Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Treatment or preparation of farinaceous dough – batter – or...
Utility Patent
1998-12-14
2001-01-02
Yeung, George C. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Treatment or preparation of farinaceous dough, batter, or...
C425S296000, C425S305100, C425S335000, C425S363000, C426S512000
Utility Patent
active
06168817
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for the continuous production of semifinished parts for three-dimensional snacks made from potatoes, cereals or the like and to an apparatus for performing the method.
Many snacks are currently widely commercially available; among these, particular importance is given to those obtained from cereals, tubers or similar foodstuffs obtained by frying in oil and available in sealed packages in food stores and the like, in public concerns such as bars, canteens, pubs, etcetera.
In recent times, in particular, three-dimensional snacks produced by perimetrically coupling two layers of a gelled semifinished compound, obtained by extruding moisturized mixtures of potatoes, cereals and/or other starchy products, are enjoying a high increase in sales.
A continuous processing line for the production of said snacks, disclosed in Italian patent application TV94A000045, filed May 5, 1994, in the name of Mario Pavan, is already known.
This continuous processing line prepares a semifinished compound of moisturized mixtures of cereals and/or other starchy ingredients, forms two gauged uniform layers, passes said layers through a layer cutting region in which each layer passes between a pair of rollers: one is a cutting roller provided with teeth and the second one is a contrast roller provided with corresponding hollows.
Passage between the rollers forms through cuts on the layers which allow the oil to flow, during frying, into the snack, providing uniform cooking.
The cutting roller and the contrast roller have an adjustable and variable speed; in any case, owing to the need to preserve the couplings between the teeth and the hollows, the mutual speeds must be identical.
In a subsequent region of the processing line, the layers are mutually superimposed and pass between an embossing roller and a complementary contrast roller.
The two layers are in fact die-cut so as to form shapes such as hearts, teddy bears, fish, hang-gliders and others and the formed snacks are separated from the skeleton.
Although it is an improvement with respect to previous lines and/or systems, the above-described processing line has been found to entail some drawbacks, particularly with reference to the quality of the finished product obtained therewith, caused in particular by the adhesive and sticky characteristics of the compound being processed.
A first drawback that has been observed is accordingly constituted by the fact that many of the cuts that are formed close again in the period between cutting and frying, and this is detrimental to the uniformity of the cooking of each snack as a whole.
Another drawback observed in particular during die-cutting is the mutual adhesion of the stacked layers.
Because of this, during cooking the snack does not swell uniformly, with rather poor aesthetic and qualitative results.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to provide a method for the continuous production of semifinished parts for three-dimensional snacks made from potatoes, cereals or the like which allows to eliminate the above-described drawbacks of conventional production systems.
Within the scope of this aim, a consequent primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for performing the method adequately.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a method and a corresponding apparatus which allows to produce semifinished parts for snacks in which the cooking oil can penetrate between the layers in order to uniformly fry said snacks.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a method and the corresponding apparatus which facilitates and enhances the three-dimensional shape of the snacks.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a method and the corresponding apparatus which produce snacks which are better-tasting and crispier than those currently commercially available.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and the corresponding apparatus which allow to produce three-dimensional snacks with production costs that are competitive with respect to conventional ones.
This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a method for the continuous production of semifinished parts for three-dimensional snacks made from potatoes, cereals or the like which comprises, after preparing two layers of a gelled semifinished compound of said components and/or other starchy ingredients, the steps of:
cutting the layers in consecutive segments along parallel lines with cutting edges which act on the layer material with a relative motion constituted by a translatory motion which is substantially perpendicular to a portion to be cut;
overlapping the cut layers and die-cutting them with suitable punches, separating a grid-like skeleton from the snacks, each snack being formed by two perimetrically joined layers.
Advantageously, the die-cutting and superimposition of the layers occur when said layers are at an advanced state of cooking, which enhances the elastic and plastic characteristics of the layers.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5196223 (1993-03-01), Nakamura
patent: 5240731 (1993-08-01), Bornhorst et al.
patent: 5306133 (1994-04-01), Dayley
patent: 5614237 (1997-03-01), Clow et al.
patent: 2266489A (1993-11-01), None
patent: TV94A0045 (1995-11-01), None
Josif Albert
Mafin S.p.A.
Modiano Guido
O'Byrne Daniel
Yeung George C.
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