Whole grain flour and products including same

• US 8,252,360 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ardent Mills LLC (CHS Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ConAgra Foods Food Ingredients Company Incorporated (Givaudan SA)
• Inventors: Arndt, Elizabeth A., Korolchuk, Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): Heggestad, Helen F
• Application Number:
  US13/088,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20110256207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 426/102, 426/520, 426/549, 426/615, 426/622, 426/541, 426/543
• US Class Current: 426/615
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 2/38 Seed germs; Germinated cereals; Extracts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 6/00 Other treatment of flour or dough before baking, e.g. cooling, irradiating, heating
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 7/198 Dry unshaped finely divided cereal products, not provided for in groups A23L7/117 - A23L7/196 and A23L29/00, e.g. meal, flour, powder, dried cereal creams or extracts
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 23/08 Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating B02C23/18 takes precedence ; beater mills combined with sifting devices B02C13/13, B02C13/14; for tumbling mills B02C17/1835
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 9/04 Systems or sequences of operations; Plant

Abstract

The present invention is a grain product. The grain product includes a first fraction including bran. The first fraction is milled to a first particle size of less than 500 micrometers. The grain product also includes a second fraction including germ. The second fraction is milled to a second particle size of less than 500 micrometers. The grain product is at least one of: a food product, a nutritional supplement, a dietary supplement, a fiber supplement, a digestive supplement, a functional food, and a medical food.

Claims

1. A whole grain wheat flour produced from cleaned wheat kernels comprising:

a coarse fraction including primarily bran and germ;

a fine fraction including primarily endosperm;

a particle size distribution such that at least 98 wt % of the whole grain wheat flour is less than or equal to 212 μ

m; and

substantially the same proportions of natural constituents, other than moisture, as the cleaned wheat kernels.

2. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 1 wherein the whole grain wheat flour comprises at least 97 wt % of the cleaned wheat kernels, other than moisture.

3. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 1 wherein the whole grain wheat flour comprises at least 97 wt % of the bran and germ in the cleaned wheat kernels.

4. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 1 wherein at least 98 wt % of the whole grain wheat flour has a particle size less than or equal to 150 μ

m.

5. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 1 wherein enzymes in the bran and germ are inactivated to stabilize the whole grain wheat flour.

6. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 1 wherein the whole grain wheat flour is a component of at least one of a:

a food product, a nutritional supplement, a dietary supplement, a fiber supplement, a digestive supplement, a functional food, and a medical food.

7. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 1 wherein the whole grain wheat flour is a component of at least one of a bagel, a biscuit, a bread, a bun, a croissant, a dumpling, an English muffin, a muffin, a pita bread, a quickbread, a refrigerated/frozen dough products, dough, baked beans, a burrito, chili, a taco, a tamale, a tortilla, a pot pie, a ready to eat cereal, a ready to eat meal, stuffing, a microwaveable meal, a brownie, a cake, a cheesecake, a coffee cake, a cookie, a dessert, a pastry, a sweet roll, a candy bar, a pie crust, pie filling, baby food, a baking mix, a batter, a breading, a gravy mix, a meat extender, a meat substitute, a seasoning mix, a soup mix, a gravy, a roux, a salad dressing, a soup, sour cream, a noodle, a pasta, ramen noodles, chow mein noodles, 10 mein noodles, an ice cream inclusion, an ice cream bar, an ice cream cone, an ice cream sandwich, a cracker, a crouton, a doughnut, an egg roll, an extruded snack, a fruit and grain bar, a microwaveable snack product, a nutritional bar, a pancake, a par-baked bakery product, a pretzel, a snack chip, a snack food, a snack mix, a waffle, a pizza crust, animal food, or pet food.

8. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 1 wherein the whole grain wheat flour is a component of a nutritional supplement, which includes a nutritive constituent.

9. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 8 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first oxygen radical absorption capacity, the coarse fraction has a second oxygen radical absorption capacity of at least 7,400 micromole TE/100 g of the coarse fraction and the nutritional supplement has a third oxygen radical absorption capacity, the third oxygen radical absorption capacity being greater than the first oxygen radical absorption capacity.

10. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 8 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first fiber content in a first proportion by weight of the nutritive constituent, the coarse fraction has a second fiber content of at least substantially 20 wt % of the coarse fraction, and the nutritional supplement has a third fiber content in a second proportion by weight of the nutritional supplement, wherein the second proportion is greater than the first proportion.

11. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 8 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first calorie density and the nutritional supplement has a second calorie density, the second calorie density being less than the first calorie density.

12. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 8 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first protein content in a first proportion by weight of the nutritive constituent, the coarse fraction has a second protein content of at least substantially 12 wt % of the coarse fraction, and the nutritional supplement has a third protein content in a second proportion by weight of the nutritional supplement, wherein the second proportion is greater than the first proportion.

13. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 8 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first carbohydrate content and the nutritional supplement has a second carbohydrate content, the second carbohydrate content being less than the first carbohydrate content.

14. A whole grain wheat flour produced from cleaned wheat kernels comprising:

a coarse fraction including primarily bran and germ;

a fine fraction including primarily endosperm;

a particle size distribution such that at least 98 wt % of the whole grain wheat flour is less than or equal to 212 μ

m; and

at least 97 wt % of the ash in the cleaned wheat kernels.

15. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 14 wherein the whole grain wheat flour comprises at least 97 wt % of the cleaned wheat kernels, other than moisture.

16. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 14 wherein the whole grain wheat flour comprises at least 97 wt % of the bran and germ in the cleaned wheat kernels.

17. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 14 wherein at least 98 wt % of the whole grain wheat flour has a particle size less than or equal to 150 μ

m.

18. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 14 wherein enzymes in the bran and germ are inactivated to stabilize the whole grain wheat flour.

19. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 14 wherein the whole grain wheat flour is a component of at least one of a:

a food product, a nutritional supplement, a dietary supplement, a fiber supplement, a digestive supplement, a functional food, and a medical food.

20. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 14 wherein the whole grain wheat flour is a component of at least one of a bagel, a biscuit, a bread, a bun, a croissant, a dumpling, an English muffin, a muffin, a pita bread, a quickbread, a refrigerated/frozen dough products, dough, baked beans, a burrito, chili, a taco, a tamale, a tortilla, a pot pie, a ready to eat cereal, a ready to eat meal, stuffing, a microwaveable meal, a brownie, a cake, a cheesecake, a coffee cake, a cookie, a dessert, a pastry, a sweet roll, a candy bar, a pie crust, pie filling, baby food, a baking mix, a batter, a breading, a gravy mix, a meat extender, a meat substitute, a seasoning mix, a soup mix, a gravy, a roux, a salad dressing, a soup, sour cream, a noodle, a pasta, ramen noodles, chow mein noodles, 10 mein noodles, an ice cream inclusion, an ice cream bar, an ice cream cone, an ice cream sandwich, a cracker, a crouton, a doughnut, an egg roll, an extruded snack, a fruit and grain bar, a microwaveable snack product, a nutritional bar, a pancake, a par-baked bakery product, a pretzel, a snack chip, a snack food, a snack mix, a waffle, a pizza crust, animal food, or pet food.

21. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 14 wherein the whole grain wheat flour is a component of a nutritional supplement, which includes a nutritive constituent.

22. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 21 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first oxygen radical absorption capacity, the coarse fraction has a second oxygen radical absorption capacity of at least 7,400 micromole TE/100 g of the coarse fraction and the nutritional supplement has a third oxygen radical absorption capacity, the third oxygen radical absorption capacity being greater than the first oxygen radical absorption capacity.

23. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 21 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first fiber content in a first proportion by weight of the nutritive constituent, the coarse fraction has a second fiber content of at least substantially 20 wt % of the coarse fraction, and the nutritional supplement has a third fiber content in a second proportion by weight of the nutritional supplement, wherein the second proportion is greater than the first proportion.

24. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 21 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first calorie density and the nutritional supplement has a second calorie density, the second calorie density being less than the first calorie density.

25. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 21 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first protein content in a first proportion by weight of the nutritive constituent, the coarse fraction has a second protein content of at least substantially 12 wt % of the coarse fraction, and the nutritional supplement has a third protein content in a second proportion by weight of the nutritional supplement, wherein the second proportion is greater than the first proportion.

26. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 21 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first carbohydrate content and the nutritional supplement has a second carbohydrate content, the second carbohydrate content being less than the first carbohydrate content.

27. A whole grain wheat flour produced from cleaned wheat kernels comprising:

a coarse fraction including primarily bran and germ;

a fine fraction including primarily endosperm;

a particle size distribution such that at least 98 wt % of the whole grain wheat flour is less than or equal to 212 μ

m; and

substantially all of the ash in the cleaned wheat kernels.

28. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 27 wherein the whole grain wheat flour comprises substantially all of the bran and germ in the cleaned wheat kernels.

29. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 27 wherein at least 98 wt % of the whole grain wheat flour has a particle size less than or equal to 150 μ

m.

30. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 27 wherein enzymes in the bran and germ are inactivated to stabilize the whole grain wheat flour.

31. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 27 wherein the whole grain wheat flour is a component of at least one of a:

a food product, a nutritional supplement, a dietary supplement, a fiber supplement, a digestive supplement, a functional food, and a medical food.

32. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 27 wherein the whole grain wheat flour is a component of at least one of a bagel, a biscuit, a bread, a bun, a croissant, a dumpling, an English muffin, a muffin, a pita bread, a quickbread, a refrigerated/frozen dough products, dough, baked beans, a burrito, chili, a taco, a tamale, a tortilla, a pot pie, a ready to eat cereal, a ready to eat meal, stuffing, a microwaveable meal, a brownie, a cake, a cheesecake, a coffee cake, a cookie, a dessert, a pastry, a sweet roll, a candy bar, a pie crust, pie filling, baby food, a baking mix, a batter, a breading, a gravy mix, a meat extender, a meat substitute, a seasoning mix, a soup mix, a gravy, a roux, a salad dressing, a soup, sour cream, a noodle, a pasta, ramen noodles, chow mein noodles, 10 mein noodles, an ice cream inclusion, an ice cream bar, an ice cream cone, an ice cream sandwich, a cracker, a crouton, a doughnut, an egg roll, an extruded snack, a fruit and grain bar, a microwaveable snack product, a nutritional bar, a pancake, a par-baked bakery product, a pretzel, a snack chip, a snack food, a snack mix, a waffle, a pizza crust, animal food, or pet food.

33. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 27 wherein the whole grain wheat flour is a component of a nutritional supplement, which includes a nutritive constituent.

34. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 33 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first oxygen radical absorption capacity, the coarse fraction has a second oxygen radical absorption capacity of at least 7,400 micromole TE/100 g of the coarse fraction and the nutritional supplement has a third oxygen radical absorption capacity, the third oxygen radical absorption capacity being greater than the first oxygen radical absorption capacity.

35. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 33 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first fiber content in a first proportion by weight of the nutritive constituent, the coarse fraction has a second fiber content of at least substantially 20 wt % of the coarse fraction, and the nutritional supplement has a third fiber content in a second proportion by weight of the nutritional supplement, wherein the second proportion is greater than the first proportion.

36. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 33 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first calorie density and the nutritional supplement has a second calorie density, the second calorie density being less than the first calorie density.

37. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 33 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first protein content in a first proportion by weight of the nutritive constituent, the coarse fraction has a second protein content of at least substantially 12 wt % of the coarse fraction, and the nutritional supplement has a third protein content in a second proportion by weight of the nutritional supplement, wherein the second proportion is greater than the first proportion.

38. The whole grain wheat flour of claim 33 wherein the nutritive constituent has a first carbohydrate content and the nutritional supplement has a second carbohydrate content, the second carbohydrate content being less than the first carbohydrate content.

39. A coarse fraction produced from cleaned wheat kernels comprising:

primarily bran and germ; and

a particle size distribution such that at least 98 wt % of the coarse fraction is less than or equal to 212 μ

m;

wherein the coarse fraction comprises at least 97 wt % of the ash in the cleaned wheat kernels.

40. The coarse fraction of claim 39 wherein the coarse fraction comprises at least 97 wt % bran and germ.

41. The coarse fraction of claim 39 wherein the coarse fraction comprises substantially the same ratio of bran to germ as the cleaned wheat kernels.

42. The coarse fraction of claim 39 wherein at least 96 wt % of the coarse fraction has a particle size less than or equal to 150 μ

m.

43. The coarse fraction of claim 39 wherein enzymes in the bran and germ are inactivated to stabilize the whole grain wheat flour.

44. The coarse fraction of claim 39 wherein the coarse fraction has an oxygen radical absorption capacity of at least 7,400 micromole TE/100 g.