WO2022152972A1

WO2022152972A1 - Oat pasta and a product package

Info

Publication number: WO2022152972A1
Application number: PCT/FI2022/050022
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anssi RÄNTILÄ
Original assignee: Boltsi Oy
Priority date: 2021-01-13
Filing date: 2022-01-12
Publication date: 2022-07-21
Also published as: FI20215040A1

Abstract

Oat pasta (302, 402) and a product package, whose nutritional content is comparable with that of oats. The oat pasta (302, 402) is made by extruding a plastic mass formed of oats and water, and the nutritional content of the oat pasta comprises oat fibre in at least 10 g per 100 g, for example 11 g per 100 g, or more; and/or the nutritional content of the oat pasta (302, 402) comprises oat protein in at least 13 g per 100 g, for example 13.6 g per 100 g, or more.

Description

OAT PASTA AND A PRODUCT PACKAGE

Field of the invention

The invention relates to oat pasta and a product package for oat pasta.

Background of the invention

Oats are healthy, wholesome and nourishing food. Oats contain carbohydrates, protein and good-quality fat in a well-balanced ratio. Compared with many other cereal crops, oats have a high protein content. For example, the protein content of oat flakes is about 14 percent and that of oat bran about 16 percent. Oat protein is of good nutritional quality. It is well absorbed by the body, at more than 90 percent. Unlike rye, wheat and barley, pure oats do not contain gluten. Gluten-free oats used in food manufacture refer to oats in whose cultivation and processing steps care has been taken that no other cereal crops, such as wheat, rye or barley, have been mixed in at any stage. In practice, farmers even have to weed out other cereal crops from oat fields to produce gluten-free oats. Gluten-free oats can also be made by removing foreign grains during the processing of oats, which is done by colour sorting and screening.

An oat grain contains 3 to 18 percent of fat, depending on the variety. Most of the fat is healthy unsaturated or soft fat. The fat content of oat flakes and oat bran is about seven percent. More than 2/3 of it is unsaturated fat. The fat profile of oats is thus excellent in view of nutrition. The soft fat of oats also provides the body with linolic and alphalinolenic acid whose daily intake is essential for health. These fatty acids cannot be developed by the body, so their regular intake with food is necessary. The best sources of linolic and alphalinolenic acid in a diet are vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.

Oat fibres help with digestion. The fibres contained in oats are good for intestinal bacteria which use the fibres to strengthen the intestinal cells which, in turn, will boost the immune system. Oats are heart-friendly, because they have a high potassium content and a low sodium content. This combination is optimal for blood pressure. Furthermore, the fibre contained in oats lowers the level of cholesterol. A large proportion of the fibre contained in oats consists of beta glucan. It is a long-chain carbohydrate and soluble dietary fibre contained in oats. Beta glucan helps to control blood cholesterol levels and to balance out an increase in blood glucose levels after a meal. Wholegrain oat flakes are 100% wholegrain, so that even a couple of decilitres of oat flakes are sufficient to cover one third of the human daily need of fibre.

Oats also provide vitamins and minerals which are essential for the human well-being, as well as a number of other substances beneficial for health, such as antioxidants, phytoestrogens and plant sterols.

Pasta is a food product which is typically made of a pasta dough in which durum wheat flour and water or eggs are used as ingredients. Pasta can be dry pasta or fresh pasta. Both dry pasta and fresh pasta are cooked in water before consumption. The shelf life of fresh pasta is shorter than that of dry pasta. Fresh pasta is a fresh product which should be preserved at refrigerator temperature, whereas dry pasta is a dry food product having a stock life of several years at room temperature. The cooking time of dry pasta is longer than that of fresh pasta.

Starch contained in oats, so-called oat starch, differs from other cereal starches in its morphology and composition. The glycemic index of oats is lower than that of wheat, and the content of starch is lower in oats than in wheat.

The nutritional content of the pasta and its effect on human well-being is thus not comparable with products made of oats. Pasta is distributed and sold in product packages containing several portions of pasta. Thus, the amount of pasta portions contained in the product packages, their ingredients, nutritional content, or effect on human well-being are not comparable with those of oats.

Brief summary of the invention

It is thus an aim of the invention to develop a solution to at least some of the above mentioned problems. The aim of the invention is achieved by oat pasta and a product package which are characterized by what will be presented in the independent claims 1 , 15, 17, and 26. Independent claims 2 to 14, 16, and 18 to 25 relate to advantageous embodiments of the invention. Description of the drawings

In the following, the invention will be described with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show apparatuses and steps for preparing oat pasta according to at least some embodiments;

Figs. 3 and 4 show examples of oat pasta according to at least some embodiments;

Fig. 5 shows an example of a method for preparing oat pasta according to at least some embodiments;

Fig. 6 shows an example of a method for preparing oat pasta according to at least some embodiments; and

Fig. 7 shows an example of a part of an apparatus for preparing oat pasta by hot extrusion and cold extrusion.

Detailed description of the invention

In the following, a food product made of oats, and its preparation, will be described.

The parts of an oat grain comprise, listed from the inside out, the kernel (endosperm), the aleurone layer, the pericarp, the germ at the end of the grain, and, outermost, the hull, i.e. the husk. In the processing of the food product, the oats are husked, because the husk primarily consists of indigestible lignocellulose, and the husk feels woody in the mouth. The husk is often burnt and utilized for energy. Husked oats are subjected to thermal treatment to remove the lipase enzyme contained therein, and the husked oats become non-perishable. A husked and thermally treated oat grain is soft compared with other cereal crops.

The oat kernel is rich in carbohydrates, proteins and a very rich in oil compared with other cereal crops in which oil is found primarily in the germ. The oat germ constitutes a small proportion of the weight of the husked grain, and it is easily removed or broken upon de-husking of oats. The aleurone layer contains proteins and is rich in soluble beta glucan. The softness of the oat grain and the high oil content of the kernel make it difficult to separate oat fractions, such as concentrated beta glucan, protein, and oil.

Husked oats are used for producing, for example, flakes, cut pieces of oats, oat flour, and oat bran. When all the elements of husked oats are included in the product, it is wholegrain oats. In the production of oat bran, large pieces are separated from wholegrain oat flour, at least half of the weight of the oat flour. The large pieces constitute a bran fraction which consists primarily, but not solely, of the surface layers of husked oats. A lot of fibre and protein is removed with the bran. Flour obtained from the separation of bran is often called kernel flour. Kernel flour is rich in starch but it also contains oil and protein, although not as much as bran. Kernel flour is also formed upon separation of concentrated beta glucan.

Oats are used as an ingredient in the food product and in the preparation described herein. Oats, for example oat fibre and oat protein, have advantageous properties which are provided in the food product made by the method described herein. Typically, oats contain more than 9 g of fibre, that is, oat fibre, per 100 g. Part of this, typically about 3 to 5%, is beta glucan. Oats also contain protein, that is, oat protein, typically more than12 g per 100 g, for example 13 g per 100 g or 14 g per 100 g. Oats contain fat 3 to 18 g per 100 g, for example 7 g per 100 g or 7.2 g per 100 g. The oats may comprise processed wholegrain products or processed parts of oats grain, or a combination of these. The processed whole grain products or processed grain parts may be, for example, flakes or flour. The processed wholegrain product may comprise, for example, wholegrain oats. The processed grain parts may comprise, for example, kernel oats, kernel flour, oat bran, and various concentrated oat fractions. In kernel oats, such as kernel oat flour, i.e. kernel flour, one or more layers covering the germ have been removed from the oat grain. Outermost in the oat grain, there are bran layers which contain fibre and minerals.

A food product made of oats may be oat pasta. After cooking, oat pasta is ready for consumption. The oat pasta may be fresh pasta, i.e. fresh oat pasta, or dry pasta, i.e. dry oat pasta. Both are cooked in water before consumption. Fresh oat pasta may be an intermediate product for making dry oat pasta. In this case, dry oat pasta is made by drying fresh oat pasta at a low temperature, whereby substantially all moisture evaporates from the fresh oat pasta, to provide a sufficient shelf life.

Oat pasta according to the invention can be made from oats and water by an extruder. In a thermomechanical process in the extruder, under the influence of heat and mechanical energy, a plastic mass is formed of oats and water. In the thermomechanical process, starch contained in oats becomes gluey and is partly dissolved in water, forming a gel. When the raw material becomes gluey, the oat starch is gelatinized. In the plastic mass, part of the fat in the oats is attached to the starch, i.e. by encapsulating the amylase fraction of the starch, protecting the amylose fraction of the starch from oxidation.

The following factors are effective on the mechanical energy level of the extruder:

1 . Oat properties

2. Extruder adjustments

2.1 Screw length

2.2 Screw adjustments

2.3 Nozzle adjustments

3. Operating settings

3.1 Feed rate

3.2 Moisture

3.3 Relative temperature in tube parts

3.4 Screw rotation speed

The mechanical energy level can be determined by measuring, for example, the electric current or the torque causing a pressure in the extruder nozzles or in their vicinity. Similarly, the same parameters are effective on the pressure as on the mechanical energy. In normal extrusion, the pressure is in a range from 15 to 150 bar, for example from 50 to 150 bar or from 15 to 50 bar.

Figure 1 shows an apparatus and steps for making dry oat pasta according to at least some embodiments. The apparatus 100 is illustrated as functional units which may vary in structural implementation. The functional units of the apparatus may be implemented as one or more structural units. In other words, the units of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 can be implemented as one or more systems, each comprising two or more of the functional units shown in Fig. 1 . On the other hand, parts of the apparatus may be placed separately from each other, for example in separate locations in an industrial building or in two separate industrial buildings which may be located, for example, at different addresses in the same locality or in different localities. Thus, the logistics of raw materials, intermediate products, extrudate, and product packages can be arranged in a variety of ways known to a person skilled in the art.

In the following, oat pasta, a product package, and a method for making dry oat pasta will be described with reference to the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 . Oat pasta to be made by the apparatus 100 is made by extruding a plastic mass formed of oats and water. The nutrient content of the oat pasta formed in this way comprises at least 10 g of oat fibre per 100 g, for example 11 g per 100 g, or more, and/or at least 13 g of oat protein per 100 g, for example 13.6 g per 100 g, or more. Thus, the nutrient content of the oat pasta, and its effect on human well-being, can be compared with that of oats. Finished dry oat pasta can be obtained by cutting and drying the extrudate, whereby the dry oat pasta is provided in units of desired size, and the dry oat pasta can be kept in a dry place. The finished dry oat pasta can be packed in a product package which thus contains several portions of dry oat pasta. One portion of dry oat pasta may be, for example, 30 g, whereby sizes of product packages may be, for example, multiples of one portion. Several sizes of product packages may be provided, containing different amounts of portions. Examples of product packages comprise product packages which include 100 g to 500 g or 500 g to 1000 g of dry oat pasta.

The apparatus 100 comprises an extruder device 101 , a cutting device 106, a dryer 108, and a packaging device 110. The extruder device comprises a feeder unit 102, an extruder unit 104, and a water supply unit 103. The raw material may be oats, such as kernel oats or whole grain oats. The oats may be gluten-free oats. The dry raw materials for the oat pasta may preferably comprise 100% of oats, whereby the properties provided for the oat pasta by the apparatus are determined solely on the basis of the oats and the use of the apparatus. The raw material is supplied to the extruder device via the feeder unit, such as a feeder chamber. In the extruder unit, such as a reaction chamber, the raw material received via the feeder unit is combined with water, H2O, which is received via the water supply unit 103. In the extruder unit, the raw material and water supplied into the extruder device undergo a thermomechanical process in which a plastic mass is formed of the raw material and water under the influence of heat and mechanical energy, and is pressed through the nozzle of the extruder unit, forming extrudate.

In oat pasta according to an embodiment of the invention, the plastic mass is formed of oats and water only. Thus, the nutrient content of the extrudate formed as an intermediate product, and of the finished dry oat pasta, is determined substantially on the basis of the oats, and the nutrient content of the oat pasta and its effect on human well-being can be compared with that of oats.

In oat pasta according to an embodiment of the invention, the plastic mass is formed by using not only oats and water but also production additives, apple fibres and/or plant fibres.

In oat pasta according to an embodiment of the invention, the plastic mass is formed from oats, which is gluten-free oats, and water, as well as additives having an E number. Examples of additives having an E number include glyceride, guar gum, and xanthan gum.

In the thermomechanical process, the starch contained in the raw material, such as oats, becomes gluey and is partly dissolved in water, forming a gel. In the plastic mass, part of the fat of the oats is attached to starch, e.g. by encapsulating the amylose fraction of the starch, protecting the amylose fraction of the starch from oxidation. The thermomechanical process can be carried out in e.g. an extruder with a cylinder or a tube housing one or more screws. The screws convey the raw material from the feeder unit through the cylinder towards a nozzle structure at the end of the cylinder, via which the extrudate formed of the raw material and water is pressed out. Several adjustable temperature zones may be arranged in the cylinder. Furthermore, the structure of the plastic mass and the extrudate formed of it can also be adjusted by adjusting the amount of water supplied into the raw material. In the thermomechanical process, the pressure in the cylinder may be preferably measured at the nozzle or in the vicinity of the nozzle. The magnitude of the pressure can be influenced by the rotational speed of the screw or screws. A target pressure can be achieved, for example, by increasing the pressure. The pressure can be increased by means of a counter screw increasing the pressure in the cylinder, and/or by reducing the size of the nozzle structure. In this way, a plastic mass of the raw material and water is supplied to the nozzle, the starch of the raw material having become gluey and been partly dissolved in water. When the raw material becomes gluey, the starch of the raw material is gelatinized, whereby the starch granules swell up in water at a suitable temperature, about 60 to 120°C, and are decomposed.

The shape of the extrudate obtained by extrusion is determined according to the profile of the nozzle. The profile of the nozzle may be, for example, circular. The circle may be broken at the top edge, whereby the extrudate formed by extrusion may open as a mat, yielding a sheet-like extrudate. A sheet-like extrudate can also be achieved by a nozzle structure with an opening whose horizontal dimension is greater than its vertical dimension.

The cuting device 106 receives the extrudate from the extruder device, and cuts the extrudate into one or more shapes, which can be dried to obtain finished oat pasta.

In an embodiment, the extrudate or the cut extrudate has the shape of a sheet, a bar, discs, or ribbon, to produce oat pasta having a corresponding shape.

In an embodiment, the cut extrudate is finished fresh pasta.

In an embodiment, the extrudate is cut into suitable dimensions to correspond to the inner dimensions of a dish according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning and to take into account the swelling of the extrudate when cooked. The swelling of the extrudate can be taken into account by leaving a space for the extrudate to swell with respect to the inner dimensions of the dish. The space for swelling may be, for example, 5 mm to 50 mm. The GN dimensioning is a standardized system for kitchenware sizes for professional kitchens according to EN 631 standards.

The dryer 108 receives the cut extrudate from the cutting device 106 and dries the cut extrudate by steam heating at a temperature not greater than 120°C, preferably lower than 120°C, for example from 90 to100°C. In the steam heating, the extrudate is dried in water vapour at a temperature not greater than 120 degrees, whereby the extrudate is subjected to a vacuum which prevents expansion, i.e. puffing, of the extrudate. A suitable relative humidity (RH) may be, for example, 60 to 100% RH. On the other hand, a lower relative humidity may be used as well, whereby the extrudate can be dried faster and puffing can be prevented. The suitable relative humidity is a devicespecific parameter. In this way, the dryer 108 can be used for drying the extrudate without expanding it. Moreover, thanks to a temperature below 120°C, the fat contained in the extrudate is not broken down. Thus, the fat originating from oats and contained in the extrudate is not broken down. Preferably, by drying the extrudate with the dryer, a dried extrudate is obtained whose moisture content is below the moisture content of the dry raw material, such as oats, supplied into the extruder device 101. Consequently, the dryer removes the water introduced during the extrusion, as well as some of the water contained in the oats supplied as raw material into the extruder device 101 , from the extrudate. In this way, a sufficient shelf-life can be provided for the extrudate and thereby also the finished oat pasta. The moisture content of the dry raw material may be, for example, 12%, whereby the extrudate is dried by the dryer to a moisture content lower than 12%, for example 11 % or 10% or lower, such as 5 to 10%, 6 to 10%, 7 to 10%, 8 to 10%, or 9 to 10%.

Dried extrudate obtained from the dryer, i.e. finished dry oat pasta, can be supplied from the dryer to the packing device 110. The packing device packs the finished dry oat pasta in product packages. Several sizes of product packages may be provided, containing different amounts of pasta portions. The size of a pasta portion may be, for example, 70 g of finished dry oat pasta. Examples of product packages comprise product packages which include 100 g to 500 g or 500 g to 1000 g of dry oat pasta. The product package may comprise, for example, a multiple of one portion of dry oat pasta. The product packages may be paper-based product packages, or plastic. Preferably, the product packages are biodegradable. Several portions of dry oat pasta may be packed in each product package.

Figure 2 shows an apparatus and steps for making fresh oat pasta according to at least some embodiments. The apparatus 200 is illustrated as functional units which may vary in structural implementation. The functional units of the apparatus may be implemented as one or more structural units. In other words, the units of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 can be implemented as one or more systems, each comprising two or more functional units shown in Fig. 2. On the other hand, parts of the apparatus may be placed separately from each other, for example in separate locations in an industrial building or in two separate industrial buildings which may be located, for example, at different addresses in the same locality or in different localities. Thus, the logistics of raw materials, intermediate products, extrudate, and product packages can be arranged in a variety of ways known to a person skilled in the art. In the following, oat pasta, a product package, and a method for making fresh oat pasta will be described with reference to the apparatus shown in Fig. 2. Oat pasta to be made by the apparatus 200 is made by extruding a plastic mass formed of oats and water. The nutrient content of the oat pasta formed in this way comprises oat fibre in at least 10 g per 100 g, for example 11 g per 100 g, or more; fat in 3 to 18 g per 100 g, for example about 7 g per 100 g, such as 7.2 g perl 00 g, or more; and/or oat protein in at least 13 g per 100 g, for example 13.6 g per 100 g, or more. Thus, the nutrient content of the oat pasta, and its effect on human well-being, can be compared with that of oats. Finished fresh oat pasta can be obtained by cutting the extrudate in units of desired size which may be packed in a product package for sale and distribution. Several portions of fresh oat pasta can be packed in each product package. The size of a pasta portion may be, for example, 140 g of finished fresh oat pasta, whereby the sizes of the product packages may be, for example, multiples of the portion. Several sizes of product packages may be provided, containing different amounts of portions of fresh oat pasta. Examples of product packages include product packages which contain 250 g to 500 g of fresh oat pasta.

The apparatus 200 comprises an extruder device 201 , a cutting device 206, and a packing device 208. The extruder device comprises a feeder unit 202, an extruder unit 204, and a water supply unit 203. The raw material may be oats. The oats may comprise processed whole grain oats or processed parts of oat grain, or a combination of these. The oats may be, for example, kernel oats or whole grain oats. The oats may be gluten-free oats. The dry raw materials for the oat pasta may preferably comprise 100% of oats, whereby the properties provided for the oat pasta by the apparatus are determined solely on the basis of the oats and the use of the apparatus. The raw material is supplied to the extruder device via the feeder unit, such as a feeder chamber. In the extruder unit, such as a reaction chamber, the raw material received via the feeder unit is combined with water, H2O, which is received via the water supply unit 103. In the extruder unit, the raw material and water supplied to the extruder device undergo a thermomechanical process, in which a plastic mass is formed of the raw material and water under the influence of heat and mechanical energy, and is pressed through the nozzle of the extruder unit, forming extrudate. In oat pasta according to an embodiment of the invention, the plastic mass is formed of oats and water only. Thus, the nutrient content of the extrudate formed as an intermediate product and of the finished fresh oat pasta is substantially determined on the basis of the oats, and the nutrient content of the oat pasta, and its effect on human well-being, can be compared with that of the oats.

In oat pasta according to an embodiment of the invention, the plastic mass is formed by using not only oats and water but also production additives, apple fibres and/or plant fibres. The production additives may be enzymes.

In the thermomechanical process, the starch contained in the raw material, such as oats, becomes gluey and is partly dissolved in water, forming a gel. In the plastic mass, part of the fat of the oats is attached to starch, e.g. by encapsulating the amylose fraction of the starch, protecting the amylose fraction of the starch from oxidation. The thermomechanical process can be carried out in e.g. an extruder with a cylinder or a tube housing one or more screws. The screws convey the raw material from the feeder unit through the cylinder towards a nozzle structure at the end of the cylinder, via which the extrudate formed of the raw material and water is pressed out. Several adjustable temperature zones may be arranged in the cylinder. Furthermore, the structure of the plastic mass and the extrudate formed of it can also be adjusted by adjusting the amount of water supplied into the raw material. In the thermomechanical process, the pressure in the cylinder may be preferably measured at the nozzle or in the vicinity of the nozzle. The magnitude of the pressure can be influenced by the rotational speed of the screw or screws. A target pressure can be achieved, for example, by increasing the pressure. The pressure can be increased by a counter screw increasing the pressure in the cylinder, and/or by reducing the size of the nozzle structure. In this way, a plastic mass of the raw material and water is supplied to the nozzle, the starch of the raw material having become gluey and been partly dissolved in water. When the raw material becomes gluey, the starch of the raw material is gelatinized, whereby the starch granules swell up in water at a suitable temperature, about 60 to 120°C, and are dissolved.

The shape of the extrudate obtained by extrusion is determined according to the profile of the nozzle. The profile of the nozzle may be, for example, circular. The circle may be broken at the top edge, whereby the extrudate formed by extrusion may open as a mat, yielding a sheet-like extrudate. A sheet-like extrudate can also be achieved by a nozzle structure with an opening whose horizontal dimension is greater than its vertical dimension. The dimension, for example the width, of the nozzle can be determined according to the inner dimensions of a dish according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, or a multiple of the inner dimensions of a dish according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning.

In an embodiment, the extrudate has the shape of a sheet, a bar, discs, or ribbon, to make oat pasta in a corresponding shape.

In an embodiment, the length or width dimension of the uncut extrudate corresponds to the inner dimensions of a dish according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, or a multiple of the inner dimensions of a dish according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning. The length or width dimension of the extrudate can be obtained by dimensioning the nozzle.

The cutting device 206 receives the extrudate from the extruder device, and cuts the extrudate into pieces of one or more shapes, yielding fresh pasta. The cut extrudate may have the shape of a sheet, a bar, discs, or ribbon.

In an embodiment, the extrudate is cut by the cutting device 206 to dimensions conforming to the inner dimensions of a dish according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, in the length and/or width direction, or is cut by the cutting device 206 to a multiple of the dimensions of a dish according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, in the length and/or width direction. In this way, the extrudate can be dimensioned according to the dish used in cooking, whereby cooking becomes more efficient. It should be noted that the dish conforming to the GN dimensioning may be rectangular or circular. For a circular dish conforming to the GN dimensioning, the inner dimension in the length and/or width direction is the diameter of the dish. The cutting device may cut both the length and the width dimension, or only one of them if the extrudate obtained from the extruder device is partly suitable for the inner dimensions of a dish conforming to the GN dimensioning, in the length or width direction. The extrudate suitable for the dish size according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning is preferably shorter than the length and/or width dimension of the dish size according to the GN dimensioning. The GN dimensioning is a standardized system for kitchenware sizes for professional kitchens according to EN 631 standards. The GN dimensioning defines the outer dimensions of the dish in the length and width directions. Thus, the inner dimension of the dish is smaller than the outer dimension. The inner dimension may vary in the depth direction of the dish. The inner dimension may be greater at the top edge than at the lower edge of the dish. For example, by cutting the extrudate 5 mm to 50 mm shorter than the length and/or width dimension of a dish conforming to the GN dimensioning, the dimensions of the extrudate can fit most dishes conforming to the GN dimensioning.

In this application, the fitting of the extrudate in a dish refers to fitting of the dimensions of the extrudate at least so that the extrudate can be placed to lie in the dish in the direction of the bottom of the dish. Thus, the length direction of the extrudate is parallel with the bottom of the dish. An example of a dish size according to the GN standard is GN1/1 whose dimensions are 530 x 325 mm. Thus, the extrudate can be cut 5 mm to 50 mm shorter than 530 mm, or 5 mm to 50 mm shorter than 325 mm. The length and width directions of the extrudate can be determined in different ways, depending on the direction of view. The length direction may be parallel with the longest side of the extrudate. The extrudate cut to be a multiple of an inner dimension of a dish conforming to the GN dimensioning, may have a length and/or a width many times the length and/or width of the dish conforming to the GN dimensioning. In this way, the extrudate is ready dimensioned according to the dish to be used for cooking, whereby the cooking is made more efficient, because during cooking, the extrudate cut ready to fit the GN dimensioning can be cut to a predetermined number of pieces conforming to the GN dimensioning. One or more portions of fresh pasta or dry pasta dimensioned in this way can be packed in one package, whereby the amount of pasta needed for cooking is available from a single package. An example of a dish size according to the GN standard is GN1/1 whose dimensions are 530 x 325 mm. Thus, the dimension of the extrudate may be a multiple of 530 mm or a multiple of 325 mm. The length and width directions of the extrudate can be determined in various ways, depending on the direction of view. The number of multiples can be determined according to the amount of extrudate needed for cooking. For example, for preparing a meal, extrudate may be needed for cooking food in one dish conforming to the GN dimensioning. The amount of extrudate needed for one dish conforming to the GN dimensioning will depend on not only the size of the dish but also the food to be cooked. Extrudate can be used, for example, as lasagna sheets for preparing lasagne. A typical lasagne comprises 3 to 6 layers of lasagna sheets. Thus, at least three layers of lasagna sheets cut to the length and/or width inner dimensions of a GN 1/1 dish are needed for the lasagne. Each layer can be formed of one or more lasagna sheets. Thus, the amount of extrudate needed, cut to the inner dimensions of a dish conforming to the GN dimensioning, corresponds to at least the number of layers. If three lasagna sheets are used for each layer, the amount of extrudate needed, cut to the inner dimensions of a dish conforming to the GN dimensioning, corresponds to at least the number of layers multiplied by three, which is thus typically nine sheets. In the above-mentioned dimensions, it should be taken into account that they are, except for the GN dimensions, exemplary, and a person skilled in the art can, in practice, take into account swelling of the extrudate during cooking. It is thus obvious for a person skilled in the art that the dimensions, to which the extrudate is cut, comprise the inner dimensions of a dish conforming to the GN dimensioning, and take into account swelling of the extrudate during cooking. The swelling of the extrudate can be taken into account by leaving a space for the extrudate to swell with respect to the inner dimensions of the dish. The space for swelling may be, for example, 5 mm to 50 mm.

In an embodiment, the extrudate is rolled up in a roll. The rolling up can be carried out by a cutting device 206 comprising means for rolling the extrudate, or by a separate rolling device. When the rolling up is carried out by the cutting device, the extrudate received from the extruder unit can first be rolled up and then, after a desired length of extrudate has been rolled up, the extrudate can be cut to yield a finished roll. The length of extrudate rolled up in one roll may correspond to the inner dimension of a dish conforming to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning in the length and/or width direction, or a multiple of the inner dimension of a dish conforming to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning in the length and/or width direction. Thus, the roll contains a predetermined amount of extrudate, corresponding to the GN dimensioning, whereby cooking can be made more efficient. When the roll contains several lengths, i.e. multiples of the inner dimension of a dish conforming to the GN dimensions, the pieces corresponding to the inner dimension can be cut from the roll during cooking. In the roll, the extrudate is provided in a compact space, and a length of the extrudate can be rolled out as needed. Fresh pasta does not swell as much as dry pasta, so that it is easier to estimate the expansion of fresh pasta during cooking and to keep the consumption of fresh pasta under control. The outermost layer in the roll of extrudate protects the inner layers, whereby the inner layers of the roll are less perishable after opening of the package.

In an embodiment, the cutting device 206 perforates the extrudate in lengths of fixed size to be rolled up. Thus, when the extrudate is rolled out, for example during cooking, the extrudate can be easily cut into pieces of fixed length. The perforation into pieces of fixed length can be done, for example, to match the inner dimension of a dish conforming to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, in the length and/or width direction, or a multiple of the inner dimension of a dish conforming to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, in the length and/or width direction.

The cutting and/or rolling of the extrudate, described above with reference to Fig. 2, can also be implemented in connection with the production of dry oat pasta, when fresh oat pasta is made in connection with the production of dry oat pasta, for example by using partly the same apparatus. Thus, for example, the same extruder device can be used for dry oat pasta and fresh oat pasta, and dry oat pasta can be made of a part of the extrudate, and fresh oat pasta can be made of another part of the extrudate. Consequently, the embodiments described in connection with the cutting device 206, can also be implemented with the cutting device 106 of Fig. 1 .

Cut extrudate and/or rolled extrudate, i.e. finished fresh oat pasta, can be supplied from the cutting device to the packing device 208. The packing device packs the finished fresh oat pasta in product packages. Several sizes of product packages may be provided, containing different amounts of pasta portions. Several sizes of product packages may be provided, containing different amounts of portions of fresh oat pasta. Examples of product packages include product packages which contain 250 g to 500 g of fresh oat pasta.

The product packages may be paper-based product packages, or plastic. Several portions of fresh oat pasta can be packed in each product package.

In an embodiment, the fresh pasta is frozen. The oat pasta is preferably fresh oat pasta, whereby the shelf life of the fresh oat pasta can be prolonged. Frozen fresh oat pasta can be obtained by freezing extrudate obtained from an extruder device 201 or a cutting device 206. Furthermore, a product package obtained from the packing device 208 can be frozen.

Figures 3 and 4 show examples of oat pasta according to the invention. Figure 3 shows an example of rolled-up fresh pasta 302 made by the apparatus of Fig. 2. Figure 4 shows an example of dry pasta 402 made by the apparatus of Fig. 1 .

With reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the apparatus 100, 200 can be used to make oat pasta by extruding a plastic mass formed of oats and water, the nutrient content of the oat pasta comprising oat fibre in at least 10 g per 100 g, for example 11 g per 100 g, or more, and/or the nutrient content of the oat pasta comprising oat protein in at least 13 g per 100 g, for example 13.6 g per 100 g, or more. The oat pasta can be packed in a product package, whereby the product package comprises oat pasta.

Moreover, the oat pasta may conform to, for example, some of the following embodiments:

In an embodiment, the oats in the ingredients of the oat pasta comprise processed whole grain oats or processed parts of oat grain, or a combination of these.

In an embodiment, the dry ingredients of the oat pasta contain 100% of oats.

In an embodiment, the oats are gluten-free oats.

In an embodiment, the plastic mass is formed of gluten-free oats and water as well as additives having an E number, for example glyceride, guar gum and/or xanthan gum.

In an embodiment, the plastic mass is formed solely of oats and water.

In an embodiment, the oat pasta is fresh pasta and rolled up.

In an embodiment, the oat pasta is perforated into pieces of fixed length on a roll.

In an embodiment, the oat pasta is dried by steam heating at a temperature not greater than 120°C for example at a temperature from 90 to 100°C.

In an embodiment, the fresh pasta is frozen.

In an embodiment, the oat pasta is in the shape of fusilli, spaghetti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta).

In an embodiment, the plastic mass is formed by using production additives, apple fibres and/or plant fibres in addition to oats and water.

In an embodiment, the oat pasta is in the shape of sheets, bars, discs or ribbon. In an embodiment, the oat pasta is cut to dimensions suitable for the inner dimensions of a dish conforming to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, in the length and/or width direction, or cut to a multiple of the inner dimensions of a dish conforming to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, in the length and/or width direction.

Figure 5 shows an example of a method for making oat pasta according to at least some embodiments. The method can be carried out with the apparatuses described in connection with Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, or by combining the apparatuses or their parts.

In step 502, a plastic mass formed of oats and water is extruded. The step 502 can be carried out, for example, with the extruder devices 101 , 201 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. In step 504, the extrudate is dried by steam heating at a temperature not greater than 120°C, for example from 90 to 100°C. The step 504 can be carried out for making dry oat pasta, for example, by the dryer 108 shown in Fig. 1. In step 506, the extrudate 506 is rolled up. The step 506 can be carried out for making fresh oat pasta, for example, by the cutting device 206 shown in Fig. 2.

In an embodiment, the extrudate is dried in step 504 to a moisture content lower than the moisture content of the oats used as the raw material.

In an embodiment, the extrudate is cut in step 506, the extrudate is cut to suitable dimensions, to the inner dimension of a dish conforming to the GN dimensions, and taking into account the swelling of the extrudate during cooking.

In an embodiment, in step 502, the plastic mass is formed of oats and water only.

In an embodiment, in step 502 of the method, the plastic mass is formed by using production additives, apple fibres and/or plant fibres in addition to oats and water.

In an embodiment, in step 502 of the method, the plastic mass is formed of gluten-free oats and water, as well as additives with an E number, for example glyceride, guar gum and/or xanthan gum.

In an embodiment, in step 502, the oats consist of whole grain oat flour or whole grain oat flakes.

In an embodiment, in step 506, the extrudate is cut to a pasta shape which is fusilli, spaghetti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta).

Figure 6 shows an example of a method for making oat pasta according to at least some embodiments. The method can be carried out, for example, by the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 , which is supplemented with a cold extruder and a cutting device, an example of the device being shown in Fig. 7. In step 602, a plastic mass formed of oats and water is hot extruded. In step 604, the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion is worked to form a mass. In step 606, the mass obtained in step 604 is cold extruded. In step 608, the cold extruded mass is cut to a pasta shape.

In an embodiment, in step 608, the extrudate is cut to a pasta shape which is fusilli, spaghetti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta).

For example, step 602 can be carried out with the extruder apparatuses 101 , 201 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

For example, the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion in step 602 can be cut by a cutting device into one or more shapes. The shape may be a pellet or a grain having a length of, for example, 5 mm to 50 mm. The diameter of the cut shape can be determined by the profile of the extruder nozzle used. The diameter of the shape of the cut extrudate may be, for example, 5 mm to 20 mm.

For example in step 604, the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion may have an elongated shape whose cross-sectional geometry is substantially determined by the profile of the nozzle of the extruder device used in the hot extrusion, whereby the shape of the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion in step 604 is lost, resulting in a formless mass.

For example in step 604, the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion is treated mechanically by grinding, stirring and/or cutting, whereby the shape of the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion is broken down and heat is released from the extrudate into the ambient environment. Thus, the resulting mass is cooled with respect to the temperature of the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion. The extrudate obtained by hot extrusion can be treated mechanically by means of, for example, a hammer mill, a mixing device, a helical conveyor, i.e. a screw, a vacuum mixer, and/or a cold extruder. It should be noted that the cooling of the mass can be influenced by pressure in addition to the mechanical treatment. The extrudate obtained by hot extrusion, or the resulting mass, can be treated mechanically, for example in a vacuum, or under a reduced pressure with respect to the ambient pressure, to speed up the cooling.

For example in step 606, the mass can be extruded without heating the mass. The mass can also be cooled, for example, by water circulating in the extruder device. The pressure at the nozzle of the cold extruder device is, for example, 30 to 120 bar. Thanks to the working of the mass in step 604, and/or the cooling of the cold extruder device, the temperature of the mass can be decreased with respect to the temperature of the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion in step 602, whereby the water retaining capacity of the mass to be cold extruded is lower than the water retaining capacity of the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion. Thus, extrudate obtained by cold extrusion has a more solid structure and is easier to cut than extrudate obtained by hot extrusion.

For example in step 608, the extrudate obtained by cold extrusion is cut in one or more pasta shapes. The pasta shape may be, for example, fusilli, spaghetti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta). The nozzle of the cold extruder may have one or more profiles for producing corresponding pasta shapes by cutting the extrudate. On the other hand, several cold extrusion devices may be arranged in parallel, each for producing one or more pasta shapes.

Fig. 7 shows an example of a part of an apparatus for preparing oat pasta by hot extrusion and cold extrusion. The oat pasta is preferably dry oat pasta. The components of the apparatus 700 shown in Fig. 7 comprise a hammer mill 702, a mixing device 704, a vacuum mixer 706, a press unit 708, a cutting device 710, and a pre-dryer 712. The apparatus shown in Fig. 7 can be used for carrying out steps of the method shown in Fig. 6. The components shown in Fig. 7 can be used as part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 by arranging the components shown in Fig. 7 between the cutting device 106 and the dryer 108. Thus, step 602 of Fig. 6 can be carried out in the extruder unit 104 which is used as a hot extruder, and steps 604, 606 and 608 of Fig. 6 can be carried out by one or more parts of the apparatus of Fig. 7. In an example, a hammer mill, a mixing device and a vacuum mixer can be used for carrying out step 604 of Fig. 6, a press unit can be used for carrying out step 606 of Fig. 6, and the cutting device 710 can be used for carrying out step 608 of Fig. 6. In Fig. 7, the press unit 708 and the vacuum mixer 706 together form a cold extruder, a so-called cold extruder device 705.

Wien the apparatus of Fig. 7 is used for carrying out the method of Fig. 6, it should be noted that in the hot extruder, the raw material and water undergo a thermomechanical process in which a plastic mass is formed of the raw material and water under the influence of heat and mechanical energy, and is pressed through the nozzle of the extruder unit, forming extrudate. Unlike in the hot extruder, the mass extruded in a cold extruder 705 is formed without heating. The cold extruder may comprise a cooling arrangement by which the mass to be extruded can be cooled before it is extruded. The cooling arrangement may comprise, for example, cooling by water circulation, and/or a mixing part for stirring the mass. By the mixing part, the cooling of the stirred mass towards the ambient temperature is assisted by stirring the mass. The stirring can be carried out under reduced pressure in the mixing part to facilitate the cooling. By water cooling, the temperature of the cooling water cools the mass to be extruded. The temperature of the cooling water is preferably lower than the temperature of the mass to be cooled, and more preferably lower than the ambient temperature of the cold extruder unit, for example room temperature, such as 21 °C, 20°C, or lower, such as 16°C or lower. The water cooling can be implemented by, for example, circulating water in the jacket of the cold extruder. Thus, the thermal energy of the mass conveyed by the screw within the jacket can be transferred to the cooling water circulating in the jacket. The cold extruder may be, for example, a conventional pasta extruder used for making pasta, such as wheat pasta. Pasta extruders are made by Italpasta, for example. The cold extruder may comprise a screw which conveys the mass to be extruded through a cylinder to a nozzle structure, i.e. a nozzle, at the end of the cylinder. Conveyed by the screw, the mass to be extruded is pressed through the nozzle structure, forming extrudate. The shape of the extrudate obtained by extrusion is determined according to the profile of the nozzle. The profile of the nozzle may be, for example, circular. The circle may be broken at the top edge, whereby the extrudate formed by extrusion may open as a mat, yielding a sheet-like extrudate. A sheet-like extrudate can also be achieved by a nozzle structure with an opening whose horizontal dimension is greater than its vertical dimension. A hammer mill 702 receives extrudate from the hot extruder via the cutting device 106. The extrudate received from the hot extruder comprises extrudate units having a suitable length for being supplied into the hammer mill. The suitable length can be obtained by adjusting the speed of the cutting device 106. In the hammer mill, the extrudate units are ground and supplied to a mixing device 704, for example by blowing. A blower may be integrated in the hammer mill. By the mixing device, the extrudate ground by the hammer mill is stirred by blades. The mixing device is coupled by a helical conveyor, i.e. a screw, to a cold extruder 705, for example to a vacuum mixer 706 of the cold extruder, whereby the screw conveys the extrudate stirred and ground by the mixing device to the vacuum mixer 706. In the vacuum mixer, the stirred and ground extrudate is stirred by blades under a pressure which is much lower than the ambient pressure of the cold extruder. By the vacuum mixer, a mass is formed for extrusion by the cold extruder. The resulting mass can be conveyed by a helical conveyor, i.e. a screw, from the vacuum mixer to a press unit 708, in which the mass is conveyed to the nozzle structure of the press unit. By the nozzle structure, the mass is pressed out from the cold extruder, by pressure. A cutting device 710 receives the extrudate from the cold extruder and cuts the extrudate into two or more shapes, for example pasta shapes. From the cutting device, the cut extrudate can be supplied to a pre-dryer 712, in which the extrudate cut in shape is conveyed to the dryer 108, for making dried oat pasta, i.e. dry oat pasta. An example of a pre-dryer is a surface, onto which the cut extrudate is conveyed to be transferred to the dryer 108. It should be noted that when mass is conveyed by a screw from the mixing device 704 to the vacuum mixer 706 and by a screw from the vacuum mixer 706 to the press unit 708, the mass together with the respective screw packs the vacuum mixer 706 and makes it possible to maintain the selected pressure in the vacuum mixer 706.

It should be noted that the apparatus shown in Fig. 7 can also be connected to an apparatus other than that shown in Fig. 1 , the apparatus shown in Fig. 7 can be connected in different ways to the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 , or parts of the devices can be eliminated or replaced by manual steps. For example, a flexible intermediate bulk container, containing extrudate made by the hot extruder, can be connected to the hammer mill. The hammer mill can be eliminated if the extrudate made by the hot extruder has been pre- ground, for example into a flexible intermediate bulk container, and the ground extrudate made by the hot extruder is supplied directly to the rotary agitator.

In an embodiment, the profile of the nozzle structure of the press unit 708 and the cutting device 710 determine the shape of the extrudate and, eventually, of the dried oat pasta. According to at least some embodiments, the shape of dried oat pasta, i.e. dry oat pasta, is the shape of pasta made of durum wheat flour and water, or corresponds to such. Various pasta types made of durum wheat flour and water, so-called conventional pasta, having a distinctive shape, include, for example, fusilli, spaghetti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta). It should also be noted that various shapes of oat pasta, such as oat pasta in the shape of macaroni or spaghetti, can be distinguished from each other by not only the appearance but also the nutritional content, because different shapes of oat pasta are made of an amount of raw materials, such as oats, that corresponds to the shape. There is thus a clear difference between different shapes of oat pastas in view of their appearance as well as their unit-specific nutritional content.

Dried oat pasta according to at least some embodiments is in the shape of fusilli, spagheti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (buterfly shaped pasta). Each shape of oat past has a unit-specific nutritional content which comprises oat fibre in at least 10 g / (N x 100 g), for example 11 g / (N x 100 g), or more; fat in 3 to18 g / (N x 100 g), for example about 7 g / (N x 100 g), such as 7.2 g / ( N x 1 OO g), or more; and/or oat protein in at least 13 g / (N x 100 g), for example 13.6 g / 100 g, or more, where N is the number N of oat pasta units characteristic for each shape of oat pasta, for example the shape shown in Table 1 , per 100 g of dry pasta units of the selected shape. Consequently, for each shape of oat pasta, the nutritional content common to all shapes of oat pasta per 100 g is divided by the number N of oat pasta units characteristic for each shape of oat pasta per 100 g of the oat pasta units of the selected shape. It should be noted that the number N of oat pasta units per 100 g of oat pasta units of the selected shape is a calculated value and it can thus be not only an integer but also a decimal.

In some cases, features presented in this application can be used as such, irrespective of other features. On the other hand, features presented in this application can be combined, where necessary, to make different combinations.

It will be obvious for a person skilled in the art that technological advances will entail a variety of implementations of the basic idea of the invention. Thus, the inventions and the embodiments are not limited by the examples described above, but they can be varied within the scope of the claims.

Claims

25 Claims:

1 . Oat pasta (302, 402), characterized in that the oat pasta (302, 402) is made of a plastic mass formed of oats and water by extrusion, and the nutritional content of the oat pasta (302, 402) comprises oat fibre in at least 10 g per 100 g, for example 11 g per 100 g, or more; and/or the nutritional content of the oat pasta (302, 402) comprises oat protein in at least 13 g per 100 g, for example 13.6 g per 100 g, or more.

2. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the oats in the ingredients of the oat pasta comprise processed whole grain oats or processed oat grain parts, or a combination of these.

3. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dry raw material of the oat pasta contains 100% of oats.

4. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the oats are gluten-free oats.

5. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to claim 4, characterized in that the plastic mass is formed of gluten-free oats and water as well as additives with an E number, such as glyceride, guar gum and/or xanthan gum.

6. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the plastic mass if formed of oats and water only.

7. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the oat pasta (302) is fresh pasta and rolled up.

8. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the oat pasta (302) is perforated into pieces of fixed length on a roll.

9. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the oat pasta (302, 402) is dried by steam heating at a temperature not greater than 120°C, for example at a temperature from 90 to 100°C.

10. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the oat pasta (302, 402) is in the shape of a sheet, a bar, discs, or ribbon.

11. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the oat pasta (302) is cut to dimensions suitable for an inner dimension of a dish according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, in length and/or width direction, or is cut to a multiple of an inner dimension of a dish according to the Gastronorm (GN) dimensioning, in length and/or width direction.

12. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 11 , characterized in that the oat pasta (302) is frozen.

13. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the oat pasta (402) is in the shape of fusilli, spaghetti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta).

14. The oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 5 or 7 to 13, characterized in that the plastic mass is formed by using production additives, apple fibres and/or plant fibres in addition to oats and water.

15. A product package comprising oat pasta (302, 402) according to any of the claims 1 to 14.

16. A product package according to claim 15, wherein the oat pasta (402) comprises one or more pasta shapes of the following: fusilli, spaghetti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta).

17. A method for making oat pasta (302, 402), characterized in that the method comprises:

- extruding (502) a plastic mass formed of oats and water;

- drying (504) the extrudate by steam heating at a temperature not greater than 120°C, for example at a temperature from 90 to 100°C; and/or rolling up (506) the extrudate.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the method comprises:

- hot extrusion of the plastic mass formed of oats and water; - working the extrudate obtained by hot extrusion to form a mass;

- cold extrusion of the mass obtained by working; and

- cutting the extrudate obtained by cold extrusion into a pasta shape.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the method comprises forming the plastic mass of oats and water only.

20. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the method comprises forming the plastic mass by using production additives, apple fibres and/or plant fibres in addition to oats and water.

21. The method according to any of the claims 17 to 20, characterized in that the method comprises forming the plastic mass of gluten-free oats and water as well as additives having an E number, such as glyceride, guar gum and/or xanthan gum.

22. The method according to any of the claims 17 to 21 , characterized in that the method comprises drying the extrudate to a moisture level below the moisture level of the oats used as the raw material.

23. The method according to any of the claims 17 to 22, characterized in that the method comprises cutting the extrudate to dimensions suitable for an inner dimension of a dish conforming to the GN dimensioning, and by taking into account the swelling of the extrudate during cooking.

24. The method according to any of the claims 17 to 23, characterized in that the oats in the method consist of whole grain oat flour or whole grain oat flakes.

25. The method according to any of the claims 17 to 24, characterized in cutting the extrudate to a pasta shape which is fusilli, spaghetti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta).

26. Oat pasta, characterized in that the oat pasta is in the shape of fusilli, spaghetti, tubular pasta, penne, pasta shells, ribbon, macaroni, lasagna sheets, creste di gallo (rooster crest shaped pasta), and/or farfalle (butterfly shaped pasta), and that each shape of oat pasta has a unit specific nutritional content which comprises oat fibre in at least 10 g / 28

(N x 100 g), for example 11 g / (N x 100 g), or more; fat in at least 3 to 18 g / (N x 100 g), for example about 7 g I (N x 100 g), such as 7.2 g I ( N x 100 g), or more; and/or oat protein in at least 13 g / (N x 100g), for example 13.6 g / 100 g, or more; where N is the number N of oat pasta units characteristic to each shape per 100 g of oat pasta units of the selected shape.