CA1068976A - Food combination in bread cover - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

The invention relates to food compositions having a core and an exterior layer of bread solidly connected with the core. The snack foods of the invention preferably consist of an exterior layer of bread and a core of a sweet material which sweet material mav itself contain a filling.
The food compositions of the invention are nourishing, require no prior preparation by the eater and are easy to handle. Examples of certain of the food compositions of the present invention are given together with various methods for preparing such food compositions.

Description

~ 6~976 The present invention relates to a novel combination of two types r of food, in which a mass of bread serves as an at least partial covering for a core (which core may, if desiredl also contain a filling) of food other than bread, for example, a conventional (preferably sweet) spread. The mass of ; bread is bonded to the core.
Owing to the circumstances of modern life, such as long absences from home9 travelling, car rides and school, the need for small, interim meals ~snacks) is growing generally. There is a need for snack foods which require little preparation, which are convenient and which are easy to handle. Snack ; 10 foods at present on the market include sweets, such as candy, chocolate (w~ich may have a filling) and bars ~with various, partly fatty fillings and chocolate covers).
These products suffer certain disadvantages for various reasons, which mitigate against frequent consumption. The ingredients of these pro-ducts, moreover, are not always considered to be appropriate substances to consume in the sense that they do not always provide the required degree of nourishment.
C&ocolate and chocolate coatings are extremely sensitive to temperature, as a result of which they melt and become soft when kept, for example in a warm car or in school. The molten or soft chocolate readily soils the hands and makes them stickyO This chocolate, particularly in the case of children, may be transferred to and soil clothes and furniture.
Moreover, although the sweet taste of the snack food initially attracts one to eat it, the desire for the sweet food rapidly wanes until the eater is satiated and feels that he has eaten to excess. Moreover, the eater rapidly becomes thirsty as a result of the sweetness of the snack food and this curbs further consumption of the snack food.
In an attempt to overcome the above disadvantages it has been suggested that chocolate should be eaten together with bread - a very palatable combination. This suggestion has been exploited by the advertising i.~, :`:

~6~9~
media with the recommendation that thin chocolate bars should be eaten on slices of bread, i.e. using the chocolate as a chocolate spread.
This latter-mentioned snack food also suffers disadvantages in that the stickiness of the chocolate and its characteristic of smearing is not avoided. Furthermore, no solid connection is formed between the choco-late and the bread, so that on biting the thin chocolate bar there is a risk that the bar will break and fall off the bread. Moreover there is the additional difficulty that bread must always be at one's disposal. Thus either the bread must be carried about or bread must be readily available at the place where it is desired to eat the bread/chocolate mixture, if one wishes to eat this snack food outside the house. Moreover the bread must ~ ;
be cut in suitable shapes and sizes.
~illed wafers are also known, but these contain another soft filling and the wafer consists of fine pastry, which does not possess the ~ -~
nourishing character of bread.
The present invention is based on the discovery of a snack food which combines the taste of bread with, for example, a sweet spread, while, at least in part, avoiding the described disadvantages.
According to one feature of the present invention there is pro-vided a ready-to-eat food product comprising a core which is provided with an exterior layer of bread mass solidly connected to the core and having a water content of less than 1~% by weight throughout its mass.
The core material is preferably selected to have a good storage life, i.e. a life of at least 6 months when stored in hermetically sealed packs at a storage temperature not in excess of 25C.
The bread portion of the food products according to the invention is preferably produced by extrusion and the food products are thus conven-iently in elongated form. The bread portion of the food products with advantage comprises a shell or casing which extends along substantially the whole of their longitudinal length and which encloses the core portion. In a 9~6 particularly preferred embodiment the bread portion is an extruded shell or casing with a continuous unbroken outer surface. The elongated food products of this kind are preferably cylindrical in form with a square, half-round round, oval or other cross-section with the core material extending in an axial direction therethrough. The end portions of elongated food products according to the invention can be open with core material exposed, closed by bread or closed by other food substances as desired.
It is desirable to prepare food products according to the inven-tion which have good storage life and it is thus preferred that the bread portions of the products should have a water content of less than 10 percent and more especially less than 5 percent by weight throughout their massO In order to obtain the moisture levels necessary for good storage life a second baking step can be effected at a temperature and for a time necessary to give the desired moisture levels. Alternatively the conditions at which a single baking step are carried out can be adjusted ~o give the desired moisture leyels.
The food product according to the invention consists, for example9 of a product in the shape of a bar, roll, egg or ball or similar shape, con-sisting of an exterior, preferably closed cover of bread eOg. wholemeal bread and an interior, preferably sweet, for example, cocoa- or chocolate-containing core. ~ith regard to physiological nutrition, the product may be enriched with protein9 vitamins and trace elements. A filler of fruit pulp, ~e.g.
maracuja ~passion-fruit) or apricot) may also be employed in the core as a refreshing, thirst-quenching component enriched with vitamins.
The hollow bread covering may be filled not only with chocolate, but with for example yoghourt, yoghourt-containing masses, nougat, marzipan, caramel, toffee and similar substances. The invention is not restricted to the combination of a bread cover with a core of sweet material; thus meat such as hard sausage, or cheese may be considered as suitable fillings. In this case, a filler of Eruit-pulp is preferably, not used since this would, in ~6~7f;
general, have an adverse affect on the taste of the product.
According to a further feature of the present invention, there is provided a process for the preparation of a food product as disclosed above which comprises separately producing the core and the bread mass subsequent-ly at least partlally covering the core with the bread mass.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, there is provided a process for the preparation of a food product as disclosed above which,comprises co-extruding the core and a bread dough or bread mass and thereafter where required baking, or drying, or both to provide a product with an exterior layer of bread mass having a water content of less than 15% by weight throughout its mass.
I~he mass of~bread is preferably made of conventional rye and/or wheat doughO Ihe preparation of the bread covering may either be effected together with or separately from the preparation of the core. When prepared separately, the dough may either be pressed directly through an extruder as a hollow body and subsequently baked by heat or micro-waveS or the formless dough may be baked first, then crushed and the moist, or dried and subsequent~
ly remoistened, crumbs of bread formed into a hollow body. It is also pos~ible to prepare half-shells of bread which may subsequently be filled with sweet material, the half-shells being joined together by heat, or by spreading or spraying a connecting edge with a viscous food, such as syrup. The prepara-tion of the products of the invention may also be effected in such a way that the half-shells are joined or sealed together before fillingg the filling being effected from the exterior, e.g. by injection.
Ihe production of the hollow bread bodies may also be effected by extrusion and subsequent wrapping of a strip of dough around a form e.g. a rod, baking being effected either simultaneously or subsequently. It is useful, to proceed in such a way that the strip of dough leaves the extruder 20 to 25 mm wide and about 3 mm thick. Ihe strip of dough is subsequently wrapped continuously e.g. slantingly around a rotating rod of ~or example . .

8~76 glass or metal of the clesired shape ~round, square) and baked. The dough may also be brought into contact with the rod in a fermentation room (for develop-ment of the dough) and then put into the oven.
It is also advantageous to bake the dough first until it is par-tially baked e.gO half done, then to wrap it helically over a suitable form and subsequently to finish baking, or to grill and/or dry the helix of dough.
Then, after dividing the product into portions, cooling and removing the interior form, the hollow bread may be filled.
In order to increase the binding property of the bread mass, other foodstuffs, for example native or cold-swelling starch> glucose, sorbitol, protein or legally permitted food additives may, if required, be employed. To increase durability, preservatives, such as calcium propionate may, if desired, be added. Moreover the bread may be enriched with vitamins and trace elements.
~`~ The sweet material preferably used for the core (e.g. chocolate, caramel or toffee) may be produced in any manner known per se (e.g. by mixing, kneading or foaming~ from protein, fat, sugar, sugar substitutes and/or cocoa and may also be enriched with vitamins and trace elements. Other possible ; ;
starting materials for the core filling, such as yoghourt, cheese or meat are also produced in a manner known per-se.
If desired> a sweet core may itself be filled in a manner known se, e.gO by means of a pump, with a highly aromatic, preferably sourish fruit mass (e.g. as pulp, paste or gel). Pieces of whole fruit may also be incorporated in the core.
If the production of the core and covering is effected simultane-ously, the materials to form the core and covering are fed separately into a co-extruder, The co-extruder may form the product into any desired cross-sectional shape e.g. square9 half-round, round or oval or similar shape eOg.
having a cross-sec~ion of approximately 5 to 30 mm. The bread dough or bread mass to form the covering is extruded from the co-extrusion device as a ,~
.~

1CJ~6~3976 cylinder and the core is simultaneously extruded so that it is situated within the said cylinder. The braad mass and the core (including any pulp filling) are conveniently used in a weight ratio of 1 to 5 to 5 to 1, preferably 1 to 3 to 3 to 1, and advantageously in a weight ratio of about 1 to 1. However, it is also possible to produce smaller products the outer bread coverings of which for example completely encloses the inner layer, e.g. in the size and shape of conventional sweets or chocolates.
If desired, when the core comprises chocolate, it is possible to inject fat crystals in known manner into the chocolateO This modifies the consistency of the chocolate and in particular alters the bite characteristics thereof.
T~e final product is preferabl~ provided with an air-tight wrap-ping .
If the bread dough is baked only after it leaves the nozzle of the extruder, the interior mouthpiece must be extended beyond the exterior mouthpiece in order that the core may pass through and beyond the heating zone, so that the filling only enters the bread cover after it has been baked.
It is also possible to prepare the core by known techniques in the form of a hollow chocolate body. The core then has a harder consistency 2Q and thus furnishes a so-called "break". ~his core can then be filled with fruit pulp and inserted into the hollow body or the two half-shells of bread, as described above.
It is useful to prefabricate the wrapping for the product of the invention in such a way, that it can be opened with one hand ("one-hand wrapping"~.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 shows a cross section through an extruder indicating the production of a snack food product according to the present invention.
Figures 2, 3 and ~ show various forms of food products according '~3 ~ 897~ :
to the present invention.
Figure 1 shows the various ingredients of a food product of the present invention issuing from an extruder consisting of three concentric cylinders. The extruder is provided with a nozzle adapted to supply three separate components simultaneously in extr~lded form. The bread or bread-dough mass (1) is extruded between the outer surface of the nozzle ~5) and the inner surface of the nozzle ~6). The sweet material (e.gO chocolate) (2) is extruded between the inner surface of the nozzle (5) and the outer surface of the nozzle (4). The fruit filling (e.g. a passion fruit gel) (3) is extruded through the nozzle (4). The nozzle (6) terminates prior to termina-tion of the nozzle ~4) and C5). Thus in use the bread or bread-dough mass (1) exits from the extruder to form a coating or layer around the nozzle (5).
This coating or layer passes through the baking zone ~7), baking being effect-ed by microwaves or by conventional heating in an ovenO After the coating or layer of bread has issued from the baking zone (7) it passes into the cooling -~ zone ~8) and thereafter the sweet material (2) and fruit filling (3) issue from the inner nozzles (4) and (5) to be enclosed b~ an outer coating or layer of bread (1).
Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustrate various forms which the food products -~
of the present invention may take. The reference numarals employed in Figure 1 have the same meanings in Figures 2, 3 and 4.
Example 1 a~ Bread Ingredients 70.0 kg of rye-flour (type 1150 as marketed in West Germany) 30.0 kg of wheat-flour (type 1050 as marketed in West Germany) 3.0 kg o yeast ~-0.8 kg of a standard commercial leavening agent (corresponding to approximately 0O7 kg of citric acid)

2.0 kg of common salt 6Q to 70 litres of water ~8g76 A dough prepared from the above-mentioned ingredients is allowed to stand for approximately 45 minutes at a dough temperature of approximately 27C and is subsequently processed in the conventional manner.
The pieces of dough thus formed are baked at a decreasing temperature of 240/220C.
When the loaves of bread have cooled, they are crushed in a mixer or with a grater. The crumbs are mixed with 0.05 to 0.1% of calcium propion-;- a~e and adjusted to a moisture content of less than 10% by weight throughout their mass.
b) Composition of sweet material:-800 g of cocoa butter (or other fat) 1200 g of cocoa mass 1100 g of milk powder ~or skimmed milk) 6900 g of sugar (or other sweet material) The bread crumb material and swee~ material are extruded through an extruder as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. A thin thread of maracuja-pulp ~passion fruit pulp) is simultan~ously extruded in the middle of the core. The product is cut into portions and sealed in air-tig~t wrappers.
2~ Exa7~1e 2 Example 1 is repeated except that the bread is baked in a micro-ave hearth in order to avoid the formation of a crust.
Exam~le 3 Example 1 is repeated excep~ that the bread is baked in pumper-nickel boxes ~water-bath) ~so-called Wulbern baking boxes).
Example 4 Bread crum~s prepared as described in any one of Examples 1, 2 or 3 are mixed with 5% of crystallized chicken protein~ 5% of water and 5% of coconut fat (melting point 27 - 30~C). The sweet material is prepared as 3Q described in Example 1 and ~he products are then produced as described in .
;``3 ~LOG8976 Example lo Example 5 5read crumbs are prepared as described in any one of Examples 1, 2 or 3.
~e crumbs are spread on trays and dried and/or roasted with 30%
of sorbitol ~70% solution in water) 20% o~ water vitamin Bl vitamin B2 vitamin B6 j;
vitamin B12 ~itamin C
~itamin E
nicotinic acid amide - calcium-D-pantothenate The product obtained is co-extruded used the composition b) of sueet material as described in Example 1, and the final product is cut into ~tions and sealed in airtight wrappers again as described in Example 1.
ample 6 2Q Bread dough9 prepared as described in Example 1, is baked on baking sheets, equipped with convex moulds, eug. of the size 22 x 90 x 11 mm Cuidth x length x height) - similar to chocolate-covered sweets in ball-shape - or on baking-sheets with concave moulds e.g. measuring 30 x 100 x 15 mm Cwidth x length x depth) with an upper mould of the size 22 x 90 x 11 mm as half-shells.
Rounded shapes e.gO 22 x 90 mm. are prepared from the following ingredients:-2200 g of cocoa butter 1000 g o~ cocoa mass 1300 g of milk powder _ g _ ~:
i~ .

~68976 ...,~

5500 g of sugar (or substances replacing sugar) if desired together with a fruit-pulp. The rounded shapes are placed into two of the above described half-shells. Bonding of the half-shells to the rounded shape is attained by heat or by previous spraying of the interior sur-eace of the half-shell with a viscous food, such as sugar syrup.
Example_7 A mass of crushed bread, to which may be added a raising agent ~air9 car~on dioxide, nitrogen, baking powder, ammonium carbonate), is extrud-ed through the exterior part of a nozzle, the nozzle consisting of a plurality o~ internal cylinders as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, with a sweet material and fruit pulp being simultaneously extruded as des-cribed in Example 1. The product is cut into portions and wrapped. This example may be repeated using a bread dough instead of a bread mass.
Example 8 a) Dough: 20 kg of rye-flour (type 1150 as marketed in West Germany) 80 kg of wheat~flour ~type 550 as marketed in West Germany)

3 kg of yeast 3 kg of fat 2 kg of salt 3 kg of malt extract or sugar 55~60 kg of water and/or milk The dough prepared from the above-mentioned ingredients is allowed t~ stand ~or 45 minutes at a dough temperature of approximately 27C, and ~s t~en processed in the conventional way. The dough is then rolled out until ~t is 2 to 3 mm thick, cut into strips 15 to 25 mm, preferably 20 mm, in width or produced in a similar shape by an extruder. The strips are wrapped helically around rods, 6 mm in diameter, and set on sheets. After passing through a ~erm0ntation zone, ~he material is baked as follows:-Al By~ placing in an oven at 240C and then baking at about 200C

~ 10 -~L(316~976 until the desired moisture content of less than 10% by weight is obtained and the material is light-brown to brown in colour. Or B) By conventional baking to give bread with a moisture content of about 50% by weightO The rods are removed and the bread shells are then subsequently subjected to a second baking step at about 180C until they have the desired moisture content of less than 10% by weight and are light-brown to brown in colour.
The rods are removed and the bread-cover, after drying and cooling, is filled with the filling detailed below:
b) Filling: 16.00 kg of sugar, ground

4.70 kg of skimmed milk powder 12.50 kg of coconut fat 0.20 kg of lecithin 1.05 kg of yoghourt powder 0.03 kg of citric acid 0.15 kg of strawberry powder (or of another fruit) fruit essence beetroot powder As described above, the filling contains an inner core~ in this case strawberry jam. The jam may be separated from the bread cover by a chocolate layer.
It will be appreciated that the baking processes described in Example 8 can be employed in cases where the bread mass is produced from the dough by methods other than that described in Example 8 e.g. by extrusion.

Claims (28)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A ready-to-eat food product comprising a core which is provided with an exterior layer of bread mass solidly connected to the core, and having a water content of less then 15% by weight throughout its mass.

2. A food product as claimed in claim 1 wherein the core has a good storage life of at least six months when stored in hermetically sealed packs at a storage temperature of not in excess of 25°C.

3. A food product as claimed in claim 2 wherein the core comprises a sweet material.

4. A food product as claimed in claim 3 wherein the core of sweet material is hollow and is filled with a highly aromatic fruit pulp.

5. A food product as claimed in claim 1 wherein the core comprises chocolate.

6. A food product as claimed in claim 1 wherein the core comprises meat, cheese or a mixture thereof.

7. A food product as claimed in claim 1 in elongate form.

8. A food product as claimed in claim 7 wherein the bread mass comprises a shell or casing extending along substantially the whole of the longitudinal length of the product, the said shell or casing enclosing the core.

9. A food product as claimed in claim 7 wherein the bread mass is an extruded shell or casing with a continuous unbroken outer surface.

10. A food product as claimed in any of claims 7, 8 or 9 in cylindri cal form, having a square, half-round, round or oval cross-section and having the core material extending in an axial direction therethrough.

11. A food product as claimed in any of claims 7, 8 or 9 the end por-tions of which are open with core material exposed.

12. A food product as claimed in any of claims 7, 8 or 9, the end por-tions of which are closed by bread.

13. A food product as claimed in any of claims 7, 8 or 9 the end por-tions of which are closed by a food substance other than bread.

14. A food product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bread mass has a water content of less than 10% by weight throughout its mass.

15. A food product as claimed in claim 14 wherein the bread mass has a water content of less than 5% by weight throughout its mass.

16. A food product as claimed in claim 1, 8 or 9 wherein the bread mass comprises rye bread.

17. A process for the preparation of a food product as claimed in claim 1 which comprises separately producing the core and the bread mass and subsequently at least partially covering the core with the bread mass.

18. A process for the preparation of a food product as claimed in claim 1 which comprises co-extruding the core and a bread dough or bread mass and thereafter where required baking, or drying, or both to provide a product with an exterior layer of bread mass having a water content of less than 15% by weight throughout its mass.

19. A process as claimed in claim 17, which comprises first preparing a hollow body of bread mass and subsequently filling said hollow body with a core of sweet material.

20. A process as claimed in claim 19, wherein (a) the hollow body of bread mass is produced by extruding a strip of dough, (b) the said strip of dough is subsequently wrapped around a form and (c) baking is effected either simultaneously with or subsequently to (b).

21. A process as claimed in claim 19, wherein the dough is initially only partially baked and is then wrapped helically around a form after which baking is completed.

22. A process as claimed in claim 17, which comprises producing two half-shells of the bread mass, filling the said half-shells with a core of sweet material and subsequently uniting the half-shells by heat or by means of a syrupy food.

23. A process as claimed in claim 18 wherein the bread dough or bread mass is extruded from a co-extrusion device as a cylinder and the core is simultaneously extruded so that it is situated within the said cylinder.

24. Process as claimed in either of claims 17 and 18, wherein the core of sweet material is produced as a hollow body and filled with a highly aromatic fruit mass.

25. A process as claimed in claim 18, wherein the bread mass is baked a second time before or after contact with the core.

26. A process as claimed in claim 25 wherein the second baking step reduces the water content of the bread to less than 10% by weight throughout its mass.

27. A process as claimed in claim 26 wherein the second baking step reduces the water content of the bread to less than 5% by weight throughout its mass.

28. A food product as claimed in claim 1 in an air-tight pack.