include valet parking, a concierge desk, and a garden. ... more less
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- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, Orbitz, Expedia, Ctrip TA, Hotels.com, Cancelon, Travelocity, Agoda, Cheap Tickets, TripOnline SA, Hotwire, getaroom.com and Evoline ltd so you can book your The Samaya Bali Seminyak reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
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If the car's bluetooth can voice dial and if the phone needs voice dialing to work with the car.
Let's put this BLUNTLY. One thing is not the other. For years the car's voice dialer does all the heavy lifting and speech recognition so the question is SIMPLER than you can imagine. Ready?
Does this phone "pair" with your car?
That's all you need to ask.
I currently use a Samsung Rogue running through my car (Nissan)stereo and I use the voice dialing feature all the time. I wanted to upgrade to the Samsung Fascinate (Android 2.1) but I'm finding out that the Bluetooth voice dialing feature does not work with the Fascinate (supposedly).
Samsung says - it can't be done OR Bluetooth voice dialing doesn't work at this time. They didn't know why and didn't know if it would ever work. Samsung also made it seem like, it could be done uo to a point. Once I have the name/number (through voice dialing) of the person I'm calling, I'm required to press a button on the phone to actual dial the number.
Verizon says - with my Rogue it just activates the Nuance software built-in to the phone for voice dialing, but the Fascinate has a number of apps that could do voice dialing and when pressing the steering wheel phone button, the phone won't know which app to choose.
Nissan Bluetooth says - as long as the phone syncs with your phonebook I can use Bluetooth voice dialing as I am today with the Rogue.
Does anyone have a clear cut answer on this? Are there Android phones that do Bluetooth voice dialing?


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Real estate spotlight: Queen Anne Georgian Colonial
Queen Anne home for sale with stunning water views, expansive interiors and elegant detail
Updated 5:13 pm, Thursday, August 27, 2015
On first glance, this elegant home looks fit to be set on some Southern plantation, surrounded by sweeping oak trees.
Instead, this brick home, originally built in 1928, is perched on Queen Anne hill and offers mountain and sound views no plantation home in the South could ever have.
From its elegant entry to its stately bedrooms, this 5,290-square-foot Georgian Colonial -- for sale at 1323 Willard Ave. W. -- is a beautiful place to call home.
The home includes five bedrooms, 4¾ bathrooms, two fireplaces, a wet bar and even a butler's pantry as part of the main kitchen.
Its floor plan has large, wide-open spaces that would be great for entertaining or for simply spreading out. Views of both water and mountains are expansive.
Real Estate Media OS playlist
Bedrooms are all "en suite," and the basement is fully finished with a guest room.
The home lists for $2.445 million and its full listing can seen here.


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Hey all its me again sharing my thoughts.
Starting right off the cover it looks as if Disco has turned a bounty hunter having 5 Bounty posters(1 is above his head might be his thoughts but good enough for me to say he is a bounty hunter).Nextly i expected Tashigi to turn more powerful, she cant even cut an ice block if it was Zoro he would have cut apart the entire island down.
Next, i would have prefered to see Luffy and Robin on Usopp and Zoro's back it would have been nice. But Usopp showing a new attack is also good enough. And it is good to see the boss of those wierd creatures hopefully he may be one of the first of SHP's fleet(if Luffy knows how to handle one of course).
If Sanji would have been there when Nami praised Chopper he would have been so pissed. I still wonder where are Nami and Chopper actually heading to i guess right at the boss. Good to see weapons left (one of the very firsts). Wondering wether the people of the island are animals or just humans manupulated.
Coming to Brook's side i see that Torso is quite good and now i even believe that the only thing joining the seperated SH crew is the swordsman of course. Brook with torso; Sanji,Chopper,Franky and Nami with the head; and Luffy,Usopp and Zoro with his legs.
And finally coming to the boss i think it is not the actuall Law, if he was why would he hurry to hide ships. I think it is just the fruit of the research the actuall Boss of the island did. And i believe he was shown just to show that Law is now a Shichibukai and that Smoker has looked through his deception. But still there is the part that Law being there explains the theory of the cut and scattered peple.
Thank you for reading hopefully put your thoughts down also in the comment and critizing is always welcomed.
Vamsisonu 06:16, March 10, 2012 (UTC)


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Great White Sharks 360 Video 4K!! - Close encounter on Amazing Virtual Dive
Check out our next experience that lets you teleport inside the human body through a t-shirt. http://www.curiscope.com/virtualitee Award Winning CGI Cardboard/360 Experience. To find out more about Curiscope, head to http://www.curiscope.com The Great White Shark, one of the most infamous and mysterious predators on the planet. Watch our 360 3D Virtual Reality adventure, created in CGI, as you see Great Whites closer than you've ever been able to before and then register on www.curiscope.com to find out more. For the full effect please use the YouTube app on your IOS or Android mobile device or on the desktop, please view using Chrome. Credits: CGI Directed by Hamilton+Kidd (http://www.hamiltonkidd.co.uk/) Music by Sam Swallow http://www.samswallow.com/ VO by Natalie Samson & Rennie Griffiths Sound Design by Mixed Immersion (http://www.mixedimmersion.com/) Fact checking by The Shark Trust (http://www.sharktrust.org/) Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/curiscope And on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/curiscope


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It only takes a minute to get started. Fill out our uncomplicated sign up form and login to the site.
This step is optional but will greatly multiply your chances of people actually reading your profile and contacting you. Write a few sentences about yourself, your hobbies and upload some good photos of yourself.
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Discovered someone who is attractive to you? Send a letter to them or just a wink and wait for their response. With a little luck you'll be on your way to discovering your suitable match.
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Home » Sprayers & Equipment » Sprayers » B&G Sprayer Parts » B&G Sprayer Part - Check Valve - Part PV-266 » All Reviews
Displaying 1 to 3 (of 3 reviews)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful:
By Mike on 09/10/2013
Verified Purchase
the valve is beautiful but it is the wrong size for our sprayer. Unfortunately that can't be determined on the internet. It seems that our sprayer was manufactured with a larger valve so this one is usless to us. This is such a simple aparatus that I figured it was an industry standard but I was fooled.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful:
By Broberg on 02/14/2013
Verified Purchase
Thank You very much . You sent them out very fast!
Check valve Part PV266
By Derrell on 12/01/2016
My only complaint is they don't last long . High priced but short life .


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Asus PadFone: Will It Be The New Sheriff In Town?
Is it a tablet? Is it a Phone? Well, Asus made the fog go away to let us see clearly what it was by announcing its PadFone earlier this year. The remarkable design of the TO-BE released device got everybody confused initially, but when the company explained the fact that it was a smart phone that is hooked up with a tablet in which the phone can dock into.
The concept product instantly became a hit amongst the smart phone and tablet users. The hybrid is bundled with a 10 inch tablet screen and a 4.3 inch phone display which sounds rather satisfactory and of course it works on a 3G network. The company has not given to GO sign to the display specs just yet.
The innovative design will be a good partner in business trips and other activities i.e. if you cannot get something done from your phone make it happen by using converting it into a tablet and vice versa. The PadFone is expected to be released this year. We will just have to wait and see whether it is an overrated tablet which can make calls or is the PadFone worth a buzz.


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Baltimore Ravens
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Baltimore Ravens Last year results Wins Lost Chiefs Chargers Browns Patriots Bengals Vikings Broncos Colts Packers Lions Bears Raiders Overall 9-7 Regular Season Lost in second round of playoffs To the Indianapolis ColtsFull transcript


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BP Comment Quick Links
September 16, 2011
Transaction Analysis Blog
Ward, Cameron Released
Boston Red Sox
Not long ago, Tazawa forwent a professional career in Japan to sign with the Red Sox as an amateur. He made his major league debut in 2009 then missed 2010 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Now Tazawa could find himself on the postseason roster, as Marc Normandin recently pointed out, if he can outpitch the competition over the season's final days.
After 14 relief appearances in the minors, Tazawa should be acclimated to the pen environment, and his component measures (a strikeout-to-walk ratio in Triple-A over six) spell that out. He did have issues with gopheritis (allowing nearly 1.5 per nine innings pitched over his minor league season), and there were concerns about the consistency of his secondary stuff. As for the pros, Tazawa's delivery is deceptive and he has a deep arsenal, which should give him the advantage in virginal matchups.
Gathright joins the Red Sox for the second time in three seasons, as he even appeared with the club in the postseason back in 2009 (stealing a base and scoring a run during their Divisional Series loss to the Angels). Speed is Gathright's best asset, although his stolen base success rate borders on unacceptable (73 percent) and his defensive ability is not what you would expect from someone so fast. No reference about Gathright is complete without proving that he can jump cars:
As an added bonus, Ken Rosenthal wrote in-depth about how Boston identified and signed Gathright.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Nostalgia can be a powerful device when deployed properly, and the Diamondbacks are throwing it all around this season. Consider some of the names who have appeared on their active roster throughout the season, names like Melvin Mora, Sean Burroughs, Henry Blanco, Wily Mo Pena, Cody Ransom, Geoff Blum, Robby Hammock, and Yhency Brazoban. Arizona, more or less, is the baseball version of finding a chest full of old toys, so of course Ward would have a home at their Double-A affiliate down in Mobile.
Ward last appeared in the majors in 2008 with the Cubs, however he did play well in the 28 games he spent with Mobile by hitting .318/.445/.471 with a pair of home runs. With the minor league season over, Ward served little purpose for the Diamondbacks, so in effect they gave him a head start on finding another gig. Ostensibly, Ward has major league aspirations and while you can never say never (just look at the names above), it seems unlikely that a team is going to have a place on their roster for a defensively inept first baseman without much offensive prowess.
Florida Marlins
After being designated for assignment earlier in the season by Boston due to performance, Cameron finds himself released by the Marlins for conduct detrimental to the club. To be precise, Cameron allegedly got into a spat with a flight attendant. Rumors were already circulating about Cameron hanging his cleats up at season's end and this may expedite that process. If this is the end for Cameron, then take a moment to appreciate his career, which spanned 17 major league seasons and nearly 8,000 plate appearances. He hit .249/.338/.444 and struck out too much for people's tastes, but he also brought the leather—oh, how he brought the leather—and stole bases at nearly an 80 percent clip.
Should Cameron retire, There will be plenty of time to discuss the merits of his Hall of Fame candidacy; however, Jay Jaffe took a glance at Hall of Fame center fielders earlier this season and Cameron falls shy of the baselines presented.
R.J. Anderson is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @r_j_anderson
5 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Cami is no Hall of Famer by talent; just personality. He jumped up on the Mariners dugout after defeating the White Sox in 2000 spraying champagne and high fiving myself and others.
Sep 16, 2011 09:29 AM
Putting Cameron in CF (one year ahead of being out of baseball) and moving Ellsbury to LF was just one of Theo's bad moves in the last few years.
Sep 16, 2011 12:04 PM
Mike Cameron's expected retirement raises an interesting question. Who ulitmately got the better of the Cameron/Paul Konerko swap in 1998: the Reds or the White Sox? Cameron has been an excellent player but probably not a Hall of Famer. Konerko has a decent chance of reaching 500 homers and 2,500 hits and has a better chance of reaching the Hall.
Sep 17, 2011 01:43 AM
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In this world, the major point of divergence was an Egyptian victory over the Persians at the Battle of Belusium. As a result, it survived far longer, which in turn, attributed to the extended survival of other civilizations.
Many, but not all, of this world, are ancient, long lasting and deeply rooted. Imperialism, is still a common practice, and though it is not as utilized as it was in ancient times, there is still a belief that in order for a country to survive, it must not be allowed to become weak in any way.
Unlike our world, there are only 18 nations in the world, as smaller ones either got swallowed up by the major ones, such as Egypt, Rome or China; others had to band together to prevent exactly that. A couple, such as Japan or Azteca, managed to repel the invading forces of China and Rome respectively, and managed to retain their independence, though whereas the Aztecs forged a large empire, the Japanese were initially unable to complete with the Chinese. The most recently formed, nations are the Free African Union, which was formed out out of a coalition of smaller African nations to resist Egyptian and Ghanese expansion, and the United Islamic Republic, which was formed out of a combination of Islamic states.
Former Nations
Throughout the timeline, several nations rose and fell, some more recently than others. Several Southeast Asian countries were absorbed by the Chinese Empire in the Wars of Chinese Expansion. After the Second World War, the UIR, which was formed out of multiple states, was dissolved back into the original states.
- United Islamic Republic: Originally formed out of the Republic of Mesopotamia, Kingdom of Arabia, Kingdom of Persia, Sultanate of Ilbadi, and Greater Indian Raj. It was dissolved Second World War; divides into original member states.
- Persian-Egyptian War
- Alexandrian Wars
- Egyptian-Alexandrian War
- Alexandrian-Persian War
- Punic Wars
- First Punic War
- Second Punic War
- Third Punic War
- Egyptian-Roman Wars
- First Egyptian Roman War
- Second Egyptian Roman War
- First War of Britannia
- Second War of Britannia
- Egyptian-Arab War
- Egyptian-Ghanese War
- Aztec-Roman War
- First Sino-Russo War
- Sino-Japanese War
- Russo-Norse War
- Nepalese War
- Chinese Wars of Conquest
- Second Sino-Russian War
- Incan-Ghanese War
- First Aztec-Incan War
- First World War
1900 AD- Present
- Second Aztec-Incan War
- Second World War


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|By Kevin Remde
Article Rating:
|January 30, 2013 02:05 PM EST
In today's episode, I welcome Microsoft MVP, Mitch Garvis to the show. We discuss how Windows 8 now includes Microsoft Hyper-V. Tune in as we discuss WHY you would want to use the power of Hyper-V virtualization on your desktop, laptop or tablet running Windows 8 Enterprise.
Download the Windows 8 Enterprise Evaluation today and test your applications, hardware and deployment strategies with Windows 8.
- Windows 8 Enterprise
- Windows 8 Licensing
- The Springboard Series Blog
- Windows 8 Resources for IT Pros on Springboard
- Resources for Developers to Build Windows 8 Apps
- Windows 8 resources for partners on Microsoft Partner Network
- MP3 (Audio only)
- MP4 (iPod, Zune HD)
- High Quality MP4 (iPad, PC)
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Read the original blog entry...
Historically, some banking activities such as trading have been relying heavily on analytics and cutting edge algorithmic tools. The coming of age of powerful data analytics solutions combined with the development of intelligent algorithms have created new opportunities for financial institutions. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Sebastien Meunier, Head of Digital for North America at Chappuis Halder & Co., discussed how these tools can be leveraged to develop a lasting competitive advantage ...
Aug. 22, 2017 12:15 AM EDT Reads: 990
As businesses adopt functionalities in cloud computing, it's imperative that IT operations consistently ensure cloud systems work correctly – all of the time, and to their best capabilities. In his session at @BigDataExpo, Bernd Harzog, CEO and founder of OpsDataStore, presented an industry answer to the common question, "Are you running IT operations as efficiently and as cost effectively as you need to?" He then expounded on the industry issues he frequently came up against as an analyst, and ...
Aug. 21, 2017 11:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,895
The question before companies today is not whether to become intelligent, it's a question of how and how fast. The key is to adopt and deploy an intelligent application strategy while simultaneously preparing to scale that intelligence. In her session at 21st Cloud Expo, Sangeeta Chakraborty, Chief Customer Officer at Ayasdi, will provide a tactical framework to become a truly intelligent enterprise, including how to identify the right applications for AI, how to build a Center of Excellence to ...
Aug. 21, 2017 11:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,000
"We're a cybersecurity firm that specializes in engineering security solutions both at the software and hardware level. Security cannot be an after-the-fact afterthought, which is what it's become," stated Richard Blech, Chief Executive Officer at Secure Channels, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Aug. 21, 2017 11:45 PM EDT Reads: 6,671
In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Mike Johnston, an infrastructure engineer at Supergiant.io, discussed how to use Kubernetes to set up a SaaS infrastructure for your business. Mike Johnston is an infrastructure engineer at Supergiant.io with over 12 years of experience designing, deploying, and maintaining server and workstation infrastructure at all scales. He has experience with brick and mortar data centers as well as cloud providers like Digital Ocean, Amazon Web Services, and Rackspace. H...
Aug. 21, 2017 11:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,417
You know you need the cloud, but you're hesitant to simply dump everything at Amazon since you know that not all workloads are suitable for cloud. You know that you want the kind of ease of use and scalability that you get with public cloud, but your applications are architected in a way that makes the public cloud a non-starter. You're looking at private cloud solutions based on hyperconverged infrastructure, but you're concerned with the limits inherent in those technologies.
Aug. 21, 2017 10:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,226
SYS-CON Events announced today that Massive Networks will exhibit at SYS-CON's 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Massive Networks mission is simple. To help your business operate seamlessly with fast, reliable, and secure internet and network solutions. Improve your customer's experience with outstanding connections to your cloud.
Aug. 21, 2017 10:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,749
DevOps is under attack because developers don't want to mess with infrastructure. They will happily own their code into production, but want to use platforms instead of raw automation. That's changing the landscape that we understand as DevOps with both architecture concepts (CloudNative) and process redefinition (SRE). Rob Hirschfeld's recent work in Kubernetes operations has led to the conclusion that containers and related platforms have changed the way we should be thinking about DevOps and...
Aug. 21, 2017 10:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,432
Everything run by electricity will eventually be connected to the Internet. Get ahead of the Internet of Things revolution and join Akvelon expert and IoT industry leader, Sergey Grebnov, in his session at @ThingsExpo, for an educational dive into the world of managing your home, workplace and all the devices they contain with the power of machine-based AI and intelligent Bot services for a completely streamlined experience.
Aug. 21, 2017 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,255
Because IoT devices are deployed in mission-critical environments more than ever before, it's increasingly imperative they be truly smart. IoT sensors simply stockpiling data isn't useful. IoT must be artificially and naturally intelligent in order to provide more value In his session at @ThingsExpo, John Crupi, Vice President and Engineering System Architect at Greenwave Systems, will discuss how IoT artificial intelligence (AI) can be carried out via edge analytics and machine learning techn...
Aug. 21, 2017 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,364
FinTechs use the cloud to operate at the speed and scale of digital financial activity, but are often hindered by the complexity of managing security and compliance in the cloud. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Sesh Murthy, co-founder and CTO of Cloud Raxak, showed how proactive and automated cloud security enables FinTechs to leverage the cloud to achieve their business goals. Through business-driven cloud security, FinTechs can speed time-to-market, diminish risk and costs, maintain continu...
Aug. 21, 2017 08:30 PM EDT Reads: 3,030
SYS-CON Events announced today that Datera, that offers a radically new data management architecture, has been named "Exhibitor" of SYS-CON's 21st International Cloud Expo ®, which will take place on Oct 31 - Nov 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Datera is transforming the traditional datacenter model through modern cloud simplicity. The technology industry is at another major inflection point. The rise of mobile, the Internet of Things, data storage and Big...
Aug. 21, 2017 08:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,127
Existing Big Data solutions are mainly focused on the discovery and analysis of data. The solutions are scalable and highly available but tedious when swapping in and swapping out occurs in disarray and thrashing takes place. The resolution for thrashing through machine learning algorithms and support nomenclature is through simple techniques. Organizations that have been collecting large customer data are increasingly seeing the need to use the data for swapping in and out and thrashing occurs ...
Aug. 21, 2017 07:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,811
As many know, the first generation of Cloud Management Platform (CMP) solutions were designed for managing virtual infrastructure (IaaS) and traditional applications. But that's no longer enough to satisfy evolving and complex business requirements. In his session at 21st Cloud Expo, Scott Davis, Embotics CTO, will explore how next-generation CMPs ensure organizations can manage cloud-native and microservice-based application architectures, while also facilitating agile DevOps methodology. He wi...
Aug. 21, 2017 07:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,779
SYS-CON Events announced today that CA Technologies has been named "Platinum Sponsor" of SYS-CON's 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place October 31-November 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. CA Technologies helps customers succeed in a future where every business - from apparel to energy - is being rewritten by software. From planning to development to management to security, CA creates software that fuels transformation for companies in the applic...
Aug. 21, 2017 06:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,276
From 2013, NTT Communications has been providing cPaaS service, SkyWay. Its customer's expectations for leveraging WebRTC technology are not only typical real-time communication use cases such as Web conference, remote education, but also IoT use cases such as remote camera monitoring, smart-glass, and robotic. Because of this, NTT Communications has numerous IoT business use-cases that its customers are developing on top of PaaS. WebRTC will lead IoT businesses to be more innovative and address...
Aug. 21, 2017 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,131
An increasing number of companies are creating products that combine data with analytical capabilities. Running interactive queries on Big Data requires complex architectures to store and query data effectively, typically involving data streams, an choosing efficient file format/database and multiple independent systems that are tied together through custom-engineered pipelines. In his session at @BigDataExpo at @ThingsExpo, Tomer Levi, a senior software engineer at Intel's Advanced Analytics ...
Aug. 21, 2017 05:30 PM EDT Reads: 997
Blockchain is a shared, secure record of exchange that establishes trust, accountability and transparency across business networks. Supported by the Linux Foundation's open source, open-standards based Hyperledger Project, Blockchain has the potential to improve regulatory compliance, reduce cost as well as advance trade. Are you curious about how Blockchain is built for business? In her session at 21st Cloud Expo, René Bostic, Technical VP of the IBM Cloud Unit in North America, will discuss th...
Aug. 21, 2017 05:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,549
yperConvergence came to market with the objective of being simple, flexible and to help drive down operating expenses. It reduced the footprint by bundling the compute/storage/network into one box. This brought a new set of challenges as the HyperConverged vendors are very focused on their own proprietary building blocks. If you want to scale in a certain way, let's say you identified a need for more storage and want to add a device that is not sold by the HyperConverged vendor, forget about it....
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SYS-CON Events announced today that App2Cloud will exhibit at SYS-CON's 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on Oct. 31 – Nov 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. App2Cloud is an online Platform, specializing in migrating legacy applications to any Cloud Providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
Aug. 21, 2017 04:21 PM EDT Reads: 302


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Navionics HotMaps Premium Lake Maps East - microSD™/SD™Item#: YYW1-MSDPREME6 | Model#: MSD/PREM-E6
Currently Out Of Stock!
Navionics HotMaps Premium Lake Maps East Product Details
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65-year-old German mum of nine has given birth to quads
A 65-year-old German woman has given birth to quadruplets after undergoing an artificial insemination procedure, German television has reported.
It says Annegret Raunigk had three boys and a girl by Caesarean section at a Berlin hospital on Tuesday.
They were born prematurely at 26 weeks but have a "good chance of surviving".
Annegret Raunigk - who already has 13 children and seven grandchildren - is the world's oldest woman to have quadruplets.
The single mother reportedly decided to try for another baby when her youngest daughter, who is now 10, said she wanted a little brother or sister.
Ms Raunigk's pregnancy - the result of fertility treatment in Ukraine - has been the subject of fierce debate in Germany.
During her pregnancy she said she believed everyone should be able to live the life they wanted to.
Asked whether she had any concerns, Ms Raunigk said she assumed she would stay fit and healthy and that she was not worried about what other people thought.
Some doctors have questioned whether she would be physically capable of bearing the children.