Patent ID: 8110231
Filing Date: 2012-02-07
Classification: A23L,A23P

Abstract:
1. A method for making cereal bars, comprising: forming a cereal matrix comprising cereal pieces and an edible binder in a wt:wt ratio of about 2:1 to about 1:2, respectively, into a cereal matrix layer by application of a compressive pressure force that does not exceed about 50 psi to form the cereal matrix layer having intact cereal pieces and to achieve a density of about 0.05 g/cc to about 0.5 g/cc and a thickness of about 0.5 cm to about 5 cm with an exposed external portion and an internal central portion, wherein the exposed external portion and the internal central portion each has an initial water activity exceeding about 0.35; heating the cereal matrix layer for a time and temperature in an indirect fired oven having a heated zone and a subsequent non-heated zone wherein the cereal matrix layer dwells in each of the heated zone and the subsequent non-heated zone for at least about 2.5 minutes effective so that the water activity is less than about 0.3 in the exposed external portion of the cereal matrix layer, while maintaining the internal central portion of the cereal matrix layer at a water activity greater than about 0.40, to provide a heated layer; cooling the heated layer to provide a cooled layer; and cutting the cooled layer, or alternatively the cereal matrix layer prior to the heating step, effective to form discrete cereal bars.