GB2393097A

GB2393097A - Snack food

Info

Publication number: GB2393097A
Application number: GB0210456A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher John Waldron
Original assignee: Ashok Bhagwanji Sanghvi; In-Q-Bator Ltd; In Q Bator Ltd
Current assignee: SANGHVI, ASHOK B
Priority date: 2002-05-08
Filing date: 2002-05-08
Publication date: 2004-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 2022-05-08
Also published as: GB2393097B; GB0210456D0

Abstract

A bite-size food product (10) comprises a pre-formed container (11) containing food filling (17) and a pre-formed cap (12) wherein the container (11) and the cap (12) each comprise an edible shell of crispy material and the cap (12) is united with the container (11) so as to envelop the filling (17). The container and cap may formed from a potato mixture from a cereal composition. The filling may be egg mayonnaise mixed with mint and/or vegetables or a chicken curry.

Description

Bite-size food product This invention relates to a food product and, more

particularly, to a bite-size food product. A food product which is Bitesize" is one which can conveniently be received wholly within the mouth.

An example of a bite-size food product is a bouchee, which comprises an open container made of puff pastry in which is poured a food filling generally comprising a sauce containing cooked food, such as diced chicken, flaked salmon or shrimp. A bouchee may include a lid, which is placed on top of the sauce. A similar product is a croustade, which comprises an open container made of a wheat flour composition, which is deep fried and provides a shell of crispy material for receiving a food filling.

Some snack foods are also in the form of shells of crispy material. These generally are potato based and are referred to as chips" or Crisps, a name associated with the brittle nature of the thin, hard characteristics of the shell.

A problem with the bouchee is that it is not sufficiently robust to be used as a snack food; it would not be a suitable food product to be dropped into a bag with other similar products and distributed through the fast moving consumer goods sector of merchandising. The same problem would arise with the croustade, because there is no provision for retaining the food filling.

A problem with existing snack foods is that they are not very nourishing; the only flavouring is that which can be added to the oil in which the basic constituents are deep fried.

i 2 It is an object of the present invention to provide a bite-size food product which can be packaged and distributed as a snack food and yet which is more nourishing than existing snack foods.

According to the present invention, there is provided a bite-size food product comprising a pre-formed container containing food filling and a pre-formed cap wherein the container and the cap each comprise an edible shell of crispy material and the cap is united with the container so as to envelop the food filing.

The invention thus provides a bite-size food product which is suitable as a snack food, because the combined shells of crispy material encapsulate and protect the food filling, and which is more nourishing than existing snack foods.

Preferably, the cap is receivable in the container.

with such an arrangement, assembly of the cap and container does not rely on coming together, rim-trim, of the cap and container, a procedure difficult to achieve at speed with shells of crispy material.

The arrangement can be achieved by providing the container with an inner wall which tapers outwardly in an upper direction.

The dimensions of the cap are such that the cap is receivable within the rim of the container and enters the container only so far that it engages the sloping inner wall of the container.

Following is a description, by way of example only and with reference to the

accompanying drawings, of one method of carrying the invention into effect.

In the drawings:

( 3 Figures 1a and 1b are diagrammatic vertical cross sections through a cap and a container respectively of one embodiment of a bite-size food product in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic vertical cross section through the container shown in Figure 1 when containing a food filling, Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, showing the filled container provided with the cap, Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation of packaging containing the food product shown in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a top plan view of the packaging shown in Figure 4, and Figure 6 is an end view of the packaging in the direction of the arrows A - A of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a bite-size food product 10 comprising an open container 11 and a cap 12, each being an edible shell formed of crispy material. The container 11 is of circular configuration in plan and is provided with a flat base 13 and an upwardly, outwardly sloping circumferential wall 14 of uniform thickness which terminates in an upper rim 15. The cap 12 comprises a hollow hemisphere having a lower rim 16.

The dimensions of the container 11 and cap 12 are such that the diameter of the rim 16 of the cap 12 is smaller than the diameter of the rim 15 of the container 11. The arrangement is such that the rim 16 of the cap 12 is receivable within the rim 15 of the container 1 1 and, therefore, the cap 12 is receivable in the container 1 1 in that the cap 12 may be lowered within the rim 15 of the container

1 1 until the rim 16 of the cap 12 engages an inner sloping surface of the wall 14 of the container 11.

The food product 10 includes an edible filling 17 which may comprise pourable ingredients commonly used for sandwich and baked potato fillings.

The food product 10 is formed by pouring the hiling 17 into the container 11 so that the filling 17 is received in the container 1 1, as shown in Figure 2, lowering the cap 12 so that the rim 16 thereof enters within the rim 15 of the container 1 1 and engages with the inner surface of the circumferential wall 14 of the container 11, as shown in Figure 3, and applying heat so that the material of the cap 12 fuses with the material of the container 1 1 where the rim 16 of the cap 12 abuts the inner surface of the wall 14 of the container 11.

In order to ensure complete bonding of the container 1 1 and cap 12, a layer of edible bonding material, such as processed cheese, may be injected between the rim 15 of the container 1 1 and the rim 16 of the cap12 prior to application of heat. The food product 10 may be packaged in a food factory by using card material 18 which, initially in the form of a rectangular sheet, is provided with spaced parallel, longitudinal score lines 19 and spaced parallel, transverse rows of perforations 20. The card material 18 is also provided with apertures 21 in areas defined by the score lines 19 and the rows of perforations 20. Opposite longitudinal margins of the sheet 18 are provided with corresponding tabs and slits 22.

Packaging would be carried out by placing a series of food products 10 in a row extending longitudinally between a pair of score lines 19 and then folding the card material 18 along the score lines 19 so as to form the configuration shown in Figures 4 to 6. The configuration is complete when the tabs and slits are inter-

engaged one with another, as shown at 22. In this configuration, waist portions

and an upper portion of each food product 10 are located in corresponding apertures 21, thereby reducing any tendency for the food products 10 to move relative to the card material 18.

The rows of perforations 20 provide a means for selectively separating a package containing one or more food products 10 from a remaining portion of the package containing remaining food products 10 without disturbing any of the food products 10 from their secure packaged condition.

In a fast food outlet, where it may be a requirement that food products 10 are to be packaged to order, the card material 18 may be severed along selected rows of perforations 20 so as to provide a package of a convenient size. For example, if six food products 10 are required for a single order, the card material 18 may be severed along selected rows of perforations 20 so that only sufficient card material 18 is provided to package six food products 10. The selected food products 10 are then packaged by folding and securing the card material 18 in the manner described above.

A series of containers 11 and caps 12 may be formed by a series of moulds which may be in the form of a tray having a series of recesses. The tray is inverted so that the recessed portions provide a series of raised formations. If the containers 1 1 and caps 12 are to be formed of potato ingredients, the surfaces of the raised formations are greased and then sprayed with a liquid potato mixture.

A second tray, this formed of wire mesh having formations corresponding to the formations of the first tray, is placed on the liquid potato mixture so the formations of the two trays are in register one with another. The combination is the reversed and the first tray is lifted from the potato mixture. The wire mesh tray carrying the uncooked potato mixture formed into containers 1 1 and caps12 is carried on a moving conveyor through a vat of heated cooking oil at a temperature at between 180 to 200 degrees Centigrade and the potato mixture is deep fried. After a period of less than a minute, the wire mesh tray is drawn from

( 6 the vat and the cooked, formed containers 11 and caps 12 are removed from the tray. It will be appreciated that, instead of being potato based, the containers 11 and the caps 12 may be of wheat, cornmeal, bread, short pastry rice flour or any other suitable material.

The food product 10, with other food products 10, may be served hot or cold in the packaging shown in Figures 4 to 6. Alternatively, the food product 10, with other food products 10, may be contained in a bag. If the food products 10 are hot, the bag may be provided with a metal foil inner lining for retaining the heat.

The basis for the filling 17 is heat-stable egg mayonnaise, which is mixed with small cuts of meat or poultry or seafood and/or vegetables and/or cheese and flavoured with seasoning. The mixture is wet and pourable and is supplied to the containers 11 by means of a nozzle. The wet filling 17 should produce a seal between each container 11 and a corresponding cap12, when the combined container 1 1, cap 12 and filling 17 is heated to a temperature between 180 to 200 degrees Centigrade for 8 to 10 minutes. Processed cheese inserted in the gap between the rim 15 of each container 1 1 and the rim 16 of each corresponding cap 12 prior to heating should enhance bonding of the containers 11 and corresponding caps 12 when subsequently heated. Tomato-based fillings and other sauces may also be used, provided that they are not too wet.

The following is an example of a tomato-based chicken tikka filling (for providing fillings for approximately 100 food products 10): lngredients Weight in grams Shallots 34.1 Tikka paste 48.4

Tinned chopped tomato92.4 Diced chicken breast172.7 Chicken stock96.9 Yoghurt (plain, low fat)105.1 Margarine1 5.2 Arrowroot powder7.7 Water32. 4 Total (before cooking)604.9 The margarine is melted in a pan at approximately 100 degrees Centigrade and the shallots and chopped tomato are mixed in. The pan is then taken off the heat and the tikka paste and stock are added and mixed in. The pan is then replaced on the heat and the diced cooked chicken and stock, mixed with the water and yoghurt, are added and mixed in. After approximately four minutes, the arrowroot powder is added and mixed in. The mixture is then stirred for approximately one further minute and the pan is removed from the heat and allowed to cool. The mixture is then ready to be poured into the containers 11.

Claims

1. A bite-size food product comprising a pre-formed container containing food filling and a pre-formed cap wherein the container and the cap each comprise an edible shell of crispy material and the cap is united with the container so as to envelop the food filing.

2. A food product as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the cap is receivable in the container.

3. A food product as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the container is provided with an inner wall which tapers outwardly in an upward direction.

4. A food product as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the container and the cap are formed of a cereal based composition.

5. A food product as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the cereal is cornmeal.

6. A food product as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the container and the cap are formed of a vegetable-based composition.

7. A food product as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the vegetable is potato.

8. A method of manufacturing a food product including the step of preforming a container of edible crispy material and pre-forming a cap of similar material.

9. A method as claimed in Claim 8 including the further steps of filling the container with a food filling, closing the container with the cap and heating

! 9 the combined container, cap and food filling so that the material of the container unites with the material of the cap.

10. A bite-size food product substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11.A method of manufacturing a food product substantially as hereinbefore described.