Process for the controlled introduction of oil into food products

Abstract

A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces comprises: (a) providing or receiving a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces; (b) applying an oil-water emulsion to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion; and (c) reducing the initial moisture level, in the absence of frying in oil, to a moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 80% by weight to provide a cooked food product, comprising said predetermined amount of oil, wherein step (c) does not comprises frying the food pieces in hot oil.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for manufacturing a snack food product comprising:
 (a) extruding or sheeting a dough comprising water and a food material comprising starch selected from the group consisting of corn, rice, beans, wheat or combinations thereof, to yield shaped food pieces having a preselected shape;   (b) cooking said shaped food pieces;   (c) applying an emulsion consisting essentially of oil and water to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion, wherein the treated food pieces are not blanched; and   (d) reducing the initial moisture level by heating the food pieces in at least one oven or drier to a final moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 10% by weight to provide the snack food product, wherein the food pieces are not cooked/fried in hot oil.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein step (d) comprises drying the food pieces in at least one oven or drier set at about 160° F.-400° F. for a time of about 0.5-40 minutes. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cooked shaped food pieces are treated with an aqueous solution comprising an effective amount of cations and/or an effective amount of a starch reducing enzyme, prior to step (c). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the shaped food pieces are cooked by an initial baking step in step (b). 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the oil content of the oil-water emulsion can be selected according to the equation: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 f 
                 oe 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     f 
                     o 
                   
                   
                     f 
                     co 
                   
                 
                 × 
                 
                   
                     f 
                     s 
                   
                    
                   
                     ( 
                     
                       1 
                       + 
                       
                         f 
                         o 
                       
                       + 
                       
                         f 
                         w 
                       
                     
                     ) 
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
       
       where f oe  is the fraction, by weight, of oil in the oil-water emulsion, f o  is the fraction, by weight, of oil on the food product, f co  is the fractional carry-over rate of oil from the oil-water emulsion onto the food pieces, f s  is the fractional solids content, by weight, of the food pieces, and f w  is the water fraction, by weight, in the snack food product. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the oil-water emulsion applied to the food pieces comprises about 5 wt-% to about 85 wt-% oil. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein treating the food pieces with the oil-water emulsion comprises immersing the food pieces in the oil-water emulsion. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the food pieces are immersed in the oil-water emulsion for about 2 seconds to about 15 seconds at an emulsion temperature from about 20° F. to about 150° F. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the snack food product comprises up to about 35 wt-% fat. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the snack food product comprises about 0.5 to about 15 wt-% fat. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one dryer or oven is a convection dryer or oven, a fluidized bed dryer or oven, an impingement dryer or oven, a rotary dryer or oven, a stationary dryer or oven, a microwave dryer or oven or a vacuum dryer or oven. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the emulsion of water and oil in step (c) comprises flavoring components, flavor enhancers, vitamins, minerals or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the initial moisture content is about 25-35 wt-%. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 2 , further comprising the emulsion is prepared by mixing oil and water by at least one of homogenizing, sonolation, agitating, or running oil and water through one or a series of pumps. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the emulsion is prepared without an exogenous emulsifier or surfactant. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein reducing the moisture of the food pieces comprises two-stage drying of the food pieces at a first temperature, then at a lower second temperature. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the drying at the first temperature lowers the moisture content of the food pieces to about 40 wt. to about 70 wt-%. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the final moisture level is reduced to about 0.5 to about 5% by weight. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the food product comprises less than 150 ppb acrylamide. 
     
     
         21 . A food product prepared by the process of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         22 . A snack food product prepared from a shaped, cooked corn, rice, beans and/or wheat dough, by a process comprising:
 (a) contacting the shaped, cooked dough with an emulsion consisting essentially of edible oil and water for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the shaped, cooked dough; and   (b) drying the shaped, cooked dough in at least one oven or drier at a first temperature then at a lower second temperature so as to yield a snack food product having a moisture content of about 0.5-10 wt-%, a fat content of up to about 25 wt-% fat and less than about 150 ppb acrylamide, wherein said drying does not comprise frying the cooked dough in hot oil.   
     
     
         23 . The snack food product of  claim 22  which is a tortilla strip or chip. 
     
     
         24 . The snack food product of  claim 22  which is a bean chip.