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JP-7856324-B2 - Apparatus and method for preparing puffed foods

JP7856324B2JP 7856324 B2JP7856324 B2JP 7856324B2JP-7856324-B2

Inventors

  • サト，ゼメル
  • アーロンソン，ギラッド

Assignees

  • トゥッティパフス・リミテッド

Dates

Publication Date
20260511
Application Date
20210819
Priority Date
20200819

Claims (11)

  1. A food preparation device for puffed food, A section defining a sealed enclosure, A pressure device configured to change the pressure within a compartment, comprising a vacuum pump, a valve that is in fluid communication with the compartment, and an accumulator connected to the vacuum pump and valve and also in fluid communication with the vacuum pump and valve, A heating device configured to change the temperature within a compartment, Equipped with, The compartment is designed to accommodate at least one profood item, comprising an outer shell and an interior contained within the outer shell, the interior comprising at least one starch-containing food ingredient and a liquid adapted to form steam when heated, The puffed food preparation apparatus further includes a shielding device positioned between the compartment and the pressure device, configured to prevent the passage of the profood product or a portion of the profood product from the compartment to the pressure device. The pressure device is configured to rapidly reduce the pressure inside a compartment from atmospheric pressure to approximately 3-20 kPa in less than one second by operating a vacuum pump and opening a valve to expel air from the compartment within 10-100 milliseconds, while the heating device heats the compartment, until the profood product reaches a breakdown threshold condition at a reduced breakdown temperature, causing the outer shell to rupture and inducing a rapid release of steam at high pressure, thereby causing the food to expand and produce puffed food.
  2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reduced failure temperature is in the range of 200°C to 220°C.
  3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the duration of the expansion process cycle is in the range of 6 to 7 seconds.
  4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the compartment comprises at least one mold, the profood product is placed in a heatable, hollow mold, and the mold is of a size or shape that induces a selected size or shape of the puffed food.
  5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure device is configured to increase the pressure within a compartment before decreasing the pressure within the compartment.
  6. A method for preparing puffed food, A procedure for placing at least one ProFood item within a compartment defining a sealed enclosure, wherein the ProFood item is Outer shell and, An interior contained within an outer shell, comprising a food ingredient containing at least one starch, and a liquid adapted to form steam when heated, Procedures that include, Procedures for preventing ProFood products or portions of ProFood products from passing from the compartment to the pressure device using a shielding device placed between the compartment and the pressure device, A procedure for rapidly reducing the pressure inside a compartment from atmospheric pressure to approximately 3 to 20 kPa in less than one second until the profood product reaches the breakdown threshold condition at a reduced breakdown temperature, by using a pressure device comprising a vacuum pump, a valve that fluidly communicates with the compartment, and an accumulator connected to the vacuum pump and valve and fluidly communicating with them, while heating the compartment with a heating device, operating the vacuum pump and opening the valve to discharge air from the compartment within 10 to 100 milliseconds, thereby causing the outer shell to rupture, inducing a rapid release of steam at high pressure, and as a result, causing the food to expand and producing puffed food. A method for providing this.
  7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the reduced failure temperature is in the range of 200°C to 220°C.
  8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the duration of the expansion process cycle is in the range of 6 to 7 seconds.
  9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the profood product is placed in a mold within a heatable cavity, and the mold is of a size or shape that induces a selected size or shape of puffed food.
  10. The method according to claim 9, comprising initiating a rapid pressure drop within the cavity by rapidly pulling a vacuum piston while the mold is closed and sealed.
  11. The method according to claim 6, further comprising increasing the pressure within a compartment before decreasing the pressure within the compartment.

Description

This invention generally relates to food products, particularly puffed foods, and methods for preparing them. Puffed foods can be found in a variety of commercially available foods found in supermarkets and grocery stores, including various types of snacks, chips, and breakfast cereals. These puffed foods consist of basic ingredients that expand and puff up when heated, and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures. More specifically, puffed food preparation involves heating ingredients such as natural grains (e.g., wheat, rice, corn) or pre-prepared micropellets (typically containing various food flours) for a relatively short time (e.g., a few seconds or minutes) while simultaneously increasing pressure. As the internal pressure of the heated ingredient increases, naturally present water and moisture are converted into steam. Heating also softens and pliable naturally present biopolymer compounds that are thermoplastic, such as starch. Finally, the internal pressure reaches a critical point (Pc), resulting in a forced explosion and rapid expansion of the contained biopolymer material (e.g., starch). At the critical point, the dynamics of this explosion depend on various factors, including the internal pressure of the basic food material, the pressure difference (ΔP) between the external and internal pressures, the process temperature, the time of exposure to heat, and other variables. Following the explosion and the rapid release of pressure, the food matrix cools rapidly, lowering the temperature so that the biopolymer or starch solidifies, resulting in a swollen, porous, expanded, and loosely arranged structure. For example, one of the most common and well-known puffed foods is popcorn. Popcorn kernels contain a starchy endosperm within or around the outer shell. When the kernels are heated, the water in the endosperm turns into steam, and the vapor pressure gradually increases until the shell bursts. The starch and proteins in the endosperm expand into a foamy substance, which is then rapidly cooled to form a puffed shape. Puffed foods may be prepared from a single ingredient, but they may also contain additional ingredients and additives to enhance flavor and stimulate consumer interest. Some puffed foods, such as bread, form an outer shell or crust upon heating. The raw materials may be formed into the desired shape before heating, for example, by an extrusion or pressing process. Heating of the leavened food can be done by baking or frying, using conventional heating appliances and equipment such as ovens, pans or lidded pots, or using specially designated equipment such as leavening machines with press molds. In conventional bread-baking processes, the expansion of the ingredients usually occurs from external leavening agents such as yeast in the dough, which causes the release of air bubbles within the dough. Therefore, expansion generally occurs before the actual baking stage (i.e., before the dough is placed in the oven) and at the very beginning of baking. In contrast, the expansion of leavened foods occurs from internal elements, specifically from water or moisture naturally present in the basic ingredients. This moisture reaches a steam state upon heating, and subsequently generates sufficient pressure to initiate the expansion of the contained starch. Therefore, the preparation of leavened foods does not require a long waiting time for the ingredients to expand before the heating and pressurizing stages. Using certain basic ingredients, puffed foods can be prepared in a simple process without requiring specially designated machinery or equipment. For example, popcorn can be prepared relatively quickly and conveniently in the comfort of your home from readily available popcorn kernels that can be heated in a pot or bag. Further types of puffed foods, such as certain snacks and cereals that tend to be popular with infants, must be manufactured by commercial manufacturers in designated facilities. While many existing ingredients, techniques, and equipment exist for preparing puffed foods, the types and varieties of puffed foods can expand significantly beyond those currently available. Several conventional puffing processes are based on vacuum frying. Vacuum frying is easily implemented in large-scale industrial production processes and is characterized by relatively low energy consumption. While vacuum frying is successfully applied to the processing of fruits and vegetables, it is not suitable for puffing most other food ingredients and is generally considered an unhealthy form of processing due to the very high levels of edible oil in the final product. Non-fry expansion processes can be divided into three categories: vacuum freeze-drying, differential pressure expansion (also known as "air expansion" or "variable temperature expansion"), and microwave expansion. The vacuum freeze-drying process involves freezing water-containing ingredients and then heating them under vacuum to direc