GB2519979A

GB2519979A - Snack product and process of preparing a cooked snack product

Info

Publication number: GB2519979A
Application number: GB1319415.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephane Durand; Aaron Dixon; Matthew Harris
Original assignee: Moy Park Ltd
Current assignee: Moy Park Ltd
Priority date: 2013-11-04
Filing date: 2013-11-04
Publication date: 2015-05-13
Also published as: GB201319415D0

Abstract

A snack product 41 comprises a filling layer 44 sandwiched between two uncooked protein layers 42, 43 and is contained in a vacuum skin-pack 45 comprising a film suitable for contact grilling. The uncooked protein layers 42, 43 are formed from sliced fillet portions of chicken, turkey, pork, beef, lamb, duck or even fish. The filing layer 44 may be cheese, pepper and chorizo. It may also include ham or tomato. The protein layers 42 may comprise consecutive rolls of a single layer and may be a roulade product. The film 45 may also be suitable for microwave, water bath, toaster and conventional oven cooking, as well as grilling poaching and toasting. The application also details a process of preparing the sandwich product.

Description

Snack product and process of preparing a cooked snack product

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a snack product and a process of preparing a cooked snack product. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns a sandwich product and a method of preparing a sandwich product.

Background of the Invention

Faninis and other sandwich products having layers of bread with a filling sandwiched between are well known. Such products provide a quick and convenient snack but contain a significant amount of carbohydrate. how or no carbohydrate diets may lead to consumers avoiding products with high carbohydrate contents.

Meat-based snacks may have lower carbohydrate levels.

While bread-based snacks can be eaten uncooked, meat-based snacks must be cooked. Moreover, care must be taken when handling uncooked meat to ensure good food hygiene.

It is known to provide stuffed meat products in vacuum packaging. Us2011229611 describes a method of making a food product. Outer protein-based portions are bonded together around a filling by cooking in a vacuum package. As such, the product is a stuffed product, not a sandwich product.

Packaged food products are often designed to be cooked in a microwave. However, it would be convenient if products could be cooked on other devices, such as contact grills.

Recently, a film marketed as Mylar Cook by DuPont Teijin films has been developed that is suitable for use with contact grills. US3442662 and US3554770 disclose the re-heating of pre-cooked package foods in a toaster. However, re-heating of pre-cooked products does not provide as desirable an experience as eating a product cooked freshly.

The prior art does not provide a fresh-cooked protein-based snack product, that is guick, convenient and hygienic to prepare.

The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved snack product.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a snack product comprising a filling layer sandwiched between two uncooked protein layers, wherein the snack product is contained in a vacuum skin-pack comprising a film suitable for contact grilling.

A snack product comprising a filling layer sandwiched between two uncooked protein layers may be desirable for those on a low carbohydrate diet. The product may take the form of a meat-based Panini and thus present an alternative to a traditional bread-based Panini for those seeking to reduce their carbohydrate intake. For example, the snack product may contain less than 15 g carbohydrate per 100 g of product. Additionally, the use of protein for the "bread" part of a sandwich may result in a more succulent and flavoursome product than a dry bread sandwich.

Moreover, by providing the snack product comprising uncooked protein, the snack product can be cooked by the consumer shortly before eating, thus resulting in a hot, freshly-cooked snack and avoiding the taste, texture and food-safety drawbacks of re-heated products. Because the vacuum skin-pack is suitable for contact grilling the snack product can be cooked in a contact grill, for example a clam-shell grill, George Foreman' type contact grill, sandwich toaster, Panini press or toaster, whilst still in the vacuum skin-pack. That may be advantageous in that there is no need to handle the uncooked protein. Instead the vacuum skin-pack is only opened by the consumer once the protein is cooked.

Cooking the snack product in the skin-pack has further advantages. The skin-pack may retain the moisture released from the protein layers during cooking, allowing control of the texture of the product and moisture retention.

Additionally, the product being cooked surrounded by steam released from the product and trapped in the skin-pack may help to encapsulate flavours in the product and may reduce the cooking time because of the hot steam surrounding the product. The provision of the product in a skin-pack comprising a film suitable for grilling may thus improve control of texture changes, improve moisture retention and improve flavour encapsulation, resulting in succulent flavoursome products that can be cooked more quickly than products that are not provided in skin-packs suitable for grilling.

A further advantage of cooking the product in the vacuum skin-pack is that the vacuum skin-pack holds the product together untfl it is cooked. It will be appreciated that the physical structure of the product is less stable before cooking, but that the vacuum skin-pack keeps the layered structure stable during cooking. Prior art stuffed protein products have included a filling sealed inside layers of protein. For example, Kiev-style products have a filling on a bottom patty and a top patty sealed to the bottom patty. The sea: is important to stop the filling leaking. For example, the product of fJS2011229611 depends on a seal between the protein layers to stop leakage of the filling. By contrast, the applicant has appreciated that, because films are now available that can be used to make vacuum skin-packs that are suitable for contact grilling, there is no need to seal the protein layers together.

Instead, the filling layer can be sandwiched between the two protein layers, for example to create a sandwich or Panini like product, where the bread traditionally used in the sandwich or Panini has been replaced by protein. Because the product can be contact grilled in the vacuum skin-pack, the vacuum skin-pack prevents leakage of the tilling out of the sandwich structure. Such a product, where the filling layer is sandwiched between the protein layers may be more visually appealing to a consumer than a stuffed product, where the filling is sealed inside the product by sealing the protein layers around the filling. In particular, the visibility of the filling to the consumer may allow the consumer to select the product based on the attractiveness of the filling.

The filling may include a plurality of components having different compositions; including meat, multiple meat proteins, vegetables, sauces, eggs, cheese, milk, breads, pastry, batter, cereal and products and combinations thereof, including mixed combinations of proteins.

The protein layers may be dressed, coated, battered or uncoated. The protein layers can be formed, shaped or as whole muscle. The protein layers could be butchered, escailoped or flattened.

The product may be fresh or frozen. It will be appreciated that longer cooking times may be reguired for frozen products than for fresh products.

There may be multiple snack products contained in one skin-pack. There may be multi-packs of individually contained snack products.

It may be that the two uncooked protein layers comprise consecutive rolls of a single rolled protein layer. For example, the snack product may be a roulade product.

However, preferably the snack product is a sandwich product comprising an inner filling layer sandwiched between two outer uncooked protein layers. Thus it may be that there is provided a sandwich product comprising an inner filling layer sandwiched between two outer uncooked protein layers, wherein the sandwich product is contained in a vacuum skin-pack comprising a film suitable for contact grilling.

It will be appreciated that the following features of the invention may be applicable to the snack product, whether it is a roulade product, a sandwich product or another type of snack product.

The film is suitable for contaot grilling. Preferably the film is suitable for one or more of microwave, water bath, toaster and oonventional oven oooking. The film may be suitable for one or more of standard (i.e. non-contact) grilling, poaching and toasting. It is advantageous for convenience snack food products if they can be cooked in a plurality of different ways, depending on the facilities the consumer has available.

Preferably the film enables bar-marking of the protein layers of the snack product when cooked in a contact grill.

Mylar cook is an example of a film that enables bar-marking.

The protein may be meat. The protein may be fish. For example, the protein may be turkey, it may be pork, it may be beef, it may be lamb, it may be duck. Preferably the protein is chicken. The protein layers may be flattened, escalloped or butchered. In that way, a flatter product, that is a product having reduced thickness, may be produced.

It may be that the outer uncooked protein layers are a butterfly cut fillet, hingedly joined along at least part of one edge. It may be that the outer uncooked protein layers are a split fillet, that is, a fillet that has been sliced into two thin fillet portions. Using a single fillet to form both layers may be advantageous in that the product may be cheaper to produce. It may also be advantageous if producing a product to specified dimensions, as it may allow a thinner product to be produced while still retaining the advantage of the superior consumer experience of fillets compared to formed portions. It may be that each of the protein layers are fillet portions (that is they are cut from fillets), but that the two fillet portions are not both cut from the same fillet. For example, a large number of fillets may be cut into fillet portions in a first process and the snack products formed from two of the fillet portions in a second process. In such a process the two protein layers would not necessarily originate from the same fillet.

It may be that the outer uncooked protein layers are separate fillets. Two fillets may produce a luxury product with a better surface texture.

It may be that the product comprises a further protein layer sandwiched between the two outer uncooked protein layers with filling layers on either side of the further protein layer. A "club" sandwich product may thus be formed, which may be more attractive to consumers.

Preferably the product is sized and shaped to fit into a toaster slot. For example, it may be that the product has a thickness less than 5 cm, preferably less than 3 cm or more preferably less than 2 cm, a length less than 15 cm, preferably less than 12 cm or more preferably less than 10 cm, and a width less than 15 cm, preferably less than 12 cm or more preferably less than 10 cm. The skilled person will be familiar with a sandwich and will appreciate that the length and width describe the dimensions of the sandwich in the plane of the bread and that the thickness describes the dimension of the sandwich normal to that plane. The skilled person will therefore readily identify the length, width and thickness of the products of the invention by analogy. It will be appreciated that having a snack product sized to fit in a toaster slot allows the consumer to cook the product simply be putting it in a toaster. That may be attractive to consumers under time pressure or with limited cooking facilities and therefore may be an advantageous feature of the product.

It may be that the skin-pack comprises a burstable seal configured to open at a pre-determined pressure. That may be advantageous as the protein will expel moisture as steam during the cooking process, causing the pressure in the skin-pack to rise. The steaming may prevent the protein from drying out during cooking, but it would be advantageous is the final product has a crispy or browned outer surface.

Thus it may be advantageous for the skin-pack to burst after a pre-determined fraction of the cooking time, determined by the pre-determined pressure, allowing the steam to escape and the outer surfaces of the product to crisp or brown.

Preferably the skin-pack remains intact during cooking on a contact grill. In that way the product is contained within the skin-pack for the duration of the cook. That may be engineered by controlling the seal time or dwell when forming the pack. Preferably the seals of the skin-pack soften during cooking such that the skin-pack remains intact during cooking but that the seals are easily peeled open by the consumer after the product is cook.

The skin-pack may be hermetically sealed. It may be engineered to release and vent during cooking. The venting -10 -may be through laser perforation, engineered heat seal failure, label vent or any coirdoination of vent technology.

The skin-pack may be flushed with a gas of a controlled composition (modified atmosphere -MAP), for example to extend shelf life or to improve pack aesthetics. The gas can be s&Lected from a group of gases including nitrogen and inert gases or can be a combination of gases. Alternatively the skin-pack can be packed as non-MAP. The film is preferably impermeable to the contained gas.

The film may be a plain or printed film and the film materials may be either a single structure, or a laminated or co-extruded combination of materials.

For example, there may be a thermoformed pouch or tray formed using a polyester film, polyamide (nylon) film, a paper or foil laminate or any combination of these materials. There may be a horizontal flow wrapped pouch or bag manufactured using a polyester film, polyamide (nylon) film, a paper or foil laminate or any combination of these materials. There may be a pre-formed pouch or bag manufactured using a polyester film, polyamide (nylon) film, a paper or foil laminate or any combination of these materials.

Preferably, when the product is a fresh product, the product is configured to be cooked in]ess than 6 minutes on a contact grill. For example the product may be configured -1_1_ -to be cooked in between 4 minutes 30 seconds and 6 minutes, preferably between 4 ninutes and 5 minutes 30 seconds on a contact grill. Cooking times at the upper end of the ranges, for example between 5 minutes 30 seconds and 6 minutes may be desirable in that, whilst taste, tenderness and texture may be similar as for shorter cooks, the bar marking may be more defined and the browning of the product superior resulting in a more aesthetic product. The skilled person will appreciate that the cooking time will depend on the protein, the thickness of the protein, the filling, the pressure at which the skin-pack bursts, if it bursts, and other factors. The skilled person will also appreciate that the product is cooked when the protein reaches the temperature reguired by typical food hygiene reguirements.

For example, the product may be cooked once a minimum internal product temperature of 72°C has been reached for two minutes (or any time-temperature equivalent) Preferably the product comprises a strip of protein arranged around the product. For example, a rasher of bacon may be wrapped around the product. The strip of protein is preferably wrapped around the product so as to hold the protein layers together once the cooked snack-product is removed from the skin-pack. Thus the skin-pack maintains the integrity of the sandwich during transportation and cooking.

The cooking process then causes the strip of protein to adhere to the first and second protein layers such that, when the cooked product is removed from the skin-pack, the product maintains its integrity. It will be appreciated that -12 -the strip of protein may be wrapped around the produot to such an extent as is necessary to maintain the integrity of the product. For example, for a butterfly cut product, the protein strip may be wrapped across the open side of the butterfly cut, while for a sandwich-style product, the strip of protein may be wrapped around the product so as to overlap itself.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a process of preparing a cooked snack product, the process comprising providing a fresh product according to the previous aspects of the invention and cooking the product on a contact grill for between 4 minutes 30 seconds and 6 minutes, preferably between 4 minutes and 5 minutes 30 seconds. The product may be cooked for between 5 minutes 30 seconds and 6 minutes. The cooking time may be reduced by 30-50% compared to conventional oven cooking of the product.

It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the process of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the product of the invention and vice versa.

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Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sandwich product according to a first embodiment of the invention before it is placed in the skin-pack; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sandwich product 1D according to a second embodiment of the invention before it is placed in the skin-pack; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a club sandwich product according to a third embodiment of the invention before it is placed in the skin-pack; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a roulade product according to a fourth embodiment of the invention before it is placed in the skin-pack; Figure 5 is a perspective view of sandwich products according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a sandwich product according to a sixth embodiment of the invention; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the product of Figure 6 with the skin-pack open.

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Detailed Description

In Figure 1, a snack product 1 is formed from a first outer layer of protein 2 and a second outer layer of protein 3. The first outer layer of protein 2 and the second outer layer of protein 3 are formed from a single fillet that has been cut through the middle, with the two layers remaining hingedly joined along one edge. Sandwiched between the first outer protein layer 2 and the second outer protein layer 3 is a filling layer 4. In this embodiment the protein layers 2 and 3 are chicken and the filling layer 4 is cheese and ham.

In Figure 2, a snack product 11 is formed from a first outer layer of protein 12 and a second outer layer of protein 13. The first outer layer of protein 12 and the second outer layer of protein 13 are formed from fillet portions produced by slicing fillets through the middle. In this embodiment there are two separate fillet portions that form the outer protein layers 12 and 13. sandwiched between the first outer protein layer 12 and the second outer protein layer 13 is a filling layer 14. The protein layers 12 and 13 are chicken and the filling layer 14 is cheese and ham.

In Figure 3, a snack product 21 is formed from a first outer layer of protein 22 and a second outer layer of protein 23. In this embodiment the product 21 is a "club" sandwich product, with a third protein layer 25 between the -15 -first outer protein layer 22 and the second outer protein layer 23. The three layers are made from sliced fillet portions, which have been produced by slicing through fillets in two planes to divide the fillets into three fillet portions. The slicing process is carried out separately from preparing the snack product 21 and thus the protein layers 22, 23 and 25 are formed from sliced fillet portions that may have originated from different fillets.

Sandwiched between the first outer protein layer 22 and the third protein layer 25 is a first filling layer 24.

Sandwiched between the second outer protein layer 23 and the third protein layer 25 is a second filling layer 26. The protein layers 22, 23 and 25 are chicken, the first filling layer 24 is tomato and the second filling layer 25 is cheese and ham.

In Figure 4, a snack product combination 31 is formed from two snack products 32 and 33. Each snack product 32 and 33 is a roulade snack product formed from a rolled protein layer 34 and 34' with a filling layer 35 and 35' sandwiched between consecutive rolls of a the rolled protein layer 34 and 34' . The rolled protein layer 34 and 34' is a strip of fillet, in this embodiment chicken fillet. The filling layer and 35' is spinach.

In Figure 5, a snack product 41 is formed from a first outer layer of protein 42 and a second outer layer of protein 43. The first outer layer of protein 42 and the second outer layer of protein 43 are formed from fillet -16 -portions produced by slicing fillets through the middle. The slicing process is carried out separately from preparing the snack product 41 and thus the protein layers 42 and 43 are formed from sliced fillet portions that may have originated from different fillets. Sandwiched between the first outer protein layer 42 and the second outer protein layer 43 is a filling layer 44. In this embodiment the protein layers 42 and 43 are chicken and the filling layer 44 is cheese, pepper and chorizo. The product 41 is contained in a vacuum skin-pack 45 formed from Mylar Cook, a film suitable for contact grilling marketed by DuPont Teijin Films. The vacuum skin-pack 45 fits tightly around the product 41 and holds the layers 42, 43 and 44 in place during cooking. In this embodiment the skin-pack 45 also contains further accompanying ingredients: olives 46 and garlic 47. To cook the product 41, the entire product 41, inside the skin-pack is placed on a contact grill and grilled for 5 to 6 minutes. The product 41 is then removed from the skin-pack and eaten.

In Figures 6 and 7, a snack product 51 is formed from a first outer layer of protein 52 and a second outer layer of protein 53. The first outer layer of protein 52 and the second outer layer of protein 53 are formed from a single fillet that has been cut through the middle, with the two layers remaining hingedly joined along one edge. Sandwiched between the first outer protein layer 52 and the second outer protein layer 53 is a filling layer 54. In this embodiment the protein layers 52 and 53 are chicken and the -17 -filling layer 54 is cheese. The product 51 is contained in a vacuum skin-pack 55 formed from Mylar Cook, a film suitable for contact grilling marketed by Dupont Teijin Films. The vacuum skin-pack 55 fits tightly around the product 51 and holds the layers 52, 53 and 54 in place during cooking. A strip of protein 58, in this embodiment a rasher of bacon, is wrapped around the product 51 and passes across the gap 59 between the first outer layer of protein 52 and the second outer layer of protein 53. To cook the product 51, the entire product 51, inside the skin-pack 55 is placed on a contact grill and grilled. Example products were cooked for various cooking times between 4 minutes 30 seconds and 5 minutes 30 seconds on a George Foreman grill. All products were cooked satisfactorily. Example products were also cooked for 6 minutes on the same grill. Those products had similar taste, tenderness and texture, but also had more defined bar marking and superior overall product browning and were considered to be more aesthetically pleasing. The product 51 is then removed from the skin-pack 55 and eaten.

During cooking, the strip of protein 58 adheres to the first outer layer of protein 52 and the second outer layer of protein 53 and thus serves to keep the sandwich' shut when it is removed from the skin-pack 55 and the integrity of the product 51 is maintained.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art -18 -that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein.

Where in the foregoing description, integers or

elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

-19 -Claims 1. A snack product comprising a filling layer sandwiched between two uncooked protein layers, wherein the snack product is contained in a vacuum skin-pack comprising a film suitable for contact grilling.
2. A snack product according to claim 1, wherein the two uncooked protein layers comprise consecutive rolls of a single rolled protein layer.
3. A snack product according to claim 1, wherein the snack product is a sandwich product comprising an inner filling layer sandwiched between two outer uncooked protein layers.
4. A sandwich product comprising an inner filling layer sandwiched between two cuter uncooked protein layers, wherein the sandwich product is contained in a vacuum skin-pack comprising a film suitable for contact grilling.
5. A product according to any preceding claim, wherein the film is suitable for microwave, water bath and toaster cooking.
6. A product according to any preceding claim, wherein the protein is chicken, turkey, fish, pork, beef or lamb.

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7. A product according to claim 6, wherein the protein is chicken.
8. A product accnrding to any nf claims 3 to 7, wherein the outer uncooked protein layers are a butterfly cut fillet, hingedly joined along at least part of one edge.
9. A product according to any of claims 3 to 7, wherein the outer uncooked protein layers are separate fillets.
10. A product according to any of claims 3 to 7, wherein the outer uncooked protein layers are a split fillet.
11. A product according to any of claims 3 to 10, wherein the product comprises a further protein layer sandwiched between the two outer uncooked protein layers with filling layers on either side of the further protein layer.
12. A product according to any preceding claim, wherein the product is sized and shaped to fit into a toaster slot.
13. A product according to any preceding claim, wherein the product has a thickness less than 5 cm, a length less than cm and a width less than 15 cm.
14. A product according to any preceding claim, wherein the skin-pack comprises a burstable seal configured to open at a pre-determined pressure.

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15. A product according to any preceding claim wherein the protein layers are dressed, coated, battered or uncoated.
16. A product according to any preceding claim wherein the protein layers are formed, shaped or as whole muscle.
17. A product according to any preceding claim wherein the protein layers are butchered, escalloped or flattened.
18. A product according to any preceding claim, wherein the product is a fresh product.
19. A product according to any of claims 1 to 17, wherein the product is a frozen product.
20. A product according to claim 18, wherein the product is configured to be cooked in between 4 minutes 30 seconds and 6 minutes on a contact grill.
21. A process of preparing a cooked snack product, the process comprising providing a product according to claim 18 and cooking the product on a contact grill for between 4 minutes 30 seconds and 6 minutes.
22. A snack product substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.-22 -
23. A process of preparing a cooked snack product substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.