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 . A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces, comprising:
 (a) providing a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces;   (b) treating the food pieces with an enzyme treatment consisting of an effective amount of at least one starch-degrading enzyme;   (c) blanching the treated food pieces to deactivate the starch-degrading enzyme; and   (d) reducing the initial moisture level by heating the food pieces in bulk in at least one oven or drier wherein the pieces are heated in two stages at oven/drier temperature of about 300° F. to about 400° F. for a time of about 2 to about 20 minutes in the first stage, and then at a oven/drier temperature of about 225-325 for a time of about 4 to about 35 minutes in the second stage, wherein the drier/oven temperature in the first stage is higher than the drier/oven temperature in the second stage, to yield a food product having a moisture level of from about 40 to about 65% by weight;   (e) optionally adding a predetermined amount of digestible or synthetic oil or fat to the food pieces or the food product to provide a food product that has been prepared in the absence of frying, wherein the food product is cooled and stored at ambient, refrigerator or freezer temperatures.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the food pieces are cooked in a drier/oven providing an air velocity of about 450 to 15000 feet per minute. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in stage 1 the food pieces are cooked for a time of about 0.5 to about 14 minutes. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises cooking the food pieces at a temperature of about 275-300° F. for a time of about 6 to about 12 minutes. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the food pieces are cooled and stored at refrigeration or freezer conditions after the food pieces are brought to the first temperature for the first time period, and before the food pieces are brought to the second temperature for the second time period. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wherein the food pieces are exposed to a solution comprising one or more cations. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more cations are selected from the group consisting of sodium salts, calcium salts, magnesium salts, potassium salts, aluminum compounds and nitrogen compounds. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more cations are selected from the group consisting of NaCl, KCl, MgCl 2 , and CaCl 2 . 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more cations is present in the solution at a concentration of about 0.1 to about 5% by weight. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the food pieces are exposed to a solution comprising one or more of amylase or amyloglucosidase. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the food pieces are exposed to the solution for a time of about 1 to about 3 minutes. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the food pieces are cooked in at least one rotary drier or oven, at least one fluidized bed drier or oven or at least one microwave drier or oven. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said food is selected from the group consisting of beets, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, apples, pears, bananas, rutabaga, plantain, taro, okra, onions, parsnips, yams, sweet potatoes, yucca, and potatoes. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cut food pieces are slices, strips or sticks. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said blanching comprises a wet blanch. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said wet blanch comprises treating said cut food pieces in an aqueous solution at a temperature of about 140° F.-248° F. and for about 30 seconds to about 10 minutes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said food pieces are rinsed with water after the blanching step. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , that further comprises application of a predetermined amount of digestible and/or synthetic fat or oil to said food pieces. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said blanching step occurs in a blanching medium comprising digestible and/or synthetic fat or oil. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising applying a predetermined amount of digestible and/or synthetic fat or oil to the food product. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (e) is present and the fat content of the food product is increased to about 5-10 wt-%. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pieces are fluidized in air by said at least one drier or oven in (d). 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the food product has a fat content of less than about 1 wt-%. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the food product moisture level is about 40-70%. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one drier or oven is a vibrating fluidized bed drier or oven.