Abstract:
An improved snack food product in the form of resilient, molded, self-sustaining bodies preferably made from a heated mixture comprising a dairy product (cheese, yogurt or pudding), gelatin, fat and water. The product bodies are small and bite sized, having a mass to surface area ratio of from about 0.05-5 g/cm 2 , which facilitates molding thereof. Preferred food products are prepared by first creating a heated flowable mixture of including cheese, gelatin, fat and water, and depositing small quantities of the mixture into molding depressions formed in powdered starch or a resilient rubber mold; after hardening, the resultant products are separated from the starch or rubber mold and packaged.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/450,967 filed Nov. 30, 1999. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention is concerned with an improved molded snack food product and method for preparing such product. More particularly, the invention pertains to resilient, self-sustaining, chewable food bodies including non-gelatin protein (at least a part of which is dairy product-derived protein), gelatin, water and fat; in preferred forms, the products contain a substantial fraction of a dairy product such as cheese, yogurt or pudding. One method of the invention involves starch molding of heated flowable food mixtures by first forming appropriately configured depressions in a starch layer, depositing the food mixture in the depressions and allowing hardening thereof, followed by separating the finished food products from the starch; in another method aspect, use is made of resilient silicone rubber molds in lieu of starch.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    The prior art relating to the manufacture of dairy products such as cheeses and yogurts is immense. Through the years, a huge variety of cheeses and other products have been prepared with a multitude of different ingredients. Commonly, hard cheeses such as cheddars are produced in large block form and are later subdivided as slices or shreds. Similarly, soft cheeses in the nature of mozzarellas are produced as blocks or cubes and are then cut or shredded for use.  
           [0006]    The growth in snack food consumption over the past few decades has been substantial. Many consumers prefer the ease and convenience associated with snack foods such as pretzels, chips, granola bars and the like. However, these snack foods are often perceived as lacking in nutrition and bear the onus of non-natural or “artificial” foods. Certain types of cheeses and particularly mozzarellas have been packaged in tubular containers for ready consumption. While these products have achieved a certain measure of success, they are not particularly attractive to young children.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,579 to Haggennan et al. describes hard cheeses where gelatin is added during the cheese-making process. Thus, gelatin may be added to the cheese milk before rennet addition or after whey-off. The gelatin is described as adding resilience and taste to the final cheese product. The &#39;579 patent is not concerned with production of attractively shaped, small snack-type products.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,395, 3,615,690 and 5,330,773 also describe the use of gelatin as an additive in cream cheese, molded meat and cheese composites, and as an additive during cheese making. Here again, these references do not deal with the production of small, bite sized snack products.  
           [0009]    There is accordingly a need in the art for an improved food product which includes a substantial fraction of cheese or other dairy product, and which can be molded to virtually any shape (e.g., sports or recreational items) to yield resilient snacks having desirable mouth feel and taste properties.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above, and provides improved food products in the form of resilient, self-sustaining bodies having non-gelatin protein (at least a part of which is derived from dairy product(s)), gelatin, fat and water. The products are relatively small and bite sized, and have a mass to surface area ratio of from about 0.05-5 g/cm 2 . Preferably, the molded bodies have a pH of from about 4.4-6.2, and a water activity of from about 0.7-1, whereby the bodies have substantial shelf lives. The gelatin fraction gives the bodies a desired resilience and mouth feel.  
           [0011]    Preferably, the molded food bodies of the invention include a substantial proportion of one or more dairy products such as cheese, yogurt and pudding therein. These base materials provide non-gelatin protein and also give the final products desirable taste and texture qualities. In this connection, such base materials are supplemented with gelatin and other ingredients such as whey, milk solids, flavorants and colorants.  
           [0012]    In preparative procedures, a flowable mixture is created by heating and mixing the desired starting ingredients, followed by high shear processing. Good results have been obtained through the use of an auger-type lay down mixer with direct steam injection into the mixture during blending to achieve a mixture temperature of from about 150-190° F. Thereupon, the heated mixture is passed through a high shear mixer or homogenizer until essential homogeneity is achieved.  
           [0013]    In order to mold the bite sized products, a starch molding technique may be followed. Specifically, a layer of powdered starch is prepared, wherein the starch is at a temperature of from about 50-100° F. and has a reduced moisture content of about 5-8% by weight. The starch layer is then imprinted with an impression device to form a series of shaped depressions therein. These depressions are filled with the heated food mixture, and the latter is allowed to harden therein at a temperature of from about 30-90° F. The hardened bodies are then separated from the starch, allowed to equilibrate, and are packaged. Alternately, molding may be accomplished using a resilient rubber mold instead of starch molding. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the first step in the product molding process wherein preconditioned starch is placed within a tray;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view illustrating the starch tray after starch skimming to present an essentially flat top surface on the starch layer;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical sectional view depicting placement of a product mold above a filled starch tray;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical sectional view illustrating molding of depressions in the starch layer using the product mold;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical sectional representation depicting formed depressions in the starch layer;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a schematic top view illustrating a series of the depressions formed in the starch layer;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing filling of the depressions with a heated flowable food mixture;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is a schematic vertical sectional view depicting separation of the molded food products from the starch;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a formed food product in accordance with the invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a silicone rubber mold useful in the molding of snack products in accordance with the invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 is a schematic view depicting filling of the rubber mold cavities of the mold of FIG. 10, during snack product production;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 is a schematic representation depicting the step of cooling the filled mold of FIG. 11, in order to solidify the initially flowable food material within the mold cavities; and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 13 is a schematic view illustrating the step of removing the formed and solidified snack food product from the rubber mold. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0027]    One preferred process in accordance with the invention is illustrated schematically in the drawing. The process is in some ways similar to starch molding processes long practiced in the candy and confectionary industries. In the first step (FIG. 1), particulate starch  10  is deposited into a tray or similar holder  12 . It is important that the starch (which can be derived from any common source) be preconditioned to reduce the moisture content thereof. In particular, starch as-received commonly has a moisture content of 10-11% by weight, but it has been found that this moisture content should be reduced to a level of from about 5-8% by weight for use in the invention. Moreover, the starch should be at essentially room temperature or slightly warmer, preferably about 70-100° F. If the particulate starch is not preconditioned to a relatively low moisture content, the starch tends to agglomerate on the surface of the final product, and is difficult to remove.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 illustrates the starch  10  within tray  12  after filling and skimming of the starch. This presents an upper surface  14  for the starch layer as best seen in FIG. 2. It is to be understood that the starch layer is not pressed into the tray  12 , but rather starch is merely dumped into the tray  12  and skimmed off using a knife or the like to provide the flat upper surface 14. The density of the starch in the tray is preferably from about 0.5-0.7 g/cm 2 .  
         [0029]    The next step (FIG. 3) involves forming a series of depressions or openings in the starch  10  through the upper surface  14 . A variety of equipment can be used for this purpose, but in the example of the drawing, a plate  16  having a series of depending cylindrical projections  18  is positioned above the tray  12 . The plate  16  is then pressed into the starch  10  as shown (FIG. 4) through the upper surface  14 . This creates a series of open-top depressions  20  in the starch  10  (FIG. 5) which are complemental with the projections  18 . This can better be seen in FIG. 6 which shows that the depressions  20  are in a spaced array.  
         [0030]    The depressions  20  are next filled with a flowable food mixture  22  until the upper surface of the latter is essentially coincident with starch surface  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, a manifold  24  having a series of depending outlet pipes  26  is located above the depressions  20 , and the flowable mixture  22  is directed through the respective pipes  26  for filling of the depressions. Generally, this flowable mixture has a temperature of from about 130-190° F. during the filling step. The mixture  22  is then allowed to harden within the individual depressions  20  to form the self-sustaining bodies  28  of the invention. Such hardening can be carried out at room temperature or, if desired, in a refrigerated area. In the case of room temperature hardening, a period of from about 45 minutes to 4 hours is normally sufficient. At the end of the hardening step, the bodies  28  typically have a moisture content of from about 30-60% by weight and a temperature of from about 40-90° F. The products of the invention have a mass to surface area ratio in the range of from about 0.05-5 g/cm 2 . It has been found that bodies having greater than a 5 g/cm 2  ratio are difficult to mold owing to the fact that the starch tends to tenaciously cling to the surfaces of the bodies because, during hardening, substantial moisture migrates from the bodies into the surrounding starch.  
         [0031]    The formed bodies  28  are then separated from the starch  10 . This can be accomplished by a variety of techniques. FIG. 8 illustrates one such method wherein the entire contents of the tray  12  are dumped onto a sieve apparatus  30  allowing the bulk of the starch  10  to fall into a lower collector  32 . Thereafter, residual starch is removed from the bodies  28  by directing a positive pressure air stream over the bodies with appropriate collection of such residual starch. An advantage of the invention is that the starch so collected from the process can be reused. This involves heating the starch as required to again reduce its moisture content to the desired level, which also controls the pathogens in the starch.  
         [0032]    In an alternate molding procedure, use can be made of a silicone rubber mold  34  (FIG. 10) in lieu of the molding starch  10 . In the form shown, the mold  34  is formed of flexible silicone rubber having a durometer value of about 30-80, most preferably about 50. The mold  34  presents opposed upper and lower surfaces  36 ,  38 , with a series of preformed depressions  40  formed in the upper surface.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 11 illustrates the mold filling procedure, wherein use is made of a manifold  42  having a series of depending outlet pipes  44 . Normally, a mold  34  would be placed beneath manifold  42 , with an outlet pipe  44  in registry with each of the depression is  40 . As shown, hot, flowable food mixture  22  is injected into each of the depression is  40  up to the level of surface  36 . Such flowable food mixture would typically have a temperature of from about 150-190° F. at the heating stage, and a temperature of from about 130-170° F. as deposited into the mold depressions.  
         [0034]    Next, the filled mold  34  is cooled so as to solidify the initially flowable food mixture within the respective depressions  40 . Preferably, this is a quick-cooling step making use of refrigeration or freezing temperatures of for about 0-40° F., over a period of about 5-45 minutes. As depicted in FIG. 12, in a freezer  46  may be used for the cooling step.  
         [0035]    After cooling is completed, it is only necessary to remove the formed snack food bodies  48  from the mold  34 . This can be done manually, simply by twisting the flexible mold  34  or a collection bin  50  (see FIG. 13). Of course, this step could readily be automated to if desired.  
         [0036]    The makeup and handling of the flowable food mixture  22  is an important aspect of the invention. In general, the mixture is made up of non-gelatin protein, gelatin, water and fat, wherein the non-gelatin protein of the mixture comprises a quantity of dairy product-derived protein (i.e., protein from dairy products such as cheese, whey and other milk products). In preferred forms, the mixture includes a substantial proportion of a dairy ingredient selected from the group consisting of cheese, yogurt, pudding and mixtures thereof, typically from about 10-80% by weight, and more preferably from about 15-50% by weight. In the case of cheeses, cream cheese, American, Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, Swiss, mozzarella and mixtures thereof are preferred. The overall flowing mixture  22  also typically includes other ingredients such as whey powder, non-fat dry milk (NFDM) powder, lactic acids, preservatives and colors.  
         [0037]    In order to prepare the flowable mixture, the ingredients are mixed together and heated. In one preferred method, such heating is accomplished by direct steam injection. After such heating, the mixture is subjected to high shear processing to render the mixture essentially homogenous. The steam injection is carried out until the flowable mixture has the desired temperature of from about 150-190° F. High shear processing can be carried out in a high shear mixer (e.g., a Votator) or in a homogenizer. The goal of this processing is to minimize the size of the gelatin particles so that these are essentially invisible to the eye in the final product  28 .  
         [0038]    The following table sets forth broad and preferred ranges for important ingredients and properties of the flowable mixtures of the invention. Is to be understood that these ranges are approximations.  
                       TABLE 1                           Broad   Preferred       Mixture Ingredients/Properties 1     Range   Range                   Non-gelatin protein content    5-25%    9-15%       % of non-gelatin protein provided    50-100%    75-100%       by dairy protein       Dairy protein    5-25%    9-15%       Gelatin content    1-10%       5.2-8%       Gelatin Bloom value   150-350      200-300       Water content    35-70%    45-65%       Fat content    5-30%    12-25%       Emulsifying salts solids content    1-4%       1.2-2.5%       Whey powder content    0-10%    4-8%       NFDM content    0-8%       0.5-4%       Dairy product 2  content    10-80%    15-50%       pH       4.4-6.2       4.8-6.0       Temperature   150-190° F.   160-180° F.                                  
 
         [0039]    The final products resulting from the processes of the invention are in the form of a resilient, self-sustaining bodies having a desirable mouth feel and “bite.” The product moreover has a refrigerated shelf life (40° F.) of at least about six months, and a room temperature shelf life of at least about thirty days. The product is essentially free of visually observable gelatin particles under a 25× magnification.  
         [0040]    The following table sets forth important broad and preferred ingredient and property ranges for the final products of the invention. Again, these ranges are approximate.  
                       TABLE 2                           Broad   Preferred       Final Product Ingredients/Properties 1     Range   Range                   Non-gelatin protein content    6-36%   10.5-18%         % of non-gelatin protein provided    50-100%    75-100%       by dairy protein       Dairy protein    6-36%   10.5-18%         Gelatin content   4.5-12%     6.2-10.5%       Gelatin Bloom value   150-350      200-300          Water content   30-60%   35-50%       Fat content    6-36%   14-30%       Emulsifying salts solids content   1.2-4.8%   1.4-3.0%       Whey powder content    0-12%    4-10%       NFDM content    0-10%   0.6-5%         Dairy product 2  content   12-90%   18-60%       pH   4.4-6.2      4.8-6.0          Water activity   0.7-1.0      0.8-0.9          Mass/surface area ratio   0.05-5        0.15-2                g/cm 2     g/cm 2                                    
 
         [0041]    The following examples set forth preferred formulae and procedures for producing products in accordance with the invention. It is to be understood, however, that these examples are provided by way of illustration and nothing therein should be taken as a limitation upon the overall scope of the invention.  
       EXAMPLE 1  
       [0042]    In this example, a cheese snack product was prepared using the overall procedure schematically illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 8 , except that each of the starch depressions 20 were manually filled with cheese mixture.  
         [0043]    The formula used for the flowable cheese mixture is set forth below.  
                                         TABLE 3                                   Ingredient   % By Weight                                        Water   29.52           Water from steam injection   6.40           Cheddar cheese   43.89           NFDM   0.99           Whey powder   5.87           Carotenal 73   0.05           Salt   0.56           Cream (80% fat)   4.11           Disodium phosphate   2.05           Lactic acid (50%)   0.55           Sorbic acid   0.15           Gelatin (270 Bloom)   5.82                      
 
         [0044]    The ingredients of the mixture were placed in an auger-type lay down cooker and blended. During this time, culinary steam was injected into the mixture for a period of about 1 minute, until the mixture reached a temperature of about 180° F. The steam injection was then terminated and mixing was continued for about 20 seconds. At this point, the mixture was passed through a Votator shear pump to assure essential homogeneity.  
         [0045]    A series of starch trays were prepared as described previously using low moisture (about 5-8%) particulate starch at 70-80° F. with a density of about 0.6 g/cm 2 . A male mold plate having a series of shaped projections (e.g., different types of sports balls such as soccer and footballs) was used to print the starch layer and form appropriately configured depressions therein. The prepared, heated cheese mixture was then manually deposited in each depression to fill it. The filled trays were then allowed to stand at room temperature for a period of about two hours. The contents of the trays were then dumped into a sieve apparatus to separate the majority of the starch from the hardened food product bodies. As a final measure, these bodies were passed under a positive pressure air stream to remove all residual starch.  
         [0046]    The final snack product had the following profile: moisture, 44.0%, fat, 22.40%, carbohydrate, 7.40%, sorbic acid, 0.19%, ash, 5.63%, whey protein, 1.08%, gelatin protein, 6.13%, casein, 13.52%, lactose, 6.88%, emulsifing solids, 1.97%, salt, 1.80%, calcium, 0.45%, and sodium, 1.33%.  
         [0047]    The final product had a pH of about 5.7 and exhibited desirable resilience and mouth feel qualities.  
       Example 2  
       [0048]    In this example, a yogurt-based snack product was prepared. The starting formula was:  
                                         TABLE 4                                   Ingredient   % By Weight                                        Water   24.11           Water from steam injection   6.40           Non-fat dry yogurt powder   12.98           FD&amp;D Red 40   0.0014           Artificial strawberry flavor   0.20           Natural strawberry flavor   0.40           Strawberry puree   7.50           Baker&#39;s sugar   15.0           Salt   0.50           Cream (80% fat)   25.38           Sorbic acid   0.20           Gelatin (270 Bloom)   7.30                      
 
         [0049]    This mixture had the following profile: fat, 16.99%, moisture, 55.40%, carbohydrate, 18.19%, sorbic acid, 0.16%, ash, 1.36%, whey protein, 0.77%, protein, 9.06%, casein, 3.27%, gelatin protein, 6.31%, lactose, 5.58%, salt, 0.56%, calcium, 0.13%, sodium, and 0.24%, ash.  
         [0050]    The foregoing ingredients were prepared as described in Example 1 and deposited into preformed starch bed openings, and allowed to harden therein. Separation of starch and recovery of the hardened final products was likewise carried out as in Example 1. The final product had the following profile: fat, 20.68%, moisture, 44.00%, carbohydrate, 22.15%, sorbic acid, 0.20%, ash, 1.66%, whey protein, 0.94%, protein, 11.03%, casein, 3.98%, gelatin protein, 6.31%, lactose, 6.80%, salt, 0.68%, calcium, 0.15%, and sodium, 0.29%. This product had a pH of about 5.1.  
       Example 3  
       [0051]    In this example, mozzarella and cheddar snacks were prepared using a 50 durometer silicone rubber (methylvinylpolysiloxane rubber sold under the designation Compound 58079, Central Rubber Co., Belvidere, Ill.) mold. In each case, the cheese ingredient was comminuted and mixed with the other dry ingredients and water. Next, the gelatin and cheese color were added followed by additional water to bring the product up to a desired moisture level. Total mixing time was about 10 minutes. The raw product was then transferred to a cooking vessel and heated by direct steam injection to 170° F., and the product was held at this temperature for 3 minutes. At this point, the product was tested and had about a 44% by weight moisture content. The product was then pumped to a one-stage homogenizer where it was processed at a pressure of 4000 psi.  
         [0052]    The heated and homogenized product was then deposited into the depressions in the rubber mold at about 165° F. The trays were then cooled to 35° F. over a period of about 55 minutes. The product was then mechanically removed from the mold for packaging. The mozzarella and cheddar products had the following ingredients:  
                                         TABLE 5                                   Ingredient Name   Mix %                                        Water   10.6399           36DE Corn Syrup   16.9634           Cheddar Block Domestic W   11.4126           Salt   0.6506           Cream 80% Fat   15.5123           Disod Phos Duohydrate   1.6013           Sorbic Acid   0.1501           Gelatin L&amp;D   6.0047           Monosodium Phosphate   1.2010           Labstream   13.0103           Mozzarella Low Moisture Part Skim   22.1539           C&amp;H Sugar Baker   0.2500           Fructose   0.2500           Dairy Flavoring   0.2000                      
 
         [0053]    [0053]                                         TABLE 6                                   Ingredient Name   Mix %                                        Water   15.4000           36DE Corn Syrup   12.0000           Cheddar Block Domestic W   33.5400           Carotenal 73   0.0800           Salt   0.8300           Cream 80% Fat   15.5000           Disos Phosphate Duohydrate   1.6000           Sorbic Acid   0.1500           Gelatin L&amp;D   6.1000           Monosodium Phosphate   1.2000           Labstream   13.0000           Cheese Flavor   0.6000