Patent ID: 8367142

Claim:
A method for producing a shredded composite food product, comprising: cooking particles of whole cereal grain to provide a cooked whole cereal grain product; tempering the cooked whole cereal grain product to provide a tempered product, the tempered product having retrograded starch; adding a vegetable food component to the particles of the whole cereal grain or to the cooked whole cereal grain, before or during a pelletization step; pelletizing the tempered product, the pelletizing to effect shear in an amount and at a temperature effective to provide composite food pellets having a texture that is softer and more pliable than prior to pelletization, a moisture content of about 33% to about 38% by weight, and a pellet temperature of about 80° F. to about 105° F., the composite food pellets comprising the vegetable food component; shredding the composite food pellets having a moisture content of about 33% to about 38% by weight to provide shredded composite food sheets; forming a shredded composite food laminate from the shredded composite food sheets; and baking the shredded composite food laminate to obtain a shredded composite food product.