Decorated pasta product and method of making the same

Abstract

A pasta product that includes a central body, the central body having a central region and at least one planar face, the planar face having an outwardly oriented face and a surface region oriented between the central region and the outwardly oriented face, the central body having a first color, the planar face defining a display field and at least one first indicia contained in the outwardly oriented face and extending into the surface region of the central body, the indicia having at least one second color that differs from the first color, wherein the first indicia composes between 2% and 98% of the display field defined in the outwardly oriented face.

1 . A method for preparing a decorated pasta comprising the step of:
 prior to imparting at least one indicia onto a surface of a pasta product, contacting at least one design field located on the pasta product with an acidified aqueous solution for an interval of at least 0.5 seconds.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the acidified solution comprises at least one food grade acid selected from the group consisting of food grade carboxylic acids. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the acidified solution is present in a gaseous state, a liquid state or a mixture of the two. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the acidified solution is present at a temperature between about 175° F. and 300° F. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 after the contacting step, drying the pasta material for an interval of at least 5 seconds. 
 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5  wherein the drying step comprises contacting the pasta product with air at a temperature between 150 degrees and 300 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6  wherein the drying step includes contacting the pasta product with air at a temperature between 150 degrees and 300 degrees and a velocity between 10 cfm and 100 cfm. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 5  further comprising the step of imparting at least one first food grade dye material having a first color on discrete areas of the prepared surface, the imparting step including at least one of ink jetting, brushing, stamping and embossing. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8  further comprising the step of imparting at least one second food grade dye material on discrete areas of the prepared surface, the second imparting step including at least one of ink jetting brushing, stamping and embossing, wherein the color of the second food grade material differs from the color of the first food grade material and the discrete surface is the same or different from the discrete surface of the first dye material. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9  further comprising the step of:
 after at least one of the first or second food grade dye material is imparted on the pasta material surface, exposing the pasta product to a drying step for an interval suitable to set the dye material. 
 
     
     
         11 . A process for preparing a pasta product comprising:
 prior to imparting at least one indicia onto a surface of a pasta product, contacting at least one design field located on the pasta product with an acidified aqueous solution for an interval of at least 0.5 seconds;   after the contacting step, drying the pasta material for an interval of at least 5 seconds;   wherein the drying step comprises contacting the pasta product with air at a temperature between 150 degrees and 300 degrees;   imparting at least one first food grade dye material having a first color on discrete areas of the prepared surface, the imparting step including at least one of ink jetting, brushing, stamping and embossing; and   after at least one of the first food grade dye material is imparted on the pasta material surface, exposing the pasta product to a drying step for an interval suitable to set the dye material.   
     
     
         12 . The pasta product produced by the process of  claim 11 , wherein the pasta product comprises:
 a central body, the central body having a central region and at least one display face, the display face having an outwardly oriented surface and an intermediate region oriented located proximate to the outwardly oriented surface, the central body having a first color, the display face defining a display field; and   at least one first indicia contained in the outwardly oriented surface and extending into the intermediate region of the central body, the indicia having at least one second color that differs from the first color, wherein the first indicia composes between 2% and 98% of the display field defined in the outwardly oriented surface.   
     
     
         13 . The pasta product of  claim 11  wherein the at least one first indicia is formed from a food grade dye material, the food grade dye material adhering to pasta material present in the intermediate region. 
     
     
         14 . The pasta product of  claim 12  wherein the at least one first indicia is one of writing, printing, embossing or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The pasta product of  claim 14  further comprising at least one second indicia, wherein the second indicia is either the same color as the first indicia or is a third color that is different from the first color or the second color. 
     
     
         16 . The pasta product of  claim 15  wherein the central body has at least one region that is discrete from at least one planar face, the second indicia positioned on the display field. 
     
     
         17 . The pasta product of  claim 15  wherein the second indicia is formed of a food grade dye material. 
     
     
         18 . The pasta product of  claim 17  wherein the second indicia is at least one of writing, printing, embossing or combinations thereof.