WO2008151062A1 - Microwavable snack food composition and method of preparation - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosure relates to snack food products that are microwavable and provides puffable/expandable pre-form snack food products, puffed/expanded finished products, and methods and process for making the pre-form products and finished products. Upon subjecting the pre-form products of the present disclosure to microwave energy the pre-form product expands and produces a crunchy edible snack food.

Description

MICROWAVABLE SNACK FOOD COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF

PREPARATION

This application is being filed on 30 May 2008, as a PCT International Patent application in the name of ConAgra Foods RDM, Inc., a U.S. national corporation, applicant for the designation of all countries except the US, and Prem S. Singh, Gordon Smith, Lauren Shaw, Michael C. Berg, David Soane, Stephanie Silberstein, and William A. Mowers, citizens of the U.S., applicants for the designation of the US only, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/941,160, filed May 31 , 2007 which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF APPLICATION

This application relates generally to microwavable snack foods and

methods for their manufacture.

BACKGROUND

It is well-accepted in the art that farinaceous materials may expand or puff

under appropriate conditions, and may retain an expanded size configuration after

cooling. It is understood that the puffing of such materials takes place when

moisture trapped in the material expands rapidly from a liquid to a vapor with rapid

heating or with rapid depressurization. The expansion of the water vapor causes the

dense farinaceous dough to change its size and shape, becoming a puffed, porous,

crisp snack piece. Cereal and snack developers often rely on the puffing

characteristics of assorted starches and related root and vegetable derived products

such as meals, flours, grits, etc.

Many expanded or puffed snacks may be manufactured by a process

known as extrusion cooking, where a farinaceous material mixed with water and

having a maximum moisture content of about 30% may be carried through a heated

barrel by an impeller that subjects the mixture to high pressure. Under such

pressure, the starch in the mixture becomes plastic and flowable. When the mixture exits the barrel and encounters atmospheric pressure, the sudden pressure reduction causes the excess moisture in the mixture to vaporize, so that the product volume expands significantly. A number of variables allow the manufacturer to control the amount of volume expansion for the product, its texture, structure and functional characteristics. For example, manufacturers may control the amount of moisture in the extrudate, the speed and configuration of the impeller, and the amount and distribution of heat applied to the barrel surrounding the mixture.

Other techniques use a substrate called a "half product" or "snack preform" for expanding or puffing. To prepare a half-product, a starch-containing material may be precooked partially and kneaded into a dough-like mass, or it may be combined with a precooked starch. The resulting mass may then be formed into smaller pieces and dried to reduce the water content from about 35 -45% by weight to about 8-10% by weight, using, for example, a forced air convection tunnel dryer. A number of methods for forming half-products are known in the art. The half- product is then subjected to rapid depressurization or rapid heating to force the moisture to vaporize, thus expanding the half-product.

As an example, gun puffing, which takes place by rapid depressurization, may be used to prepare ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and the like. Using this technique, the half-forms are rotated in a sealed, heated drum, which causes the moisture to escape and thus causes the internal pressure to rise. When a sufficiently high pressure is achieved within the drum, a pressure release valve is opened, so that the pressure in the drum drops rapidly to atmospheric pressure. This pressure change causes the half-forms to expand significantly.

As another example, deep fat frying, which involves rapid heating, may be used to prepare a variety of commercially-available puffed snacks. Such deep-fat fried snacks, while popular, have certain disadvantages. Typically, these snack products have high levels of fat, sometimes as high as 35% by weight. Accordingly, such products are high in calories and may be considered "unhealthy" because of the types and amounts of fat that they contain. In addition, the high fat levels may limit shelf life, or may require the addition of preservatives to prolong shelf life. Optionally, such products may be combined with other flavors or coatings, for example, cheese coatings, where the previously-puffed snack is tumbled and/or heated in the presence of the flavoring or coating material.

Puffed snacks may be packaged where they are manufactured, and then may be transported to distribution centers or other warehouse facilities where the packages are stored. Handling the puffed products may thus be expensive. Furthermore, the packaged product may be fragile, susceptible to breakage and settling that may detract from its attractiveness to the consumer.

As an alternative, puffable products may be produced that the consumer can expand at home, using techniques like microwave heating. This rapid-heating technique allows the consumer to prepare puffed products conveniently. Having the customer expand the snacks at home reduces costs of packaging and shipping. In addition, there is a reduction in the chances of broken or crushed snack pieces. For these reasons, there has been a great amount of research on how to create appealing snack foods that can be microwaved by the consumer prior to consumption. There are certain disadvantages to microwaving, though. When farinaceous half-products are microwaved, they may not all puff successfully; those that do not puff properly may harden, dry or even char when subjected to microwave heat. Also, since consumer microwave ovens do not always provide uniform heating, there may be localized over-heating of small regions in puffed pellets, a phenomenon known as "hot spotting." Hot spotting may cause the puffed product to have undesirable characteristics, such as discoloration or off-flavor. Other pellets may not puff completely, uniformly, or at all, which would provide another undesirable product. Moreover, while methods of successful microwave puffing for farinaceous half products may be known in the art, these existing techniques may not adequately mimic the textures or the mouth feel of desirable snack items.

The aesthetic properties of a food product are central to its consumer appeal. Texture and taste are major dimensions of food aesthetics. Texture may refer to a number of characteristics of a food product, including its viscosity, elasticity, softness, hardness or rigidity in the mouth. A product's texture contributes to its mouthfeel, a characteristic that relates to the consumer's perception of how the ingested product changes in the mouth: qualities such as dryness, lubricity, smoothness, grittiness, fluffmess, crispiness, and crunchiness come to mind. Native aspects of a food product contribute to its texture and mouth feel. In addition, texturizing agents may be added to foods to enhance their textures and/or improve their mouthfeel. Corn meal and corn flour products, made through dry milling processes, may be used as texturizing agents. Other texturizing agents have been developed to meet particular needs in commercial products, for example, for low fat products and the like. SUMMARY

Starches, flours and meals may be combined and heated in conjunction with water and optional flavorings or puffing enhancers to create a snack product with desirable texture and flavor. More specifically, the methods and systems of the present disclosure produce a microwave-puffable pre-form product that has a texture closely mimicking that of extruded snack food after microwaving for the appropriate amount of time. The snack can also be more healthful, as no additional oil is needed to puff the product.

The methods and processes of the disclosure generally include combining pregelatinized starch and a texturizing agent to form a homogenous mixture, adding moisture to the homogenous mixture for form a shapeable dough, forming the shapeable dough, and drying the shapeable dough to form a pre-form product. The dough comprises about 10 weight percent (% wt) to about 50% wt pregelatinized starch, about 15% wt to about 50% wt texturizing agent; about 5 % wt to about 30% wt moisture; and a water activity of about 0.4 to about 0.8. The dough can optionally include one or more flavoring agents, functional ingredients, performance ingredients, food particulates, or combinations thereof. The optional ingredients are preferably blended with the starch and texturing agent to form a homogenous mixture before the addition of moisture.

The pre-form products of the disclosure are produced by drying the formed dough as described herein. The pre-form products generally comprise about 10 % wt to about 60% wt pregelatinized starch, about 15% wt to about 60% wt texturizing agent; about 5 % wt to about 30% wt moisture; and a water activity of about 0.4 to about 0.8. The pre-form products of the disclosure can optionally include one or more flavoring agents, functional ingredients, performance ingredients, food particulates, or combinations thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 is a process flow chart showing one embodiment of a process for making the pre-formed snack food products of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Pre-form snack food products and processes for making the pre-form snack food products are provided. The pre-form products are microwave-expandable food products that expand in volume upon microwaving to form a finished product. The processes of the present disclosure do not require a frying process. Finished product formed from the pre-form products of the disclosure has the crunchiness and texture of a fried snack without using a frying process or having additional frying oils in the finished product.

Starch and a texture agent can be combined to create microwave- expandable pre-form product that forms a crunchy snack upon microwaving. According to the systems and methods described herein, the starch and texture agent may be combined with water to make dough. The dough may then be formed into particles, balls, sheets, sticks, and the like that are sized and shaped appropriately for a final product. The formed dough may be dried for a set period of time, based on the size and shape of the formed dough, to produce a pre-form product. A. Methods and Processes

The methods and processes of the disclosure generally include combining pregelatinized starch and a texturizing agent to form a homogenous mixture, adding moisture to the homogenous mixture for form a shapeable dough, forming the shapeable dough, and drying the shapeable dough to form a pre-form product. The dough comprises about 10 weight percent (% wt) to about 50% wt pregelatinized starch, about 15% wt to about 50% wt texturizing agent; about 5 % wt to about 30% wt moisture; and a water activity of about 0.4 to about 0.8. A variety of starches can be used in the present disclosure. As used herein, the term "pregelatinized starch" refers to those starches that have been heated in the presence of water to the point of gelatinizing, then dried and reground. Examples of suitable pregelatinized starches include, but are not limited to, corn starch, waxy maize starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, rice starch, oat starch, barley starch, wheat starch, and the like. The pregelatinized starch may be a combination of two or more pregelatinized starches. In some examples of the present disclosure the pregelatinized starch is a pregelatinized modified starch. In some examples of the disclosure the starches are instant, pregelatinized, or cold water swelling types. Examples of cold water swelling waxy maize starches that can be used include, but are not limited to, ULTRACRISP CS® starch (available from National Starch) and NATIONAL 5730® starch (available from National Starch). Tapioca and rice starches, which contain a greater percentage of amylose than waxy maize starch, can also be used. The addition of pregelatinized tapioca and rice starches to the formulations help reduce toothpacking when chewed, while maintaining an acceptable expansion volume. Preferred starches include cold water swelling corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, barley starch, oat starch, and sorghum starch.

The dough can include from about 10% wt to about 50% wt, from about 10% wt to about 40% wt, from about 20% wt to about 35% wt, or from about 30% wt to about 40% wt pregelatinized starch. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, about 20, about 21, about 22, about 23, about 24, about 25, about 26, about 27, about 28, about 29, about 30, about 31, about 32, about 33, about 34, about 35, about 36, about 37, about 38, about 39, about 40, about 41, about 42, about 43, about 44, about 45, about 46, about 47, about 48, about 49, or about 50 % wt pregelatinized starch.

In some embodiments, pregelatinized rice starch provides a texturally harder crunch and slightly less meltaway in the final product at levels in the range from about 0 to about 23 weight percent. In other embodiments pregelatinized rice starch is in the range of from about 1 to about 22 weight percent, from about 2 to about 21 weight percent, from about 3 to about 20 weight percent, from about 4 to about 17 weight percent, or even from about 5 to about 15 weight percent.

As used herein, the term "texturizing agent" refers to any farinaceous food product that does not completely gelatinize into a homogeneous material when heated with water. The texturizing agent does not entirely dissolve in water thus contributing to the texture of the pre-form product. The texturizing agent may be a combination of two or more texturizing agents.

Examples of suitable texturizing agents include, but are not limited to, vegetable powder, corn meal, corn flour, corn grits, corn flaking grits, corn cones, brewer's corn grits, beans flour, proteins, oats, rice flour, fruit powder, tapioca, lecithin, wheat flour, nut meal, seed meal, salt, baking powder, double action baking powder, grain bran, fiber, gums, fats, carageenans, hydrocolloids, modified starches, and the like. The vegetable powder can include any combination of vegetables. Examples of vegetable powders include, but are not limited to, pumpkin, peas, carrot, corn, sweet potato, tomato, onion, garlic, pepper, squash, jalapeno, and the like. The fruit powder can include any combination of fruit. Examples of fruit powder include, but are not limited to, grape, apple, orange, peach, banana, strawberry, raspberry, pear, mango, papaya, pomegranate, blueberry, cherry, and the like. The fruit powder and vegetable powder can be made by freeze drying, dehydrating, drum drying, and the like the fruit or vegetable and then pulverizing the dried fruit or dried vegetable to form the powder. Alternatively the fruit or vegetable can be pulverized and then freeze dried, drum dried, dehydrated, and the like to form a powder Examples of modified starches include, but are not limited to, corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, rice starch, oat starch, barley starch, wheat starch, and combinations thereof. Examples of gums include, but are not limited to, xanthan, guar, Arabic, gum Arabic, and the like. In some examples of the disclosure, gum comprises about 0.25% wt to about 5% wt of the dough or pre-form product. In some examples of the present disclosure, the texturizing agent comprises double acting baking powder, soy protein isolate, pregelatinized corn meal, mono- di-glycerides, or oils. In some examples, the texturizing agent comprises corn meal, optionally pre-gelatinized cornmeal. The cornmeal may be pre-gelatinized by cooking it with water. In embodiments where the cornmeal has been pre-gelatinized by cooking it with water, no additional water may be required for producing the preform product.

The dough can include from about 15% wt to about 50% wt, from about 20% wt to about 40 % wt, or from about 10% wt to about 20% wt texturizing agent. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, about 20, about 21 , about 22, about 23 , about 24, about 25, about 26, about 27, about 28, about 29, about 30, about 31, about 32, about 33, about 34, about 35, about 36, about 37, about 38, about 39, about 40, about 41, about 42, about 43, about 44, about 45, about 46, about 47, about 48, about 49, or about 50 % wt texturizing agent. The use of pregelatinized corn flour in formulations of the present disclosure can enhance texture of the final product. Incorporating increased levels of corn flour provides the final product with a grittier and/or crunchier texture. The level of pregelatinized starch in formulations of the present disclosure range from about 0% wt to about 40% wt. In other embodiments the range of pregelatinized starch can be from about 1% wt to about 39% wt, about 2% wt to about 38% wt, about 5% wt to about 37% wt, about 10% wt to about 36% wt, or even about 20% wt to about 35% wt.

Different granule sizes of pregelatinized corn flour and meal can also be used to provide a product with a grittier and/or crunchier texture. The pregelatinized corn flour used in the present disclosure comprises a fine consistency. This range provides for some grit, but does not leave hard pieces. Ungelatinized corn meal and/or flour can also be used to add a further gritty texture to the final product. The amount of ungelatinized corn meal or corn flour can be adjusted so that the degree of expansion of the pre-form product is not significantly inhibited.

Addition of protein to the dough can provide more substance to the final product, thereby reducing quick meltaway in the mouth. In some examples of the disclosure, the dough can include from about 0% wt to about 15% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 13% wt, from about 0.5% wt to about 10% wt, from about 1.0% wt to about 8% wt, or from about 1.5% wt to about 5% wt protein. Suitable proteins include, but are not limited to, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, instantized whey protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, pea protein (or other legumes), egg protein, grain, or other dairy proteins. Both protein isolates and protein concentrates can be concurrently used. If a high percentage of protein is added, for example greater than about 8% wt, expansion of the pre-form product can be inhibited. In addition it may be necessary to increase moisture to ensure proper hydration of the protein and starches. Addition of baking powder or double acting baking powder or increased amounts of starch to the dough can positively affect the texture and cell structure of the final product in the presence of added protein. In some embodiments, the dough comprises about 0.2% wt, about 0.5% wt, about 1.0% wt, or even about 2.0% wt baking powder, double acting baking powder, or a combination thereof. The addition of fat/oil can also positively impact the final product's texture and flavor, improve lubricity and provide a less dry mouthfeel. The fat can be one or more vegetable oils, one or more animal oils, or a combination thereof. Examples of vegetables oils include, but are not limited to, peanut oil, soybean oil, vegetable shortening, canola oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, and the like. In some examples of the present disclosure, palm oil or corn oil is used. The usage levels of fat/oil range from about 0% wt to about 10% wt. In other examples, fat/oil can be from about 1.0% wt to about 9.0% wt, from about 2.0% wt to about 8.0% wt, from about 3.0% wt to about 7.0% wt, and even from about 3.5% wt to about 5.0% wt. Excessive amounts of fat/oil are undesirable and can result in an overly greasy product that leaches out oil.

Addition of emulsifiers in the presence of fat/oil keeps the fat/oil dispersed throughout the dough matrix and can provide for less leaching out of fat/oil during and post mixing. Emulsifiers can also be added without the presence of fat/oil. Suitable emulsifiers include, but are not limited to, sodium stearoyl lactylate, distilled monoglycerides, mono- and diglycerides, lecithin and disodium phosphate anhydrous. Emulsifiers can complex with starch and provide an alternative texture in the final product. In some examples of the disclosure, the emulsifier comprises from about 0.2% wt to about 0.5% wt.

Table 1 show examples of some commercially available pregelatinized starches and texturizing agents that are useful in the methods and processes of the present disclosure.

Table 1

The dough can include from about 5% wt to about 30% wt, from about 5% wt to about 20% wt, from about 5 % wt to about 15% wt, or from about 5 % wt to about 10% wt moisture. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises moisture of about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, about 20, about 21, about 22, about 23, about 24, about 25, about 26, about 27, about 28, about 29, or about 30% wt. Preferably the moisture is in the form of added water. The water can be filtered, purified, and/or soft water.

Water content of the dough can impact the degree of expansion of the preform products of the disclosure and the texture and mouthfeel of the final products. In some embodiments water ranges from about 5% wt to about 34% wt, from about 5% wt to about 30% wt, from about 5% wt to about 20% wt, from about 5 % wt to about 15% wt, or from about 5 % wt to about 10% wt. In other embodiments water ranges from about 6% wt to about 32% wt, from about 7% wt to about 30 % wt , from about 8 % wt to about 30% wt, from about 9% wt to about 28% wt, from about 10% wt to about 26% wt, from about 11% wt to about 24 % wt , from about 10% wt to about 22% wt, from about 12% wt to about 20% wt. If the water content is too low, the starch may not fully hydrate. In the final product, low starch hydration can inhibit expansion and cause a phenomena that pulls moisture out of the mouth when eaten. If the water level is too high, the dough will become very sticky and difficult to process. The resulting pre-form products will also not dry as quickly if they contain excess water.

The water content and water activity drops rapidly when hot product is discharged from the mixing device. The initial amount of water added can be adjusted to make mixing easier. However, the amount of time to dry the dough to form the pre-form product will increase with increasing amounts of added water.

The dough can include from about 0.4 to about 0.8, from about 0.4 to about 0.7 , from about 0.4 to about 0.6, or from about 0.4 to about 0.5 water activity. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises a water activity of about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6 , about 0.7, or about 0.8. Dough comprising a water activity of less than 0.3 results in a pre-form product that is dry and powdery. Dough comprising a water activity of about 0.4 to about 0.8 results in a pre-form product having decreased possibility of low water activity induced lipid oxidation. Dough comprising a water activity of about 0.8 or less significantly inhibits microbial or fungal growth. The dough can optionally include one or more flavoring agents, functional ingredients, performance ingredients, food particulates, or combinations thereof. The optional ingredients are preferably blended with the starch and texturing agent to form a homogenous mixture before the addition of moisture. The dough can include a flavoring agent or combination of flavoring agents.

The flavoring agent or flavoring agents deliver any desirable flavors including those which manifest themselves as hot, sour, sweet, salty, and/or savory. The flavoring agent can impart continuous or discontinuous flavoring to the dough. For example, liquid or powder flavoring agents generally provide a flavor that is continuous throughout the dough or pre-form product. In a homogenous mixture, the liquid or powder flavoring agent is generally evenly dispersed throughout the dough Flavoring agents in the form of pellets, chips, particulates, flakes, and the like that maintain their structure in the dough, pre-from product, and final product generally provide flavor that is discontinuous. The flavoring associated with such flavoring agents is generally localized to the portion of the dough, pre-form product, or final product immediately surrounding the pellets, chips, particulates, flakes, and the like. A flavor can be made to be more discontinuous or less discontinuous by increasing or reducing, respectively, the amount of pellets, chips, particulates, flakes, and the like in the dough. Examples of flavoring agents include, but are not limited to, artificial or natural fruit flavor, artificial or natural vegetable flavor, artificial or natural meat flavor, cheese, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, BBQ, peppercorn, sour cream, MSG, ranch, non-nutritive sweetener, salt, seasoning, pepper, cumin, coriander, and the like. Examples of fruit flavors include, but are not limited to, grape, apple, orange, peach, banana, strawberry, raspberry, pear, mango, papaya, pomegranate, blueberry, cherry, and the like. Examples of vegetable flavors include, but are not limited to, pumpkin, peas, carrot, corn, sweet potato, tomato, onion, garlic, pepper, squash, jalapeno, and the like. Examples of seasonings include, but are not limited to, MSG, sugar, salt, spices including pepper, onion, garlic, coriander, and cumin, and the like. The flavoring agent may include a combination of two or more flavoring agents. The flavoring agent can be a liquid or powder. Vegetable powders and fruit powers include, but are not limited, to freeze dried, dehydrated, or drum dried vegetable powders and fruit powders. The flavoring agent can be natural or artificial. The dough can include from about from about 0% wt to about 15% wt, from about 4% wt to about 15% wt, from about 7% wt to about 14% wt, from about 9% wt to about 12% wt, from about 1% wt to about 10% wt, from about 0.5% wt to about 5% wt, or from about 0.25% wt to about 4% wt flavoring agent. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises about 0.1, about 0.2, about 0.3, about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, about 1 , about 2, about 3, about 4, about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, or about 15% wt flavoring agent.

In some examples of the disclosure, the dough comprises vegetable powder, fruit powder, or a combination thereof as a flavoring agent. In these examples, the dough can include about 3% wt, about 5% wt, about 10% wt, about 13% wt, or about 15% wt vegetable powder, fruit powder, or a combination thereof. Higher amounts of vegetable powder or fruit powder may negatively affect microwave expansion of the pre-form product. Preferably, the amount of vegetable powder and/or fruit powder added to the dough is adjusted such that expansion of the pre- form product is not significantly inhibited. Addition of salt can positively impact the taste of the final product. In some examples of the disclosure, salt can be added in the range from about 0% wt to about 3.2% wt. In other examples, salt can be added in the range from about 0.5% wt to about 3.0% wt and in yet other examples salt can be added in the range from about 1.5% wt to about 2.5% wt.

The dough can include a functional ingredient or combination of two or more functional ingredients. As used herein, the term "functional ingredient" means ingredients providing health benefits. Examples of functional ingredients include, but are not limited to, omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, plant sterols, ribose, protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the like. The dough can include from about 0.1% wt to about 5% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 4% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 3% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 2% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 1% wt, or from about 0.1% wt to about 0.5% wt functional ingredient. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises about 0.1, about 0.2, about 0.3, about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, about 1 , about 1.1, about 1.2, about 1.3, about 1.4, about 1.5, about 1.6, about 1.7, about 1.8, about 1.9, about 2, about 2.1, about 2.2, about 2.3, about 2.4, about 2.5, about 2.6, about 2.7, about 2.8, about 2.9 % wt, about 3, about 3.1, about 3.2, about 3.3, about 3.4, about 3.5, about 3.6, about 3.7, about 3.8, about 3.9, about 4, about 4.1, about 4.2, about 4.3, about 4.4, about 4.5, about 4.6, about 4.7, about 4.8, about 4.9, or about 5% wt functional ingredient.

The dough can include a performance ingredient or combination of two or more performance ingredients. Performance ingredients are generally those ingredients which are bioactive in a person, such that when ingested, the person experiences increased energy and/or increased alertness. Performance ingredients are generally non-toxic and/or are provided in the dough in non-toxic amounts. Performance ingredients are sometimes ingredients which are recognized as GRAS. Performance ingredients often are selected from classes of compounds involved in human metabolism, including stimulants, vitamins, natural product extracts, enzymes, and co-factors.

Examples of performance ingredients include, but are not limited to, guaranine, ribose, taurine, caffeine, glutamine, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cyanocobalamin, insitol, ginseng, ginkgo, guarana, mangosteen, acai, glucuronlactone, L-carnitine, apnax, ginseng, and the like. The dough can include from about 0.1% wt to about 5% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 4% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 3% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 2% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 1% wt, or from about 0.1% wt to about 0.5% wt performance ingredient. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises about 0.1, about 0.2, about 0.3, about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, about 1 , about 1.1, about 1.2, about 1.3, about 1.4, about 1.5, about 1.6, about 1.7, about 1.8, about 1.9, about 2, about 2.1, about 2.2, about 2.3, about 2.4, about 2.5, about 2.6, about 2.7, about 2.8, about 2.9 % wt, about 3, about 3.1, about 3.2, about 3.3, about 3.4, about 3.5, about 3.6, about 3.7, about 3.8, about 3.9, about 4, about 4.1, about 4.2, about 4.3, about 4.4, about 4.5, about 4.6, about 4.7, about 4.8, about 4.9, or about 5% wt performance ingredient.

The dough can include a food particulate or combination of two or more food particulates. Preferably the food particulates are at least about 1/8 inch by about 1/8 inch in size. Preferably the food particulates are not greater than about 1 inch by about 1 inch in size. The particulates can be pellets, chips, fragments, and the like. The particulates can be dehydrated, freeze dried, and the like. Examples of food particulates include, but are not limited to, cheese, vegetable, fruit, seasoning, candy, meat, and the like. Examples of vegetable particulates include, but are not limited to, pumpkin, peas, carrot, corn, sweet potato, tomato, onion, garlic, pepper, squash, jalapeno, and the like. Examples of fruit particulates include, but are not limited to, grape, apple, orange, peach, banana, strawberry, raspberry, pear, mango, papaya, pomegranate, blueberry, cherry, and the like. Examples of seasoning particulates include, but are not limited to, seasoning pellets, butter, cheese, candy, coconut, berries, and the like. Examples of meat particulates include dehydrated meat particulates, bacon bits, and the like.

The dough can include from about 1% wt to about 10% wt, from about 0.5% wt to about 5% wt, or from about 0.25% wt to about 4% wt food particulates. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises about 0.1, about 0.2, about 0.3, about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, about 1, about 2, about 3, about 4, about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, or about 10% wt food particulates. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises from about ^λ/i to about 5, from about ¹A to about 4, from about Vz to about 3, from about ¹A to about 2, from about 1 to about 2 USDA servings of fruit and/or vegetables. Referring now to Fig.1. Selected amounts of dry ingredients 101 , wet ingredients 102, and flavors and seasonings 103 are separately weighed. Dry ingredients include but are not limited to pregelatinized starch, texturizing agents, flavoring agents, functional ingredients, performance ingredients, and food particulates as described herein. Wet ingredients 102 include but are not limited to texturizing agents, flavoring agents, functional ingredients, and performance ingredients as described herein. Preferably the dry ingredients 101 are mixed together to form a homogenous mixture 104. Combining the dry ingredients 101 to form a homogenous mixture 104 prior to the addition of water/liquids helps to ensure that the starches are hydrated. If the starches are not hydrated properly, discrete clumps can form in the dough resulting in a non-homogeneous dough mixture. In some cases, adding dry ingredients 101 after the addition of water can lead to difficulties in hydrating the dry powders. Water and optional wet ingredients 102 such as fats, oils, liquid concentrates, juices, emulsifiers, and the like are then added to the premixed dry ingredients. Optionally, salts can be dissolved in the water or other liquid added to the dry ingredients.

Processing of the wet ingredients 102 and dry ingredients 101 into a shapeable dough can be completed in many ways. Dough incorporation can be completed though basic batch mixing methods, resulting in a simplified and less capital intensive process for manufacturers. "Mixer" and "mixing" as used herein does not include an extruder or mixing processes utilizing an extruder to form a dough. The mixer 105 can be a hand mixer or stand mixer. Preferably the ingredients are processed into a shapeable dough in a high shear, high viscosity mixer. Examples of suitable mixers include, but are not limited to, a double sigma mixer, high sheer mixer, planetary mixer, high torque paddle mixer, and the like. The mixer may be optionally configured with an extruder screw placed on the bottom of the mixer. The mixing vessel can optionally be water or steam jacketed to control temperature. The dough can be mixed at a temperature of about 130⁰F to about 180⁰F. A portion of the heat in the system may be created from shear forces in the mixing. In some instances the heat created from shear forces in the dough is sufficient to heat the dough to a desired mixing temperature. Preferably the mixing process is an open process, meaning the process comprises aerobic conditions, low pressure, and low heat (e.g., about 180°F or less). In an embodiment, the pressure is atmospheric pressure.

The addition of enclosed heat can aid in the melting of starch; however, it is generally undesirable to fluidize the starch in the dough. Preferably, the dough is mixed at a temperature that does not fluidize the starch. Mixing and heating the dough in an enclosed vessel can help maintain a constant water content level, reducing overall losses of moisture and minimizing the amount of water to be used in each formulation. An enclosed heated-mixing process can be completed within any device that is adequately sealed to steam while providing enough mechanical energy to thoroughly mix the components. Desired equipment to use for this process includes but is not limited to speed mixers, enclosed mixers (mixer- extruder), or enclosed planetary mixers.

Processing speeds and times to produce a shapeable dough are dependent upon the selected mixer and can be determined by one of skill in the art. In some examples of the description a high sheer mixer is utilized for processing the dough. A high sheer mixer is any device that quickly incorporates the ingredients via dual asymmetric centrifuging. This quickly combines ingredients into a homogeneous mass. Within a high sheer mixer, heating from friction can be produced in quantities sufficient enough to melt starch and vaporize water. In some embodiments, the processing speed can range for example from about 3000 RPM to 3600 RPM for 15- 20 second intervals for 7-10 minutes in total. Between each mixing interval, the container can be removed from the device and shaken to assure that ingredients do not stick to the bottom or sides of the mixing vessel. In some examples of the description a double sigma blade mixer is utilized for processing the dough. Such a mixer has dual blades that constantly churn to assure even distribution of ingredients. In some embodiments, the processing speed can range for example from about 30 RPM to about 40 RPM and the dough can be mixed for about 15 to about 25 minutes. In such configurations, heat can be added to the system through jacketing the mixing vessel. In some examples, the dough is mixed at a temperature of about 130°F to about 180°F.

The density of the dough (gm/cm³) can be determined by taking a given amount (grams (gm)) of dough and dividing the amount of dough by its volume (cm³). The dough is processed as disclosed herein to a dough density of about 0.5 gm/cm³ to about 2 gm/cm³, about 0.5 gm/cm³ to about 1.75 gm/cm³, about 0.5 gm/cm³ to about 1.5 gm/cm³, about 0.5 gm/cm³ to about 1.25 gm/cm³, about 0.5 gm/cm³ to about 1 gm/cm³, about 1 gm/cm³ to about 2 gm/cm³, about 1 gm/cm³ to about 1.75 gm/cm³, or about 1 gm/cm³ to about 1.5 gm/cm³. In some examples of the disclosure, the dough is processed to a dough density of about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9 , about 1, about 1.1, about 1.2, about 1.3, about 1.4, about 1.5, about 1.6, about 1.7, about 1.8, about 1.9, or about 2 gm/cm³.

The dough can be further formed using conventional methods including, but not limited to, pelletizing, sheeting, dropping, twisting, and extruding. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the dough after mixing can harden quickly upon cooling. In such embodiments, it is preferable to form the dough immediately after mixing. Methods for discharging the dough from the mixing vessel include, but are not limited to the use of for a gear pump, an extruder screw, or dumping methods. In some examples of the disclosure, the mixing vessel is configured with an extruder screw placed on the bottom of the mixing vessel. Examples of shaping equipment and methods include, but are not limited to, gear pump discharge through a die with an additional cutting device, extrusion through a die with an additional cutting device, sheeting, cutting, slicing, stamping, rolling and shaping into any desired shape including pellets, disks, and cubes. The expansion ratio of the dough can be determined as it exits the die. A die expansion ratio can be calculated as follows;

100 x [(extruded dough diameter - die diameter)/(die diameter)] The dough can comprise a die expansion ratio of about 10% to about 150%, about 20% to about 100%, about 30% to about 100%, about 30% to about 75%, or about 30% to about 50%. In some examples of the present disclosure, the die expansion ratio of the dough comprises about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, about 20, about 21, about 22, about 23, about 24, about 25, about 26, about 27, about 28, about 29, about 30, about 31, about 32, about 33, about 34, about 35, about 36, about 37, about 38, about 39, about 40, about 41 , about 42, about 43, about 44, about 45, about 46, about 47, about 48, about 49, about 50, about 51, about 52, about 53, about 54, about 55, about 56, about 57, about 58, about 59, or about 60, about 61, about 62, about 63, about 64, about 65, about 66, about 67, about 68, about 69, about 70, about 71, about 72, about 73, about 74, about 75, about 76, about 77, about 78, about 79, about 80, about 81, about 82, about 83, about 84, about 85, about 86, about 87, about 88, about 89, about 90, about 91, about 92, about 93, about 94, about 95, about 96, about 97, about 98, about 99, about 100, about 101, about 102, about 103, about 104, about 105, about 106, about 107, about 108, about 109, about 110, about 111, about 112, about 113, about 114, about 115, about 116, about 117, about 118, about 119, about 120, about 121, about 122, about 123, about 124, about 125, about 126, about 127, about 128, about 129, about 130, about 131, about 132, about 133, about 134, about 135, about 136, about 137, about 138, about 139, about 140, about 141, about 142, about 143, about 144, about 145, about 146, about 147, about 148, about 149, or about 150%.

The dough can be shaped into many different shapes using a forming system 106. The dough is generally shaped for human consumption without requiring eating implements. Suitable shapes include geometric shapes and novelty shapes. Examples of geometric shapes include, but are not limited to, a cube, cylinder, sphere, rod, globe, oval, pyramid, rectangle, crescent, wheel, wheel with spokes, and the like. Examples of novelty shapes include, but are not limited to, hearts, stars, animals, letters, numbers, sports equipment, cartoon characters, famous characters, and the like. Optionally, cuts, cracks, tears, shreds, and/or scores can be introduced into the outside surface of the dough to provide a final expanded product having a desired texture and/or unique shape. In some examples of the disclosure, the dough can be pulled as it exits an extruder, forming cracks, shreds, and/or tears in the outside surface of the dough. Alternatively, the extruder can be fitted with a die having teeth or a rough surface to introduce cracks, shreds, and/or tears in the outside surface of the dough.

In some examples of the disclosure, the formed dough is cut using a cutting device 107 into pieces having a thickness of about 0.25 cm to about 10 cm, or about 1 cm to about 2.54. In some examples of the disclosure, the formed dough is cut into bite-sized pieces or smaller, for example, about 0.25 cm to about 10 cm, or alternatively 0.5 cm to about 3 cm. Bite-sized pieces are frequently about 2 cm to about 3 cm. Smaller sized pieces are frequently about 0.5 cm to about 2 cm, or about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm. The formed dough is dried using a drying system 108 to form a pre-form product. The formed dough can be dried using conventional methods including, but not limited to, convection drying, oven drying, conveyor oven drying, moisture controlled drying, impingement drying, infrared drying, and the like. Drying times and water activity equilibration can be effected by the relative humidity of the surrounding environment, the size and shape of the formed dough, and the ingredients and proportion of ingredients comprising the formed dough. In some examples of the disclosure, drying reduces the moisture content of the formed dough by about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, or about 20% wt to form the pre-form product. In some examples of the disclosure, the formed dough is dried to a moisture content of about 5% wt to about 30% wt, about 5% wt to about 20% wt, about 5% wt to about 15% wt, about 5% wt to about 10%, about 15% to about 25% wt, or about 10% wt to about 15% wt to form the pre-form product. The drying system 108 is controlled to form a pre-form product comprising a relatively dry outside shell without scorching or burning the shell. Drying the formed dough at too high of a temperature can form a pre-form product having a hardened shell (e.g., case hardened) and can also expand the pre-form product prematurely. Case hardening the pre-form product provides a product having poor expansion and texture and should be avoided. Suitable drying temperatures are from about 100 °F to about 450 ⁰F. In some examples of the present disclosure, the drying temperature comprises about 100 °F to about 350 °F, about 100 °F to about 212 ⁰F, or about 200 °F to about 300 ⁰F. In some examples of the present disclosure, the drying temperature comprises about 100 ⁰F to about 212 °F with relative humidity of about 10% to about 70%. Drying residence times are dependent upon temperature, relative humidity, the size and shape of the formed dough, and the ingredients and proportion of ingredients comprising the formed dough and generally are from about 5 minutes to about 6 hours. In some examples of the disclosure, the residence time comprises about 5 minutes to about 45 minutes, about 10 minutes to about 20 minutes, about 2 hours to about 3 hours. In some embodiments, the relative humidity can be at or below 60% to ensure equilibration at a targeted water activity.

In some embodiments, a cooling system 109 can be used to reduce the temperature of the output product from the drying system 108, before the product is sent to the dry flavor applicator system 1 10.

The pre- formed products of the disclosure can optionally be coated with a flavoring agent using a dry flavor application system 1 10. For example, the preformed product can be coated with a layer of an edible adhesive, such as an oil or emulsion, and a flavoring agent can be applied to the layer using conventional methods. In an embodiment, the pre-form products of the disclosure are coated in this manner with cheese powder. The coating method also allows for a snack product comprising multiple flavors. For example, one flavoring agent can be mixed into the dough and a different flavoring agent can be applied to the surface of the pre-form product. Consumers may also desire a sound to signify the completion of the expansion of the pre-form product. Such techniques that could be employed include: coating pellets with a film forming polymer, such that when the shell breaks under increasing internal pressure, an audible sound is made. In addition to encapsulation, another method to create sound during or with the puffing process includes incorporating pellets within the snack or as small separate pellets that only leave little trace material much like the shell of the popcorn remains in the bag materials that make popping noises, such as polymer balls (pectin balls), seeds, or kernels.

The pre-form products of the disclosure are preferably stored or packaged 112 in a moisture impermeable package or container. In some embodiments, the pre-form products are enclosed within a moisture impermeable container or package immediately after processing. In some embodiments it is desirable that the pre-form products be dried to a targeted moisture content and water activity prior to sealing in a moisture impermeable container or package. The moisture content of pre-form products stored in a moisture permeable container or package, such as paper bags or popcorn bags, will equilibrate with the surrounding environment. This may not be desirable if temperature and relative humidity are not controlled.

The pre-form products or the final expanded product can be packaged in the same fashion as other small snack food items. In one example, the snack food composition can be individually packaged, for example in single servings. In other examples of the present disclosure the snack food composition can be bulk packaged or packaged in convenient use units such as a 12 ounce bag. Semi-sealed containers or packages can be made of different materials, including but not limited to, paper, microwave safe plastic bags or containers, or glass. In an embodiment, the pre-form products are packaged in popcorn bags without a susceptor. If paper bags or containers or other moisture permeable containers or packaging are used, the bags or containers are preferably encased within moisture impermeable packaging to maintain the pre-form product at the desired water activity and moisture content.

The low temperature of the methods and processes of the present disclosure allow for the use of delicate flavorings, such as heat labile and/or volatile flavorings, without concern for thermal degradation usually associated with dough processed through high temperature extruders. For example, proteinaceous materials, volatile oils, essential oils, and the like may be added to the dough during processing since the dough and pre-formed products of the disclosure do not reach extremely high temperatures during mixing, drying, or microwaving. The expanded finished products of the disclosure therefore can have enhanced flavor compared to expanded products derived from the conventional high temperature extruder processes and can be flavored with flavoring agents not suitable for use in the conventional high temperature extruder processes. While the systems and methods of the present disclosure are advantageous for producing popular snacks, such as cheese flavored snacks, suitable flavors may include a wide variety of flavors appealing to consumers, including chocolate, fruit flavors, lemon, vanilla, cinnamon sugar, barbeque, sour cream and onion, and the like. The low temperature of the methods and processes of the present disclosure also allow for the use of functional ingredients and/or performance ingredients in the dough and pre-form products as described herein without significant degradation and/or significant loss of bioactivity. B. Pre-Form Products

The pre-form products of the disclosure are produced by drying the formed dough as described herein. The pre-form products generally comprise about 10 % wt to about 60% wt pregelatinized starch, about 15% wt to about 60% wt texturizing agent; about 5 % wt to about 30% wt moisture; and a water activity of about 0.4 to about 0.8.

The pre-form products can include from about 10% wt to about 50% wt, from about 10% wt to about 40% wt, from about 20% wt to about 35% wt, or from about 30% wt to about 40% wt pregelatinized starch. In some examples of the present disclosure, the pre-form product comprises about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, about 20, about 21, about 22, about 23, about 24, about 25, about 26, about 27, about 28, about 29, about 30, about 31, about 32, about 33, about 34, about 35, about 36, about 37, about 38, about 39, about 40, about 41, about 42, about 43, about 44, about 45, about 46, about 47, about 48, about 49, about 50, about 51, about 52, about 53, about 54, about 55, about 56, about 57, about 58, about 59, or about 60 % wt pregelatinized starch. The pre-from products can include from about 15% wt to about 60% wt, from about 20% wt to about 40 % wt, or from about 10% wt to about 20% wt texturizing agent. In some examples of the present disclosure, the pre-form product comprises about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, about 20, about 21, about 22, about 23, about 24, about 25, about 26, about 27, about 28, about 29, about 30, about 31, about 32, about 33, about 34, about 35, about 36, about 37, about 38, about 39, about 40, about 41 , about 42, about 43, about 44, about 45, about 46, about 47, about 48, about 49, about 50, about 51, about 52, about 53, about 54, about 55, about 56, about 57, about 58, about 59, or about 60 % wt texturizing agent.

The pre-form product can include from about 5% wt to about 30% wt, from about 5% wt to about 20% wt, from about 5 % wt to about 15% wt, or from about 5 % wt to about 10% wt moisture. In some examples of the present disclosure, the pre-form product comprises moisture of about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, about 20, about 21, about 22, about 23, about 24, about 25, about 26, about 27, about 28, about 29, or about 30% wt. Preferably the moisture is in the form of added water. The water can be filtered, purified, and/or soft water. The pre-form product can include from about 0.4 to about 0.8, from about 0.4 to about 0.7, from about 0.4 to about 0.6, or from about 0.4 to about 0.5 water activity. In some examples of the present disclosure, the pre-form product comprises a water activity of about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, or about 0.8. The pre-form products of the disclosure can optionally include one or more flavoring agents, functional ingredients, performance ingredients, food particulates, or combinations thereof.

The pre-form product can include from about from about 0% wt to about 15% wt, from about 4% wt to about 15% wt, from about 7% wt to about 14% wt, from about 9% wt to about 12% wt, from about 1% wt to about 10% wt, from about 0.5% wt to about 5% wt, or from about 0.25% wt to about 4% wt flavoring agent. In some examples of the present disclosure, the pre-form product comprises about 0.1, about 0.2, about 0.3, about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, about 1, about 2, about 3, about 4, about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, or about 15% wt flavoring agent.

The pre-from product can include from about 0.1% wt to about 5% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 4% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 3% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 2% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 1% wt, or from about 0.1% wt to about 0.5% wt functional ingredient. In some examples of the present disclosure, the pre-form product comprises about 0.1, about 0.2, about 0.3, about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, about 1, about 1.1, about 1.2, about 1.3, about 1.4, about 1.5, about 1.6, about 1.7, about 1.8, about 1.9, about 2, about 2.1, about 2.2, about 2.3, about 2.4, about 2.5, about 2.6, about 2.7, about 2.8, about 2.9 % wt, about 3, about 3.1, about 3.2, about 3.3, about 3.4, about 3.5, about 3.6, about 3.7, about 3.8, about 3.9, about 4, about 4.1, about 4.2, about 4.3, about 4.4, about 4.5, about 4.6, about 4.7, about 4.8, about 4.9, or about 5% wt functional ingredient.

The pre-form product can include from about 0.1% wt to about 5% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 4% wt, from about 0.1% wt to about 3% wt, from about 0.1 % wt to about 2% wt, from about 0.1 % wt to about 1 % wt, or from about 0.1% wt to about 0.5% wt performance ingredient. In some examples of the present disclosure, the pre-form product comprises about 0.1, about 0.2, about 0.3, about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, about 1, about 1.1, about 1.2, about 1.3, about 1.4, about 1.5, about 1.6, about 1.7, about 1.8, about 1.9, about 2, about 2.1 , about 2.2, about 2.3, about 2.4, about 2.5, about 2.6, about 2.7, about 2.8, about 2.9 % wt, about 3, about 3.1, about 3.2, about 3.3, about 3.4, about 3.5, about 3.6, about 3.7, about 3.8, about 3.9, about 4, about 4.1, about 4.2, about 4.3, about 4.4, about 4.5, about 4.6, about 4.7, about 4.8, about 4.9, or about 5% wt performance ingredient. A serving of the pre-form product of the present disclosure can contain an effective dose of performance ingredient for an adult person. An effective dose is the minimal amount of performance ingredient that produces the desired effect in an adult person. The effective dose is often determined based on analyzing the dose- response relationship specific to a performance ingredient or combination of performance ingredients. A serving of the pre-form products of the present disclosure on occasion has performance ingredient content similar to one can of Red Bull^®, Monster^®, Full Throttle^®, Unbound^®, Sobee^®, Lizard Fuel^®, Ripped^®, Amped^® or other energy drinks. The effective dose for caffeine is generally between about 40 - 80 mg. Other effective doses typically include taurine 500 - 1000 mg; glucuronlactone 400-800 mg; thiamine 1 -30 mg; riboflavin 1.5-15 mg; niacin 13-100 mg; pantothenic acid 4-1000 mg; pyridoxine 2 -50 mg; cobalamin 3- 300 μg; biotin 100-300μg; choline 25-300 mg; folate or folic acid 400-2000 μg; inositol 25-300 mg; paba-paraaminobenzoic acid 25-300 mg.

The pre-form product can include from about 1% wt to about 10% wt, from about 0.5% wt to about 5% wt, or from about 0.25% wt to about 4% wt food particulates. In some examples of the present disclosure, the pre-form product comprises about 0.1, about 0.2, about 0.3, about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, about 1 , about 2, about 3, about 4, about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, or about 10% wt food particulates. In some examples of the present disclosure, the dough comprises from about ¹A to about 5, from about ¹A to about 4, from about ¹A to about 3, from about ¹A to about 2, from about 1 to about 2 USDA servings of fruit and/or vegetables.

As disclosed herein, the pre-form products of the present disclosure are expandable in a microwave oven. Expanding via microwaving is preferred. The pre- form product can also be expanded using hot oil or similar methods known within the art. Due to individual microwave variations, the amount of time needed to fully expand the pre-product will be variable. Pre-form products can be expanded within a sealed or partially sealed container to retain moisture, which helps provide even heating of the pre-form product. Upon microwaving, the volume of the pre-form products of the present disclosure expands at least about 200%, at least about 300%, at least about 400%, or at least about 500%. In some examples of the present disclosure , the volume of the pre-form products expands from about 200% to about 500%, from about 200% to about 400%, or from about 300% to about 400% after microwaving. The hardness of an expanded pre-form product of the disclosure (e.g., the expanded finished product) can be determined as described in Example 17. In some examples of the present disclosure, the expanded product comprises a hardness of at least about 100 grams (gm), at least about 500 gm, at least about 1000 gm, at least about 2000 gm, at least about 4000 gm. Preferably the expanded product comprises a hardness not greater than about 18,000 gm. In some examples of the present disclosure, the expanded product comprises a hardness of about 100 gm to about 18,000 gm, about 1000 gm to about 18,000 gm, about 1000 gm to about 10,000 gm, about 1000 gm to about 8000 gm, about 1000 gm to about 5000 gm, about 500 gm to about to about 4000, or about 2000 gm to about 4000 gm.

The ratio of the porosity of the pre-form product to the porosity of the expanded product can be calculated. In an embodiment, the porosity ratio is calculated as follows: [(expanded product volume) - (crushed or powdered expanded product volume)]/(expanded product volume)

The pre-form products of the present disclosure comprise a porosity ratio of at least about 0.2. In some examples of the present disclosure, the pre-form products comprise a porosity ration of about 0.2 to about 0.8, about 0.3 to about 0.7, about 0.4 to about 0.6, about 0.5 to about 0.6, about 0.5 to about 0.8, about 0.6 to about 0.7, or about 0.7 to about 0.8. C. Formulations

Some exemplary formulations for pre-formed snack food products of the present disclosure are shown in Tables 2- 7. Table 2.

TOTAL 100.00

** Available from National Starch, Bridgewater, New Jersey

*Available from Land o Lakes, St. Paul, Minnesota

Table 3. Formulation comprising high amount of corn flour.

TOTAL 100.00

Table 4. Formulation comprising equal amounts of tapioca starch and rice starch.

TOTAL 100.00 Table 5. Formulation comprising soy protein isolate and baking powder, cheese flavored.

TOTAL 100.00

Table 6. Formulation comprising soy protein isolate and baking powder, cheese flavored.

TOTAL 100.00

Table 7. Formulation comprising soy protein isolate and baking powder, vegetable flavored.

TOTAL 100.00

EXAMPLES

The present disclosure may be better understood with reference to the following examples. These examples are intended to be representative of specific embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

In Examples 1-10, a microwave-puffable perform was fabricated using certain of the following ingredients:

Waxy maize instant starch (ULTRA-CRISP^® CS or B AKA-SNAK^®, National

Starch Food Innovation, Bridgewater NJ)

Tapioca instant starch (INSTANT TEXTRA^®, National Starch Food Innovation,

Bridgewater NJ)

Waxy maize encapsulation starch for emulsion stabilization (CAPSUL^®, National Starch Food Innovation, Bridgewater NJ)

Tapioca encapsulation starch for emulsion stabilization, (CAPSUL^® TA, National

Starch Food Innovation, Bridgewater NJ)

FCM 350-Degermed Yellow Corn Meal (Bunge Milling, St. Louis MO)

Cheese powder (ConAgra Food Ingredients, Omaha NE) All-purpose flour (Gold Medal^® brand, General Mills, Minneapolis MN)

In each of Examples 1-10, dry ingredients were thoroughly combined prior to the addition of the wet ingredients. In Examples 7-10, pregelled cornmeal was prepared by combining 4OmL hot/boiling (~100°C) water with 1Og corn meal, and heating the mixture on high for 1 minute in the microwave. This material is approximately 72-75% water and 25-28% corn meal. It should be considered a wet ingredient when combined. Following the production of the pre-form products, the samples were heated in a consumer-grade microwave oven, the Sharp Carousel microwave Model R-3A55, having a maximum power wattage of 850 watts. Samples were heated on high power for 45-60 seconds, as detailed below for each experiment. As recited below, certain samples were heated inside a microwave popcorn bag equipped with a susceptor, using in each case a popcorn bag similar to what is used for Orville Redenbacher^® brand microwavable popcorn.

In each of Examples 1-10 as described below, microwaved samples were evaluated for puffability, flavor, texture and other physical/organoleptic properties.

Example 1

A mixture of 8g ULTRA-CRISP® CS, 2g all-purpose flour, and Ig cheese powder was combined with 4mL of water. The resulting dough was then rolled into small balls approximately 1 cm in diameter. These balls were then rolled in cheese powder to uniformly coat the surface, and then baked at —145° C for 17 minutes. The resultant pellets were allowed to cool, and then heated in the microwave oven as described above. There was some crunch, but the puffs lacked the corn flavor of a conventional extruded cheese puff snack. The sample puffs of Example 1 also puffed less than other samples of similar size having different compositions of ingredients, as detailed below.

Example 2

A mixture of 8g ULTRA-CRISP® CS and 2g CAPSUL® was combined with 3.8mL of water. The resulting dough was then rolled into small balls approximately lcm in diameter. The balls were baked for 10-16 minutes at ~145°C. When cooled, the samples were heated in the microwave oven, and gave resulting snacks that differed significantly from extruded snacks.

Example 3

The following experiments in this Example varied the ULTRA-CRISP® CS to CAPSUL® ratio, as described below. Our experiments indicated generally that the greater the ration of ULTRA-CRISP® CS to CAPSUL®, the more plastic- like the samples appeared and tasted; the smaller the ratio, the more tooth packing there was for the samples.

In a first experiment, a mixture of 7g ULTRA-CRISP® CS and 3g of CAPSUL® was combined with 3.8 mL water. The resulting dough was then rolled into small balls approximately 1 cm in diameter. The balls were baked for 10-16 minutes at -145⁰C. When cooled, the samples were heated in the microwave oven as described above. The resulting snacks provided a good balance of texture and crunch. In a second experiment, a mixture of 6g ULTRA-CRISP® CS and 4g of

CAPSUL® was combined with 3.8 mL water. The resulting dough was then rolled into small balls approximately 1 cm in diameter. The balls were baked for 10-16 minutes at ~145°C. When cooled, the samples were heated in the microwave oven as described above. The resulting snacks were characterized by excessive tooth packing.

In a third experiment, a mixture of 5g ULTRA-CRISP® CS and 5g of CAPSUL® was combined with 3.8 mL water. The resulting dough was then rolled into small balls approximately 1 cm in diameter. The balls were baked for 10-16 minutes at ~145°C. When cooled, the samples were placed into microwave bags which were subsequently sealed, and the bag/pellet system was heated for 1 minute in the microwave. The resulting snacks puffed well, though some stuck together, and were burned slightly on the outside after 1 minute of heating. The popcorn bag inflated slightly, and there was some popping noise. The inside of the puffs was a bright white, and the interior structure consisted of numerous small air cells having a very small cell size.

Example 4

A mixture of Ig of cheese powder and 1Og of ULTRA-CRISP® CS was combined with 3-5mL of water. The resulting dough was then rolled into small balls approximately 1 cm in diameter, and heated in the microwave oven as described above. These samples had a plastic-like appearance and texture. The same dough (made with 5mL water) was rolled into small balls approximately 1 cm in diameter, rolled in cheese powder and baked for 17 minutes at ~145°C. The resulting samples were heated in the microwave oven as described above. They were initially crunchy in the mouth, but quickly melted away to a mushy consistency.

Example 5

A mixture of 1-2 g cheese powder, 8 g ULTRA-CRISP® CS, 2g CAPSUL®, and 2g corn meal was combined with 5mL water. The resulting dough was then rolled into small balls approximately 1 cm in diameter and heated in the microwave oven. These samples had a palatable texture that was crunchier and seemed to have more substance than those without corn meal.

The same dough (made with 5 mL water) was rolled into balls approximately lcm in diameter, coated in cheese powder, and baked for 17 minutes at ~145°C. When cooled, the samples were heated in the microwave oven as described above. The resulting snack exploded to look like popcorn, with pieces that come apart easily. There was a crunchy texture, but the samples did not puff to as large a size as other samples.

Example 6

A mixture of 2g cheese powder, 1Og ULTRA-CRISP® CS, and 2.5g corn meal was combined with 5 mL of water. The dough was rolled into balls approximately lcm in diameter. These balls were then rolled in cheese powder to uniformly coat the surface, and then baked at ~145°C for 17 minutes. The resultant pellets were allowed to cool, then were heated in the microwave oven as described above. The resulting snack had some tooth packing, and did not puff as large as other samples. Other samples that were microwaved raw resulted in snack products with less tooth packing that had a fast meltaway.

Example 7

A mixture of Ig of cheese powder and 1Og all-purpose flour was combined with 1Og of the gelled corm meal, prepared as described above. The dough was rolled into balls approximately lcm in diameter. These balls were then rolled in cheese powder to uniformly coat the surface. Some were baked ~145°C for 17 minutes, while others were left raw. The raw ones were heated in the microwave oven as described above. They did not expand or puff. The baked ones were allowed to cool, and then heated in the microwave oven as described above. These did not expand or puff either. Example 8

A mixture of Ig cheese powder, 9g ULTRA-CRISP® CS, and Ig INSTANT TEXTRA® was combined with 1 Og of the gelled corn meal, prepared as described above. The dough was rolled into balls approximately 1 cm in diameter. These balls were then rolled in cheese powder to uniformly coat the surface, and then baked at ~145°C for 17 minutes. The resultant pellets were allowed to cool, then were heated in the microwave oven as described above. This snack product had a better texture than snack products produced using non-gelled corn meal, but the dough was very sticky, difficult to work with.

Example 9

A mixture of 2g of cheese powder and 1Og of ULTRA-CRISP® CS was combined with 1Og of the pregelled corn meal. The dough was rolled into balls approximately 1 cm in diameter. These balls were then rolled in cheese powder to uniformly coat the surface, and then baked at ~145°C for 17 minutes. The resultant pellets were allowed to cool, and then heated in the microwave oven as described above. They expanded, and increased in diameter by a factor of 3-4. These snack products also possessed the best crunch and taste.

Example 10

A mixture of 2g of cheese powder and 8g ULTRA-CRISP® CS and 2g CAPSUL® combined with 1Og pregelled corn meal, as prepared as listed above. The resulting dough was rolled into balls approximately 1 cm in diameter, and baked at ~145°C for 17 minutes. The resultant pellets were allowed to cool, and then

heated in the microwave oven as described above. These samples also had a very good crunch and taste.

Examples 11-15 were prepared according to the following method. The dry ingredients were thoroughly pre mixed in an open system, double sigma blade

mixer-extruder (available from Jaygo, Inc., Union, New Jersey). Wet ingredients were added and the dough was mixed and preheated at 140-170⁰F. Ingredients were mixed until a homogeneous dough was formed (about 10 - 20 minutes). The resulting mixture was discharged through the extruder screw of the double sigma blade mixer extruder, running between 20-50 rpm, and pushed through a 13/16 inch

diameter circular die. The formed product was then cut into various shapes and dried using a Cadox Unox oven. All of the following formulations were processed in the same way, but provide different textural attributes to the final product

Example 11

Amount

Ingredient (% Wt)

NATIONAL 5730® 22.29

PREGEL FG-P® 6.83

INSTANT TEXTRA® 6.83

Drum Dried Vegetable Powder 10.19

Double Acting Baking Powder 0.98

SUPRO 670® 2.93

PREGEL 925® 26.34

Mono-Di glycerides 0.20

Palm Oil 3.41

Salt 1.96

Water 18.05

TOTAL 100.00

Example 12

Amount

Ingredient (% wt )

TOTAL 100.00

Exam le 13

TOTAL 100.00

Example 14

TOTAL 100.00 Example 15

Amount

Ingredient (% Wt)

NATIONAL 5730® 27.96

PREGEL FG-P® 4.00

INSTANT TEXTRA® 6.83

CHEDDEASE® 10.19

Double Acting Baking Powder 0.98

SUPRO 670® 1.50

PREGEL 925® 26.34

Mono-Di glycerides 0.20

Palm Oil 3.50

Salt 2.00

Water 16.50

TOTAL 100.00

Example 16

Porosity of the products of Example 11-13 was calculated according to the following equation:

Porosity of Examples 11-14 is listed in Table 8 below. Expansion of the food product was calculated by the ratio of the volume of a sample post-microwave treatment to the volume of a sample pre-microwave treatment. Porosity was

calculated using the following equation:

[(expanded product volume) - (crushed or powdered expanded product

volume)]/

(expanded product volume)

The control wheel was processed using a conventional high temperature extruder process.

Table 8.

*not measured Example 17

Texture testing was performed on the expanded end product using an SMS TA-XT2 Texture Analyzer (available from Stable Microsystems, Godalming, UK) fitted with a TA-43 (3 mm flat blade), a flat base plate with speed = 10 mm/s and target strain = 50%. The hardness of the products in Table 9 is expressed in grams (gm). The peak force (columns 2 and3 of Table 9) is an average of test results at 900 watts and 1000 watts for each sample. Columns 3 and 4 of Table 9 show the standard deviation and variance coefficient for the tests at 900 watts. Columns 5 and 6 of Table 9 show the standard deviation and variance coefficient for the tests at 1000 watts. The control wheel was processed using a conventional high temperature extruder process.

Table 9.

Example 18

Table 10 shows the formulation of a final product that provided a crunchier, grittier texture. The pre-form products had a glassy appearance, with cracks

throughout. When puffed, the final product had a unique shape and more surfaces for a bigger crunch.

Table 10.

Amount

Ingredient (% Wt)

NATIONAL 573Od P 33.33

PREGEL 925® 33.33

Water 33.33

TOTAL 100.00

While specific embodiments of the subject invention have been discussed, the above specification is illustrative and not restrictive. Many variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of this specification. The full scope of the invention should be determined by reference to the claims, along with their full scope of equivalents, and the specification, along

with such variations.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about." Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in this specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending

upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A microwaveable snack food pre-form product formed from dough comprising: about 10% wt to about 50% wt pregelatinized modified starch; about 15% wt to about 50% wt texturing agent; about 5% wt to about 30% wt moisture; and a water activity of about 0.4 to about 0.8; wherein the pre-form product is expandable in a microwave oven and the volume of the pre-form product expands at least about 200% after microwaving.

2. A microwaveable snack food pre-form product, comprising: about 10% wt to about 60% wt pregelatinized modified starch; about 15% wt to about 60% wt texturing agent; about 5% wt to about 30% wt moisture; and a water activity of about 0.4 to about 0.7; wherein the pre-form product is expandable in a microwave oven and the volume of the pre-form product expands at least about 200 % after microwaving.

3. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising about 1% wt to about 10% wt flavoring agent.

4. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising about 0.5% wt to about 10% wt of a functional ingredient.

5. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 1 -4, further comprising about 1% wt to about 10% of a performance ingredient.

6. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 1 -5, further comprising about 0.5% wt to about 10% wt food particulates.

7. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claim 1 -6, wherein the pregelatinized modified starch comprises corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, rice starch, oat starch, barley starch, wheat starch, or a combination thereof.

8. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 1 -7, wherein the texturing agent comprises vegetable powder, fruit powder, corn meal, corn flour, corn grits, rice flour, bean flour, tapioca, lecithin, what flour, nut meal, seed meal, salt, grain bran, fiber, gums, fats, carageenans, hydrocolloids, modified starches, or a combination thereof.

9. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of claim 8, wherein the gum comprises xanthan, guar, Arabic, gum Arabic, or combinations thereof.

10. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the gum comprises about 0.25% wt to about 5% wt of the pre-form product.

11. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 8-10, wherein the fat comprises a vegetable oil or animal oil.

12. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of claim 11 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises canola oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil.

13. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of claim 3 , wherein the flavoring agent comprises artificial or natural fruit flavor, artificial or natural vegetable flavor, artificial or natural meat flavoring, cheese, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, BBQ, peppercorn, sour cream, MSG, ranch, non-nutritive sweetener, salt, seasoning, or a combination thereof.

14. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of claim 4, wherein the functional ingredient comprises omega 3 fatty acid, fiber, protein, plant sterols, ribose, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, or combinations thereof.

15. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of claim 5, wherein the performance ingredient comprises guaranine, ribose, taurine, caffeine, glutamine, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cyanocobalamin, insitol, ginseng, ginkgo, guarana, mangosteen, acai, glucuronlactone, L-carnitine, apnax, or combinations thereof.

16. The microwaveable food pre-form product of claim 6, wherein the food particulates comprise cheese particulates, vegetable particulates, fruit particulates, seasoning particulates, candy particulates, chocolate particulates, meat particulates, or combinations thereof.

17. The microwaveable food pre-form product of claim 13 or claim 16, wherein the vegetable comprises onion, garlic, pepper, tomato, potato, pumpkin, pea, carrot, corn, bean, sweet potato, spinach, squash, jalapeno, or combinations thereof.

18. The microwaveable food pre-form product of claim 13 or claim 16, wherein the fruit comprises grape, apple, orange, peach, banana, strawberry, raspberry, pear, mango, blueberry, or peach.

19. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 1-18, wherein the pre-form product comprises a geometric shape or novelty shape.

20. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 1-19, wherein the pre-form product further comprises a coating comprising an edible adhesive and a flavoring agent.

21. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 1-20, wherein the pre-form product after microwaving comprises one or more of the following: a) hardness of about 100 to about 1600gm; or b) a porosity ratio of at least about 0.2.

22. The microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 1-21, wherein the pre-form product comprises one or more of the following: a) a dough density of about 0.5 gm/cm³ to about 2 gm/cm³; or b) a die expansion ratio of about 10 to about 100%.

23. A process for making the microwaveable snack food pre-form product of any one of claims 1-22, comprising: a) mixing the pregelatinized starch, texturizing agent, and optionally one or more flavoring agent, functional ingredient, performance ingredient, food particulate, or combinations thereof to form a homogenous mixture; b) mixing the homogenous mixture with water to form a shapeable dough, wherein the shapeable dough comprises a moisture content of about 10% wt to about 20% wt; c) forming the shapeable dough; and d) drying the formed dough to a moisture content of about 8% wt to about 15% wt to form the pre-form product.

24. The process of claim 23, wherein mixing comprises mixing with a high shear and high viscosity mixer.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein the mixer comprises an extruder screw.

26. The process of any one of claims 22-25, wherein the shapeable dough is mixed to a dough density of about O.5gm/cm³ to about 2gm/cm³.

27. The process of any one of claims 22-26, wherein forming comprises pelletizing, sheeting, dropping, or twisting the shapeable dough.

28. The process of any one of claims 22-26, wherein the shapeable dough is formed with an extruder screw.

29. The process of any one of claims 22-28, wherein drying comprises convection drying, air drying, moisture controlled drying, impingement drying, or infrared drying.

30. The process of claim any one of claims 22-29, wherein the mixing process is an open process.

31. The process of any one of claims 22-30, wherein drying further comprises drying the formed dough to a water activity of about 0.4 to about 0.7.

32. The process of any one of claims 22-31 , further comprising coating the dried dough with a layer of an edible adhesive and applying a flavoring agent to the layer.

33. The process of claim 32, wherein the edible adhesive comprises oil or an emulsion.