초록 ▼

A shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal is provided. In one aspect, the meal includes an acidified starch component having a pH of about 4.6 or below and a separate cheese-based sauce component having a pH between about 5.7 and about 6.2. The sauce component is to be combined with the

A shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal is provided. In one aspect, the meal includes an acidified starch component having a pH of about 4.6 or below and a separate cheese-based sauce component having a pH between about 5.7 and about 6.2. The sauce component is to be combined with the acidified starch component when the meal is ready to be consumed. In another aspect, a buffering composition is blended into the separate cheese-based sauce component and includes blends of dibasic phosphate salts, monobasic phosphate salts, and an edible acid where the cheese-based sauce component has a total dry weight of phosphate salt between about 3 and about 5 percent.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal comprising: an acidified starch component having a pH of about 4.6 or below;a separate cheese-based sauce component to be combined with the acidified starch component when the meal is ready to be consumed, the separate cheese-based sauce compo

1. A shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal comprising: an acidified starch component having a pH of about 4.6 or below;a separate cheese-based sauce component to be combined with the acidified starch component when the meal is ready to be consumed, the separate cheese-based sauce component having a pH between about 5.7 and about 6.2;a buffering composition blended into the separate cheese-based sauce component and including a dibasic phosphate salt, a monobasic phosphate salt, and an edible acid;a total dry weight of phosphate salt between about 3 and about 5 percent in the cheese-based sauce component;an amount of the dibasic phosphate salt in the buffering composition sufficient to increase the pH of the acidified starch component when the separate cheese-based sauce component is combined therewith when the meal is ready to be consumed;an amount of the monobasic phosphate salt and the edible acid in the buffering composition so that the pH of the separate cheese-based sauce component is between about 5.7 and about 6.2 when separate from the acidified starch component; andwherein the cheese-based sauce component includes about 3 to about 4.7 percent of the dibasic phosphate salt on a dry basis. 2. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 1, wherein the amount of dibasic phosphate salt is effective to increase the pH of the combined meal to about 5.4 to about 5.7 when the cheese-based sauce component is combined with the acidified starch component when the meal is ready to be consumed. 3. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 1, wherein the cheese-based sauce component includes about 0.3 to about 2.0 percent of the monobasic phosphate salt on a dry basis. 4. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 1, wherein the pH of the separate cheese-based sauce component is about 5.8 to about 6.1. 5. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 1, wherein the pH of the cheese-based sauce component is about 5.8 to about 6.1 after being combined with the acidified starch component. 6. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 1, wherein the dibasic phosphate salt includes disodium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, and mixtures thereof. 7. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 1, wherein the monobasic phosphate salt includes monosodium phosphate, monopotassium phosphate, and mixtures thereof. 8. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 1, wherein the edible acid is lactic acid. 9. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 1, wherein the acidified starch component is pasta. 10. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 1, wherein the cheese-based sauce component is an Alfredo-based cheese sauce. 11. A shelf-stable cheese-based sauce for use on acidified foods, the shelf-stable cheese-based sauce comprising: a cheese base;a buffering composition blended into the cheese base and including dibasic phosphate salt, monobasic phosphate salt, and an edible acid;a total dry weight of phosphate salt between about 3 and about 5 percent;about 3 to about 4.7 percent dibasic phosphate salt and about 0.3 to about 2 percent monobasic phosphate salt so that the shelf-stable cheese based sauce has a pH between about 5.7 and about 6.2; andwherein the buffering composition is effective to maintain a pH of a combined sauce and acidified food between about 5.4 and about 5.7 when blended with acidified foods. 12. The cheese based sauce of claim 11, wherein the sauce includes at least about 0.5 percent edible acid. 13. The cheese-based sauce of claim 11, wherein the dibasic phosphate salt includes disodium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, and mixtures thereof. 14. The cheese-based sauce of claim 11, wherein the monobasic phosphate salt includes monosodium phosphate, monopotassium phosphate, and mixtures thereof. 15. The cheese-based sauce of claim 11, wherein the edible acid is lactic acid. 16. The cheese-based sauce of claim 11, wherein the cheese base is an Alfredo-based cheese sauce. 17. A shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal comprising: an acidified starch component having a pH of about 4.6 or below;a separate cheese-based sauce component to be combined with the acidified starch component when the meal is ready to be consumed;a buffering composition blended into the separate cheese-based sauce component and including a dibasic phosphate salt, a monobasic phosphate salt, and an edible acid;a total dry weight of phosphate salt between about 3 and about 5 percent in the cheese-based sauce component;an amount of the dibasic phosphate salt in the buffering composition sufficient to increase the pH of the acidified starch component when the separate cheese-based sauce component is combined therewith when the meal is ready to be consumed;an amount of the monobasic phosphate salt and the edible acid in the separate cheese-based sauce component so that the pH of the separate cheese-based sauce component is between about 5.7 and about 6.2 when separate from the acidified starch component;wherein the amount of dibasic phosphate salt is effective to increase the pH of the combined meal to about 5.4 to about 5.7 when the cheese-based sauce component is combined with the acidified starch component when the meal is ready to be consumed;wherein the separate cheese-based sauce component includes about 3 to about 4.7 percent of the dibasic phosphate salt on a dry basis; andwherein the separate cheese-based sauce component includes about 0.3 to about 2.0 percent of the monobasic phosphate salt on a dry basis. 18. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 17, wherein the pH of the separate cheese-based sauce component is about 5.8 to about 6.1. 19. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 17, wherein the pH of the cheese-based sauce component is about 5.8 to about 6.1 after being combined with the acidified starch component. 20. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 17, wherein the dibasic phosphate salt includes disodium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, and mixtures thereof. 21. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 17, wherein the monobasic phosphate salt includes monosodium phosphate, monopotassium phosphate, and mixtures thereof. 22. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 17, wherein the edible acid is lactic acid. 23. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 17, wherein the acidified starch component is pasta. 24. The shelf-stable acidified starch and cheese sauce meal of claim 17, wherein the cheese-based sauce component is an Alfredo-based cheese sauce.