Nabisco Brands, Inc.

Nabisco Technology Company

Nabisco, Inc.

Joseph A Szwerc

Richard D Fazzolare

Juan A Menjivar

John M Kaiser

Bernhard H Van Lengerich

Rudolph J Leschke

Henry E Arciszewski

Kevin McHugh

Robert M Sauer, Jr

Bin Y Chiang

Linda A Porzio

Clyde E Spotts, Jr

Lisa Alfieri

James W Kelly

Norbert Gimmler

Craig E Rethwill

Rich McFeaters

Richard R McFeaters

Corn-based products having a masa flavor, such as tortilla chips and taco shells, and soft tacos are produced using ground corn. The crisp corn based food products have a masa flavor and color, a crisp texture, and chip-like appearance without the gritty, hard texture associated with conventional tortilla chips or taco shells made by steeping whole corn kernels. The liming of continued corn particles reduces steeping time, develops masa flavor, and reduces tackiness to provide a cohesive dough which can be machined in a tortilla sheeter/cutter. Substantially uniform hydration of a coarse ground corn component, such as corn meal, is achieved by admixing and heating the coarse ground corn component with water and lime to at least substantially hydrate the coarse corn particles without substantially gelatinizing the corn starch. The hydrated coarse component may then be subjected to temperatures above the gelatinization temperature to partially gelatinize the corn starch. A fine ground starchy component is admixed and heated with the hydrated course ground component before, after, or simultaneously with gelatinization of the hydrated coarse ground corn component to form a machinable dough or masa. The hydration process avoids undesirable hard, white, raw-tasting spots in the final product.

Masa corn-based food products and method of preparing

The amount of oleaginous or aqueous liquid carrier used as an adhesive or binding agent for the topical application of a particulate composition to the major surfaces of baked good pieces or snack pieces is reduced by separately spraying the liquid composition and dispensing the particulate composition in substantial side-by-side relationship within a rotating drum. The liquid composition causes the particulate composition to adhere to the pieces prior to and without substantial penetration of the liquid composition into the pieces. Highly porous or absorptive products such as reduced fat, low fat, or no-fat crackers or snacks may be transferred hot to the drum. The liquid composition is sprayed substantially coextensively but separately from the dispensing of the particulate composition. The particulate curtain and the liquid spray both extend in the direction of transport of the pieces. The pieces are contacted sequentially by the liquid composition and the particulate composition several times as the pieces are driven up the side of the rotating drum and tumble downwardly as they travel through the drum. The resulting alternating layers of particulate and adhesive compositions promote strong binding of the particulates to the substrate while creating an appearance of visually apparent discrete particulate particles. The products may be dried in the drum by passing heated air through apertures in the wall of the drum. Reduced fat, low fat, and no-fat products having particulate toppings adhered to their top and bottom major surfaces may be produced.

Topical application of particulates for production of reduced fat, low

The invention is a continuous process and a product of the process for preparing a low fat content chip-like baked snack food from a composition containing at least one ingredient having starch. Water and the ingredient having starch comprise substantially all of the ingredients of the composition. The method involves mixing and heating the composition in a cooker extruder or continuous mixer to form a dough-like consistency. In the most preferred embodiments of the invention the ingredient including starch is a corn and a potato ingredient. The formed composition is sheeted and the sheeted composition is then laminated, educed in thickness, formed into pieces, and baked in a conventional oven. During baking the exterior layer of the dough cooks rapidly and traps steam in the interior portion of the dough. Blisters and curls result in the final product that impart a chip-like appearance to the final product. An alternative embodiment includes applying a spray oil to the pieces before baking to obtain a final product having a flat cracker-like appearance.

Baked potato-based chip-like snack foods and method of preparing

Mass corn--based products, e.g., tortilla chips and taco shells, are produced by admixing and heating a coarse ground corn component with water and lime to hydrate the coarse corn component at a temperature below the gelatinization temperature of corn starch, admixing the hydrated coarse corn component with a fine ground starchy component, heating the mixture to form a dough, forming the dough into pieces and baking and/or flying the pieces.

Production of masa corn-based products

A baked corn-based snack product, composed of a blend of masa corn flour and corn flour and having a crisp, chip-like texture and a blistered chip-like appearance, is prepared by forming a dough from said blend, sheeting the dough, forming the dough sheet into a laminate, cutting the laminate into pieces and then baking the pieces.

Corn-based snack foods and process of preparation

The invention is a continuous process and a product of the process for preparing a low fat content chip-like baked snack food from a composition containing at least one ingredient having starch. Water and the ingredient having starch comprise substantially all of the ingredients of the composition. The method involves mixing and heating the composition in a cooker extruder or continuous mixer to form a dough-like consistency. In the most preferred embodiments of the invention the ingredient including starch is either a corn or a potato ingredient. The heating is conducted until the composition obtains a temperature of from about 130.degree. F. to about 260.degree. F. The composition is extruded under a pressure drop which substantially avoids expansion of the extrudate to obtain an extrudate having a water content of from about 25% by weight to about 60% by weight. The extrudate is sheeted, while hot. The sheeted composition is then laminated, reduced in thickness, formed into pieces, and baked in a conventional oven. During baking the exterior layer of the dough cooks rapidly and traps steam in the interior portion of the dough. Blisters and curls result in the final product that impart a chip-like appearance to the final product. An alternative embodiment includes applying a spray oil to the pieces before baking to obtain a final product having a flat cracker-like appearance.

Starch snack foods

Extruded starch snack foods

Low sodium baked goods, such as soda crackers, oyster crackers, pretzels, and flavored snack crackers, having a substantially uniform texture and pH throughout, a substantially uniform surface color, a pleasant mouth feel and taste are obtained by the process of the present invention. The sodium content of the baked goods is reduced, for example, to less than or equal to 42 mg Na.sup.+ per 14.2 gm serving, by replacing at least a part, preferably all, of the sodium bicarbonate with potassium carbonate for leavening. Hot spots resulting from localized concentrations of potassium ion are avoided by: 1) applying the potassium carbonate substantially uniformly and directly upon the surface of the other ingredients to hydrate and solubilize the potassium carbonate and/or 2) using potassium carbonate having a particle size distribution of about 98% by weight being finer than 100 mesh or 3) using an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate. A preferred leavening agent for use in preparing low-sodium unfermented crackers uses a mixture of 1.3 to 8 parts of ammonium carbonate and one part by weight of potassium carbonate.

Process for making low sodium crackers and products obtained thereby

Crackers having a hollow interior and capable of being filled can be formed from a particular cracker dough. This cracker dough will contain a lower sugar content and shortening content than cookie or biscuit doughs. In order for the cracker dough to be used to form a hollow cracker, the dough must undergo treatment with proteolytic enzymes so as to selectively sever certain peptide linkages in the dough. This permits a hollow core to be formed upon the baking of the cracker rather than a cellular core. The hollow core of the cracker is filled using conventional needle injection techniques.

Process for making filled crackers

A leavening composition for chemically leavening crackers is disclosed, which composition comprises ammonium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate and an edible acidic component.

Leavening composition for crackers

The invention is a process and a product of the process for preparing a baked snack food from a composition containing at least one ingredient having starch. The ingredient having starch and the water comprises substantially all of the ingredient of the composition. The method involves steaming the composition to form a dough-like consistency. In the most preferred embodiments of the invention the ingredient including starch is either a corn or a potato ingredient. The steaming is conducted until the composition obtains a temperature of at least 160.degree. F. and preferably 200.degree. F. The composition is held at this temperature for about 2 to about 6 minutes. The composition is then machined, formed into pieces, and baked in a conventional oven. During baking the exterior layer of the dough cooks rapidly and traps steam in the interior portion of the dough. Blisters and curls result in the final product that impart a chip-like appearance to the final product. An alternative embodiment includes applying a spray oil to the pieces before baking to obtain a final product having a flat cracker-like appearance.

Starch snack foods and process

Low sodium baked crackers having a substantially uniform texture and pH throughout, a substantially uniform surface color, a pleasant mouth feel and taste are obtained by the process of the present invention. The sodium content of the baked goods is reduced, for example, to less than or equal to 42 mg Na.sup.+ per 14.2 gm serving, by replacing at least a part, preferably all, of the sodium bicarbonate with potassium carbonate for leavening. Hot spots resulting from localized concentrations of potassium ion are avoided by: (1) applying the potassium carbonate substantially uniformly and directly upon the surface of the other ingredients to hydrate and solubilize the potassium carbonate and/or (2) using potassium carbonate having a particle size distribution of about 98% by weight being finer than 100 mesh or (3) using an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate. A preferred leavening agent for use in preparing low-sodium unfermented crackers uses a mixture of 1.3 to 8 parts of ammonium carbonate and one part by weight of potassium carbonate.

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Mahwah, NJ, United States of America

Joseph A Szwerc