Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – With cutting – or mechanically subdividing solid material,...
Patent
1996-07-18
1998-04-07
Yeung, George
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
With cutting, or mechanically subdividing solid material,...
834091, A23P 100
Patent
active
057361843
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a process of producing foodstuff particles.
The acceptability of food to humans is influenced by aesthetic factors such as visual appearance and mouth-feel.
This invention is suitable for the production of particles from fibrous composite foodstuffs. When a mass of such foodstuffs is deformed and fractured, fibre "pull-out" results in the piece having a natural torn appearance.
Examples of such foodstuffs are vegetable based meat analogues and reconstituted meat systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Foodstuffs of high nutritional value produced from fungi, for example Fusarium, suitably Fusarium graminearum may be treated by the invention. Such products may comprise fibrous fungal material in a matrix of gelled hydrocolloid. We have found that they are visually highly acceptable to humans if they have at least one ragged and at least one substantially smooth surface. Products comprising Fusarium graminearum are sold by Marlow Foods Limited under the trade mark "QUORN".
This invention comprises a process of producing foodstuff particles of improved consumer acceptability which comprises forming a foodstuff into a shape (for example a strip, which may be a sheet or rod) gripping one end of the shape by gripping means which comprises one or more surfaces contacting the shape close to one end of the shape and, whilst so gripped but with the edge of the shape protruding unsupported at a position beyond the said gripping means, at least partly tearing the edge from the remainder of the shape by bending it thereby imparting a ragged edge to the shape and to the edge.
The shape may be sliced longitudinally for example with rotating circular blades before the shape is torn as aforesaid and preferably before it is gripped by the gripping means if the shape is wider than the desired width of the particles. Alternatively over-long edges torn from the shape may be fed to a process as above described a second time and pieces torn off at an angle, for example a right angle, to the first tear. The latter procedure allows further ragged edges to be produced.
The process may be carried out intermittently or continuously. In the former case the shape is advanced stepwise and may be gripped only whilst stationary, the bending and tearing action being carried out when the shape is so gripped. However, it is preferred that the process be carried out continuously. This may be effected by advancing the shape between two continuously moving bands which grip the shape and which may conveniently feed the shape to a supporting ledge at which the tearing action may take place; this is desirable if the required bending action cannot be readily accommodated within the curvature available at the outlet end of the bands.
It may be found that a bending action does not sever the edge from the shape completely in that the surface which is not stretched during the bending action may not tear readily. It is preferred in this case to cut the untorn part thereby severing the edge or preferably to contact the untorn part with a blunt member thereby imparting a tearing action at the untorn part and thus severing the edge.
The bending action may be effected by one side of a blade which also imparts a localised tearing action at any part of the edge which is not severed by the main bending action. The blade may be rotated about an axis parallel to the edge of the shape and preferably contacts the edge of the shape at an acute angle to the shape so that the edge meets the flat of the blade rather than the edge of the blade in the first instance. The edge of the blade however preferably sweeps closely past a support surface for the edge of the shape on the side at which bending takes place and thereby imparts a final tearing action to any part which is not torn previously at that position.
One or more for example six such blades may be rotated about a common axis, each acting in turn to perform the above process.
The axis of rotation of the blade is suitably out of the plane of the shape so that th
REFERENCES:
patent: 5307940 (1994-05-01), Kanegae
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 10, No. 78 (C-335) 27 Mar. 1986, & JP.A.60 214 860, Oct. 28, 1985, see abstract.
Reed John William Balaan
Wrigglesworth John Arthur
Yeung George
Zeneca Limited
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