Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Plant material is basic ingredient other than extract,...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-31
2003-05-06
Tran, Lien (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Plant material is basic ingredient other than extract,...
C426S438000, C426S439000, C426S560000, C426S808000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06558730
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method for selectively controlling the texture, flavor display and mouthmelt (i.e., organoleptical properties) of potato-based fabricated snacks. The present invention further relates to dough compositions from which the potato-based fabricated snacks are made.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is quite common to include starch-based materials in the dough compositions of fabricated snacks. Typically, ingredients such as dried potato products are used in combination with a high amylopectin and/or pregelatinized starch. The high amylopectin starch and/or pregelatinized starch is used to provide a dough having desired performance properties (e.g., cohesive, non-adhesive, continuously sheetable) while at the same time provide a dough which produces an acceptable snack when fried.
Acceptability of the organoleptical properties of fabricated snacks relies more upon the perceptions of the consumer than on properties that can be measured quantitatively. For example, crispness, crunchiness, and mouthmelt are not easily quantified, but have significant impact on consumer acceptance. Since many of the properties of fabricated snacks are influenced by the composition of the dough, it would be desirable to develop methods for selectively controlling the organoleptical properties of the snack through formulation.
Although all of the factors contributing to the organoleptical properties of the snack are not well understood, it is known that changes in the dough's composition and variability of the same ingredient (i.e., from lot to lot), can result in significant changes in the visco-elastic properties of the dough and the organoleptical properties of the fried snack.
Fabricated snacks, such as potato chips or potato crisps, generally comprise ingredients such as potato flour, potato flakes, potato granules mixed with water, and various other dry ingredients. The dry ingredients may include starches in powder, granule or flake form. The starch is used as a binder for the dough and as a means to control expansion of the dough during flying.
Combinations of ungelatinized and pregelatinized starches have been the most common starches used to control the expansion of sheetable doughs in the past, but such use has been for the purpose of expansable doughs having relatively low solids (e.g. <60%). Further, use of these starches typically requires special equipment (e.g., dockering equipment, restraining molds) in order to control expansion and/or requires special steps (e.g., forming pre-mixes, hydrating the pregelatinized starch first) in order to form a cohesive dough.
Other starches have also been suggested for use in sheeted dough compositions. However, one problem with incorporating various starches in the dough compositions has been the inability to control the final texture of the product. This is because the ingredients used may have different properties which will affect the organoleptical properties as well as the internal structure of the finished product. For example, starches that have different water absorption indexes, degrees of gelatinization or modification will cause structural variations in the products containing that starch ingredient. Other problems have been determining: (1) the effect of these starches on the visco-elastic properties of the dough; (2) the conditions necessary to process the dough due to ingredient changes; and (3) the influence the ingredients will have on the texture of the resulting snack.
Prior approaches of trial and error, or mix-and-test, have been ineffective in providing a reliable method for selectively controlling the texture of the final snack, primarily because there is an enormous number of different materials available for use in a sheeted dough. Prior approaches have also been ineffective in providing dough compositions wherein the visco-elastic properties of the dough are controlled through formulation such that expansion of the dough is controlled and the dough is continuously sheetable.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a reliable method for selectively controlling the organoleptical properties of fabricated snacks made from continuously sheetable dough. It is also desirable to provide dough compositions wherein the properties of the dough are selectively controlled through formulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to dough compositions and to a method for selectively controlling the organoleptical properties of fabricated snacks. The texture and flavor release of the snack are controlled by incorporating different ingredients having various properties into the dough. By varying the relative amounts and types of ingredients the (1) visco-elastic properties of the dough, (2) amount of expansion that occurs in the dough during frying, (3) rate of water release during frying, (4) internal structure of the finished snack, (5) rate of flavor release from the finished snack, and (6) rate of hydration and dissolution of the finished snack in the mouth, can be selectively controlled. The composition of the dough (i.e., choice of ingredients) is important with regard to obtaining fabricated snacks having a range of textures and flavor profiles.
In accordance with the method of the present invention, (1) flour, flakes and/or granules, (2) water, and (3) one or more polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of non-potato flour, starches and/or gums are combined. The relative proportions of these ingredients having various properties are adjusted when formulating the dough composition.
Depending on the properties of the ingredients employed, the process of dough expansion, water/steam release, gelatinization and/or setting of the starch can be coordinated such that the desired structure can be obtained. By selectively combining the ingredients, based on their properties (water absorption index, gelatinization temperature, rate of viscosity development, peak viscosity, rate of viscosity breakdown, viscosity during cooling, etc.) one may selectively formulate dough compositions having the desired properties, and hence, formulate snacks wherein the final texture is selectively controlled.
The major components used to selectively control the organoleptical properties of the fabricated snacks, while at the same time provide a dough that is cohesive, non-adhesive, and sheetable, comprise: (1) a potato-based flour component, (2) one or more polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of non-potato-based flour, starch and/or gum, and (3) water. Particularly preferred compositions comprise (1) mainly one or more potato-based ingredients selected from potato flour, potato flakes, or potato granules and mixtures thereof, together with (2) one or more polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of starch wherein the starch is a native starch, pregelatinized and/or partially gelatinized starch, modified starch, starch hydrolyzate, gums selected from hydroxypropylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose and mixtures thereof, and (3) water.
In addition to the major ingredients, it is possible to further include different ingredients, for example, various emulsifiers, flavors and minerals which can impart different, yet complementary properties to the dough and final product.
Each of these ingredients imparts one or more unique properties to the doughs made therefrom as well as to the finished product made from the doughs. No one component will completely determine the organoleptical properties of the finished product or the visco-elastic properties of the dough, rather the ingredients work together in an interrelated fashion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Definitions
As used herein, “sheetable” dough is a dough capable of being placed on a smooth surface and rolled to the desired final thickness without tearing or forming holes.
As used herein, “polysaccharide” refers to naturally occuring, high polymeric carbohydrates composed of anhydro-D-glucopyranosyl units, in either natural, dehydrated (e.g
Asquith Thomas Northrup
Cole Brandi R.
Gisaw Yonas
Lai Oiki Sylvia
Villagran Maria Dolores
Clark Karen F.
Jones Melody A.
The Procter & Gamble Co.
Tran Lien
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