Other

Jane J Arnold

Miles J Willard

Kyle E Dayley

Veldon M Hix

LaRue Remer

A method for testing the ingredients of fabricated snack products includes the steps of; producing snack product test pieces using a test ingredient; evaluating certain characteristics of the test pieces; and then using this information to predict the characteristics of a fabricated snack product containing the test ingredient. Initially, a dough containing the test ingredient is mixed under controlled conditions. A quantity of the dough is extruded using an extrusion apparatus adapted to extrude the dough at a uniform rate regardless of the dough's consistency. The extruded dough is then cut into dough pieces having a uniform length, wall thickness and density. Next, the dough pieces are cooked at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to form the snack product test pieces. Characteristics of the test pieces are determined and analyzed as a predictor of similar characteristics in a fabricated snack product containing the test ingredient.

Method and apparatus for testing snack product ingredients

A deep-fat fried expanded snack product is made from a moist dough according to a technique which prevents undue distortion of the snack during frying. The dough can include cooked potato solids, masa, and/or one or more cereal flours, with a moisture content of about 35% to 60% at the time of frying. An amount of ungelatinized starch can be present in the dough when fried. In one embodiment, the dough is extruded as a pair of separate long, thin strands which are formed into a composite dough piece by adhering the strands by surface contact along the long dimension of the strands. The two adherent strands can be straight solid dough pieces in side-by-side contact, or the strands can be twisted together to form a braid. In another embodiment, a sheeted dough piece can be slit lengthwise along its center and partially through the depth of the dough piece to form the equivalent of a pair of adhering strands. The composite dough piece is immediately fried following the forming step, producing an expanded finished snack that is essentially straight with a shape virtually free of distortion. The strands in the composite dough piece, when fried, also expand more than if each strand is fried singly.

Growing community of inventors

Idaho Falls, ID, United States of America

Jane J Arnold