Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coating of a solid food with a liquid
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-24
2001-07-24
Tran, Lien (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coating of a solid food with a liquid
C426S089000, C426S094000, C426S293000, C426S296000, C426S549000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06265005
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a coating for food products, particularly fried food products. The coating of the present invention provides enhanced crispness and heat retention as well as uniformity in cooked color.
Batter and bread coated fried foods have a broad appeal. For example, popular batter and bread fried foods include fried chicken, fish and other meat products as well as a variety of other foods such as vegetables (potatoes) and even fruits. Batters typically consist primarily of farinaceous materials such as starches and flours. The batters are generally hydrated with water so that they can be applied to the food product such as by dipping, spraying or other known techniques. Breadings typically consists of wheat flour, corn meal, cracker crumbs, bread crumbs and the like. Breadings are generally applied after some form of batter coating.
In practice, the food product to be fried is coated with a batter or breading or both, and then par-fried or raw breaded or frozen. The product can then be finished cooked such as by deep frying.
One drawback of deep fried food is that it is cooked before there is a need to consume it, and consequently it becomes less crisp, loses moisture, and cools rapidly. One method of reducing the loss of crispness and heat is to place the food under a heat lamp. This method of holding deep fried food, however, does not maintain the food quality long enough for hold times now required by quick service restaurants and home meal replacement establishments. Thus, there is a continuing need for a coating that provides crispness, heat and moisture retention while maintaining the desired quality attributes.
The coating of the present invention addresses these concerns by providing a coating that contains an effective amount of gum acacia to produce a final food product having enhanced heat retention, crispiness, and moisture retention as compared to coatings that do not contain gum acacia.
Although it is known to add gum acacia to protect the flavor of batters, breadings, dry flavor mixes and seasonings, the gum acacia is added in minor amounts, from 1% to 5%, and in combination with other gums. Surprisingly, it has been found that combining starch with an amount of gum acacia greater than 5% provides a unique coating. This finding forms the basis of the coating of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coating for foods that includes a starch and an amount of gum acacia greater than 5%. The coating is typically formulated as dry mix that can later be hydrated by adding an aqueous medium to form a liquid batter.
Accordingly, the present invention contemplates a fried-food coating composition wherein the improvement comprises incorporating at least about 5% of gum acacia in the composition.
The present invention also contemplates a food product comprising an edible foodstuff and a coating surrounding the foodstuff that includes a starch and at least 5% of gum acacia.
The present invention also includes a process for preparing a crunchy foodstuff that comprises applying a coating composition to an edible foodstuff, wherein the composition comprises a starch and at least 5% of gum acacia and par-frying the coated foodstuff. Alternatively, the process includes applying a coating composition to an edible foodstuff and then freezing. Thereafter, the frozen product may be cooked (e.g., fried) whenever convenient.
Unless noted otherwise, all percentages recited in the specification and accompanying claims refer to a weight percentage.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The coating of the present invention comprises two essential ingredients: starch and gum acacia.
The starch material can be derived from a variety of sources including, but not limited to, cereal, tuber, and vegetable starches such as pea starches. The starch may be modified and/or unmodified and those of skill in the art will understand how to select from one or more of the starches that may be used in the present invention. For example, the starch may include but is not limited to tapioca (modified and unmodified) corn (high amylose and otherwise), waxy maize, sweet potato, potato, canna, arrowroot, sorghum, waxy sorghum, waxy rice, sago, rice, etc., as well as mixtures thereof. Preferably, the starch is a mixture of a modified and unmodified starch, for example, an unmodified corn starch and a modified food starch.
The starch is present in the coating composition in an amount from about 5% to about 95%, preferably from about 10% to about 60%, more preferably from about 15% to about 55%. In one embodiment, the starch is present at a level of about 30% to about 55%, more preferably about 42.9% wherein about 29.7% is corn starch and about 13.2% is modified food starch.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the starch is added in lower amounts, typically from about 10% to about 45%, preferably from about 15% to about 35%, more preferably about 22.7% wherein about 17% is corn starch and about 5.7% is a modified food starch. In this embodiment, some of the starch is replaced with a maltodextrin, a maltose-free dextrin, or a combination of both.
Gum acacia also known as gum arabic is a salt of a complex polysaccharide that is derived from the stems and/or branches of
Acacia senegal
or related species of Acacia. It is commercially available as a powder and is odorless and tasteless.
The gum acacia provides the enhanced crunch and clean appearance of the coating of the present invention. The gum acacia can be incorporated in the coating of the present invention in an amount greater than 5% to about 95%, preferably from about 6% to about 50%, more preferably from about 12% to about 35%. In one embodiment of the present invention, the gum acacia is present at a level of about 15% to about 25%, preferably about 19.8%.
In this one embodiment of the present invention, the gum acacia is added in lower amounts, typically from about 6% to about 15%, preferably about 8.5%. In this embodiment, some of the gum acacia is replaced with a maltodextrin, a maltose-free dextrin, or a combination of both.
In this one embodiment of the present invention, the coating contains a maltodextrin. The maltodextrin is preferably a low DE type, typically less than 20 and is preferably a 10 DE maltodextrin that is available from Roquette. It is believed that the combination of the gum acacia and maltodextrin produce a coating that can be caramelized in an amount of time shorter than a coating that does not contain the combination. For example, a coating that contains the maltodextrin and gum acacia can be caramelized after only about 3 minutes of deep fat frying.
The maltodextrin can be added to the coating in an amount from about 1% to about 50%, preferably from about 10% to about 40%, particularly from about 20% to about 30%, and most preferably about 24%.
In another embodiment, a maltose-free dextrin can be added to the coating, which may or may not contain a maltodextrin. The maltose-free starch dextrin can be selected from the group consisting of corn starch dextrin, potato starch dextrin and tapioca dextrin. The maltose-free dextrin ingredient promotes the desirable crispiness and in the final cooked product without greatly increasing the caramelization or excessive browning during cooking. It is believed that it enhances the shell-like texture of the final cooked product to lock-in the moisture, flavor and heat of the food substrate and thus, extends the heat lamp holding time. Because the corn starch and potato starch dextrins tend to impart an off-taste to the final product, the maltose-free starch dextrin is preferably a tapioca dextrin. The tapioca dextrin may be pre-gelatinized. A preferred tapioca dextrin is that sold by National Starch.
The maltose-free dextrin can be present in the coating in an amount from about 0.5% to about 30%, preferably from about 1% to about 15%, more preferably from about 5% to about 12%, particularly from about 7% to about 10%, and most preferably about 4% to about 8%, particularly about 5.7%.
The coat
Haverkos Stephen M.
Triunfol Denise A.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Newly Weds Foods, Inc.
Nichols G. Peter
Tran Lien
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