CA1168919A - Cereal having a powdered sugar coating and method of preparation - Google Patents
Cereal having a powdered sugar coating and method of preparationInfo
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- CA1168919A CA1168919A CA000404585A CA404585A CA1168919A CA 1168919 A CA1168919 A CA 1168919A CA 000404585 A CA000404585 A CA 000404585A CA 404585 A CA404585 A CA 404585A CA 1168919 A CA1168919 A CA 1168919A
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- cereal
- sugar
- oil
- base
- powdered sugar
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Abstract
CEREAL HAVING A
POWDERED SUGAR COATING
AND METHOD OF PREPARATION
ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
Disclosed are ready-to-eat, sugar-coated, puffed cereals simulating powdered sugar-coated doughnuts. High levels of powdered sugar coatings are obtained by A) providing a puffed cereal base; B) drying the cereal base pieces to a moisture content of less than about 4% by weight; C) enrobing the cereal base pieces with an edible oil in a weight ratio of cereal base to oil of about 1.0:0.06-0.45; D) coating the liquid oil enrobed cereal base with a dry, solid powdered sugar wherein the sugar has a particle size ranging from about 15 to 200 microns and wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to sugar ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:1.0, and E) cooling the powdered sugar coated cereal to less than the melting point of the oil.
POWDERED SUGAR COATING
AND METHOD OF PREPARATION
ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
Disclosed are ready-to-eat, sugar-coated, puffed cereals simulating powdered sugar-coated doughnuts. High levels of powdered sugar coatings are obtained by A) providing a puffed cereal base; B) drying the cereal base pieces to a moisture content of less than about 4% by weight; C) enrobing the cereal base pieces with an edible oil in a weight ratio of cereal base to oil of about 1.0:0.06-0.45; D) coating the liquid oil enrobed cereal base with a dry, solid powdered sugar wherein the sugar has a particle size ranging from about 15 to 200 microns and wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to sugar ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:1.0, and E) cooling the powdered sugar coated cereal to less than the melting point of the oil.
Description
'3 1 '~
CEREAL HAVING A
POWDERED SUGAR COATING
AND METHOD OF PREPARATION
Dennis Gilbertson Philip Zietlow David Beno BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention The present lnvention relates to food products and, more particularly, to presweetened ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. In its method aspect, the present invention relates to methods for the preparation of ready-to-eat cereals.
CEREAL HAVING A
POWDERED SUGAR COATING
AND METHOD OF PREPARATION
Dennis Gilbertson Philip Zietlow David Beno BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention The present lnvention relates to food products and, more particularly, to presweetened ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. In its method aspect, the present invention relates to methods for the preparation of ready-to-eat cereals.
2. The Prior Art Presweetened breakfast cereals have been regularly available for many years. Such cereals have been prepared by first producing unsweetened cereal pieces, particularly puffed cereal pieces, coating the cereal pieces with a slurry or solution of sweeteners and then drying the coated pleces in an oven or air current.
Breakfast cereals can depénd, in part, for their appeal on aesthetlc features and have been prepared in the past having different shapes~ colors, flavors and other distinctive features. The present invention relates to presweetened cereals simulating powdered doughnuts.
Desirably, such cereal pieces provide both the organoleptic i-f,~
1 16~9~9 properties and appearance of powdered doughnuts, i.e., an oil flavor and coated with powdered sugar.
While seemingly simple, certain problems arise in the provision of such oil coated, powdered sugar puffed cereal pieces. While techniques are known for coating puffed cereal pieces with crystalline sucrose (see U. S.
Breakfast cereals can depénd, in part, for their appeal on aesthetlc features and have been prepared in the past having different shapes~ colors, flavors and other distinctive features. The present invention relates to presweetened cereals simulating powdered doughnuts.
Desirably, such cereal pieces provide both the organoleptic i-f,~
1 16~9~9 properties and appearance of powdered doughnuts, i.e., an oil flavor and coated with powdered sugar.
While seemingly simple, certain problems arise in the provision of such oil coated, powdered sugar puffed cereal pieces. While techniques are known for coating puffed cereal pieces with crystalline sucrose (see U. S.
3,615,676, issued Oct. 26, 1971 to McKown et alO), one problem is that such techniques are taught to be unsuitable with small particle slze sugar such as powdered sugar.
Another problem which arises is to achieve a desirably high amount of powdered sugar coating. While small amounts of powdered sugar readily adhere to the cereal piece surface, e.g., weight ratios of sugar coating to puffed cereal base of about 0.05:1.0, attempts at providing higher coating to base ratios conventional for presweetened cereals face the problem of insufficient adherency for the extra sugar to remain on the cereal piece.
Still another problem is referred to herein as "sugar loss." While powdered sugar may initially adhere to the cereal base piece, sugar particles can subsequently fall off during normal distribution and handling yielding the product unacceptable to the consumer. Sugar loss can be expressed as a percentage of sugar applied as a coating.
The problem of sugar loss becomes more severe as the weight ratio of powdered sugar to cereal base increases.
It is known, however, that sugar syrups can be made which are either sticky or non-sticky. While sticky syrups seemingly would be useful to bind powdered sugar to the cereal base pleces, certain difficulties arise in practice. Sticky sugar syrups are non-crystalline.
~ 1 689 1 9 Additionally, such syrups are generally high in moisture content. Syrups also do not readily adhere to the oil coating. Moreover, high moisture content syrups, if applied, would require prompt finish drying.
However, still another problem unexpectedly arises with regard to finish drying. Typically, presweetened cereal pieces are dried after application of a sugar syrup or slurry to dry both the coating and the puffed dough of the cereal piece. If the cereal piece is insufficiently finished dried, the cereal piece quickly loses its desirable frangibility and is perceived as being "stale. 17 If desirably large amounts of oil are applied to the cereal piece's exterior surface to simulate doughnut organoleptic properties, then conventional drying techniques not only fail to accomplish drying of the cereal piece due to moisture loss prevention by an oil surface barrier, but also, the heated oil "greases" the powdered sugar coating to give an unattractive appearance to the cereal product as well as migrating into the cereal piece base.
It has been surprisingly discovered, however, that these multiple problems can be surmounted and presweetened cereals can be provlded which do simulate powdered sugar doughnuts by the methods of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVÉNTION
The present invention relates to methods ror the preparation of ready-to-eat presweetened puffed cereals simulating doughnuts coated with powdered sugar. The present methods essentially comprise the steps in sequence of providing a puffed cereal base, and then drying the cereal base to less than about 4% moisture. Thereafter, the dried cereal base is enrobed with a first material comprising an edible oil. The edible oil has a melting point of from about 70F. to 120~. The weight ratio of cereal base to the first material ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:0.45. The oil is applied at a temperature sufficiently high such that the oil remains liquid while being enrobed onto the cereal base.
Thereafter, the cereal is coated with a second material comprising a dry, solid powdered sugar. The sugar essentially ranges in particle size between about 15 to 200 microns. The weight ratio of cereal base to sugar essentially ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:1Ø Thereafter, the powdered sugar coated cereal is cooled to less than the melting point of the edible oil.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to puffed, ready-to-eat sugar-coated cereals simulating powdered sugar-coated doughnuts and to methods of their preparation. The present method comprises the steps in sequence of a) providing a puffed cereal base; b) drying the cereal base to less than about 2% moisture; c) enrobing the dried cereal base with a first material comprising an edible oili d) coating the cereal base wlth a dry solid powdered sugar; and, e) cooling the cereal to form the present powdered sugar-coated cereals. Each of these preparation steps are described in detail below.
Throughout the specification and claims, percentages and ratios are by weight and temperatures given in degrees Fahrenheit, unless otherwise indicated.
` ~6~919 A. Providing a Puffed Cereal Base The present methods of preparation essentially comprise the step of providing a puffed cereal base. Any conven-tional puffed cereal or method of preparation can be used herein to provide a puffed cereal base. The art is replete with such compositions and their methods of preparation and the skill-ed artisan will have no problem selecting suitable compositions or methods of preparation. Exemplary compositions and methods of puffed cereal preparation are found in, for example, United States 3,464,827 (issued Sep-tember 2, 1969 to T. Tsuchiya et al.)i United States 3,600,193 (issued August 17, 1971 to E. F. Glabel et al.); United States 3,246,990 (issued April l9, 1966 to Thompson et al.); and United S-tates 3,687,687 (issued Augus-t 29, 1982 to Alexander L. Liepa).
B. Drying the Puffed Cereal Base . . _ It is essential to the present invention to dry the puffed cereal base pieces to a moisture content of less than about 4~, preferably about 2~, prior to any application of the edible oil. Typically, past methods of R-T-E
cereal preparation have dried the cereal pieces after application of various types of surface coatings to dehydrate the pieces to form dry coated cereal pieces. In the present method of preparation, however, the oil coating can prevent moisture escape from the interior of the cereal piece. Addi-tionally, moisture addition to the cereal after oil coating is to be avoided in con-trast to past me-thods involving application of sugar solutions or slurries.
` l 168~19 Any conventional drying technique can be used to reduce the moisture content of the cereal base pieces. The drying can be accomplished using equipment such as a rotary bed, tray or belt driers. Simple hot air convection drying, e.g., 1~0F. to 180F., is the preferred technique for practicing the present cereal piece drying step.
C. Enrobing the Cereal Base After drying, the cereal base is essentially enrobed with a first material comprising an edible oil. The weight ratio of cereal base to edible oil essentially ranges from about 1:0.05 to 1:0.45, preferably from about 1:0.05 to 0O15. Insufficient amounts of edible oil can adversely affect the adherency of the powdered sugar coating expressed as high sugar coating losses. Excessive oil application, however, can adversely affect the organoleptic properties of the finlshed product.
It is important that the edible oil have a melting point ranging from about 70F. to 120F. Lower melting point oils are generally too low in viscosity to provide good adhesion of the sugar. High melting point fats are to be avoided so as to avoid a waxy mouthfeel when the product is consumed.
It is also important that''both the cereal base and edible oil be sufficiently warm duri'ng the enrobing step such that the oil remains liquid while being enrobed onto the cereal base to form a liquid oil enrobed cereal base.
Thus, the cereal bases should be at least about as warm as the melting point of the oil. Generally, the cereal base is still warm as it exits the drier and can range up to 160F.
in temperature and successfully be coated with oll.
Preferably, the cereal base is at least about 100F.
Moreover, the oll should be sufficiently warm so as to remain liquid after it has been applied to the cereal base pieces. Good results are obtained when, for example, the oil is applied at a temperature ranging of approximately 20F. to 400F. above its melting point, that is from about 90F. to 160F.
Suitable edible oil or fatty triglyceridic materials include, for example, those derived from any of the naturally occurring glyceridic materials such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower seed oil and palm oil. Other suitable edible fatty tri-glyceridic materials and methods of their preparation are described in detail in Bailey "Industrial Oil and Fat Products," published by John Wiley & Sons Publishing Company, N.Y. Typically, such materials will be partially hydrogenated (i.e., to an Iodine Value of less than about 80) to extend shelf storage. The preferred edible oil for use herein is 98 coconut oil, (i.e., hydrogenated to have a melting point of about 980F.) Any conventional application apparatus and technique can be employed to practice the present oil coating step. Thus, for example, the oil can be sprayed onto the cereal base pieces while béing tumbled in an enrober.
D. Coating with Powdered Sugar The oil enrobed cereal base is next essentially coated with a powdered sugar coating while the OJ 1 iS still ~ 1 6~ 1 9 llquid. The cereal base to sugar coating ratio essentially ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:1.0, preferably from about 1:0.15 to 1:0.30.
The particle size range of the sugar essentially ranges from about 15 to 200 microns. It has been surprisingly discovered that powdered sugar having a particle size or particle slze distrlbution w~thin the above-given range adheres better to the oil enrobed cereal base pieces and allows the realization of R-T-E cereals having deslrable high ratios of sugar coating to cereal base. Another advantage of the present invention is that the sugared pieces lose less of their sugar coating upon handling, i.e. exhibit lower sugar losses. Still another advantage of employing powdered sugar of the given particle size is that greater amounts of sugar are able to be coated onto the cereal piece per given surface area.
Large granulation sugar fails to coat the cereal pieces evenly exhibiting a blotched coating. Also, while the precise phenomenon is not understood, for a given level of sugar and particularly when the sugar is fructose, the sweetness perception appears to drop off with either too large a particle size or too small a particle size. On the other hand, when powdered sugar of too fine a particle size is employed, poor adherency during processing results in undesirable sugar buildup on processing equipment.
Suitably sized powdered sugar is commercially available. Powdered sugar having a particle size within the above-given range can also be prepared from simple screening of other commerclal sugars. Higher particle size fractions can then be milled and sieved to prepare suitably sized ~ 16~39:~
powdered sugar. Minor amounts, i.e., a few percent, of under or oversize sugar particles can be tolerated without departing from the advantages of the present invention.
As used herein, the term '1sugar" is used in its conventional sense to refer to both mono- and disaccharides including sucrose, dextrose, fructose, glucose and mixtures thereof. The preferred sugar for use herein is sucrose.
With regard to the embodiments of the present lnvention whereln the sugar includes fructose, it is another surprising advantage that the resultant products exhibit minimal stickiness and/or bridglng between the cereal pieces. Normally, cereals coated with hydroscopic materials such as fructose undesirably exhibit pronounced stickiness or bridging over time.
In another embodiment of the present invention, part of the essential sugar coating ingredients can be mixed together with the liquid edible oil to form a sugar/oil slurry. Water addition to the sugar/oil slurry is to be strictly avoided so as to prevent disolvlng the powdered sugar. Up to about 20% of the total powdered sugars component can be applied to the cereal base by admlxture with the liquid edible oil. This embodiment of the present lnvention has particular usefulness when high levels of sugar coating are desired.
The sugar coating step can be practiced using conventional coating equipment such as an enrober. While the edible oil is still liquid, the powdered sugar can be simply added to the enrober and the cereal base piece tumbled until substantially all the sugar has been picked up.
~ 16~919 If desired, after the sugar coating step, the powdered sugar coated cereal base can be coated a second time by applying or enrobing the coated cereal pieces with an edible oil which can be identical or different from the edible oil used in the first oil coating step. The weight ratio of cereal base to edible oil in this second oil coating step desirably ranges up to about 1:0.04. The second oil coating step is practiced in a manner similar to the first oil coating step, i.e., at an oil temperature greater than the melting point of the oil. The second oil coating step enables the realization of sugar-coated cereal pieces exhibiting even lower sugar coating losses. Sur-prisingly, with such modest amounts of edible oil being applied to the surface of the powdered sugar coating, the desirable appearance of the coating is not substantially adversely affected.
..
E. Cooling After the sugar coating step, the cereal pieces are desirably cooled to below the melting point of the - 20 edible oil to form the present powdered sugar-coated puffed cereal pieces. Conventionally, the cereal pieces are merely allowed to come to ambient temperature.
A variety of optional lngredients can also be added either to the edible oil or tQ the dry sugar. Such optional ingredients can include flavors, colors, vitamins, preservatives, and the like. If present, such ingredients can comprise up to about 15 parts per 100 parts cereal base.
The methods and products of the present invention are illustrated by the following examplesO
~ 3~9~9 EXAMPLE I
A presweetened, powdered sugar-coated cereal of the present lnvention is prepared using 500 grams of Cheerios~ brand puffed oat cereal. The pufred oat cereal base pieces are dried in a tray drier at 160F. until samples are determined to have a moisture content of less than 2%. Thereafter, 40 gr. of 92 (i.e., having a melting point of 92F. ) coconut oil is heated to 130F. and applied to the still warm cereal base pieces by adding both the cereal pieces and the oil to an enrober. Immediately thereafter, 150 grams of powdered sugar are added to the enrober. The powdered sugar is ground to have the following sieve screen analysis:
' 1 On U. S. Standard No. 100: 1-2% 2 On U. S. Standard No. 230: 20-25%
On U. S. Standard No. 400: 35-40%3 l. 149 micron sieve opening 2. 63 micron sieve opening 3. 37 micron sieve opening Thereafter, the powdered sugar-coated cereal pieces are allowed to cool to room temperature, about 680F.
Excellent coated cereals are realized when an equivalent amount of a standard commercial grade of powdered sugar, 6X, is used in place of the ground powdered sugar.
EXAMPLE II
A presweetened, powdered sugar-coated cereal of the present invention is prepared by using 500 gr. of the puffed cereal in Example I as the cereal base. After puffing, the cereal is dried to less than 2% moisture in a tray drier at 150F. and charged to an enrober. Thereafter, 80 gr. of 760 coconut oil heated to 100F. are applied to the still warm (apx. 130F.) cereal pleces by spraying.
Then 200 gr. of a 1:1 mixture of dextrose and fructose are added to the oil enrobed cereal pieces. The coated cereal pieces were then allowed to cool to form a powdered sugar coated R-T-~ cereal.
EXAMPLE III
A presweetened cereal is prepared using 500 gr. of the puffed oat cereal pieces which were dried as in the previous examples. 300 gr. of 115 shortening containing 5 gr. of artificial doughnut flavor, a blend of hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oil, was mixed with 100 gr. of equal mixture three sugar blend of sucrose, fructose and sucrose and are heated to 125F. and sparged into an enrober containing the warm (e.g. 125F.) cereal pieces to form the oil enrobed cereal base. Thereafter, 400 gr. of powder mix containing 50 gr. cocoa powder, 5 gr. vanilla powder and the balance sucrose are added to the enrober. The powder mix as well as the three sugar blend have the following sieve screen analysis:
On U. S. Standard No. 100 1-2%
On U. S. Standard No. 230: 50%
On U. S. Standard No. 400: 35-40%
The powdered sugar-coated cereal pieces are then sprayed with 25 gr. of 960 coconut oil and allowed to cool. An excellent, high sugar, powdered sugar-coated cereal exhiblting mlnimal sugar loss ls provided.
Another problem which arises is to achieve a desirably high amount of powdered sugar coating. While small amounts of powdered sugar readily adhere to the cereal piece surface, e.g., weight ratios of sugar coating to puffed cereal base of about 0.05:1.0, attempts at providing higher coating to base ratios conventional for presweetened cereals face the problem of insufficient adherency for the extra sugar to remain on the cereal piece.
Still another problem is referred to herein as "sugar loss." While powdered sugar may initially adhere to the cereal base piece, sugar particles can subsequently fall off during normal distribution and handling yielding the product unacceptable to the consumer. Sugar loss can be expressed as a percentage of sugar applied as a coating.
The problem of sugar loss becomes more severe as the weight ratio of powdered sugar to cereal base increases.
It is known, however, that sugar syrups can be made which are either sticky or non-sticky. While sticky syrups seemingly would be useful to bind powdered sugar to the cereal base pleces, certain difficulties arise in practice. Sticky sugar syrups are non-crystalline.
~ 1 689 1 9 Additionally, such syrups are generally high in moisture content. Syrups also do not readily adhere to the oil coating. Moreover, high moisture content syrups, if applied, would require prompt finish drying.
However, still another problem unexpectedly arises with regard to finish drying. Typically, presweetened cereal pieces are dried after application of a sugar syrup or slurry to dry both the coating and the puffed dough of the cereal piece. If the cereal piece is insufficiently finished dried, the cereal piece quickly loses its desirable frangibility and is perceived as being "stale. 17 If desirably large amounts of oil are applied to the cereal piece's exterior surface to simulate doughnut organoleptic properties, then conventional drying techniques not only fail to accomplish drying of the cereal piece due to moisture loss prevention by an oil surface barrier, but also, the heated oil "greases" the powdered sugar coating to give an unattractive appearance to the cereal product as well as migrating into the cereal piece base.
It has been surprisingly discovered, however, that these multiple problems can be surmounted and presweetened cereals can be provlded which do simulate powdered sugar doughnuts by the methods of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVÉNTION
The present invention relates to methods ror the preparation of ready-to-eat presweetened puffed cereals simulating doughnuts coated with powdered sugar. The present methods essentially comprise the steps in sequence of providing a puffed cereal base, and then drying the cereal base to less than about 4% moisture. Thereafter, the dried cereal base is enrobed with a first material comprising an edible oil. The edible oil has a melting point of from about 70F. to 120~. The weight ratio of cereal base to the first material ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:0.45. The oil is applied at a temperature sufficiently high such that the oil remains liquid while being enrobed onto the cereal base.
Thereafter, the cereal is coated with a second material comprising a dry, solid powdered sugar. The sugar essentially ranges in particle size between about 15 to 200 microns. The weight ratio of cereal base to sugar essentially ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:1Ø Thereafter, the powdered sugar coated cereal is cooled to less than the melting point of the edible oil.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to puffed, ready-to-eat sugar-coated cereals simulating powdered sugar-coated doughnuts and to methods of their preparation. The present method comprises the steps in sequence of a) providing a puffed cereal base; b) drying the cereal base to less than about 2% moisture; c) enrobing the dried cereal base with a first material comprising an edible oili d) coating the cereal base wlth a dry solid powdered sugar; and, e) cooling the cereal to form the present powdered sugar-coated cereals. Each of these preparation steps are described in detail below.
Throughout the specification and claims, percentages and ratios are by weight and temperatures given in degrees Fahrenheit, unless otherwise indicated.
` ~6~919 A. Providing a Puffed Cereal Base The present methods of preparation essentially comprise the step of providing a puffed cereal base. Any conven-tional puffed cereal or method of preparation can be used herein to provide a puffed cereal base. The art is replete with such compositions and their methods of preparation and the skill-ed artisan will have no problem selecting suitable compositions or methods of preparation. Exemplary compositions and methods of puffed cereal preparation are found in, for example, United States 3,464,827 (issued Sep-tember 2, 1969 to T. Tsuchiya et al.)i United States 3,600,193 (issued August 17, 1971 to E. F. Glabel et al.); United States 3,246,990 (issued April l9, 1966 to Thompson et al.); and United S-tates 3,687,687 (issued Augus-t 29, 1982 to Alexander L. Liepa).
B. Drying the Puffed Cereal Base . . _ It is essential to the present invention to dry the puffed cereal base pieces to a moisture content of less than about 4~, preferably about 2~, prior to any application of the edible oil. Typically, past methods of R-T-E
cereal preparation have dried the cereal pieces after application of various types of surface coatings to dehydrate the pieces to form dry coated cereal pieces. In the present method of preparation, however, the oil coating can prevent moisture escape from the interior of the cereal piece. Addi-tionally, moisture addition to the cereal after oil coating is to be avoided in con-trast to past me-thods involving application of sugar solutions or slurries.
` l 168~19 Any conventional drying technique can be used to reduce the moisture content of the cereal base pieces. The drying can be accomplished using equipment such as a rotary bed, tray or belt driers. Simple hot air convection drying, e.g., 1~0F. to 180F., is the preferred technique for practicing the present cereal piece drying step.
C. Enrobing the Cereal Base After drying, the cereal base is essentially enrobed with a first material comprising an edible oil. The weight ratio of cereal base to edible oil essentially ranges from about 1:0.05 to 1:0.45, preferably from about 1:0.05 to 0O15. Insufficient amounts of edible oil can adversely affect the adherency of the powdered sugar coating expressed as high sugar coating losses. Excessive oil application, however, can adversely affect the organoleptic properties of the finlshed product.
It is important that the edible oil have a melting point ranging from about 70F. to 120F. Lower melting point oils are generally too low in viscosity to provide good adhesion of the sugar. High melting point fats are to be avoided so as to avoid a waxy mouthfeel when the product is consumed.
It is also important that''both the cereal base and edible oil be sufficiently warm duri'ng the enrobing step such that the oil remains liquid while being enrobed onto the cereal base to form a liquid oil enrobed cereal base.
Thus, the cereal bases should be at least about as warm as the melting point of the oil. Generally, the cereal base is still warm as it exits the drier and can range up to 160F.
in temperature and successfully be coated with oll.
Preferably, the cereal base is at least about 100F.
Moreover, the oll should be sufficiently warm so as to remain liquid after it has been applied to the cereal base pieces. Good results are obtained when, for example, the oil is applied at a temperature ranging of approximately 20F. to 400F. above its melting point, that is from about 90F. to 160F.
Suitable edible oil or fatty triglyceridic materials include, for example, those derived from any of the naturally occurring glyceridic materials such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower seed oil and palm oil. Other suitable edible fatty tri-glyceridic materials and methods of their preparation are described in detail in Bailey "Industrial Oil and Fat Products," published by John Wiley & Sons Publishing Company, N.Y. Typically, such materials will be partially hydrogenated (i.e., to an Iodine Value of less than about 80) to extend shelf storage. The preferred edible oil for use herein is 98 coconut oil, (i.e., hydrogenated to have a melting point of about 980F.) Any conventional application apparatus and technique can be employed to practice the present oil coating step. Thus, for example, the oil can be sprayed onto the cereal base pieces while béing tumbled in an enrober.
D. Coating with Powdered Sugar The oil enrobed cereal base is next essentially coated with a powdered sugar coating while the OJ 1 iS still ~ 1 6~ 1 9 llquid. The cereal base to sugar coating ratio essentially ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:1.0, preferably from about 1:0.15 to 1:0.30.
The particle size range of the sugar essentially ranges from about 15 to 200 microns. It has been surprisingly discovered that powdered sugar having a particle size or particle slze distrlbution w~thin the above-given range adheres better to the oil enrobed cereal base pieces and allows the realization of R-T-E cereals having deslrable high ratios of sugar coating to cereal base. Another advantage of the present invention is that the sugared pieces lose less of their sugar coating upon handling, i.e. exhibit lower sugar losses. Still another advantage of employing powdered sugar of the given particle size is that greater amounts of sugar are able to be coated onto the cereal piece per given surface area.
Large granulation sugar fails to coat the cereal pieces evenly exhibiting a blotched coating. Also, while the precise phenomenon is not understood, for a given level of sugar and particularly when the sugar is fructose, the sweetness perception appears to drop off with either too large a particle size or too small a particle size. On the other hand, when powdered sugar of too fine a particle size is employed, poor adherency during processing results in undesirable sugar buildup on processing equipment.
Suitably sized powdered sugar is commercially available. Powdered sugar having a particle size within the above-given range can also be prepared from simple screening of other commerclal sugars. Higher particle size fractions can then be milled and sieved to prepare suitably sized ~ 16~39:~
powdered sugar. Minor amounts, i.e., a few percent, of under or oversize sugar particles can be tolerated without departing from the advantages of the present invention.
As used herein, the term '1sugar" is used in its conventional sense to refer to both mono- and disaccharides including sucrose, dextrose, fructose, glucose and mixtures thereof. The preferred sugar for use herein is sucrose.
With regard to the embodiments of the present lnvention whereln the sugar includes fructose, it is another surprising advantage that the resultant products exhibit minimal stickiness and/or bridglng between the cereal pieces. Normally, cereals coated with hydroscopic materials such as fructose undesirably exhibit pronounced stickiness or bridging over time.
In another embodiment of the present invention, part of the essential sugar coating ingredients can be mixed together with the liquid edible oil to form a sugar/oil slurry. Water addition to the sugar/oil slurry is to be strictly avoided so as to prevent disolvlng the powdered sugar. Up to about 20% of the total powdered sugars component can be applied to the cereal base by admlxture with the liquid edible oil. This embodiment of the present lnvention has particular usefulness when high levels of sugar coating are desired.
The sugar coating step can be practiced using conventional coating equipment such as an enrober. While the edible oil is still liquid, the powdered sugar can be simply added to the enrober and the cereal base piece tumbled until substantially all the sugar has been picked up.
~ 16~919 If desired, after the sugar coating step, the powdered sugar coated cereal base can be coated a second time by applying or enrobing the coated cereal pieces with an edible oil which can be identical or different from the edible oil used in the first oil coating step. The weight ratio of cereal base to edible oil in this second oil coating step desirably ranges up to about 1:0.04. The second oil coating step is practiced in a manner similar to the first oil coating step, i.e., at an oil temperature greater than the melting point of the oil. The second oil coating step enables the realization of sugar-coated cereal pieces exhibiting even lower sugar coating losses. Sur-prisingly, with such modest amounts of edible oil being applied to the surface of the powdered sugar coating, the desirable appearance of the coating is not substantially adversely affected.
..
E. Cooling After the sugar coating step, the cereal pieces are desirably cooled to below the melting point of the - 20 edible oil to form the present powdered sugar-coated puffed cereal pieces. Conventionally, the cereal pieces are merely allowed to come to ambient temperature.
A variety of optional lngredients can also be added either to the edible oil or tQ the dry sugar. Such optional ingredients can include flavors, colors, vitamins, preservatives, and the like. If present, such ingredients can comprise up to about 15 parts per 100 parts cereal base.
The methods and products of the present invention are illustrated by the following examplesO
~ 3~9~9 EXAMPLE I
A presweetened, powdered sugar-coated cereal of the present lnvention is prepared using 500 grams of Cheerios~ brand puffed oat cereal. The pufred oat cereal base pieces are dried in a tray drier at 160F. until samples are determined to have a moisture content of less than 2%. Thereafter, 40 gr. of 92 (i.e., having a melting point of 92F. ) coconut oil is heated to 130F. and applied to the still warm cereal base pieces by adding both the cereal pieces and the oil to an enrober. Immediately thereafter, 150 grams of powdered sugar are added to the enrober. The powdered sugar is ground to have the following sieve screen analysis:
' 1 On U. S. Standard No. 100: 1-2% 2 On U. S. Standard No. 230: 20-25%
On U. S. Standard No. 400: 35-40%3 l. 149 micron sieve opening 2. 63 micron sieve opening 3. 37 micron sieve opening Thereafter, the powdered sugar-coated cereal pieces are allowed to cool to room temperature, about 680F.
Excellent coated cereals are realized when an equivalent amount of a standard commercial grade of powdered sugar, 6X, is used in place of the ground powdered sugar.
EXAMPLE II
A presweetened, powdered sugar-coated cereal of the present invention is prepared by using 500 gr. of the puffed cereal in Example I as the cereal base. After puffing, the cereal is dried to less than 2% moisture in a tray drier at 150F. and charged to an enrober. Thereafter, 80 gr. of 760 coconut oil heated to 100F. are applied to the still warm (apx. 130F.) cereal pleces by spraying.
Then 200 gr. of a 1:1 mixture of dextrose and fructose are added to the oil enrobed cereal pieces. The coated cereal pieces were then allowed to cool to form a powdered sugar coated R-T-~ cereal.
EXAMPLE III
A presweetened cereal is prepared using 500 gr. of the puffed oat cereal pieces which were dried as in the previous examples. 300 gr. of 115 shortening containing 5 gr. of artificial doughnut flavor, a blend of hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oil, was mixed with 100 gr. of equal mixture three sugar blend of sucrose, fructose and sucrose and are heated to 125F. and sparged into an enrober containing the warm (e.g. 125F.) cereal pieces to form the oil enrobed cereal base. Thereafter, 400 gr. of powder mix containing 50 gr. cocoa powder, 5 gr. vanilla powder and the balance sucrose are added to the enrober. The powder mix as well as the three sugar blend have the following sieve screen analysis:
On U. S. Standard No. 100 1-2%
On U. S. Standard No. 230: 50%
On U. S. Standard No. 400: 35-40%
The powdered sugar-coated cereal pieces are then sprayed with 25 gr. of 960 coconut oil and allowed to cool. An excellent, high sugar, powdered sugar-coated cereal exhiblting mlnimal sugar loss ls provided.
Claims (6)
1. A process for forming a ready-to-eat cereal having a powdered sugar coating, consisting essentially of the steps, in sequence of:
(A) providing a puffed cereal base;
(B) drying the cereal base to less than about 4%
moisture to form a dried base; thereafter (C) enrobing the dried base with a first material comprising an edible oil wherein the edible oil has a melting point of from about 70°F. to 120°F., wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to oil ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:0.45, and wherein the temperature of the first material is sufficiently high such that the oil remains liquid while being enrobed onto the cereal base to form a liquid oil enrobed cereal base;
(D) coating the liquid oil-enrobed cereal base with a second material comprising a dry, solid powdered sugar wherein the sugar has a particle size ranging from about 15 to 200 microns, and wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to sugar ranging from about 1:0.15 to 1:1 to form a powdered sugar-coated cereal; and E) cooling the powdered sugar-coated cereal to less than the melting point of the edible oil.
(A) providing a puffed cereal base;
(B) drying the cereal base to less than about 4%
moisture to form a dried base; thereafter (C) enrobing the dried base with a first material comprising an edible oil wherein the edible oil has a melting point of from about 70°F. to 120°F., wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to oil ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:0.45, and wherein the temperature of the first material is sufficiently high such that the oil remains liquid while being enrobed onto the cereal base to form a liquid oil enrobed cereal base;
(D) coating the liquid oil-enrobed cereal base with a second material comprising a dry, solid powdered sugar wherein the sugar has a particle size ranging from about 15 to 200 microns, and wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to sugar ranging from about 1:0.15 to 1:1 to form a powdered sugar-coated cereal; and E) cooling the powdered sugar-coated cereal to less than the melting point of the edible oil.
2. The method of Claim 1 wherein the first material additionally comprises a dry, solid powdered sugar and wherein the sugar has a particle size ranging from about 50 to 200 microns and wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to sugar ranges up to about 1:0.2.
3. The method of Claim 2 additionally comprising, prior to cooling, the step of:
enrobing the powdered sugar-coated cereal with an edible oil wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to oil ranges up to about 1.0:0.04 and wherein the temperature of the first material is sufficiently high such that the oil remains liquid while being enrobed onto the cereal base.
enrobing the powdered sugar-coated cereal with an edible oil wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to oil ranges up to about 1.0:0.04 and wherein the temperature of the first material is sufficiently high such that the oil remains liquid while being enrobed onto the cereal base.
4. The method of Claim 3 wherein the temperature of the first material ranges from about 90°F. to 160°F.
5. The method of Claim 4 wherein the weight ratio of cereal base to sugar ranges from about 1:0.15 to 1:0.45 and the weight ratio of cereal base to oil ranges from about 1:0.06 to 1:0.15.
6. The method of Claim 5 wherein the edible oil is coconut oil and the sugar is sucrose.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US28056881A | 1981-07-06 | 1981-07-06 | |
| US280,568 | 1981-07-06 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1168919A true CA1168919A (en) | 1984-06-12 |
Family
ID=23073646
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000404585A Expired CA1168919A (en) | 1981-07-06 | 1982-06-07 | Cereal having a powdered sugar coating and method of preparation |
Country Status (4)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS5847455A (en) |
| KR (1) | KR880001875B1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU8505882A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1168919A (en) |
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7959961B2 (en) | 2005-02-03 | 2011-06-14 | General Mills Ip Holdings Ii, Llc | Food products containing rice bran oil |
| US8119174B2 (en) | 2004-04-26 | 2012-02-21 | General Mills Ip Holdings Ii, Llc | Low sugar presweetened dry coated cereals and method of preparation |
| US8137720B2 (en) | 2004-04-26 | 2012-03-20 | General Mills Ip Holdings Ii, Llc | Low sugar presweetened coated cereals and method of preparation |
| US20130071523A1 (en) * | 2011-09-21 | 2013-03-21 | Christopher J. Barrett | Sweetened food product and methods of preparation |
| CN115251299A (en) * | 2022-08-12 | 2022-11-01 | 江苏豪蓓特食品有限公司 | Flavor grain ball and production process thereof |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP6236662B2 (en) * | 2013-11-08 | 2017-11-29 | ハウス食品グループ本社株式会社 | Sugar-coated snack food and method for producing the same |
-
1982
- 1982-06-07 CA CA000404585A patent/CA1168919A/en not_active Expired
- 1982-06-21 AU AU85058/82A patent/AU8505882A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1982-07-05 JP JP57115634A patent/JPS5847455A/en active Pending
- 1982-07-06 KR KR8203002A patent/KR880001875B1/en active
Cited By (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US8119174B2 (en) | 2004-04-26 | 2012-02-21 | General Mills Ip Holdings Ii, Llc | Low sugar presweetened dry coated cereals and method of preparation |
| US8137720B2 (en) | 2004-04-26 | 2012-03-20 | General Mills Ip Holdings Ii, Llc | Low sugar presweetened coated cereals and method of preparation |
| US7959961B2 (en) | 2005-02-03 | 2011-06-14 | General Mills Ip Holdings Ii, Llc | Food products containing rice bran oil |
| US20130071523A1 (en) * | 2011-09-21 | 2013-03-21 | Christopher J. Barrett | Sweetened food product and methods of preparation |
| US20150289555A1 (en) * | 2011-09-21 | 2015-10-15 | General Mills, Inc. | Sweetened food product and method of preparation |
| US10609947B2 (en) * | 2011-09-21 | 2020-04-07 | General Mills, Inc. | Sweetened food product and methods of preparation |
| US10617142B2 (en) | 2011-09-21 | 2020-04-14 | General Mills, Inc. | Sweetened food product and method of preparation |
| US11632977B2 (en) | 2011-09-21 | 2023-04-25 | General Mills, Inc. | Sweetened food product and methods of preparation |
| CN115251299A (en) * | 2022-08-12 | 2022-11-01 | 江苏豪蓓特食品有限公司 | Flavor grain ball and production process thereof |
| CN115251299B (en) * | 2022-08-12 | 2023-10-10 | 江苏豪蓓特食品有限公司 | Flavored cereal balls and production process |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU8505882A (en) | 1983-01-13 |
| KR880001875B1 (en) | 1988-09-27 |
| JPS5847455A (en) | 1983-03-19 |
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