Patent Publication Number: US-2013243914-A1

Title: Anhydrous Mix for a Food Product Coating

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/612,119 entitled “ANHYDROUS MIX FOR A FOOD PRODUCT COATING” and filed on Mar. 16, 2012 for Ernest G. Markisich, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to coatings for food products and more particularly relates to glaze coatings for food products. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A coating is often applied to a food product to impart a desired taste, texture, or look to the food product. For example, a coating of glaze, icing, or the like may be applied to a doughnut, pastry, cake, or other food product to give the food product a sweeter taste or a shinier look than the food product would have without the coating. 
     Before application to a food product, coatings for food products are typically liquids and have limited shelf lives. If the coating includes a milk product, the coating must be refrigerated before use and will eventually sour. Refrigeration also typically causes a coating to harden or set up, making the coating difficult to apply to a food product. Even if a coating does not include a milk product, the sugars in the coating can cause the coating to ferment, limiting the shelf life of the coating. 
     Preparation of a liquid coating for a food product can be a complicated multi-step process, so liquid coatings are typically shipped to end users in their final, liquid form. Due to the limited shelf life of typical liquid coatings, any shipment must occur promptly. The high liquid content of a liquid coating, in addition to the time constraints, can cause shipping prices to be substantial. 
     SUMMARY 
     A need exists for an apparatus, system, and method that provide a food product coating with an extended shelf life. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method would provide an anhydrous mix for a food product coating that weighs less than the food product coating itself. 
     The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available food product coatings. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide an apparatus, system, and method for an anhydrous mix for a food product coating that overcome many or all of the above-discussed shortcomings in the art. 
     Methods for an anhydrous mix for a food product coating are presented. In one embodiment, a method includes providing one or more anhydrous sweeteners. In a further embodiment, a method includes providing an anhydrous stabilizer. A method, in one embodiment, includes mixing one or more anhydrous sweeteners and an anhydrous stabilizer to form an anhydrous mix for a food product coating. 
     In another embodiment, a method includes heating a liquid. A method, in one embodiment, includes introducing a liquid and an anhydrous mix. An anhydrous mix, in certain embodiments, comprises one or more anhydrous sweeteners and an anhydrous stabilizer. A liquid and an anhydrous mix, in one embodiment, are introduced without pre-hydration of an anhydrous stabilizer. A method, in a further embodiment, includes mixing an anhydrous mix and a liquid to form a food product coating. 
     Anhydrous mixes for a food product coating are presented. An anhydrous mix, in one embodiment, includes one or more anhydrous sweeteners. In a further embodiment, an anhydrous mix includes an anhydrous stabilizer. An anhydrous stabilizer, in certain embodiments, is configured to inhibit one or more anhydrous sweeteners from separating with a liquid when mixed with the liquid. 
     Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment. 
     The described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention. 
     These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings, which depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not to be considered to be limiting of its scope: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of a system for applying a liquid food product coating in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view illustrating one embodiment of an anhydrous mix for a food product coating in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view illustrating embodiments of stabilizers in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a perspective view illustrating further embodiments of stabilizers in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic flowchart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method for preparing an anhydrous mix for a food product coating in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic flowchart diagram illustrating another embodiment of a method for preparing an anhydrous mix for a food product coating in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic flowchart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method for preparing a food product coating from an anhydrous mix in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic flowchart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method for applying a food product coating prepared from an anhydrous mix to food products in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. 
     Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. 
     The schematic flow chart diagrams included herein are generally set forth as logical flow chart diagrams. As such, the depicted order and labeled steps of each are indicative of one embodiment of the presented method. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect to one or more steps, or portions thereof, of an illustrated method. Additionally, the format and symbols employed, such as the various arrow types and line types, are provided to explain the logical steps of the method and are understood not to limit the scope of the method. Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the method. For instance, an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depicted method. Additionally, the order in which a particular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps shown. 
       FIG. 1  depicts one embodiment of a system  100  for applying a food product coating  106  to food products  102 . The food product coating  106 , in the depicted embodiment, comprises a liquid prepared from an anhydrous mix, such as the anhydrous mix  204  described in greater detail below with regard to  FIG. 2 . The food product coating  106  may include a glaze, an icing, a topping, a frosting, or another coating applied to an outer surface of a food product  102 . In the depicted embodiment, the food product coating  106  comprises a glaze or glaze icing applied to an outer surface of doughnut food products  102 . Other food products also suitable for such coating include pastries, cakes, breads, rolls, and other bakery products. The food product coating may comprise an icing, frosting, or other topping. The glaze food product coating  106 , prior to application, is typically fluid and has a thinner consistency than other coatings; for example, in one embodiment, the food product coating  106  may be a glaze with a pre-application viscosity of less than about 1 Pa·s, or the like, at least at certain temperatures. 
     The anhydrous mix  204  ( FIG. 2 ) is a dry or substantially dry solid mixture with a plurality of ingredients. Depending on the particle size and/or other chemical properties of the anhydrous mix  204 , the food product coating  106  may comprise a liquid mixture, a solution, a suspension, a colloid, or the like. By providing an anhydrous mix  204  to an end user, such as a bakery, a food product manufacturer, a restaurant, a doughnut shop, or the like, the end user may prepare the food product coating  106  from the anhydrous mix  204  onsite as needed. The anhydrous mix  204  associated with the food product coating  106  weighs less than the food product coating  106 , and may therefore generally be shipped at a lower cost than shipping the food product coating  106 . 
     In certain embodiments, the anhydrous mix  204  includes a stabilizer, such as agar, described in greater detail below with regard to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 A, and  3 B, with characteristics selected to allow an end user to add and/or mix the anhydrous mix  204  with water in a single step, without adding and/or mixing the stabilizer with water separately from other components of the anhydrous mix  204 . A stabilizer, as used herein, inhibits separation of different components of the food product coating  106 . In certain embodiments, a stabilizer may extend the shelf life of the food product coating  106  and other food product coatings, and of the food products  102  and other food products to which the food product coating  106  is applied. For example, a stabilizer may inhibit sugars or other ingredients from the anhydrous mix  204  from separating from the water or other liquid components of the food product coating  106 , preventing the food products  102  from weeping, becoming overly sticky or oily, or the like. In a further embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  and the food product coating  106  are free or substantially free of milk and/or dairy products, such as milk, cream, butter, and the like, so that the food product coating  106  does not sour over time. The food product coating  106 , once prepared from the anhydrous mix  204 , in one embodiment, may have a shelf life of 7-8 days or more without refrigeration due to the included stabilizer and lack of milk and/or dairy products. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the system  100  includes a tray  104  that supports the food products  102  while an end user, either directly or through a machine, applies the food product coating  106  to the food products  102  from a container  108 . In the depicted embodiment, the end user pours the food product coating  106  from the container  108  over the food products  102  to apply the food product coating  106  to the food products  102 . In other embodiments, an end user may dip the food products  102  in the food product coating  106 , may spray the food product coating  106  onto the food products  102 , may spread the food product coating  106  onto the food products  102 , or may otherwise place the food product coating  106  into contact with an outer surface of the food products  102  to apply the food product coating  106  to the food products  102 . The food products  102  may include baked goods, fried goods, or other types of food products  102 . The food products  102 , in the depicted embodiment, comprise doughnuts, such as yeast raised doughnuts, cake doughnuts, or the like. In other embodiments, the food products  102  may comprise one or more of a doughnut, a pastry, a cake, a roll (e.g. a cinnamon roll, an orange roll), a confection, a bread, a pie, a fritter, a strudel, a Bismarck, a cookie, a beignet, a kolache, or the like. 
     In the depicted embodiment, an end user pours the food product coating  106  from the container  108  over the food products  102  in a sheet or stream that coats the food products  102  as the end user passes the container  108  over the tray  104 . Excess food product coating  106  passes through openings in the tray  104  into another container (not shown) that collects the excess food product coating  106  for re-use. In certain embodiments, the end user may make multiple passes over the food products  102  with the container  108  of the food product coating  106  until the food product coating  106  coats the food products  102  with a desired thickness or amount. 
     The food product coating  106 , in one embodiment, has a limited shelf life, such as a shelf life of about 7-8 days or the like, even without refrigeration, depending on ingredients and storage environment. The anhydrous mix  204 , however, may have a shelf life of multiple years. For example, the anhydrous mix  204  may have a shelf life of about 5-10 years or more, depending on ingredients, packaging, storage environment, and the like. The lighter weight of the anhydrous mix  204  and the greater shelf life of the anhydrous mix  204 , in comparison to the food product coating  106 , makes shipment, storage, and use of the anhydrous mix  204  more labor and cost efficient for vendors, manufacturers, and end users than that of pre-prepared food product coating  106 . 
       FIG. 2  depicts one embodiment of a sectional cutaway view  200  of an anhydrous mix  204  for a food product coating  106 . In the depicted embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  is disposed in a container  202  with a lid  206  and a handle  208 . The container  202 , in the depicted embodiment, is a bucket, such as a 5 gallon bucket or the like. The lid  206  seals the container  202  from materials exterior to the container  202 , such as moisture or the like, to prolong the shelf life of the anhydrous mix  204 . The handle  208  facilitates transportation of the container  202  of anhydrous mix  204 , allowing users to carry the container  202  by the handle  208 . 
     The anhydrous mix  204  is a composition of matter comprising a dry or substantially dry solid mixture containing a plurality of ingredients. In one embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  includes one or more anhydrous sweeteners, such as sugar (e.g. powdered sugar, granulated sugar), anhydrous glucose syrup (e.g. corn syrup; glucose syrup from potatoes, wheat, barley, and/or rice), or the like. The anhydrous mix  204 , in one embodiment, comprises between about 97% and 99.9% anhydrous sweeteners, by weight. In a further embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  comprises about 99.8% anhydrous sweeteners, by weight. 
     In certain embodiments, the anhydrous mix  204  includes powdered sugar. Powdered sugar, in one embodiment, is the predominant ingredient of the anhydrous mix  204 . The powdered sugar of the anhydrous mix  204 , in certain embodiments, has a granularity between 6× and 14× (where higher numbers refer to finer granularity as is known in the art). In a further embodiment, the powdered sugar of the anhydrous mix  204  has a granularity of 6×. Using a fine grade of powdered sugar, such as powdered sugar with a granularity between 6× and 14×, in certain embodiments, allows the powdered sugar to quickly and easily dissolve when preparing the food product coating  106  so that the food product coating  106  is not grainy or coarse. The anhydrous mix  204 , in one embodiment, comprises between about 97% and 99.9% powdered sugar, by weight. In a further embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  comprises about 98.1% powdered sugar, by weight. In another embodiment, instead of or in addition to powdered sugar, the anhydrous mix  204  may include granulated sugar or another type of sugar. 
     The anhydrous mix  204 , in one embodiment, includes an anhydrous glucose syrup, such as corn syrup or a syrup made from hydrolysis of another starch, such as potatoes, wheat, barley, rice, or the like. The anhydrous glucose syrup may be dehydrated, dry or substantially dry, and may comprise exclusively glucose syrup solids. For example, the anhydrous glucose syrup may comprise dehydrated, dried, powdered, and/or granulated corn syrup solids, or the like. Including an anhydrous glucose syrup in the anhydrous mix  204 , in addition to a sugar, may enhance sweetness of the food product coating  106 , soften a texture of the food product coating  106 , add volume to the food product coating  106 , help prevent crystallization of sugar in the food product coating  106 , or the like. The anhydrous glucose syrup of the anhydrous mix  204 , in one embodiment, has a dextrose equivalent (“DE”) between about 24 DE and 42 DE. In a further embodiment, the anhydrous glucose syrup has a dextrose equivalent of about 36 DE. The anhydrous mix  204 , in one embodiment, comprises between about 0.5% and 3% anhydrous glucose syrup, by weight. In a further embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  comprises about 1.7% anhydrous glucose syrup, by weight. 
     In one embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  includes an anhydrous stabilizer that inhibits separation of components of the food product coating  106 , such as ingredients of the anhydrous mix  204 , water, or the like. Including a stabilizer in the anhydrous mix  204  may extend the shelf life of the food product coating  106  and of the food products  102  to which the food product coating  106  is applied. For example, a stabilizer may inhibit sugars or other ingredients from the anhydrous mix  204  from separating from the water or other liquid components of the food product coating  106 , preventing the food products  102  from weeping, becoming overly sticky or oily, or the like. The stabilizer of the anhydrous mix  204  may comprise an emulsifier, a surfactant, a gelling agent, or the like. For example, the stabilizer, in various embodiments, may comprise one or more of agar, gum guar, locust bean gum, gelatin, pectin, a carrageenan, a lecithin, a lactylate, and/or other stabilizers. 
     Conventionally, to function properly, a stabilizer is pre-hydrated in water (usually boiling water) before use. For this reason, stabilizers have traditionally been left out of conventional food product coatings, or, if stabilizers are included, preparation of food product coatings with stabilizers has been a complicated multi-step process of first hydrating the stabilizer and then adding other ingredients as separate steps. However, in certain embodiments, the anhydrous mix  204  includes an anhydrous, fine-grained, powder stabilizer, selected to hydrate even when added to water in a single step with the other components of the anhydrous mix  204 , without pre-hydration. 
     For example, as described in greater detail below with regard to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , agar (and other types of stabilizers) is typically distributed in blocks, strips, or pasty clumps, each of which require pre-hydrating before use. The anhydrous mix  204 , in one embodiment, includes an anhydrous, fine-grained, agar powder that acts as a stabilizer for the food product coating  106  without pre-hydration, allowing the anhydrous mix  204  to be mixed with water in a single step, without a separate pre-hydration step. In one embodiment, the agar powder may have a particle size or grain size (diameter) of between about 0.05 millimeters and 1 millimeter. In another embodiment, the agar powder may have a particle size of less than about 0.25 millimeters. In a further embodiment, the agar powder may have a particle size of less than about 0.1 millimeters. In contrast with the anhydrous, fine-grained, agar powder described herein, pasty clumps of agar may have particle sizes of 1.5 millimeters or more, and agar blocks and strips may be orders of magnitude larger than that. 
     In certain embodiments, the anhydrous mix  204  may include substantially less stabilizer by weight as a result of using an anhydrous, fine-grained, powder stabilizer such as the agar powder described above than would be necessary if using stabilizers of larger particle sizes, such as blocks, strips, or pasty clumps, without a corresponding loss in stabilization. For example, where 6 ounces of conventional agar (in blocks, strips, or pasty clumps) may be necessary for 100 pounds of powdered sugar, in one embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  includes 1 ounce of anhydrous, fine-grained, agar powder to achieve a substantially similar stabilizing effect. In one embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  may include between about 0.025% and 0.4% anhydrous stabilizer, by weight. In a further embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  may include about 0.06% anhydrous stabilizer, by weight. An anhydrous, fine-grained, powder stabilizer, in one embodiment, may have a substantially similar stabilizer concentration to stabilizers with larger particle sizes (e.g. stabilizer bars, strips, pasty clumps). In another embodiment, an anhydrous, fine-grained, powder stabilizer may have a greater stabilizer concentration than stabilizers with larger particle sizes, or the like. 
     The anhydrous mix  204 , in certain embodiments, may include salt. A small amount of salt may be substantially imperceptible to the taste in the food product coating  106 , but may bring out the flavor of the food product coating  106  by opening up the taste buds of the taster, or the like. In one embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  may include between about 0.001% salt and 0.01% salt, by weight. In a further embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  may include about 0.003% salt, by weight. The salt, in certain embodiments, is a fine-grained powder salt with a smaller particle size than table salt. 
     In certain embodiments, the anhydrous mix  204  may include one or more anhydrous flavorings. Anhydrous flavorings may include powdered vanilla flavoring, powdered chocolate flavoring, powdered maple flavoring, powdered fruit flavoring, or the like. The anhydrous mix  204 , in one embodiment, includes between about 0.05% and 0.15% anhydrous flavoring, by weight. In a further embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  includes about 0.09% anhydrous flavoring by weight. In another embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  may include one or more anhydrous coloring agents, to give the food product coating  106  a desired color, to make the food product coating  106  opaque, or the like. 
     In certain embodiments, the ingredients of the anhydrous mix  204 , such as powdered sugar, anhydrous glucose/corn syrup, anhydrous stabilizer, salt, anhydrous flavoring, and/or anhydrous coloring agent, are distributed substantially evenly throughout the anhydrous mix  204  in the container  202 . In the depicted embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  fills half or less of the container  202  and the container  202  includes an available space  210 . The available space  210 , in one embodiment, is sized so that the food product coating  106 , when prepared from the anhydrous mix  204  in the container  202 , will fit within the container  202 . In this manner, the same container  202  that stores the anhydrous mix  204  may be reused to store the food product coating  106  prepared from the anhydrous mix  204 . For example, in an embodiment where the container  202  comprises a 5 gallon bucket, an end user may mix the anhydrous mix  204  with about 3 gallons of water to prepare the food product coating  106 , and the anhydrous mix  204  and the about 3 gallons of water, combined to form the food product coating  106 , may fit within the 5 gallon bucket. 
     In one embodiment, an end user heats and/or boils water in a separate container, adds the anhydrous mix  204  from the container  202  into the separate container, and mixes or beats the anhydrous mix  204  and the water for a predefined period of time or until smooth, such as 8 to 10 minutes or the like, to form the food product coating  106 . Once the end user has formed the food product coating  106 , in one embodiment, the end user may pour the food product coating  106  into the original container  202  (or another container) for storage. In another embodiment, an end user may add heated and/or boiling water directly into the container  202  of anhydrous mix  204 , and mix or beat the anhydrous mix  204  and the water directly in the container  202  to form the food product coating  106 , which may remain in the container  202  for storage, be transferred to another container, or the like. 
     In one example embodiment, for illustration purposes, the anhydrous mix  204  may comprise about 1 quart of anhydrous corn syrup (about 1.7172% of the anhydrous mix  204 , by weight); about 1 ounce of anhydrous, fine-grained, agar powder stabilizer (about 0.0613% of the anhydrous mix  204 , by weight); about 100 pounds of powdered sugar (about 98.1264% of the anhydrous mix  204 , by weight); ⅓ cup anhydrous flavoring such as powdered vanilla (about 0.09199% of the anhydrous mix  204 , by weight); and ¼ teaspoon powdered salt (about 0.003066% of the anhydrous mix  204 , by weight). The example embodiment yields about 19 gallons of food product coating. In other words, it yields enough anhydrous mix  204  to fill, when mixed with water, about 3.8 five-gallon buckets, with an end user mixing anhydrous mix in each five-gallon bucket with 3 gallons of water, which may be heated and/or boiling as described above, to form about 5 gallons of the food product coating  106  per five gallon bucket, for three buckets, and about 4 gallons of the food product coating  106  for the fourth bucket. 
       FIG. 3A  depicts one embodiment of stabilizers  300 . The stabilizers  300  include a clump of stabilizer paste  302  and a granule of anhydrous, fine-grained, stabilizer powder  304 . As described above, a stabilizer  300  may comprise an emulsifier, a surfactant, a gelling agent, or the like such as agar, gum guar, locust bean gum, gelatin, pectin, a carrageenan, a lecithin, a lactylate, or other stabilizers. 
     The clump of stabilizer paste  302 , in one embodiment, must be pre-hydrated in water before use, creating at least one extra step if the clump of stabilizer paste  302  is to be used for a food product coating when compared to the granule of stabilizer powder  304 , which may be fully hydrated simultaneously with adding the rest of the anhydrous mix  204  to water as described above. In one embodiment, the anhydrous mix  204  comprises a plurality of granules of anhydrous, fine-grained, stabilizer powder  304  that hydrate even when added to water in a single step with other components of the anhydrous mix  204 , without pre-hydration. 
     In one embodiment, the granule of stabilizer powder  304  may have a particle size or grain size (diameter) of between about 0.05 millimeters and 1 millimeter. In another embodiment, the granule of stabilizer powder  304  may have a particle size of less than about 0.25 millimeters. In a further embodiment, the granule of stabilizer powder  304  may have a particle size of less than about 0.1 millimeters. In contrast with the granule of stabilizer powder  304 , the clump of stabilizer paste  302 , in one embodiment, may have a particle size of 1.5 millimeters or more, and stabilizer blocks and strips may be orders of magnitude larger than that. 
       FIG. 3B  depicts another embodiment of stabilizers  310 . The stabilizers  310  include a group of clumps of stabilizer paste  312  and a group of granules of anhydrous, fine-grained, stabilizer powder  314 . The stabilizers  310  may comprise agar or another type of stabilizer as described above. In the depicted embodiment, the group of clumps of stabilizer paste  312  is larger, by weight, than the group of granules of anhydrous, fine-grained, stabilizer powder  314 . In one embodiment, the group of clumps of stabilizer paste  312  is about 6 times larger, by weight, than the group of granules of anhydrous, fine-grained, stabilizer powder  314 . For example, the group of clumps of stabilizer paste  312  may weigh 6 ounces and the group of granules of anhydrous, fine-grained, stabilizer powder  314  may weigh 1 ounce, or the like. 
     In certain embodiments, despite the difference in weight, the group of clumps of stabilizer paste  312  and the group of granules of anhydrous, fine-grained, stabilizer powder  314  each have substantially the same stabilizing efficacy and achieve a substantially similar stabilizing effect in similar amounts of food product coating  106 . It is unknown exactly why this is. The group of anhydrous, fine-grained, stabilizer powder granules  314 , in one embodiment, may have a substantially similar stabilizer concentration as the group of clumps of stabilizer paste  312  but a higher efficacy per weight than the group of clumps of stabilizer paste  312  due to the difference in particle size, or the like. In another embodiment, the group of anhydrous, fine-grained, stabilizer powder  314  may have a greater stabilizer concentration than the group of clumps of stabilizer paste  312 , or the like. 
       FIG. 4  depicts one embodiment of a method  400  for preparing an anhydrous mix  204  for a food product coating  106 . In one embodiment, the method  400  is performed by a preparer. A preparer may comprise one or more end users, manufacturers, distributers, vendors, bakers, employees, automated electrical and/or mechanical devices, or the like. The method  400  begins and a preparer provides  402  one or more anhydrous sweeteners, adding the one or more anhydrous sweeteners to a container or the like. The preparer provides  404  an anhydrous stabilizer, adding the anhydrous stabilizer to the container or the like. The preparer mixes  406  the one or more anhydrous sweeteners and the anhydrous stabilizer to form an anhydrous mix  204  for a food product coating  106  and the method  400  ends. 
       FIG. 5  depicts another embodiment of a method  500  for preparing an anhydrous mix  204  for a food product coating  106 . The method  500  begins and a preparer adds  502  anhydrous powdered sugar to a container. The preparer adds  504  anhydrous corn syrup to the container. The preparer adds  506  an anhydrous agar stabilizer to the container. The preparer adds  508  salt to the container. The preparer adds  510  anhydrous flavoring to the container. The preparer adds  512  an anhydrous coloring agent to the container. The preparer mixes  514  the added anhydrous powdered sugar, corn syrup, agar stabilizer, salt, flavoring, and coloring agent in the container to form an anhydrous mix  204  for a food product coating  106  and the method  500  ends. 
       FIG. 6  depicts one embodiment of a method  600  for preparing a food product coating  106  from an anhydrous mix  204 . The method  600  begins and a preparer heats  602  water or another liquid, to a predefined temperature, to a boil, or the like. In other embodiments, instead of heating  602  the water, the preparer may use cold water, room temperature water, another liquid, or the like, depending on the types and amounts of stabilizers, anhydrous sweeteners, or other ingredients in the anhydrous mix  204 . The preparer introduces  604  the water and the anhydrous mix  204  or other liquid uniformly in a single step, adding the liquid to the anhydrous mix  204 , adding the anhydrous mix  204  to the liquid, or the like. The preparer beats  606  or otherwise mixes the anhydrous mix  204  and the water or other liquid to form a food product coating  106  and the method  600  ends. 
       FIG. 7  depicts one embodiment of a method  700  for applying a food product coating  106  prepared from an anhydrous mix  204  to food products  102 . The method  700  begins, a preparer prepares  702  food product coating  106  from an anhydrous mix  204 , or obtains  702  food product coating  106  so prepared, applies  704  the food product coating  106  to exterior surfaces of one or more food products  102 , collects  706  excess food product coating  106  for re-use (e.g., to re-apply the collected  706  excess food product coating  106  to the one or more food products  102  or to other food products  102 ), and the method  700  ends. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.