Patent Application
20190021374
The technology relates to a porous baked snack food that is shelf-stable at ambient temperatures. More particularly, the snack food is extruded, is starch-based, and has distinguishing organoleptic properties.
In recent years there has been a great demand for snack foods as a convenience item, as people find less available time to make these. A variety of such foods are commercially available, and these fall into several categories. Some are “ready-to-eat” and may be eaten directly out of the package, or plated and eaten, or depending upon preference, heated before eating. Other snacks, that are not ready-to-eat, may require heating to ensure complete cooking or other preparation prior to consumption. Some snack foods are fried foods, while others are baked. Fried foods contain oil from the cooking process, and consumers in many parts of the world are expressing a desire for low oil-content snacks based on perceived health benefits. Baked foods, on the other hand, may have little or no oil.
Consumers have preferences that may vary widely from one individual to another. However, there are some organoleptic properties that in combination may appeal to a large segment of consumers. For example, as to the organoleptic property of texture, a slight crunchiness may be preferred to a hard crunchiness in certain snacks. In other snacks, a certain degree of porosity of the snack food may be preferred while in other snack foods, a smooth low porosity texture is preferred. Thus, a snack food of a particular type must meet consumer expectations for that particular type in terms of these properties.
Some of the more popular ready-to-eat out of the package snack foods are rich in starch content. For example, potato chips and tortilla chips. These are both now available as fried or baked snacks.
In an exemplary embodiment there is provided a baked, ambient-stable snack food product comprising:
a baked, porous body having, as a primary component, potato, legumes (pulses) and cereals, or a combination of these, the body comprising:
wherein the baked, porous body has a porosity of between 45 and 70%.
In a variation of this embodiment, the primary component comprises a mixture of potato flour or flakes, as well as other compositions, for example, flour from cereals, tapioca, pulses, and the like. In these embodiments, the other compositions are from 40 to 80 wt. % of the primary component, and the potato (whether flour or flakes) is from 1.0 to 20 wt. % of the primary component.
In another variation of the embodiment, the primary component may be derived from grains, beans or pulses, including, but not limited to, corn, rice, oats, wheat, tapioca, lentils, and mixtures thereof. In a yet further variant, the primary component is only potato, from flour or flakes, or both.
In addition, the embodiment and variations thereof may include from 3 to 15 wt. % seasonings. These seasonings include, but are not limited to salt, sugar, oil, yeast, edible flavors, and lecithin.
In exemplary embodiments the body of the snack, or a portion thereof, has a peak (breaking) force in the range from 10,000 to 30,000 grams, and preferably, 10,000 to 26,000 grams.
In exemplary embodiments, to improve mouthfeel, oil may be sprayed onto the outer surfaces of the snack food. The snack food may include from 3 to 20 wt. % oil that is sprayed or otherwise applied to surface of the snack food pieces after baking and drying.
The baked, ambient-stable snack food product may be in any of a variety of shapes, including but not limited to “stick” (long slender rectangular) or ring. Any extrudable shape that has consumers appeal can be used.
The baked, ambient stable snack food product can be covered with edible coatings, including but not limited to cheese, chocolate, flavorings of beef, chicken, barbeque and the like that have consumer appeal.
In focus group taste tests (described in the examples below) using a zero to 100 scale, the body of the inventive snack food had a mouthfeel hardness of 25, a mouthfeel crispiness of 35, mouthfeel crunchiness of 33 and a mouthfeel chewiness of 27, as explained here below.
Moreover, when samples of the body of the porous baked snack food are tested, as described herein using a Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA), a peak viscosity of less than 200 cp is often obtained. A peak viscosity is preferably in the range 160 to 240 cp.
Also provided is an exemplary process of making the porous baked snack food, the process comprising the steps of:
making a dough including as a primary component a composition derived from potato, cereals, pulses or mixtures of these;
extruding the dough under pressure to produce a porous extrudate;
cutting the porous extrudate into pieces of porous dough;
baking the pieces of porous dough in an oven with a selected temperature profile to produce baked porous dough pieces; and
drying the baked porous dough pieces to a final product moisture content of from less than 4 wt. %, for example in the range 1.0 to 2 wt. %, to produce a porous snack food having a porosity of between 40 and 70%.
In a variant of the exemplary process, the step of making a dough comprises: mixing a dry mix comprising:
from 40 to 85.0 wt. % of a mixture of potato flour or flakes with a flour derived from one or more of cereals, pulses, and cassava, based on the dry mix weight;
optionally from 5 to 18 wt. % sugar, based on the dry mix weight;
with liquids comprising:
from 1 to 10 wt. % oil, based on the dry mix weight; and
In another variant of the exemplary process, the step of making a dough comprises: mixing dry mix ingredients comprising:
optionally from 5.0 to 18 wt. % sugar, based on the dry mix weight; with liquids comprising:
from 1 to 6 wt. % oil, based on the dry mix weight; and
In another variant of the exemplary process, the step of making a dough comprises: mixing dry mix ingredients comprising:
from 40 to 85 wt. % flour derived from one or more of cereals, pulses, and cassava, based on the dry mix weight;
optionally from 1 to 25 wt.% dairy powder, based on the dry mix weight;
optionally from 5.0 to 18 wt. % sugar, based on the dry mix weight; with liquids comprising:
from 1 to 10 wt. % oil, based on the dry mix weight; and from 30 to 60 wt. % water, based on the dry mix weight.
In exemplary embodiments the step of extruding may be carried out at ambient temperature (around 20-25 ° C.) and at an extrusion pressure of between 2.5 and 20 bars.
In exemplary embodiments, during the step of extruding, the dough expands in volume by from 5 to 80 vol. %.
In exemplary embodiments, the step of baking comprises baking in an oven having a temperature profile selected to minimize acrylamide production, the temperature profile starting at 180° C. when the dough enters, increasing to no more than 250° C., then decreasing to 180° C. when the baked dough is removed.
In exemplary embodiments, the step of drying comprises drying at 110° C. to reduce a moisture content of baked porous dough pieces to less than 4 wt. %, and preferably in the range 1 to 2 wt. %.
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages, of the present technology will become more readily appreciated by reference to the following Detailed Description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying simplified drawings of exemplary embodiments. The drawings, briefly described here below, are not necessarily to scale, are presented for ease of explanation and do not limit the scope of the inventions recited in the accompanying patent claims.
The following non-limiting detailed descriptions of examples of embodiments of the invention may refer to appended Figure drawings and are not limited to the drawings, which are merely presented for enhancing explanations of features of the technology. In addition, the detailed descriptions may refer to particular terms of art, some of which are defined herein, as appropriate and necessary for clarity.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a shelf-stable, baked snack food. By “shelf-stable” it is meant that the snack food is stable for a period of time on shelfs in retail stores that ensures it can be purchased by consumers and would be “fresh,” without deterioration in its organoleptic properties, and be safe for human consumption. The period of time may range up to 6 months.
In exemplary embodiments, the shelf-stable baked snack food may be bite sized (or larger). By “bite sized” it is meant that an ordinary consumer can eat the snack in a single bite. Of course, the consumer may generally eat it in two to three bites, if he or she so chooses.
In exemplary embodiments that are potato-based, or that include potato as part of the main component, the potato used in a dough from which the shelf-stable baked snack food is made, may be either potato flour, potato flakes, or other form of dried, particulate potato.
In exemplary embodiments that are cereal grain based, or that include cereal as a part of the main component, the cereal used in making a dough from which the shelf-stable, baked snack food is made, may include but is not limited to, corn flour, wheat flour, oat flour, rice flour and tapioca flour.
In exemplary embodiments that are pulse-grain based, or that include pulses as a part of the main component, the pulse(s) used in making a dough from which the baked snack food is made, may include but is not limited to, red bean flour, lentil flour, chick-pea flour, and the like.
The dough exiting from the mixing step 110 enters an extrusion step 120. Here the dough is extruded into a desired shape under pressure in the range from 2.5 to 20 bars. During the extrusion 120, the dough expands volumetrically by from 50 to 80 vol. %.
The extruded dough is then subjected to cutting in step 114 to the desired size of each piece. These sizes may be bite-sized, or larger. The cut dough is conveyed on a conveyor for baking in step 116.
During baking 116, which can range from 1 to 7 minutes depending on factors, such as for example, dough piece size, and the selected temperature profile. Accordingly, if a continuous oven is used, the temperature at the dough entry region may be around 180° C., the temperature in the middle region of the oven may be around 240° C., and the temperature of the exit region may be lower, such as around 180° C. Of course, other temperatures and dwell times at these temperatures can also be useful. The moisture content of the baked dough exiting from the baking step 116 is in the range 4 to 15 wt. %, based on the dry snack food weight. Baked dough pieces are porous due to the expansion in the extrusion step. In general, the porosity after expansion is in the range 45 to 70%, and preferably greater than 45%.
The porous baked dough pieces are now routed on a conveyor to the drying step 118. Here the dough pieces are dried to a moisture content of less than 4 wt. %, or preferably in the range 1 to 2 wt. %. (It should be understood that depending upon configuration of equipment, the drying step may be carried out after baking in the same baking oven. A separate drying oven is not necessary but may be convenient.) Drying may be carried out at temperatures such as, for example, 50 to 120° C., typically for a period of time until the desired moisture content is achieved. This time is generally around 5 to 35 minutes, if at 110° C., but may be longer at lower temperatures, of course.
The dried, baked, snack food pieces are then routed by conveyor to a seasoning step 122 where seasoning may be applied to outer surfaces of the food pieces. As indicated before, the outer coating seasonings may be selected from a variety of flavors, textures and foods that find consumer acceptance. These include, but are not limited to salt, spices, cheese, chocolate, fruit flavorings, and other flavorings, such as for example, flavors of chicken or beef, barbeque meats, barbeque sauce, jalapeno, and the like that meet consumer preferences.
The dried, baked, seasoned snack food pieces are then transferred by conveyor to a packaging station, where packaging 122 takes place. The pieces are sealed into air-tight packages that may contain either one snack piece or several such pieces, depending upon size and consumer preferences.
The ingredients of the shelf-stable baked snack foods include several variants. In one variant, the primary component, is derived from potato only. In another variant the primary component is a flour derived from a non-potato source; i.e. derived from one or more of cereals, pulses, and cassava. In a further variant, the primary component includes mixtures of these derived flours with potato flour or flakes.
Thus, the dry mix ingredients of
More particularly, in a strictly potato-based variant, the dry mix ingredients may include from 40 to 85 wt. % potato flour or flakes (or mixture of flour and flakes); optionally from 5 to 18 wt. % sugar, based on the dry mix weight; optionally from 1 to 25 wt. % dairy powder, based on the dry mix weight. To this dry mix is added from 1 to 6 wt. % oil, based on the dry mix weight and from 30 to 60 wt. % water, based on dry ingredient weight.
In addition, in a variant that includes no potato but only flour derived from one or more of cereals, cassava (tapioca) and pulses, the dry mix ingredients of
In a preferred embodiment, which has a primary component of potato, the baked, shelf stable snack food of the invention may be made from a dry mix having a composition in the range from 38 wt. % to 46 wt. % potato (such as potato flakes), from 12 to 16 wt. % oat flour, from 15 to 21 wt. % modified potato starch or modified corn starch; from 5 to 12 wt. % sugar, and from 15 to 21 wt. % dairy powder. To this may be added 3 to 10 wt. % oil and 35 to 45 wt. % water to make an extrudable dough. After cooking, as described herein, the product may be coated with 12 to 18 wt. % oil, and 3 to 8 wt. % seasonings and flavorings, as desired. The product has the physical and organoleptic properties as described herein.
For each of the variants, seasonings, flavorings and toppings may be added. For example, the shelf-stable, baked snack food may be covered with toppings and flavorings including but not limited to cheese, chocolate, flavorings of beef, chicken, barbeque, and a variety of other flavorings and toppings. And, seasoning, depending on type, may be added to the dough and/or to the baked and dried snack body surface. In addition, to improve mouthfeel, oil mist may be sprayed onto outer surfaces of the snack body, in amounts that suits consumer preference. In some instances, this may include from 5 to 25 wt. % oil, based on the weight of the snack food prior to oil application.
The shelf-stable baked snack food of the invention has several unique properties that set it apart from any commercially available snack food of the same type. For, example, the snack food pieces of the invention have a body that has a porosity in the range from 45 to 70%. In general, the porosity is at least 45%. This contributes to organoleptic properties such as texture and mouthfeel. As illustrated in
In addition to porosity, the shelf-stable baked snack foods of the invention also have other distinguishing features. For example, as to texture, the peak force in grams of the body of the snack food, or a piece of it, is in the range from 20,000 to 28,000 g for a stick shaped product, and from 24,500 to 27,500 g for a ring shaped product. Preferably, in the range from 20,000 to 27,500 g.
The snack foods of the invention have a higher proportion of cooked starch than Potato Wish. This can be derived from the peak viscosity of 150 to 180 cp, as compared to that Potato Wish at a peak of over 350 cp. See, bar graph of
In test conducted in focus groups, as illustrated in the Table of
The following examples illustrate features of the invention, but it should be understood that the examples do not limit the scope of the invention.
Samples of a commercially available potato-based snack sold as Potato Wish by Orion of S. Korea was obtained. These were tested as a comparison to samples of snack pieces made in accordance with the invention. The tests were carried out on a Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) 4500 obtained from Instruments, Inc. of Springfield Ill., US. Tests were carried on the commercial samples and the inventive samples, according to instructions provided for the instrument.
The test results are graphically depicted in
From
From
The peak viscosity is inversely related to the proportion of starch that is gelatinized in the sample. Accordingly, a lower peak indicates a greater proportion of cooked starch. Thus, the samples according to the invention have a greater proportion of cooked starch.
Samples of a commercially available potato-based snack sold as Potato Wish by Orion of S. Korea was obtained. These were tested as a comparison to samples of snack pieces made in accordance with the invention. The tests were carried out on a TA.XT Plus Texture Analyzer by from Stable Micro Systems of Godalming, UK. Tests were carried on the commercial samples and the inventive samples, according to instructions provided for the instrument.
The results of the tests are shown in
A focus group including people was conducted. The members of the group were given samples of each of the products listed in the Table of
While examples of embodiments of the technology have been presented and described in text and some examples also by way of illustration, it will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the described technology without departing from the scope of the inventions, which are set forth in and only limited by the scope of the appended patent claims, as properly interpreted and construed.
