Office Action 3: Notice of Allowance (2025-08-19)

CLAIMS:
Listing of Claims

Filing Date: October 27, 2023 Title: PROCESS FOR MODIFYING THE PROPERTIES OF CITRUS PULP

1-10. (Canceled)29

11\. (Previously Presented) A citrus fiber comprising:a modified citrus fiber having a c\* close packing concentration value of less than 3.8 w%, anhydrous basis; and
the modified citrus fiber is dispersible in standardized water at a mixing speed of from 800 rpm to 1000 rpm to a 3 w/w% citrus fiber/standardized water solution, and having a viscosity in a range from 2000 mPa-s to 15000 mPa-s, wherein said viscosity is measured at a shear rate of 5 s-1 at 20°C.

12\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 11, wherein said citrus fiber has a moisture content of from 6% to 14%.

13\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 11, wherein said citrus fiber is dispersible in standardized water at a mixing speed of 900 rpm.

14\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 11 having a CIELAB L\* value of at least 90.

15\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 14 having a CIELAB b\* value of less than 20.

16-18. (Canceled)1717

19\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 11, has a moisture content of 5% to 15%.

20\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 11, wherein at least 90% of a volume of particles have a diameter of less than 1000 micrometers.

21\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 20, wherein the diameter is from 50 micrometers to 1000 micrometers.

22\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 21, wherein the citrus fibers have a D4,3 value in an oil-rich phase of below 15 micrometers.

23\. (Previously Presented) A blend comprising citrus fiber according to claim 11 and a plant- derived fiber.

24\. (Previously Presented) A food product, feed product, beverage, a personal care product, a pharmaceutical product, or a detergent product comprising a citrus fiber of claim 11.

25\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 11, wherein the modified citrus fiber has a c\* close packing concentration value of less than 3.4 w%, anhydrous basis.

26\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 11, wherein the modified citrus fiber has a c\* close packing concentration value of less than 3.2 w%, anhydrous basis.

27\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 11, wherein the citrus fiber is hydrated and subjected to a bleaching agent.

28\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 27, wherein the bleaching agent is hydrogen peroxide.

29\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 27, wherein the citrus fiber is heat treated at a temperature of from 650 C to 1400 C for a period of 2 seconds to 60 seconds.

30\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 29, wherein the citrus fiber is pressure homogenized with a pressure of from 50 bar to 1000 bar.

31\. (Previously Presented) The citrus fiber according to claim 30, wherein the citrus fiber is screw pressed at a speed and pressure to obtain a dry matter content of about 30 wt %.

32\. (Previously Presented) A food product, a feed product, a beverage, a personal care product, a pharmaceutical product, or a detergent product comprising the blend of claim 23.

33\. (Previously Presented) A citrus fiber comprising:a modified citrus fiber having a c\* close packing concentration value of less than 3.8 w%, anhydrous basis; andthe modified citrus fiber is dispersible in standardized water at a mixing speed of from 800 rpm to 1000 rpm to a 3 w/w% citrus fiber/standardized water solution, and having a viscosity in a range from 2000 mPa-s to 15000 mPa-s, wherein said viscosity is measured at a shear rate of 5 s-1 at 20 SVG {EMBED HERE} 0.140.207 wherein the modified citrus fiber is obtained by a process comprising:
hydrating citrus fiber;
subjecting the citrus fiber to a bleaching agent;
heat treating the hydrated and bleached citrus fiber at a temperature of from 50 °C to 140 °C for a period of 2 seconds to 60 seconds;
treating the hydrated and bleached citrus fiber to obtain homogenized citrus fiber;
washing the homogenized citrus fiber with an organic solvent to obtain organic solvent washed citrus fiber;

Title: PROCESS FOR MODIFYING THE PROPERTIES OF CITRUS PULP feeding the organic solvent washed citrus fiber through a screw press at a speed and pressure to obtain a dry matter content of about 30 wt %;milling the screw pressed citrus fiber;
adding 40% to 60% solvent solution, comprising 70 wt % to 100 wt % solvent, to the milled citrus fiber, placing the milled citrus fibers in a vacuum dryer, and vacuum drying the milled citrus fiber using heated water at a temperature of at least 95 °C for at least 4 hours, to remove the solvent from the milled citrus fiber, to form a vacuum dried citrus fiber;
comminuting or pulverizing the vacuum dried citrus fiber; and
recovering modified citrus fiber from the solvent solution.

OFFICE ACTION:
DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA  or AIA  Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA  first to invent provisions.
Status of the Application
Receipt is acknowledged of the amendment and response filed 7/16/2025. Claims 11-15 and 19-33 are pending in the application.
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimers filed on 7/16/2025 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of US Patent No  11/623,967 and 11/834,776 have been reviewed and is accepted.  The terminal disclaimers have been recorded.
Response to Arguments
The double patenting rejection is withdrawn in view of the terminal disclaimers as above.
Claims 11-15 and 19-33 are allowable.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Claims 11-15 and 19-33 are allowable for the reasons detailed in the record.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Correspondence

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: Remarks The Final Office Action of May 29, 2025, has been received and reviewed. In this Response, no claims are amended, no claims are cancelled, and no new claims are added.Therefore, claims 11-15 and 19-33 are pending. Applicant requests that the Examiner reconsider and withdraw the rejections.Double Patenting Reiection Claims 11-15 were rejected under the judicially created doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims of U.S. Patent No. 11,623,967 and U.S.Patent No. 11,834,776.Electronic Terminal Disclaimers were filed on June 24, 2025, which were approved.Applicant submits this filing is in compliance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.321(c) and thereby obviates the double patenting rejections of pending claims. Withdrawal of the rejection is respectfully requested.Allowable Subject Matter Applicant thanks the Examiner for the indication of allowability of claims 11-15 and 19- 33. Upon withdrawal of the double patenting rejection, the claims are believed to be in condition for allowance.Summary Applicant submits that the claims are in condition for allowance and requests notification to that effect. Applicant invites the Examiner to contact the undersigned Applicant's Representative at the telephone number listed below if doing so may advance prosecution of this application.Respectfully submitted by Mueting Raasch Group 111 Washington Ave. S., Suite 700 Minneapolis, MN 55401 Phone: (612) 305-1220 Facsimile: (612) 305-1228 07/16/2025