Process for making a baked filled snack product

A peanut butter-filled snack product and the like is disclosed. This product includes an edible, heat stable, lubricious filling having a fat content of from about 40% to about 70% by weight. The filling is surrounded by a layer of dough comprising flour, water and at least about 21% fluid shortening by weight of the flour. The fluid shortening reduces oil migration during baking and storage so that the filling remains soft and lubricious.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present application relates to peanut butter-filled snack products and 
the like having softer, more lubricious fillings. 
Filled snack products are known in the art. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,532,510 to 
Zimmerman, issued Oct. 6, 1970. Of particular interest are peanut 
butter-filled crackers. These products desirably have a crisp baked outer 
dough shell, and a soft, lubricious filling. The dual texture of this 
product provides a pleasant eating experience to the consumer. 
Current methods of preparing such filled-snack products require a two-step 
process. In the first step, the outer shell is prepared by baking a 
configured dough comprising primarily flour, shortening and water. in the 
second step, the filling is inserted into the baked dough shell. See U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,275,647 to Chambers et al., issued June 30, 1981, which 
discloses a tubular center-filled food product having a rigid, friable 
baked outer shell and a core of edible filling material formed by this 
two-step process. 
Rather than using this two-step process, the filling and outer dough shell 
could be cobaked to form the filled snack product. However, high fat 
content fillings such as peanut butter will melt during baking and release 
oil to the dough. The result is a loss in softness and lubricity of the 
filling. Accordingly, there is a need to provide filled snack products 
wherein a high fat content filling and dough can be co-baked without the 
filling losing its desirable softness and lubricity. 
BACKGROUND ART 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,532,510 to Zimmerman, issued Oct. 6, 1970, discloses a 
refrigerated product comprising a dough which surrounds and encloses a 
stable filling material. Typical fillings disclosed are peanut butter, 
cheese, meat, fruit and similar materials. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,534 to Brabbs, et al., issued Nov. 23, 1982, discloses 
cookie doughs containing flavored fat chips. The dough comprises a high 
level of emulsifier and fluid shortening to provide a 
shortening-continuous dough system in which the chips are wetted by the 
shortening. As a result, the fluid shortening migrates and commingles with 
the fat in the chips to produce a semi-fluid texture. Example 14 discloses 
a cookie dough formulation containing peanut butter flavored chips. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,536 to Dogliotti, issued June 24, 1980, discloses a 
spherical filled foot product comprising an outer pastry shell enclosing a 
soft filling such as cheese. The outer pastry shell comprises fat (lard, 
butter or margarine) and flour, preferably in a ratio of about 1:1. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,647 to Chambers et al., issued June 30, 1981, discloses 
a tubular center-filled food product having a rigid, friable baked outer 
shell and a core of edible filling material. The outer shell is formed 
from a batter containing mono and/or disaccharides, flour (10-20%), an 
edible fat or oil (5-15%), egg white and water. Edible fillings disclosed 
include confectionary cream, fruit paste, meat paste, cheese paste and the 
like which are sufficiently fluid to be pumpable when warm, but 
sufficiently stiff and firm upon cooling to be retained within the baked 
tubular shell. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,914 to Cooper et al., issued June 29, 1971, discloses a 
farinaceous dough expressed into a ribbon-like form which is then flaked 
and dehydrated by baking or frying. The chips produced are impregnated 
with fat for taste quality and to avoid later takeup of fat in case the 
chips are mixed into a food such as peanut butter. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to peanut butter-filled snack products and 
the like. This product comprises an edible, heat stable, lubricious 
filling having a fat content of from about 40% to about 70% by weight. The 
filling is surrounded by a layer of dough comprising flour, fluid 
shortening and water. The fluid shortening is present at a level of at 
least about 21% by weight of said flour. 
By using the present invention, the dough and high fat filling can be 
co-baked to form the filled snack product. The high level of fluid 
shortening reduces migration of oil from the filling to the dough during 
baking and storage. Additionally, it is believed that a portion of the 
fluid shortening transfers to the filling during storage. The result is a 
baked snack product having a filling which is soft and lubricious. 
A. Heat Stable Filling 
Any heat stable, lubricious filling which is edible and which has a fat 
content of from about 40 to about 70% by weight can be used in filled 
snack products of the present invention. As used herein, the term "heat 
stable" refers to the physical stability of the filling during baking of 
the snack product. Fillings which are heat stable do not become fluid and 
flow like a liquid oil during baking. As used herein, the term 
"lubricious" refers to the textural properties of the filling and is 
derived from the fat present in the filling. Lubricious fillings are those 
which are plastic and spread easily in the mouth during mastication. 
Suitable fillings can be formulated by the appropriate blending of 
sufficient fat with other ingredients (typically sugar and flavored 
solids) to provide, for example, cheese fillings, confectionery creme 
fillings, meat flavored fillings and the like. Preferred fillings are 
those derived from oilseed butters. 
Several types of oilseed butter materials can be used for the filling. By 
"oilseed butters" is meant those butters derived from oil- and 
protein-containing seeds such as peanuts, cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, 
soybeans and the like, including mixtures of such butters. The most 
preferred oilseed butter is that derived from peanuts. These oilseed 
butters typically have sufficient inherent fat to provide a fat content of 
from about 40 to about 70% by weight. However, additional fat can be 
included in the oilseed butter if needed. Preferably, the oilseed butter 
has a fat content of from about 50 to about 60% by weight. While the 
following description on the formation of such oilseed butters is with 
regard to peanut butter, it is to be understood that other oilseed butters 
can be formulated by suitable variation of the described method. 
Peanut butter ordinarily comprises peanut paste, stabilizer, and optionally 
other ingredients such as emulsifier, sweetener, and salt. Peanut paste 
typically comprises from 80-99% by weight of the peanut butter and is 
usually obtained by conventional methods of roasting and blanching raw 
peanuts and then grinding them. The stabilizer is normally a hydrogenated 
fatty material utilized so that oil separation in the peanut paste does 
not occur and ordinarily comprises from 1-5% by weight of the peanut 
butter. Partially or completely hydrogenated natural fats such as peanut 
oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil, palm oil, whale oil, and other 
marine oils, alone or in combination, are suitable as stabilizers. A 
preferred stabilizer is rapeseed oil having an iodine value not greater 
than about 10 and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,102 to Sanders, 
issued Apr. 14, 1964. Other preferred stabilizers are disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,265,507 to Japikse, issued Aug. 9, 1966. 
Peanut butter can optionally comprise from about 0.5% to 1.5% by weight 
emulsifiers which function to negate stickiness so that the butter does 
not stick to the roof of the mouth. Suitable emulsifiers include lecithin 
and fatty monoglycerides such as soybean monoglycerides. Many peanut 
butters also comprise from 1-10% by weight added sweetener such as 
sucrose, dextrose, fructose, honey, molasses, saccharin, and other common 
sweetening agents. Peanut butter can also optionally comprise from 1-1.5% 
by weight salt as a flavoring agent. 
Some unhydrogenated or slightly hydrogenated glyceride oils can also be 
added to peanut butter to fine tune the consistency of it. This added oil 
is distinct from the peanut oil which is present in the peanut paste 
ingredient. If such added oil is utilized, the butter ordinarily comprises 
from 0.2-7% by weight of such added oil. Vegetable oil, such as peanut 
oil, or slightly hydrogenated soybean oil, is commonly used for this 
purpose. 
In conventional peanut butter processing, roasted and blanched peanuts are 
ground to a suitable particle size to provide a peanut paste. The other 
peanut butter ingredients can be added before, during, or immediately 
after grinding to provide a homogeneous mixture. It is preferred that the 
processing stream be maintained in an inert atmosphere, e.g. a nitrogen 
atmosphere, starting just before the grinding step and continuing 
throughout the remainder of the process. The homogeneous mixture with its 
stabilizer components in a molten state is subjected to processing to 
properly crystallize the stabilizer. Ordinarily, the stabilizer is in a 
molten state when the homogeneous mixture is at a temperature greater than 
100.degree. F. (38.degree. C.). Crystallization is carried out by cooling 
the homogeneous mixture from this temperature, for example, in a scrapped 
wall heat exchanger and then subjecting the mixture to agitation, for 
example, in a picker box. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,207 to Dzurik et al., 
issued Aug. 14, 1969, (herein incorporated by reference) for a preferred 
method of preparing peanut butter. 
B. Dough Layer 
The outer portion of the filled snack product of the present invention is 
represented by the dough layer. This dough layer at least comprises flour, 
shortening and water. Other optional ingredients such as emulsifiers 
(dough conditioners), leavening agents, corn syrup solids, sweetener, 
salt, cheese solids and the like can also be included. Generally, both 
cracker and cookie type doughs can be used in the filled snack products of 
the present invention. For example, the shortening-continuous cookie 
doughs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,534 to Brabbs, issued Nov. 23, 
1982 (herein incorporated by reference) are suitable. However, preferred 
doughs are those which form cracker-like textures upon baking. 
1. Flour 
Any type of flour which is suitable in cracker and cookie type doughs can 
be used in the present invention. For example, suitable flours include 
wheat flour, rye flour, corn flour, cottonseed meal, and sorghum flour. 
Preferably, wheat flour is used in preparing the dough of the present 
invention. This flour can be bleached or unbleached. Because the flour 
constitutes a major ingredient of the dough layer, the percentages of the 
remaining ingredients are referred to on a flour weight basis (FWB). 
2. Fluid Shortening 
In addition to flour, the dough layer most importantly comprises a fluid 
shortening. 
As used herein, "fluid shortening" refers to those shortenings which are 
fluid or liquid above about 15.degree. C. Although not a requirement, 
fluid shortenings useful in the present invention can include those which 
are fluid or liquid below 15.degree. C. These shortenings are typically 
liquid glyceride oils which consist primarily of triglycerides. To remain 
fluid at temperatures below 15.degree. C., the shortening contains a 
minimum of glycerides having melting points higher than about 15.degree. 
C. so as to limit the solids increase when the shortening is cooled. It is 
desirable that the shortening be chemically stable and resistant to 
oxidation. 
Suitable shortenings can be derived from naturally occurring liquid 
glyceride oils such as cottonseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, corn 
oil, olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, sesame seed oil, 
sunflower seed oil, and mixtures thereof. Also suitable are liquid oil 
fractions from palm oil, lard, and tallow, obtained, for example, by 
graining or directed interesterification, followed by separation of the 
oil. Oils predominating in glycerides of unsaturated acids can need some 
hydrogenation to maintain flavor, but care should be taken not to greatly 
increase the amount of glycerides melting above 15.degree. C. When oils 
are selected which have a larger amount of solids melting between 
15.degree. and 40.degree. C. than are desirable, it can be necessary to 
separate out the solids. Refined and slightly hydrogenated soybean oil has 
proved to be especially suitable. Refined cottonseed oil is also 
acceptable. 
The fluid shortenings of this invention can include certain di- or 
triglycerides in which one or two of the OH groups of the glycerine have 
been replaced by acetyl, propionyl, butyryl, or caproyl radicals, and one 
or two of the remaining OH groups of the glycerine have been replaced by 
acyl radicals of higher molecular weight saturated or unsaturated fatty 
acids having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms. For the purposes of the present 
invention, these glycerides containing both high and low molecular weight 
acid radicals are referred to as low molecular synthetic fats. The low 
molecular synthetic fats selected should be fluid at 15.degree. C. In 
order to resist oxidation and to prevent rancidity, it is preferred to 
select low molecular synthetic fats in which there are a minimum of 
carbon-to-carbon double bonds in the higher molecular weight fatty acid 
radicals, and preferably not more than 2 double bonds in any single acid 
radical. Normally liquid fatty acids of the oleic acid series, having a 
single carbon-to-carbon double bond, are ideal for this purpose. 
Other suitable liquid shortenings can be prepared by controlling the amount 
of fully hydrogenated solid fats and/or high melting mono- and 
diglycerides employed in, or formed in, the base oil. Examples of such 
opaque fluid shortenings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,286 to Andre 
et al., issued Dec. 3, 1957, (herein incorporated by reference). Suitable 
fluid shortenings can also be formulated with non-absorbable, 
non-digestible fatty acid esters of polyols, in particular sucrose 
polyesters, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,196 to Jandacek et al., 
issued Jan. 55, 1977 (herein incorporated by reference). 
In general, fluid shortenings can readily contain up to about 10% 
substantially fully saturated fatty glycerides, a substantial proportion 
of which are in the form of beta phase crystals. If more than about 10% 
solids are present, the shortening may be too viscous to be fluid at 
temperatures as low as 15.degree. C., and thus, such shortenings may be 
undesirable where storage of filled snack products at low temperatures is 
contemplated. If the high-melting components are alpha-phase or beta-prime 
phase tending, other levels of these latter materials can be used while 
maintaining fluidity. 
To provide snack products having soft and lubricious fillings upon baking 
and storage, the amount of fluid shortening present in the dough needs to 
be at least about 21% by FWB. This minimum level of fluid shortening 
prevents oil from migrating from the filling to the dough during baking 
and storage of the snack product. Additionally, it is believed that a 
portion of this fluid shortening transfers to the filling during storage 
so as to increase the softness and lubricity of the filling. Other than 
this minimum level requirement, the amount of fluid shortening used in the 
dough layer can be varied depending upon the characteristics desired. 
Preferably, the amount of shortening used is such that the dough layer of 
the filled snack product, when baked, is not excessively tender. The 
amount of shortening present in the dough usually ranges from about 21 to 
about 30% by FWB. Preferably, the amount of shortening ranges from about 
25 to about 30% by FWB. 
3. Water 
In addition to flour and shortening, the dough layer also contains a 
suitable amount of water. Generally, the amount of water incorporated in 
the dough is such that the dough forms a cookie-like, or preferably 
cracker-like, texture when baked. For cracker-type doughs, the amount of 
water present is such that the average a.sub.w value of the entire baked 
snack product is typically from about 0.2 to about 0.5 and preferably from 
about 0.30 to about 0.36. As used herein, the term "a.sub.w value" refers 
to the "water activity" of the system, and is an indicator of the amount 
of free or unbound water present in the particular matrix being measured. 
For cookie-type doughs, this a.sub.w value can range from about 0.4 to 
about 0.75. Usually, the amount of water used in the dough ranges from 
about 20 to about 35% by FWB. 
4. Emulsifiers 
The dough layer also desirably includes emulsifiers. These emulsifiers are 
frequently referred to as "dough conditioners" because they are used to 
control the consistency of the dough. Suitable emulsifiers include mono- 
and diglycerides of fatty acids, sucrose partial fatty acid esters, 
sorbitan esters of fatty acids, polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters of fatty 
acids, propylene glycol esters, polyethylene glycol esters, ethoxylated 
mono- and diglycerides, fumarated esters of monoglycerides or their alkali 
metal salts, alkanoyl lactylates or their metal salts, lecithins, and the 
like. Preferred dough conditioners include sorbitan monostearate (Span 
60), polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate (Tween 60), propylene glycol 
monostearate, glycerol lactopalmitate, sodium stearoyl fumarate, calcium 
stearoyl-2-lactylate, ethoxylated monoglycerides, and lecithin. The amount 
of emulsifier can be varied to obtain the dough properties desired. These 
emulsifiers are typically used at from about 0.25 to about 2% by FWB. 
However, levels of emulsifier below and above this range can be used if 
desired. 
5. Leavening Agent 
The dough also desirably includes a leavening agent. Non-yeast leavening 
agents include a source of carbon dioxide such as sodium bicarbonate or 
potassium bicarbonate, alone or in combination with a leavening acid such 
as monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, 
sodium aluminum sulfate, sodium aluminum phosphate, potassium acid 
tartrate and the like. Preferably, an active dry yeast is used as part of 
the leavening agent. The amount of leavening agent used depends on the 
particular agent employed and the leavening characteristics desired. 
6. Sweeteners 
Especially for cookie dough systems, a sweetener is typically included. 
Suitable sweeteners include sucrose, invert sugar syrups, brown sugar, 
corn syrup solids, fructose, dextrose (glucose), honey, molasses, maple 
syrup and the like. Particularly preferred sweeteners are sucrose and corn 
syrup solids. The amount of sweetener included typically depends upon the 
type of dough desired (cookie dough or cracker dough), as well as the 
sweetness desired. 
7. Optional Ingredients 
Other optional ingredients which can be included in the dough are milk 
products such as whole milk, skim milk, buttermilk, whey, concentrated 
milk products (condensed or evaporated milk), dried milk products, non-fat 
milk powder, dry whole milk, modified whole milk and the like, egg 
products, including egg whites and egg yolks, spices, other flavors such 
as vanilla, salt, cheese solids, color additives, preservatives, 
anti-oxidants and the like. 
8. Dough Making 
The dough layer can be prepared by standard techniques in the art for 
making cookie or cracker-type doughs. See Matz et al., Cookie and Cracker 
Technology (2Ed. AVI Publishing Co., 1978), pp. 166-75, for standard 
techniques for preparing cracker doughs. Typically, the dry ingredients 
such as the flour, salt, corn syrup solids, etc. are mixed together. The 
shortening and emulsifiers are co-melted and then mixed with the dry 
ingredients. Any yeast, sweetener and water are then mixed in with the 
mixture of dry ingredients plus shortening-emulsifier to form the finished 
dough. The dough is usually permitted to rise before being sheeted to form 
a dough layer suitable in preparing the filled snack product of the 
present invention. 
C. Method for Making the Filled Snack Product 
The filled snack product is formed by appropriate combination of the 
following materials: (1) heat stable filling; and (2) dough layer. Because 
the filling is typically plastic and maleable, it can be configured to an 
appropriate shape such as a cube, sphere, cylinder, cone, etc. Or, the 
filling can be configured later during formation of the filled snack 
product. Typically, the filling is configured into the appropriate shape 
after being surrounded by the dough layer. 
The layer of dough partially surrounds, or preferably completely surrounds 
(encloses) the filling. The filling can be enclosed within the layer of 
dough by one of two methods. In the first method, a single layer of dough 
is used. In this method, the filling is placed on the single layer of 
dough. The edges of this single layer of dough are then sealed together so 
as to enclose the filling therein to form a raw snack product. 
In the second method, two layers of dough are used. The filling is placed 
on the first layer of dough. A second layer of dough is then placed on top 
of the first layer of dough. This second layer of dough is then compressed 
around the filling and sealed against the first layer of dough to enclose 
the filling so as to form the raw snack product. 
Besides the above methods, the raw snack product can also be formed by 
co-extrusion of the filling and the dough. 
Once the filling is enclosed within the dough, the raw snack product formed 
can then be baked to form the finished (baked) filled snack product. 
Temperature conditions suitable for forming other baked goods can be used 
in forming the baked filled snack product. Typically, the filled snack 
product is baked at a temperature of from about 350.degree. to about 
500.degree. F. (177.degree. to 260.degree. C.) for from about 2 to about 
12 minutes. Preferably, the filled snack product is baked at a temperature 
of from about 450.degree. to about 500.degree. F. (232.degree. to 
260.degree. C.) for from about 3 to about 4 minutes. The particular baking 
conditions employed depend upon the size of the filled-snack product and 
the amount of doneness desired. Baking can be followed by a drying step at 
reduced temperature to achieve the desired a.sub.w value for the baked 
snack product.

SPECIFIC METHODS FOR MAKING PEANUT BUTTER-FILLED SNACK 
Products of the Present Invention 
The following illustrate methods for preparing peanut butter-filled snack 
products according to the present invention: 
Step 1: Forming the dough 
The ingredients used in the preparation of the dough were as follows: 
______________________________________ 
Dough Ingredient % (FWB) 
______________________________________ 
Unbleached All Purpose Flour 
100.00 
Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Solids 
2.08 
Romano Cheese Solids 2.08 
Salt 2.08 
Calcium Propionate 0.26 
Baking Soda 0.52 
Corn Syrup Solids (Fro-Dex 42) 
10.00 
Paprika 0.25 
CRISCO .RTM. Oil 27.00 
Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate (Verv) 
0.50 
Ethoxylated monoglyceride (Starfol D) 
0.50 
Sucrose 1.67 
Active Dry Yeast 2.92 
Tap H.sub.2 O (115.degree. F.) 
31.25 
______________________________________ 
All dry ingredients listed from the flour to the paprika were added to a 
McDuffy mixing bowl which was affixed to a model C-100 Hobart Mixer. The 
mixer was set at the No. 1 speed and the dry ingredients were then blended 
for ten minutes with occasional scraping. The CRISCO.RTM. Oil, calcium 
stearoyl-2-lactylate and ethoxylated monoglyceride were co-melted at 
approximately 140.degree. F. (60.degree. C.). The warm mixture of 
shortening and emulsifier was then added to the McDuffy bowl and mixed 
with the dry ingredients at a No. 1 speed setting. The contents of the 
bowl were scraped after three minutes mixing; total mixing time was six 
minutes. The yeast, sucrose and water were combined separately and then 
stirred until the yeast was dispersed and the sucrose dissolved. The yeast 
was permitted to hydrate for five minutes. This dispersion of yeast and 
sucrose was then added to the McDuffy bowl and the formulation mixed for 
five minutes at a No. 1 speed setting to form the finished dough. The 
contents of the bowl were scraped down once after the first 1.5 minutes 
of mixing. 
The finished dough was then placed in a two-quart stainless steel bowl, 
covered with aluminum foil and permitted to rest for ten minutes at room 
temperature. Approximately 100 g of this dough was then passed through a 
hand-operated pasta-making mill (Imperia SP150). The dough was passed 
three times through the roller at the No. 1 setting (thickest), two times 
through the roller at the No. 3 setting, one time through the roller at 
the No. 4 setting, and finally one time through the roller at the No. 5 
setting. This yielded a dough sheet with an average thickness of 0.029 
inches (0.73 mm) which was used to form the filled snack product. 
Step 2: Forming the Filled Snack Product 
Embodiment 1 
In this embodiment, the dough sheet from Step 1 was cut into 2 inch.times.2 
inch (5 cm.times.5 cm) squares. A filling of creamy JIF.RTM. peanut butter 
was placed on one half of the dough square. A bead of egg white solution 
(1:1 mixture of fresh egg white:distilled water) was laid around the edge 
of the square using a pipette. The square was folded over the coated 
filling, and then the edges thereof were sealed together by pressing with 
the tines of a fork. The result was a 2 inch.times.1 inch (5 cm.times.2.5 
cm) rectangular shaped raw snack product containing a peanut butter 
filling. The surface of each raw snack product was punctured three times 
with the tines of a fork. The raw snack products were placed on a wire 
screen. The raw snack products were permitted to rest for 15 minutes at 
58.degree. C., were brushed with an egg white solution and then salted. 
The raw snack product was then ready for baking. 
Embodiment 2 
In this embodiment, two dough sheets are used. The outline of 1 inch (2.5 
cm.) diameter circles are made on the first sheet using a cutter. A creamy 
JIF.RTM. peanut butter filling is then placed on the center of each 
circle. A bead of egg white solution (as in Embodiment 1) is placed around 
the outer edge of each circle. The second dough sheet is then placed on 
top of the first sheet. There is sufficient sag of the top sheet over the 
lumps of filling so that a cylindrical cutter/crimper can be used to seal 
the second sheet to the first sheet and free each raw snack product from 
the remainder of the sheets. Each raw snack product, which has a shape 
similar to that of an oyster cracker, is punctured twice with fork tines. 
The raw snack products are then placed on a wire screen. After resting as 
in Embodiment 1, the raw snack products are then brushed with an egg white 
solution. These raw snack products are then salted as in Embodiment 1. The 
raw snack products are then ready for baking. 
Step 3: Baking of Raw Filled Snack Product 
The raw snack products from Step 2 were (are) baked in an electric oven at 
500.degree. F. (260.degree. C.) for three minutes, then immediately 
transferred to a convection oven and dried at 250.degree.-260.degree. F. 
(121.degree.-127.degree. C.) for 25 minutes. The baked snacks were (are) 
sprayed with CRISCO.RTM. Oil, immediately on removal from the drying oven. 
The average a.sub.w value of the baked snack products was (is) 0.30 to 
0.36.