EP2131677A1

EP2131677A1 - Food product manufacture

Info

Publication number: EP2131677A1
Application number: EP08718698A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Brian John Smith; Richard Fisk; Kevin Wrathall; Martin Peter Read
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Grindle Jayne; HARRIS, GUY; Wathes Martin
Priority date: 2007-03-14
Filing date: 2008-03-12
Publication date: 2009-12-16
Also published as: GB0704888D0; WO2008110792A1; GB2447479A; GB2447479B

Abstract

Food products which contain bread material and potato material are known. However, there are difficulties with regard to utilizing fresh, fully hydrated bread material. It is necessary to reduce the level of hydration of the bread material to an acceptable level typically in the range 1 %-10% by weight. By taking the initial fresh fully hydrated bread material, shredding and drying to the desired levels and with dried bread particles of desired dimensions an appropriate food snack can be prepared.

Description

Food Product Manufacture

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for making a food product. The present invention also relates to a food product made according to such a method and to a mixture for use in the manufacture of a food product.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is known to make a food product in the form of a snack food using a combination of fresh, fully hydrated, bread material and potato material, amongst other ingredients.

Difficulties have, however, been encountered with the use of fresh, fully hydrated, bread material in the manufacture of the food product and it would, therefore, be desirable to provide a method for making a food product which mitigates these difficulties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for making a food product, the method comprising forming a mixture of bread material and potato material, shaping the mixture of bread material and potato material, and heating the shaped mixture to form a food product, the method comprising hydrating at least the bread material to form hydrated bread material, the bread material having an initial moisture content between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% prior to hydration. The step of hydrating at least the bread material may comprise hydrating the bread material prior to forming the mixture of bread material and potato material, and the step of forming the mixture may thus comprise forming a mixture of hydrated bread material and potato material.

The step of hydrating at least the bread material may be carried after formation of the mixture of bread material and potato material, and the step of forming the mixture may thus comprise forming a mixture of dried bread material, having said initial moisture content, and potato material.

The bread material may have an initial moisture content between 2 wt.% and 6 wt.%.

The step of hydrating the bread material may increase the moisture content of the bread material from said initial moisture content to a moisture content between 50 wt.% and 66 wt.%. Typically, wetting materials, such as water, may be added to the bread material in an amount between 100% and 200% of the weight of the bread material prior to hydration.

The method may comprise providing fresh bread material which may have a moisture content between 30 wt.% and 60 wt.%. The method may comprise drying the fresh bread material to provide bread material having said initial moisture content. The method may comprise heating the fresh bread material to form the dried bread material.

The dried bread material may comprise dried bread particles. The dried bread particles may each have a maximum dimension of between 1mm and 5mm.

The fresh bread material may comprise a¹ body of fresh bread material. The method may comprise shredding the body of fresh bread material to provide shredded fresh bread material. The method may comprise heating the shredded fresh bread material to form bread material having said initial moisture content. The method may comprise comminuting the shredded bread material form bread particles having said initial moisture content.

The step of heating the shaped mixture to form a food product may comprise heating the shaped mixture such that the resultant formed food product has a moisture content between 0.5 wt% and 5 wt.%.

According, to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food product made in accordance with the method of the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mixture for use in making a food product, the mixture comprising rehydrated dried bread material and potato material, the dried bread material having an initial moisture content between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% prior to rehydration.

The rehydrated dried bread material may have an initial moisture content between 2 wt.% and 6 wt.% prior to rehydration.

The rehydrated dried bread material may comprise rehydrated dried bread particles. The dried bread particles may each have a maximum dimension of between 1mm and 5mm prior to rehydration.

The mixture of rehydrated dried bread material and potato material may be adapted to be further hydrated. The mixture of rehydrated dried bread material and potato material may be adapted to be shaped and subsequently heated to form a food product.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for making a food product, the method comprising hydrating dried bread material to form hydrated bread material, forming a mixture of the hydrated bread material and potato material, shaping the mixture of hydrated bread material and potato material, and heating the shaped mixture to form a food product, wherein the dried bread material has an initial moisture content between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% prior to hydration.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for making a food product, the method comprising forming a mixture of dried bread material and potato material, hydrating the mixture to form a mixture of hydrated bread material and potato material, shaping the mixture of hydrated bread material and potato material, and heating the shaped mixture to form a food product, wherein the dried bread material has an initial moisture content between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% prior to hydration.

The methods according to the fourth and fifth aspects of the invention may comprise one or more of the steps and/or features defined above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THF; INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only to provide a better understanding of the invention.

Embodiments of the present invention are concerned with the manufacture of a food product, and in particular with the manufacture of a snack food product, comprising, as primary ingredients, bread material and potato material.

In accordance with the invention, the bread material used in the manufacture of the food product is dried bread material whose initial moisture content is between 1 % and 10% of the total weight of the dried bread material, and more preferably between 2% and 6% of the total weight of the dried bread material.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the dried bread material is desirably in the form of dried bread particles or granules which have a maximum dimension, typically a maximum diameter, between 1mm and 5mm. The dried bread particles are typically known as dried bread crumb or bread rusk.

In order to form the dried bread particles, a body of fresh, fully hydrated, bread material, having a moisture content typically between 30 wt.% and 60 wt.%, is initially formed. For example, yeast or chemically leavened wheat flour dough may be formed into sheets or extruded, to provide extruded dough having a convenient thickness or diameter, and the sheets of dough or extruded dough may thereafter be baked to provide the body of fresh bread material.

The body of fresh bread material is then shredded to form shredded fresh bread material which is dried by heating to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time to reduce the moisture content of the shredded fresh bread material and thereby form shredded dried bread material having a moisture content of less than 10 wt.%, as indicated above.

The shredded dried bread material is comminuted to form dried bread particles or granules of a desired size. As indicated above, typically the dried bread particles have a maximum dimension between 1 mm and 5mm.

A consumable snack food product may be made as follows using dried bread material having an initial moisture content between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% and in particular using dried bread particles, formed as discussed above, having an initial moisture content between 2 wt.% and 6 wt.%.

Initially, the dried bread particles may be mixed with water or other wetting materials, in the range of 10% to 60% of the dry weight of bread particles, and allowed to rehydrate for at least 15 minutes. The resultant hydrated, or more specifically rehydrated, bread particles may have a moisture content in the order of between 50 wt.% and 66 wt.%. In order to increase the moisture content of the dried bread particles from the aforesaid initial moisture content to this higher moisture content, the weight of the added water or other wetting materials is equivalent to one to two times (i.e. 100% to 200%) the weight of the dried bread particles.

The rehydrated bread particles are mixed with potato material to form a mixture of rehydrated bread particles and potato material. The potato material may comprise dried potato granules or flakes, which are well known and readily commercially available. Preferred grades of potato flakes or granules include those which are already well established for snack food manufacture, and in particular for the production of potato only shaped pieces of snack food, which are often fried. The granules or flakes should be light in colour with a good clean potato flavour and no off-flavours. The potato material may alternatively comprise fresh cooked mashed potato which may be prepared and comminuted or mashed by any convenient means. Fresh potatoes, if used, should be of any variety and quality suitable for making snack foods.

The dried bread particles are present in the mixture in the ratio, on a dry solids basis, from 20% to 80% by weight of dry potato solids, and the potato granules or flakes or cooked potato provides an amount of potato solids equivalent to 80% to 20% by weight of the dried bread particles.

The mixture of rehydrated bread particles and potato material forms a dough, and further hydration of the mixture may be needed to form the dough. Other materials, which may be added in the final mixing stage or subsequently, include texture modifying materials such as food starches or modified starches, wheat gluten, aerating ingredients such as sodium bicarbonate or other chemical sources of carbon dioxide or other gases, or active live yeast. Flavouring agents, such as spices and herbs, or flavour enhancers, such as monosodium glutamate, can be added to the mixture, possibly with other texture modifiers such as vegetable oils, animal fats or permitted food emulsifiers or stabilisers. The complete mixture is mixed sufficiently to produce an homogenous consistent dough mixture which in some instances may be mixed with sufficient energy to assist the further development of wheat gluten structures in the mixture which can influence the final texture properties of the resultant 5 consumable food product. Dough mixing may take typically from about 1 to 2 minutes up to 10 or 15 minutes, depending on the apparatus used and the amount of energy imparted into the dough mixture. The completed dough mixture is allowed to rest for a period of at least 30 minutes, but typically no longer than 60 minutes, to allow the moisture to equilibrate throughout the I O dough.

After resting, the dough mixture is shaped, and may for example be transferred to an apparatus for providing individual pieces of food material. These individual pieces of food material are shaped, for example formed or 15 cut, in such a way that subsequent baking or drying produces a final consumable food product having desired weight and thickness characteristics.

Sheets of food material may be formed from the dough mixture and may typically have a thickness between about 0.5mm and 10mm. Pieces of food 0 material may alternatively be cut from the dough mixture, and these may be of any convenient size although typical, convenient bite-sized products will be produced if the cut size is, in its maximum dimension, between 10mm and 50mm. 5 Alternative means of converting the dough mixture into snack-food sized pieces of food material could include depositing machines, wire cutting machines, forming machines already well known in the food industry for portioning of food materials for processing and consumption.

30 The finally formed or cut pieces of food material may be transferred to the heating and drying zone of any suitable apparatus capable of providing air temperatures in excess of, for example, 60°C and up to possibly 350⁰C. The drying out of the final pieces of food material provides the consumable food product with a crisp texture and long shelf life and, to develop flavour and colour, may be carried out at any temperature or temperature profile in the aforementioned range to balance the efficient drying of the product to the desired degree without burning with achieving the desired colour and flavour. Drying may be carried out using forced air circulation, dielectric heating, microwave heating and direct flame radiant heating and any other suitable drying and/or baking system.

As an alternative to the above, the finally formed or cut (i.e. shaped) pieces of food material may be heated by frying in suitable food oils or fats to remove moisture and to develop crisp texture and appetising taste and appearance.

In some embodiments, a combination of heating and drying processes together with frying may be employed in any order to develop desired product texture and taste characteristics.

Irrespective of the method used to transform the food material into a consumable food product, the final moisture content of the consumable food product should be in the range 0.5% to 5% of the weight of the final product. Seasonings, flavours, vegetable oil and other garnishes and coatings may also be applied to enhance taste flavour, colour and appeal.

Two specific methods for the manufacture of food products are described below.

Example 1

A food product in the form of a bread and potato snack resembling the format of a thin crisp snack biscuit is made as follows. Dried bread material in the form of bread rusk is made by mixing, in a high speed mixer, white wheat flour, water at about 60% of the flour weight and yeast at about 1% to 2% of the flour weight and salt at about 2% of the flour weight and, as an oxidising improver, ascorbic acid at about 200mg per kg of flour. After bulk fermentation to form a dough, the dough is extruded onto the band of a travelling oven in the form of continuous ribbons approximately 5mm wide where it is baked to form a body of fresh bread material having a moisture content of between 30 wt.% and 60 wt.%. The body of fresh bread material is then coarsely shredded and subsequently placed on a drying belt where the coarsely shredded fresh bread material is heated for a period of 1 to 2 hours. Heating of the coarsely shredded fresh bread material in this way dries the bread material such that the resultant initial moisture content of the shredded dried bread material is less than 6 wt.%.

The coarsely shredded dried bread material is then comminuted in a hammer mill to provide dried bread particles in the form of bread rusk, the particles ranging mostly from 1mm to 5 mm in maximum dimension. The dried bread rusk has a shelf life of up to two years and can thus advantageously be stored and transported to its point of use without mould or bacterial growth occurring.

When it is desired to form a food product, the dried bread particles are rehydrated by mixing with water and allowed to equilibrate for at least 15 minutes, before being mixed with dried potato granules in the ratio 50% by weight of bread pieces and 50% by weight of potato granules. In addition, maize starch is added as a texture improver at the rate of 5% by weight of the total dry mixture, together with aerating agents. Additional water, vegetable oil, at 3% by weight of the total dry mixture, and other materials to improve plasticity also may be added at this stage. Total added cold water is at the rate of 35% of the total weight of the dry mixture and the combination is given a thorough mixing in a spiral dough mixer. The plastic dough is then placed in the hopper of a commercial dough sheeting machine and, by a series of rolls, produces a continuous sheet of 1 to 2mm thickness which is conveyed to an automatic machine which cuts 40mm diameter discs from the dough. The cut discs are then conveyed through a forced air circulation drying oven at an air temperature of about 120°C for 20 to 35 minutes to give a final consumable food product when cool with a moisture content of less than 4% and with a crisp texture. The dried discs are then passed through fat spray and powder flavour applicators to provide a consumable food product whose characteristic taste and texture appeal to average consumers.

Example 2

A food product in the form of a bread and potato snack resembling the format of a potato crisp is made as follows.

Chemically leavened bread is made by mixing a dough of white wheat flour with water at about 60% of the flour weight and including bicarbonate of soda or other chemical leavening, and about 1% salt. The mixture is mixed quickly in a conventional bread dough mixer such as a grid-lap or spiral mixer and the dough mixture thus formed is forced from the hopper of a commercial dough extruder as small buns of about 25mm thickness onto the steel band of a conveyorised baking oven operating at a temperature of about 200°C. The buns pass through the oven for a period of 25 to 30 minutes where they rise to a thickness of more than 50mm. The bread buns are coarsely shredded and subsequently placed on a drying belt where they are heated for a period of 1 to 2 hours. The final moisture content of the coarsely shredded bread material is less than 6 wt.%.

After drying, the coarsely shredded dried bread material is comminuted in a hammer mill to produce dried bread particles ranging mostly from 1 mm to 5 mm in maximum dimension. The dried bread particles have a shelf life of up to two years and can advantageously be stored and transported to the point of use without mould or bacterial growth occurring.

Then, as in Example 1 above, the dried bread particles are utilised by rehydrating and being mixed into a dough with potato, water and other texture and flavour ingredients.

The dough is put into the hopper of a commercial wire cut depositing machine and rough textured discs of about 35 to 45mm diameter are extruded and cut from the machine directly into hot vegetable frying oil at about 375°C for 2 to 3 minutes.

The fried discs with a residual moisture content of less than 3% are, while hot, coated with powdered flavours and seasonings to provide a consumable food product in the form of a snack food resembling a potato crisp.

There is thus provided a method for making a food product which employs dried bread material in the formation of the product. The use of dried bread material to form consumable food products of the type described has been found to offer a number of significant advantages.

One advantage relates to the ability to store the bread material. In particular, dried bread material whose moisture content is less than 10 wt.%, and more preferably less than 6 wt.%, is not prone to mould or bacterial growth, as mentioned above in the Examples. Accordingly, the dried bread material can be stored for long periods, if needed, prior to use in ihe manufacture of a consumable food product.

Another advantage is that by using dried bread material, it is easier to control the moisture content of the mixture of hydrated bread material and potato material, and to thus produce an improved consumable food product. This is not the case where fresh bread is mixed with potato material, since the moisture content of the fresh bread is likely to vary depending upon the period of time for which it has been stored and how it has been stored.

A further advantage is that by using dried bread material in the form of dried 5 bread particles or granules having predetermined dimensions, the relatively uniform particle size provides an improvement to the texture of the consumable food product.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the

I O preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, instead of hydrating the dried bread material before forming the mixture of hydrated bread material and potato material, dried bread material and potato material could be mixed,

I 5 the dried bread material being hydrated during and/or after formation of the mixture.

Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be 0 understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A method for making a food product, the method comprising forming a mixture of bread material and potato material, shaping the mixture of bread 5 material and potato material, and heating the shaped mixture to form a food product, the method comprising hydrating at least the bread material to form hydrated bread material, the bread material having an initial moisture content between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% prior to hydration.

I O 2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of hydrating at least the bread material comprises hydrating the bread material prior to forming the mixture of bread material and potato material.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of forming the mixture 15 thus comprises forming a mixture of hydrated bread material and potato material.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of hydrating at least the bread material is carried out after formation of the mixture of bread 0 material and potato material.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of forming the mixture comprises forming a mixture of dried bread material, having said initial moisture content, and potato material. 5

6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the bread material has an initial moisture content between 2 wt.% and 6 wt.%.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the step of 0 hydrating the bread material increases the moisture content of the bread material from said initial moisture content to a moisture content between 50 wt.% and 66 wt.%.

8. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein wetting materials are added to the bread material in an amount between 100% and 200% of the weight of the bread material prior to hydration.

5

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the wetting material is water.

10. A method according to any preceding claim, comprising providing fresh bread material having a moisture content between 30 wt.% and 60 wt.%.

I O

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the fresh bread material is dried to provide bread material having said initial moisture content.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the fresh bread material is 15 heated to form the dried bread material.

13. A method according to claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the dried bread material comprises dried bread particles. 0

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the dried bread particles each have a maximum dimension of between 1mm and 5mm.

15. A method according to any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the fresh bread material comprises a body of fresh bread material.

25

16. A method according to claim 15, comprising shredding the body of fresh bread material to provide shredded fresh bread material.

17. A method according to claim 16, comprising heating the shredded fresh 0 bread material to form bread material having said initial moisture content.

18. A method according to claim 16 or 17, comprising comminuting the shredded bread material form bread particles having said initial moisture content.

19. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the step of heating the shaped mixture to form a food product comprises heating the shaped mixture such that the resultant formed food product has a moisture content between 0.5 wt% and 5 wt.%.

20. A method for making a food product, substantially as described above, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A food product made in accordance with the method of any of claims 1 to 20.

22. A mixture for use in making a food product, the mixture comprising rehydrated dried bread material and potato material, the dried bread material having an initial moisture content between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% prior to rehydration.

23. A mixture according to claim 22, wherein the rehydrated dried bread material has an initial moisture content between 2 wt.% and 6 wt.% prior to rehydration.

24. A mixture according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the rehydrated dried bread material comprises rehydrated dried bread particles.

25. A mixture according to claim 24, wherein the dried bread particles each have a maximum dimension of between 1mm and 5mm prior to rehydration.

26. A mixture according to any of claims 22 to 25, wherein the mixture of rehydrated dried bread material and potato material is adapted to be further hyd rated.

5 27. A mixture according to any of claims 22 to 26, wherein the mixture of rehydrated dried bread material and potato material is adapted to be shaped and subsequently heated to form a food product.

28. A mixture substantially as described above, with reference to the I 0 accompanying drawings.

29. A method for making a food product, the method comprising hydrating dried bread material to form hydrated bread material, forming a mixture of the hydrated bread material and potato material, shaping the mixture of hydrated

15 bread material and potato material, and heating the shaped mixture to form a food product, wherein the dried bread material has an initial moisture content between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% prior to hydration.

30. A method according to claim 29 and any of claims 1 to 20. 0

31. A method for making a food product, the method comprising forming a mixture of dried bread material and potato material, hydrating the mixture to form a mixture of hydrated bread material and potato material, shaping the mixture of hydrated bread material and potato material, and heating the 5 shaped mixture to form a food product, wherein the dried bread material has an initial moisture content between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% prior to hydration.

32. A method according to claim 31 and any of claims 1 to 20. 0 33. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.