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The present invention relates generally to a food product that provides play value to consumers. More specifically, the present invention relates to the food product comprising a plurality of individual food pieces that can be arranged by consumers as a puzzle to form increasingly complex and recognizable structures.
Using individual food pieces to create an edible puzzle is well known in the art. Edible puzzles provide added play value to the particular food product in which they are incorporated to increase consumption by consumers. A typical edible puzzle comprises a plurality of edible food pieces of different configurations, e.g., shapes and sizes, that are complementary to one another such that the food pieces can be arranged to form increasingly complex and recognizable structures.
One such puzzle is shown in U.S. patent application Publication No. 2003/0152668 to Griffin. Griffin discloses an edible puzzle that includes a plurality of individual food pieces that can be arranged by consumers to form increasingly complex and recognizable structures. For instance, in one embodiment, Griffin discloses food pieces in the shapes of a threaded bolt and a nut, with these food pieces being capable of actual assembly. The food pieces in Griffin are preferably confectionery based food pieces such as hard sugar confections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,582 to Carlson discloses a cookie cutter than can be used to form a plurality of food pieces for use in an edible puzzle. Carlson suggests that the food pieces may be arranged to form a geometric shape, an animal or other caricature or representation.
Japanese Patent Application No's 9-038364 and 2002-223701 also disclose edible puzzles that include a plurality of individual food pieces that can be arranged by consumers to form increasingly complex and recognizable structures. Application No. 9-038364 discloses food pieces being arranged to form plates, pots, and dolls with the food pieces being confectionery pieces such as a rice cracker, a cookie, a biscuit, or a chocolate. Application No. 2002-223701 discloses food pieces being arranged to form an animal or other character with the food pieces being confectionery pieces.
Each of these prior art references disclose edible puzzles comprising individual food pieces that can be arranged to form increasingly complex and recognizable structures. These references also disclose the food pieces being confections. However, none of these prior art references disclose, teach, or suggest using starch-molded fruit snacks for this purpose.
The present invention provides a food product for providing play value to consumers. The food product comprises a plurality of individual, edible food pieces having various complementary configurations such that the food pieces can be arranged as a puzzle to form an increasingly complex and recognizable structure. Each of the plurality of food pieces are starch-molded fruit snack pieces.
In one aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of food pieces resembles a segment of a worm such as a body and a head of the worm with the head and body pieces having complementary portions to interconnect the pieces to form the worm.
In further aspects of the invention, each of the plurality of food pieces can be arranged to form an animal (mammal, bird, insect, fish, etc.), animated character, creature, inanimate object, word or phrase, and the like.
Advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a food product for providing play value to consumers is generally indicated at 10. The food product is in the form of an edible puzzle 10 comprising a plurality of individual and edible food pieces 12, i.e., puzzle pieces, of various configurations, e.g., shapes and sizes. The configurations are complementary to one another such that the food pieces 12 can be arranged to form increasingly complex and recognizable structures, e.g., animals (mammal, bird, insect, fish, etc.), animated characters, creatures, inanimate objects, words or phrases, and the like. The term puzzle as used herein refers to the food pieces 12 and their capacity to be arranged to form increasingly complex and recognizable structures, i.e., the puzzle pieces 12 are designed for providing play value by testing ingenuity. In many of the embodiments set forth below, the puzzle pieces 12 are further capable of being arranged in multiple ways to form multiple increasingly complex and recognizable structures, i.e., the edible puzzles have multiple solutions.
Each of the plurality of food pieces 12 is preferably starch-molded. More preferably, the food pieces 12 are starch-molded fruit snack pieces. Starch-molded fruit snacks have become popular food items. While many compositions have been employed in the preparation of such starch-molded fruit snacks, the most typical composition comprises an aqueous dispersion of various sweeteners, fruit, and a gelling agent.
Any conventional starch-molded fruit snack formulation may be employed for preparing the food pieces 12 of the present invention. Generally, the formulation for the food pieces 12 comprises from 30 to 90 weight percent sweetener, more preferably from 40 to 70 weight percent (weight percent is based on a total weight of a pre-boiled mixture of the ingredients). The food pieces 12 also comprise fruit in amounts of from 0.01 to 30 weight percent, more preferably from 1 to 10 weight percent, and most preferably from 1 to 8 weight percent. The gelling agent is preferably present in amounts of from 0.01 to 15 weight percent, more preferably from 0.01 to 10 weight percent. The food pieces 12 preferably have a finished moisture content of from 10 to 30 percent, more preferably from 13 to 25 percent, and most preferably from 16 to 20 percent.
The sweetener can be in the form of sucrose, dextrose, fructose, crystalline fructose, lactose, malt syrup, malt syrup solids, rice syrup solids, rice syrup, sorghum syrup, invert sugar, refiners syrup, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, maltose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, sugar alcohols, maltodextrin, or combinations thereof. It should be appreciated that a “no sugar added” food product could also be formulated using sorbitol and other sugar alcohols.
The fruit may include fruit powder, drum-dried fruit solids, freeze-dried fruit solids, or evaporated fruit puree or fruit juice concentrate with at least 40 percent fruit solids. It should be noted that fruits such as cleaned, de-capped, fresh strawberries contain only 6 to 9.5 lbs. of solids per hundred-weight, i.e., 6 to 9.5 percent solids. Hence, the formulation provided herein uses a concentrated source of fruit.
Suitable gelling agents include gelatin, gellan gum, carbohydrate gel forming polymers, e.g., pectin, gel forming starches, alginates, agar, etc., and mixtures thereof. Pectin and gel forming starches such as corn starch are preferred.
The formulation for the food pieces 12 may include edible oils or shortenings in an amount of from 0 to 5 weight percent, more preferably from 0.01 to 3 weight percent. Examples of edible oils or shortenings that could be used include partially hydrogenated vegetable oils such as natural or hydrogenated soybean, cottonseed, canola, peanut, safflour, sunflour, coconut, palm, palm kernel, olive, butterfat, cocoa butter, tallow, lard, corn oil, or combinations thereof.
The formulation for the food pieces 12 may include a humectant such as glycerin for moisture retention in an amount of from 0 to 2 weight percent. Other examples of humectants that could be used include sorbitol solution, a mixture of glycerin and sorbitol, fructose, propylene glycol, or combinations thereof.
A food grade acid such as citric acid can be added to the formulation to adjust pH. The food grade acid may be present in the food pieces 12 in amounts of from 0 to 3 weight percent, more preferably from 0 to 1 weight percent, and most preferably from 0.01 to 0.9 weight percent. Other food grade acids that could be used include malic acid, tartaric acid, ascorbic acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, adipic acid, glucono delta lactone acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, tarenic acid, potassium citrates, or combinations thereof.
A buffer such as sodium citrate may be present in amounts of from 0 to 1 weight percent to control pH.
Salt may be added in amounts of from 0 to 2 weight percent to provide flavor enhancement. The salt is chosen from, but is not limited to, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, or combinations thereof.
An emulsifier such as glyceryl monostearate may be present in the formulation to maintain product softness over time. The emulsifier is present in a preferred amount of from 0 to 3 weight percent. Other emulsifiers could also be used such as glycerol esters, diacetyl tartaric acids, esters of monoglycerides, mono and di-glycerides, polyglycerol esters, polysorbate, propylene glycol esters, rice extract esters, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, sorbitan esters, sugar esters, acetylated monoglycerides, lecithin, or combinations thereof.
A preservative such as potassium sorbate may also be present in the formulation in a preferred amount of from 0 to 1 weight percent. Other preservatives such as sodium propionate or potassium benzoate could be used as well.
Colors and flavors can also be added to form the food pieces 12 in preferred amounts of from 0 to 3 weight percent, more preferably from 0.01 to 2 weight percent.
A glazing agent such as carnauba wax and beeswax may also be present in the formulation in an amount of from 0 to 2 weight percent, more preferably from 0.01 to 0.5 weight percent.
It should be appreciated that the edible oil, humectant, food grade acid, buffer, salt, emulsifier, preservative, colors and flavors, and glazing agent are optional ingredients. The most preferred ingredients and their ranges are shown in the following TABLE 1 with an example formulation provided as EXAMPLE 1:
The food pieces 12 are typically cast, i.e., deposited as an aqueous dispersion into starch beds (starch mold generally formed of dry starch that has been imprinted with the desired 3-D shape). In this casting system, referred to in the trade as the Mogul system, the ingredients are typically cooked to temperatures of from 200 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, more preferably to temperatures of from 240 to 280 degrees Fahrenheit (depending on the desired viscosity of the mixture), which boils off much of the initial water in the formulation. The cooked mixture is then deposited as a thin, hot liquid into the starch beds. The starch in the starch bed forms the food pieces 12 and serves to reduce the moisture content of the food pieces 12 to the level of the end product. The finished food pieces 12 are then packaged using a typical packaging unit.
It should of course be appreciated that the sample formulation and processing is by way of example only. The food pieces 12 of the present invention can be formed using any conventional fruit snack formulations and/or starch-molding processing techniques. Examples of sample formulations and processing techniques that may be employed in manufacturing the food pieces 12 are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,077,557; 6,444,252; 6,528,102; and 6,596,334, all of which are herein incorporated by reference.
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In some embodiments, the food pieces 12 can be provided loosely in separate packaging. Multiple food pieces 12 of the same configurations, but of different colors, can also be provided in the packaging. This requires the consumer to hunt for and gather the necessary food pieces 12, and by trial and error find the appropriate food pieces 12 to complete the structures, while at the same time allowing the consumer to mix and match different colored food pieces 12 to form the increasingly complex and recognizable structures. The food pieces 12 could also be incorporated in various food items.
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Each of the food pieces 12 has opposed major surfaces 30 bounded by their peripheries 14. In some embodiments, the bottom major surface (not shown) is flat, while the top major surface 30 is formed with 3-dimensional characteristics as provided by the imprinted form in the starch bed used. Still referring to
Multiple food pieces 12 of the same configurations can be formed of different colors and provided in the same packaging, e.g., multiple red, orange, yellow, green, and blue skulls 16, arm bones 18, leg bones 20, rib cages 22, and pelvic bones 24 provided in a sealed pouch. It should also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that individual food pieces 12 may comprise multiple colors such as in layers, or as swirls of color. The term color includes any color (including black and white), hue, shade, or variation thereof which may be provided by the addition of any natural or synthetic coloring agents, or which is naturally provided by mixing the ingredients of the food pieces 12 together. With respect to flavor, the food pieces 12 can have any combination of flavors. Each food piece 12 can have a different flavor than other food pieces 12, each food piece 12 can have multiple flavors, or each of the food pieces 12 can have the same flavor.
The food pieces 12 preferably have a uniform texture and composition throughout. By uniform composition, it is understood that the food pieces 12 will contain similar levels of moisture, sweetener, fruit, and gelling agent. Also, the texture and density of the food pieces 12 will be approximately equal. In other embodiments, the food pieces 12 can have dissimilar textures and compositions.
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Arranged below the head are two food pieces 212 that abut one another to form torso pieces 222 of the biped. In viewing one of the torso pieces 222, a shaped section 222a is set against a background 222b to give the appearance of clothing worn by the biped. Abutting the upper torso piece 222 are two food pieces 212 in the shape of arms 218 with sleeve 218a and recessed hand 218b portions. The sleeve portion 218a is generally rectangular with an irregularly shaped hand portion 218b. Abutting the lower torso piece 222 are the last two food pieces 212 forming this edible puzzle. These food pieces 212 are in the shape of legs 220.
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It should be appreciated that the increasingly complex and recognizable structures formed are not limited to those shown. Other structures may be contemplated that have not been specifically set forth herein. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/543,180, filed Feb. 10, 2004, the advantages and disclosure of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60543180 | Feb 2004 | US |