BATTER COMPOSITION

Abstract: A non-starch containing batter is diclosed which comprises: 2 to 10 % oligosaccharides, 3 to 12 % soluble protein, 10 to 60 % vegetable oil, 0 to 5 % emulsifier, to 100 % water. A particular advantage of the use of this batter is that there is no longer the need to pre-fry the product prior to freezing, however a product is achieved having the desired pre-fried taste.

Description: BATTER COMPOSITION Technical Field of the Invention The invention relates to a non-starch containing batter and its use as a coating for food products. Background to the Invention It is desirable to provide coated food products, which are usually stored frozen, which have a crisp crumb coating after heating for consumption. This is particularly difficult to achieve when the food product to be coated includes a sauce and/or when the product is to be microwaved. Traditional batters comprise flour which contains starch. Starch has a tendency to soak up water and hence become soggy. Thus a batter having no starch has been formulated which solves the above-mentioned problems. Description of the Invention Accordingly the invention provides a batter comprising; 2 to 10%, preferably 4 to 8% oligosaccharides 3 to 12%, preferably 5 to 10%, soluble protein 10 to 60%, preferably 30 to 60%, vegetable oil, 0 to 5% emulsifier to 100% water. Preferably the oligosaccharide is dried glucose syrup. The soluble protein component may be selected from albumins, globulins, gliadins, glutenins, gelatin, muscle proteins and mixtures thereof . Preferably the soluble protein is albumin, most preferably egg white powder. The vegetable oil may be any vegetable oil, preferably a vegetable oil selected from sunflower oil, soya bean oil and mixtures thereof. A particular advantage of the use of this batter is that there is no longer the need to pre-fry the product prior to freezing. However a product is achieved with the desirable pre-fried taste. The oil content of a final product coated with this batter clearly depends on the actual level of oil in the batter as well as the thickness of the batter, but it will typically be between 3 and 12%, preferably approximately 6%. The batter may be used to enrobe any food core, the food core may for example comprise, vegetables; meat such as poultry, lamb, beef, pork, veal; fish and mixtures thereof. A crumb coating may be applied to the battered food core. Any crumb coating may be used, for example the commercially available Pandora Japanese crumbs, rice flakes and potato fresco crumbs. Traditional breadcrumbs may also be used. Advantageously the crumb may be of the type disclosed in WO94/22330, 094/18857, EP 319 287, EP 530 014, EP 235 308, EP 333 886 and EP 565 386. Examples Example 1 A batter having the following composition % w/w Dried glucose syrup 5 Egg white powder 7 Soya oil 45 Emulsifier 2.0 Caramel Sugar 1.5 Water to 100 The batter was used to enrobe a fish and sauce core prepared as follows; A frozen fish block was cut into a 39g cube shape having the dimensions 48 x 31 x 27 mm. This was moulded under pressure using an AEW press (pp330 & pp530) to form a blunted cone shape having a base diameter of 51 mm, a height of 27.7 mm, and a top diameter of 33 mm. A sauce was prepared having the following composition: % w/w Tomato paste (14 Brix) 80 Gelatin 2.5 Vegetable oil 3.0 Salt 1.5 Flavourings & herbs 1.75 Dried glucose syrup 4.0 Starch 2.0 Water to 100 The sauce was frozen into a 13g cone shape having a base diameter of 33mm. The frozen pellet (at -10°C) was dipped into a 2% sodium alginate solution at 10°C, any excess alginate was removed from the surface of the pellet by air jet prior to gelling in a 3% CaCl 2 solution for 3 minutes at 10°C. The alginate gel encapsulated sauce was placed on top of the fish shape to form a cone. The core was dipped in the batter composition described above before application of a layer of bread crumbs. A second batter and a layer of Pandora Japanese crumbs was then applied. A 6mm diameter hole was made in the top of the cone through the coating and alginate gel. The product was stored frozen. The product was cooked from frozen at 225°C for 25 min. On eating the crumb coating was very crisp. The product had a desirable pre-fried taste. Example 2 Example 1 was repeated except soya oil was replaced by sunflower oil. A product of similar quality to Example 1 was produced. Comparative Example A Example 1 was repeated except that a conventional batter having the following composition was used; % w/w Wheat flour 24 Potato starch 19 Salt 3 Pepper extract 0.1 Water to 100 A product having a poor taste and a soggy crumb was produced.

Claims: Claims 1. A batter composition comprising; 2 to 10% oligosaccharides; 3 to 12% soluble protein 10 to 60% vegetable oil 0 to 5% emulsifier to 100% water 2. A batter composition according to claim 1 comprising; 4 to 8% oligosaccharides 5 to 10% soluble protein 30 to 60% vegetable oil 0 to 5% emulsifier to 100% water. 3. A batter composition according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the oligosaccharide is dried glucose syrup. 4. A batter composition according to any preceding claim wherein the soluble protein is selected from the group consisting of albumins, globulins, gliadins, glutenins, gelatin, muscle proteins and mixtures thereof. 5. A batter composition according to any preceding claim wherein the soluble protein is albumin. 6. A batter composition according to any preceding claim wherein the soluble protein is egg white powder. 7. A coated food product comprising a food core, one or more layers of batter having the composition as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 and optionally one or more layers of crumb. 8. A coated food product according to claim 7 wherein the food core comprises vegetable, meat, fish and mixtures thereof. 9. A coated food product according to claim 8 wherein the food core additionally comprises a sauce.

Inventors: SCHAFE WOLFGANG, SCHMIEDEL MANFRED, SCHAFE, WOLFGANG, SCHMIEDEL, MANFRED
Applicants: UNILEVER NV, UNILEVER PLC, UNILEVER N.V.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A23P1
IPC codes: A21D10, A23L1, A23P1