Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coated – fluid encapsulated – laminated solid...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-17
2001-11-27
Paden, Carolyn (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coated, fluid encapsulated, laminated solid...
C426S572000, C426S582000, C426S585000, C426S549000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06322829
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to savory fillings and food products that contain these fillings. More specifically, the invention relates to fillings having desirable melting characteristics and to food products that contain these fillings.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Food products filled with cheese either alone or in combination with other filling ingredients are known. Examples of such food products include pastas, pretzels, pasties, pies and the like. It is generally preferred to use a filling that contains a high proportion of real cheese due to the desirable taste, texture, and other organoleptic qualities obtained when real cheese is used.
However, the use of real cheese as a filling in food products can give rise to a number of difficulties. For example, the properties of the cheese can be difficult to control. One or more of the components of the cheese, such as fat or moisture, can separate from the cheese and possibly migrate into the other ingredients of the food product. The cheese may not melt smoothly or may be difficult to work with at ambient temperatures.
The prior art describes cheese fillings that attempt to overcome one or more of these problems. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,575 Olds et al. describe a cheese filling that is shelf stable and that can withstand extrusion and heating. The product is aerated and contains powdered cheese. U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,433 to Lee et al. describes pasta products that may have a cheese filing. The filling comprises dehydrated cheese and cheese paste, bread crumbs, whole eggs and other ingredients. This product is shelf stable at ambient temperatures. Morano, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,750, describes ultra-low water activity fillings that may contain cheese. The fillings contain ultra-high surface area cellulose and have a water activity below 0.6.
Products containing savory fillings, particularly those containing a fatty ingredient such as cheese or meat, can become unpalatable when stored in refrigerated or frozen temperatures and then reheated for consumption. One reason for this is that the filling components, such as fat and water, can separate when frozen and reheated. Fat and/or water separated from the filling can cause the filling to become runny or migrate into other food components, adversely affecting their characteristics such as taste and texture.
The prior art fillings are generally solid at ambient temperatures and become flowable at elevated temperatures. A need exists for savory fillings that are processable at ambient temperatures, which melt smoothly without separation of components at eating temperatures, and which have pleasing taste, mouthfeel 1, and other organoleptic properties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a savory filling which has a controlled melting profile, said filling comprising an amount of cheese effective to provide melting and organoleptic properties to the filling; a fat or oil in an amount effective to control the consistency of the filling; a humectant in an amount effective to reduce the water activity of the filling; and an effective amount of an emulsion stabilizer. The invention further provides food products that contain the savory filling of the invention. The consistency of the savory filling at ambient temperatures can vary significantly depending on the desired processing properties of the filling. The filling can be semi-solid at ambient temperatures, making it suitable for extrusion-based processing, or it can have a viscosity which makes it pumpable at ambient temperatures.
At eating temperatures, which typically are above 100° F. for savory food products, the filling of the invention attains a desirable viscosity which resembles that of melted cheese, but the filling surprisingly retains its integrity, substantially without separation of the fat or water components of the filing. This results in an organoleptically pleasing filling that can be used with a wide variety of food products.
The viscosity of the savory filling of the invention at eating temperatures above about 100° F. can range from about 70,000 centipoise to 200,000 centipoise, while maintaining the integrity of the filling components. The filling can attain a desirable mouthfeel and texture, and yet unexpectedly, the fat and water components remain in the filling without substantially migrating out of the filling.
The controlled melting profile of the inventive savory filling allows the filling to be cooled to freezing temperatures and reheated to a consistency similar to that of melted cheese, without separation into fat and water components that can migrate out of the filling and into the food product.
The term “wt-%” is used herein to denote the weight percentage based on the total filling weight unless otherwise specified. The term “savory” means that the overall taste of the filling is not sweet or that the filling does not contain added sweetening agents in amounts effective to impart a sweet flavor to the filling. The terms “filling” and “savory filling” are used interchangeably. Water activity, or A
w
, is a measure of the unbound or free water available to support biological and chemical reactions in a system or particular environment. The water activity of a system may be determined by dividing the vapor pressure of pure water at a particular temperature into the vapor pressure of water in the system or environment at the same temperature.
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Bethune Doug
Bhatia Usha B.
Graves John R.
Jones Nicola
Kittleson Richard L.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Paden Carolyn
The Pillsbury Company
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