View all three figures from the patent

MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills, Inc. has filed a patent on brownie products that are shelf stable for at least one month at room temperature after packaging. In some embodiments, the products may be shelf stable up to nine months.

Most ambient ready-to-eat bakery products, including brownies, on the market now have an ambient shelf life of three to four weeks, according to Minneapolis-based General Mills. Near the end of shelf life, the products may have problems with mold growth, fat/flavor degradation and/or texture. They also may become dry and crumbly.

The General Mills’ invention extends the shelf life. The brownies are formed from a batter comprising flour, sweetener, whole egg, shortening and optionally cocoa. Sucrose, corn syrup and fructose may be in the sweetener. The batter has narrow ranges of egg protein, of moisture and of oil/fat. The batter uses precise ranges of sweeteners. Product design manages moisture content and inhibits sugar and fat recrystallization.