Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~049;~9
The present invention relates to impr~vements in the art
of producing "natural" cereal and snack-type food products which
are customarily aggregated as a plurality of assorted particles
ranging from cereal grains to nutmeats and may also include fruit
associabed therewith. Such products have grown popularity in the m2rketplace
by reason of their representation of old fashioned and natural
goodness: this manufacture stems in large measure fr~m the ability
to incorporate conventional cereal constituents such as rolled
oats, wheat germ, and nutmeats such as almonds as well as dried
coconut together with fats and oils which are flavorfully combined
with less reined sugars such aq dark brown sugar.
Whereas the earlier entry into the market in recent times
was simply a dry blend of a good tasting crunchy cereal (e.g.
granola), the esthetic organoleptic limitations of such a product
have prompted others to endeavor to aggregate cereal components.
This aggregation has taken the form of blends of cereal grain by-
products having various eating textures but many accompanying dis-
advantages.
To illustrate, a forerunner in the current "natural"
cereal market was a semi-agglomeratea ready-to-eat cereal of old
fashioned rolled oats, ~rown sugar, wheat germ and flavors with
raisins separately mixed: in lieu of raisins, other constituents
such as coconut shreds could be ~imilarly mixed. Such semi-agglo-
meration was effected by means of a mixture of corn syrup and de-
fatted wheat germ which served to effect partial adhesion of the
rolled oats into a relatively non-uniform, randomized distribu-
tion of agglomerates. ~his agglomerate is characterized by the
rather prolonged period required for mastication and leaves an
objectionable filling sensation after consumption.
Similar products whether high in rolled oats or in levels
of fat, syrup or moisture have related limitations. Thus, an
agglomeration of natural cereals may be comparatively dense and
when possessing a high level of rol~ed oats or the like are pr~ne
~F
.
1049319
to collect o~ and adhere to the crown of the tooth, particularly
when eaten dry out-of-hand, an eating characteristic found objec-
tionable by some.
It would be desirable to provide an agglomerated assort-
ment of ~atural cereal and nutmeat particles which has a low
density and a unique texture that permits the product to be masti-
cated with ease and in a relatively short period of time. The
mouthful of such a product should advantageously occupy a spoon-
ful without being inordinately high in density and leading to an
uncomfortablè filling sensation upon consumption.
In meeting these product requisites, it would be de-
sirable that the product be at packageable moisture contents
whereat the effects of rancidity are not encountered. Some current
products have a high moisture content - say, in the order of 5%
whereat oxidati~e rancidity of natural grains is compensated for
by the presence of moisture: in an oat system at say, 5% - the
natural oat is less inclined to undergo rancidification. On the
other hand, it i5 preferred to have a stable, crisp, less chewy
agglomerated natural cereal product such as is afforded at mois-
20 J ture levels below 5% - say in the order of 2%, where the product
also has an overall pleasant taste, both when eaten dry and when
consumed upon liquid milk addition.
It would also be desirable to provide significant levels
of fat and sugar to meet intended ~alanced recipe dictates while
at the same time permitting aggregating techni~ues which provide a
relatively complete agglomerate: a specific object of the inven-
tion is to provide a heterogeneous agglomerate which has a rela-
tively unifonm particle size. Agglomeration of many prior natural
cereals mixtures pro~ides random unpredictable particle size dis-
3~ tributions which may stem from an erratic collection of dry parti-
cles with amounts of fat or corn syrup; then again many such pro-
ducts assume a packaged condition which is, too non-uniform, e.g.
fine particles segregate to the bottom of the bag with clusters
--2--
~049319
of ca~ed ag~lomerates collecting at the top of the package due to
di~integratio~ during the shipment of the packaged goods and
vapor transmission to the packaged contents. Thus, it is desirable
to pro~ide uniformly agglomerated cereal mixture which ~u~stan-
tially retains its structure when packaged.
The term "cereal mixtures'l herein connotes mixtures of
whole grains and by-products such a~ oat, wheat, wheat qerm,
flours of like cereal origin and assorted natural balancing in-
gredient~ such as subdivided nutmeats, such as coconut, fruit
meats ~uch as raisins and fortifying natural ingredients such
as non-fat dry milk solid, In accordance with the present object~,
such a mixture should be readily consumable and stable under normal
packaging conditions against: premature oxidative rancidity; cak-
ing due to excessive moisture uptake; and fragility and conse~uent
disintegration due to moisture migration in packaging: a stable
storage period for purposes of the pre~ent invention would exceed
5ix months at normal room temperature and preferably be at least
nine months.
According to the invention there is pro~ided a process
for preparing an agglomerated cereal product ha~ing a binary eat-
ing quality which comprises intimately mixing subdivided alimentary
~arinaceous and proteinaceous particles; including in the mixture
of ~aid particles a puffed toasted rice cereal flake that has been
cooked and bumped preparatory to puffing and toasting, said flake
having a dextrinous, bli~tered, curled, syrup-ab~orbent surface:
causing a liquified fat to coat and be evenly distributed over
the mixed particles and then causing a saccharidal syrup to be
applied to and coat the fat-coated particles; continually tumbling
the coated particles until they aggregate to form a cluster of
smaller particles adhereing around the discrete and separate puf~ed
rice flakes; and thence drying the aggregates to produce an agglo-
merated structure.
There is also provided an agglomerate comprising sub-
--3--
~04C~319
divided alimentary farinaceous and proteinaceous particle~ and a
plurality of discrete puffed rice flakes ha~ing said particles
adhereing thereto, said particles and flakes being surface coated
with fat and said agglomerate being characterized by havlng a
saccharidal coating surrounding the particles and fla~es, said
agglomerate ha~ing a moisture content le~s than 5~ and greater
than 1~.
Thus, a cereal mixture i5 agglomerated around fat-and
syrup-coated particles of puffed and toasted rice flakes typically
an oven-toasted rice flake produced by cooking pearl~d rice ~n a
syrup solution, drying the rice, bumping it through 1aking roll~,
ànd then oven puffing it by means conventional and known in the
art: puffed toasted cereal flake~ may be similarly produced from
a variety of milled or semi-milled gelatinized rice grains. The
flakes ~hould provide the following characteriQtics in accordance
with the in~ention's prerequisites:
1. The toasted atmospheric, vàcuum or otherwise puffed and
toasted rice flakes should have a dextrinous surface which, when
coated with an aqueous sugar syrup, promotes adhesion of the dis-
similar particles; it would appear that the gelatinization ofthe starch and the rupture of surface starch cells through cook-
ing promotes an available readily rehydrata~le and activatable
tacXifying adhesive surface which facilitates the agglomeration
process in an assortmènt of equipments ranging from a coating
reel, a ribbon blender, or other mixers known in the art.
2. The rice flakes should ha~e a blistered surface that
provides an irregular surface area whereby the foregoing sticky
adhesive nature o~ the flaXe surface becomes functional, thus
minimizing any tendency to experience unagglomerated farinaceous
or prote~nace~us particles as well as non-uniformly adhered parti-
cles which may be dislodged in packaging and thus lea~ to a
segregated character:
3. The syrup-coated rice flake should be sufficiently
10493~9
cu~ped, i.e., curled, during the rolling or bumping operation to
pro~ide a pocket wherein the remaining particles may collect in-
cident to the tumbling action to which they are ~ubjected auring
the agglomeration: this cupped character i~ believed to assure a
uniform di~tribution of the dissimilar particles through the
tumbling action and also provides protection against agglomerates
initially formed breaking up during final c~ating operations, as
will be described hereina~teri
4. The rice flake described hereina~ove should absorb the
hot syrup faster than other dry blended ingredients whereby the
flake itself ser~es as a focal point for the adhesion of particle~
of cereals and other fortifying con~tituents inasmuch as the latter
particles are le~s inclined to agglomerate per se: thus absorp-
tion of the syrup and the adhesion provided by the rice surfaces
provides a preferential focal point upon which agglomerates collect
or particles that are intended to form agglomerates are localized;
5. Some of the flakes should provide a pitted surface dur-
ing blending of the above-specified rice flake and remaining in-
gredients of the cereal mixture, causing surface craters to
exist, t~us ~urther optimizing the opportunity for adhesion of
the dry ingredients or any individual agglomerates thereof which
may be formed prior to stationing on the rice flake.
The foregoing functions of oven-toasted bumped rice
flakes will occur to varying degrees depending upon the degree of
gelatinization of the rice grain itself and the nature of the
ingredients being added, some ingredients being more su~ceptible
to the agglomeration tendencies of the rlce flake than others.
However, it is believed that all of these foregoing functions
exist to some degree in a manner which provides a substantial
reduct~on in density, uniformity of particlès size distribution
and a di~tinctive eating quality. This provides a functionality
to any volume of the agglomerates so produced since it permits
more faithful volumetric filling as well as uniormity of eating
--5--
10493~
response, thereby ~ifferentiati~g t~.e pre~ent aggl~merate from
the foregoin~ prevlously marketed products.
The agglomerates present a uni~ue, two-phased texture~
sy~tem in terms of eating quality; there i9 a ~ufficient quantity
of the ~rain, grain by products and nutmeat particleq as~ociated
with the cereals to provide a chewy, crunchy "whole~ome" masti-
cation expe~ience which has been associated with the common
"granola-type" product: yet the presence of the rice flakes pro-
viaes a less filling, ~ofter, more friable, easily pulverized and
easily masticated cri~py texture. $his binary-texture sy~tem
distinguishes it from the prior cereal mixtures discussed above
and has been found definitely preferred by consumers who f~nd
protracted mastication experience les~ preferable whether such
products are consumed with milX or eaten dry from out of hand.
To effect this binary eating ~uality, the level of rice
cereal flakes usea may range from two to 15% by weight of the
dried agglomerate, preferably being in the order o~ 5-10~: the
upper level of such flakes forms no distinct critical part of the
invention, the amount being in some mea~ure dictated by the re-
maining ingredient~ of the cereal mixture being agglomerated a~well as the fat and syrup le~el; there is, howe~er, a practical
upper limit - say, 25~ - a~ove which for a particular added fat-
~ugar level, due to the added surface area provided by the rice
flakes, complete distribution of coating qyrup cannot be readily
obtained thereby providing an opportunity for oxidation sites
which contribute towards instability through oxidative rancidity;
it is to be under~tood in this connection that the various fat-
coated component~ of the cereal including the rice flakes will
be sub~tantially coated in the agglomerate by the sugar ~yrup
solute~ which, when the solution is driea, provides the aforesaid
substantially continuous barrier against oxidative rancidity, a
most important property in view of the natural enzymic and other
activity present in the cereals and nutmeats and the level of fat
-6-
~049319
that will be added. P.t flake levels above 1596, it will be diffi-
cult to di~trihute tac~ify~ ng syrup onto the fat-coated cri~p
rice flakes as a consequence of which the ability to fully or
faithfully agglomerate the particles will be lessened and/or
over-all distribution uniformity in the agglomerates will be ad-
versely affected.
The nature of the saccharidal syrup added to the fat-
coated cereal mixture ingreaients as well as the rice flake will
also have a sign~ficant effect on the ag~regation and agglomera-
tion that stems from tumbling these ingredients. The tacky natureof the ~yrup when wàrm should promote sufficient initlal aggrega-
tion to assure that clu~tering of part$cles occurs around the
flake. Generally speaking, it will be a preferred embodiment of
the lnvention that the syrup have a quantity of reducing micro-
crystalline ~accharidal con~tituents 1ncluding dextrins and low
- molecular weight sugars, the syrup solids having a D.E. of at
least 5; e.g. corn syrup in minor per cent of the syrup solids
enhances tackification and adhesion: in this regard, a quantity
of honey and brown sugar may optionally be included for tackifi-
cation: typically, reducing saccharidal materials or invert-type
sugars may be employed all of which serve to enhance the aggrega-
tion of the particles as they undergo intimate contact.
Preferably also the charge material undergoing aggrega-
tion will be maintained at ambient temperatures or in any event
below 120F. whereat they will occasion a better tackification
from a given warm syrup at a temperature above that of the charge
material to afford distribution of the ~yrup over the part~cles
as well as ea~e of distribution onto the charge by a ~pray or
other liquid application system.
The stab$1izat$on mechanisms whereby a stable agglomerate
is produced by drying the aggregate formed upon addition of the
tackifying syrup are deceptively complex. The degree o gelatin-
ization and thug the degree of devita~ization can ~e consequen-
--7--
~04~931~
tial. A significant amount of latent enzymic activity may be
present in the cereal componsnts, e.g. the rolled oats or the
bumped wheat ~hat is preferably used as the predominant parts of
the cereal mixture; the~e cereals and their equivalents have a
level of fat that i~ unsaturated and thus prone to undergo ran-
cidification in the presence of viabally actlve enzymic con3titu-
ents either nat$ve to or associated through admixture of other
cereal components or other ingredients which have natural enzymic
acti~ity. An important factor in the present proces~ is the u~e
in a predominant amount by weight of the added fat o~ a substan-
tîally saturated fatty material such a~ coconut oil as the fat-
coating material in order to control rancidification stemming
from hydrolysis or oxidation of natural fats present in the in-
gredients.
The sugar syrup contributes significantly towards stabi-
lization of the cereal mixture including the rice flake by enrobing
the fat-coated aggregated particles with a substantially contin-
uous coating and thus mitigating against oxidati~e rancidity when
the eventual aggregate iq stabilized by drying thereof to produce
the ultimate agglomerate at a moisture content below 5~ and a~ove
1%. In this connection, the employment of 5-15% and as h~gh as
30% of amorphous saccharides by weight of the sugar syrup solids
is instrumental in achieving a glossy, non-crystallizing coating
which provides a cont~nuous barrier to oxidation as contrasted
with that which may be provided by a crystallizing sucrose syrup,
i.e. one which undergoes development into a frosty, non-glossy
character which is discontinuous in the agglomerate as packaged
or becomes so after pacXaging thereof.
In effecting agglomeration, a coating reel i9 the pre-
ferred means for promoting distribution of syrup. Pre-mixing of
the dry blend ingredients to be agglomerated, the rate of rotation
of the reel, the diameter thereof and the number of flights or
baffles emplo~ed to promote a tumbling action are matters within
--8--
10493~9
the ~ill of art workers and form no part of the present inven-
tion. However, it is preferred in effecting a tumbling action to
avoid excesqive heating of the coating reel. It has been found
that such low temperatures promote a good syrup distri~ution
without premature moisture loss and excessive absorption of the
syrup into the base grains and other particles in the cereal mix-
ture: a preferred embodiment of the in~ention is that the coat-
ing operation proceed at an ambient agglomerating temperature
in the zone of aggregation below 120F; the ~yrup will be at a
more elevated temperature - say, about 150F. - whereat it will
be fluid and evenly distributable and possess requisite sticki-
ne~s; the slightly elevated temperature of the syrup promotes ad-
he ion of the cereal mixture components as well as the other
fortifying particle~ specified herein of the rice flakes surfaces.
The puffed and toasted rice flake proces~ used to make
the flake are not a critical aspect of the invention ih its broad-
est aspects: typically par-boiled milled white rice will be pres-
sure cooked with a flavoring ~yrup whereupon the rice will be
dried to a moisture content, ~ay, in the order of 15-20~ and
then tempered for a prolonged period ~e.g. 16 hours), whence it
will be charged to a pre-heating oven to plasticize and warm the
rice to a relatively high temperature to condition the rice for
bumping. The rice will be bumped but not flaked to the point of
producing a flattened non-resilient rice mass: instead the rice
will be flattened to less than that condition and retains its
integrity as a grain per se; the bumped rice will thus assume a
dimension generally 50-75~ of the cooked tempered rice dimension
~ust prlor to bumping. After bumping the rice will be charge~ to
a pu~fing oven where it will be bla~ted with heated air ~450-
500F.) at atmospheric conaitions for a period of, say, 1.5-5
minutes to produce the characteristic puffed flake: alternatively,
the rice may be processed in a high temperature vacuum oven where-
~n the rice will be similarly vacuum puffed in the flake form
_g_
104g319
desired and of u~e as specified herein.
The preferred admixture of cereal grain components will
include as at leaat 2D~ by weight of the dried agglomerated
structure rolled oat groats and in the order of at least 5~ by
weight of a bumped rolled wheat. The level of oat~ and whea~
u~ed will in some measure, of course, be dictated by nutritional
requirement~ a~ well as pala~ability and other organoleptic con-
sideration~. Other cereal grains may be employed $n lieu of oat~
and wheat while still practicing the distinct aggregating advan-
tages accruing from use of a rice ~lake. Buckwheat in either aflaked or pufed form may be employed as the major cereal com-
ponent in the total cereal mixture; corn, either puffed or flaked
and oat groats that are puff0d as by gun puffing or air puffing
through a fluidized bed treatment can al~o be employed; according-
ly, the invention i~ not restricted to the preferred embodiment of
an oat and wheat mixture but a variety of typical cereal grain~
providin~ a fortifying and balanced organoleptic mixture may be
provided.
~he preferred form of matrix-building cereal components,
be they oat and wheat mixtures or equi~alents, will be in the form
of a bumped shape. The process of bumping i~ practiced a~ter some
soaking in cold or warm water to soften the grain~ ~teaming or
partial cooking by other means: and ~ub~equent tempering of the
cereal grains; whereupon they are flattened and thu~ opened in
structure 80 tha~ they are more digestible per se and more readily
rehydratable. The act of bumping produces a flattened ~hape which
permits the aggregate to nest or bridge by virtue of the exposed
dextrinous character of the surfaces thereof as they undergo tumbl-
ing in intimate associate with the puffed rice flake. Bumping
coupled with the pregelatinization render~ the cereal grain mor~
tender or pliable when consumed either dry or wetted and more
organoleptically acceptable due to subsequent toa~ting and coin-
cident gelatinization.
--10--
.
1049319
l~avinq the rice flakes agglomerated with the bumped
cereal grains in a low den~ity structure stemming from such nest-
ing enhances the palatability ~temming from the binary eating
texture. In the foregoing context, the term bumped is synono-
mous with rolling or flattening to partially compress and per-
manently deform the cereal grain but not flatt~n it to the ex-
tent of causing it to lo~e its identity as such.
By the u~e of an oven puffe~ rice flake in the amounts
disclosed herein, the eventual agglomerate density of the same
ration from which the flake i~ ab~ent will be reduced by at least
l~ generally as in the case of bumped cereal component~ and in
the case of other cereal components which may be puffed, the den-
sity will be reduced still further. The extent of density reduc-
tion to some degree will also be dependent upon the level to
wh$ch the rice flakes are used and as the level thereof increases
upwardly to, say, 15%, a corresponding though not directly re-
latable den~ty reduction will be achieve~; as one endeavors to
reduce density still further by say 2S% by increasing the level
of rice flakes; however, the more consequential contribution of
the rice flake will be that of a texture improvement rather than
density reduction.
The characterizing flavor and overall taste of the
assortment of ingredients will be important, if not paramount, and
thus the ability of dried nutmeats and ~ubdivided nuts to be
ef~ectively aggregated and agglomerated together with the grain
will determine the ultimate upper level of oven puffed rice
flakes that are employed. The characterizing nutmeats that will
be useful in this invention will be, in addition to or in lieu of
the preferred diced almonds and dried coconut, chopped walnuts,
peanuts, cashews, like-textured vegetable bean extract3 of
legumes, sesame ~eeds, sunflower nutmeats, pumpkin seeds in either
diced or subdivided and desicated forms, which forms may either
be infused with fla~or or characterizing solutes or may be salted
--11--
10493~9
or roasted to quit organoleptic preference.
Havlng effected an aggregated structure, it will then
be appropriate to finally establish that structure by compaction
to a slight extent and thereby more intimately aggregate the
puffed rice flakes with the adhereing discrete and separate parti-
cles o~ farinaceous and proteinaceous particles aforesaid.
Broadly speaXing, this compaction will be effected before a f$nal
dehydration and the semi-moiqt matrix of fat and sugar coated
particles will u~ually have a moisture content ranging between
10-20% durinq compacting, more preferably 12-15%.
After ~uch compaction and densification, the particles
will be sub~ected to a final dehydration step wherein the aggre-
gate will be dried to a moisture content generally below 5% and
above 1~, typically 2-3~. Dehydration is preferably carr~ed out
under moderately elevated temperature~ between 200-300F. ~dry
bulb). Generally, the sensible heat of the circulating drying
ga9 will be such that the particle~ will not be elevated to a
temperature above 325F. whereat incipient pyrolyriq and carmeli-
zation may occur, since the primary characterizing ~lavoring con-
stituency of the agglomerate is effected preparatory to formatio~thereof rather than after; a most preferred sensible heat tem-
perature ~uch as that detected by a tharmocouple in a bed of
dr~ed particles undergoing terminal dehydration should not exceed
250F. wherein the dangers of any flavor reactions sucb as may
.~ .
cccur at elevated temperatures are avoided.
Within the ambit of the foregoing processing conditions,
the following is a list of the preferred ingredients and optimal
ranges thereof that will be employed in making the dried agglom-
erate, expre3sed as a part by weight thereof.
Quick Coo~ing Rolled Oats 20-35
Rolled Whole Wheat (partially gelatinized) 5-25
Oven-puffed Rice Flakes 2 15
Ration-balancinq Protein 0-25
!
1049319
Alm~ndY
~on~at Dry Milk ~-20
Brown Sugar 2-35
Corn Syrup 0-lO
Honey 0-lO
Caramel Color 0-5
Fat or Oil 15-30
In the foregoing tabulation it will be noted that the oats are
quick-cooking rolled oats but in lieu thereo varying levels of
other partially gelatinized cereal component~ may be ~ubstituted,
it nevertheles~ being a preferred prerequi~ite that there be at
lea~t 20% of a pregelatinized oat component in the agglomerate.
The degree of partial gelatinization for the cereal components
1~ not: readily definable but the expre~ion connotes that the oa~s
or wheat per ~e, when immer~ed in an equal volume of water that
i~ boiling, will be edible when allowed to be brought to a rolling
boil, say, in five minutes broadly ~peaking, more commonly as
quickly as two minutes; thi~ degree of pregelatinization will be
that wherein the rice starch granule~ are heat treated to the p3~nt
where they essentially lose their bire-fringence when viewed under
polarizing light. The preferred characterizing ingredient will
be a quick-cooking rolled oat product which 18 essentially an oat
groat which has been dehulled, steamed and then thin rolled or
bump~d, the pr~conditioning being intended to afford palatability
or tenderness a~ well as digestability. ~hen oats are part of
the ration, it may also contain a nwmber of alternative ration-
balanc~ng cereal protein or protein sources e.g. 90y bean curd
(TOFU); wheat germ; rye; corn; milo; ~orgum; buckwheat and mix-
tures of the~e ingredients, the range of 8uch ration ~alancing
cereal proteins ~eing between O and 25 part3 of the total ration
; as indicated. Usually the~e cereal grains or protein source~ a~
in the case of wheat germ or air alassified wheat flour~ or high
protein`wheat flour fractions recovered by s~eving will be
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, . . .
1~49319
selected in accordance with intended nutritional benefits and
organoleptic value~ that are compatible therewith. Some o~ the
ration balancing agents may be pre-treated or modlfied from ori-
ginal form as by oxidizing through a chlorine bleaching wash and
in turn a tempering operation in the case of whole grains such
as wheat which will be bumped and dried and may subsequently be
subdivided, although preferably for sub~tance in the case of
rolled whole wheat the wheat will be allowed to remain as such:
in this latter pre~erred embodiment, the wheat grain will be
bumped to a point whereat the epidermis or pericarp remaining
after dehulllng will be broken and the internal qtarchy endosperm
will be gros~ly apparent in the dried bumped form.
The degree of compaction to densify the aggregate will
be important in practicing thiR invention: benefits will accrue
from a wiae range of density increases. The puffed rice flakes
permits the aggregate to be compacted. Compaction i~ controlled
80 that substantial integrity of the puffed rice flakes is main-
tained, lt being a preferred embodiment o~ this invention that
the degree of compaction after aggregation i~ controlled ~o as to
minimize the 109~ of integrity of the pu~fed rice flakes,as such
and thus a~ord the distinctive eating quality intended for the
total and ultimate agglomerate form of product. The puffed parti-
cles will generally as~ume a more or less randomized position in
the aggregate form, although this randomness will to some degree
be altered by some minimum amount of compaction so that the
puffed particle~ more or less assume a two dimensional orienta-
~ion.
Importantly, in all of the ~oregoing applications,
whether the aggregation be initially effected by the coating
reel technique, the dynamic fluidized bed treatment cited herein
or an extrusion, the puffed ri~ flakes tend to form focal points
for agglomeration of the more discrete and finer particles in a
uniform assemblage thereabout to provide a more or less hetero-
-14-
.~ ,
:` . : ` .
~0'~93~9
geneous distribution of these particles throughout the composi-
tion. As indicated the wet structure of the gelatinized and
bumped rice fla~e occasions an adhesion of the surface of the
flake to these discrete particles and density-reduction may be
effected to between 10-50~ of the original bulk volume, more
commonly in the order of 25-30% in the case of the preferred
reel-type ~ystem, the degree of compaction being dependent to some
degree on the density of the initial aggregate produced.
Preparatory to densifica~ion and compaction, the ali-
mentary particles should be sufficiently comixed with the tri-
glyceride and the saccharides as to assure two specific physical
conditions in accordance with this invention. The first will in-
volve a coating of the farinaoeous and proteinaceous particles by
the fat and to this end the fat will be desirably, though not
nece~sarily, maintained in a more or less liquid if not plastic
8tate. This enrobing operation provides a textural modification
to the cereal particles which i5 desirable; thus in the preferred
practice both oats as well as the wheat and the puffed r$ce flakes
will be fat coated and ~ill ha~e their textures softened therebyi
the fat impregnation resulting will eventually modify the final
texture of the so-called dry ingredients. The fat coating in turn
will effect the rehydratability of the rice flakes and, in most
applications, it will be desired to have a more crisp texture
stemming from a more complete fat enrobement after wetting of the
final agglomerate upon u~e with milk or cream for breakfast cereal
application.
A second and equally important consideration will be
essentially a substantially complete coating of all of the in-
gredients by the saccharides aforementioned whether they be in
the form of a syrup initially or be converted to that form in-
cident to the act of aggregation. The syrup ultimately produced
through liquifaction with water which may be added to the dry
powder or which may ~e present as part of the syrup in the pre-
-15-
10493~9ferred reel~type agglomerating operation serves to provide a more
or less continuou~ envelope which limits any pro-oxidation poten-
tlal of naturally occurring and unstable fatty material~. The fat
level in the total formula will exceed 15% and more commonly ex-
ceed 20% but not to the end of losing the other aforementioned
desired organoleptic values: accordingly, a practical upper limit
only will be, say, in the order of 30% fat (total fat as deter-
mined by acid hydrolysis). As a practical matter, the upper limit
will be dictated by both processing and palatability problems and
forms no real critical aspect of this invention.
~ he saccharide solids le~el in the syrup expressed as a
per cent of added dry solids will range from 3-30% and expressed
in terms of the final weight of ~ugar ~olids or total sugar~ will
not exceed 40%. Generally, the mono- and poly-saccharides added
will exceed 1~% by weight of the agglomeratè and will preferably
be in excess of 20% by weight of the solids added for agglomera-
tion purposes. The amount of sugar and the degree of distribution
will, as indicated above, be important to provide an essentially
stable matrix of agglomerated cereal and proteinaceous particles
that are both fat- and sugar-coated.
~ he method whereby the puffed rice flake is effectively
aggregated and thereafter agglomerated will take many forms. The
preferred form i8 the seguential application of a liqufied oil
followed by a sugar syrup. However, there are alternative pro-
cedures which may be employed. Thus in one alternative the tri-
glyceride coated particles intended for ultimate agglomeration
may be comixed with a dry powderous polysaccharide mixture, e.g.
powdered brown sugar, cane sugar crystals and mixtures thereof
with corn syrup solids; after co-mixing the materials are admitted
to a humid atmosphere as by being deposited upon a tray which is
introduced to a chamber of controllea wet and dry bulb thermometry
having a relative humidity typically exceeding 45% and having a
relatively high wet bulb temperature, say, in excess of 100F: as
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a result, the sacchari~e~ will be wetted ~y c~nden~ed water vapor
to produce an aggregate which is thereafter dried a~ter compaction
as aforesaid to a slight extent and dried to produce the agglom-
erate. Still another alternative may be the "creaming" of the
afore~aid polysaccharides with the triglycerides in a plastic
state to produce a sugar-cream type of plastlc homogeneous matrix
forming material. This material will desirably have little or no
water added to it and will be whipped or otherwise mixed in a
high speed Hobart-type wire whipper mixer to produce a moderate
degree of overrun; having produced thi~ low density matrix-forming
polysaccharide-fat mixture, the dry ingredients, tha~ i8 the
farinaceous and proteinaceous alimentary particles will ~e folded
in uniformly to produce a coherent aggregate which with continued
mixing again results in the formation of foci points as aforesaia,
the degree of agglomeration ultimatel~ producible being a function
of the degree of folding which i~ practiced; the folded agglomerate
mass results in a compactable mixture which can be ultimately sub-
jected to a dehydration or baking ~peration with an optional form-
ing operation to suit choice, typically a one inch bed ~eing com-
pacted to, say, a 3/~ inch bed and subdivided or bro~en or sizingto the desired agglomerate.
Lastly, another embodiment of these agglomerating tech-
niques in~lvmg an intermediate aggregation calls for creating a
wet aggregate-producing mix of the preferred character described
herein in connection with the oil/syrup application technique
employing the coating reel technique whereupon the mix in~redients
will be introduced to an extruder and passed under moderately
elevated pressures through a jacketed extruding ~arrel and a
screw intended to deli~er the aggregated materials to a ~hape-
defining orifice for issuance as a semi-expanded shape or as choice
may dictate a non~expanded extrudate, say, one having an elongated
condition or one that is subdivided just subsequent to extru~ion,
all of which manipulations are within the skill of the art: in
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this application the material extruded mav be a dry blend of thepolysaccharides and the cereal particle~ with the puffed rice
flakes to produce the aggregate, sufficient water being added to
wet and dissolve at least a part of the saccharides and aid in
expansion upon issuance from the extruding chamber; thus, low
pressure as well as high pressure extruaing is contemplated within
the spirit of this inventior,.
In all of said coating methods, the dry ingredients,
typically the guick-coo~ing rolled oats and the whole wheat or
other grain components, will be sufficiently intermixed with the
puffed rice flake~ so as to promote the aforesaid functional
aggregation of particles therearound. In this manner, the binary
organoleptic eatlng quality is afforded from the distinctive
aggregation of the nutmeats and cereal particles in intimate
association with the puffed rice flakes.
BEST MODE
The following dry fraction ingredients are weighed and
added to a coating reel (multi-flighted) approximately 3 inches
in diameter:
Quick cooking rolled oats 17.7 lbs.
Bumped ~rolled) wheat 7.1 lbs.
Rice "Toasties" ~Oven puffed Rice Flakes)
5 . 7 1~5 .
Almonds ~diced) 3.1 lbs.
Unsweetened, dried coconut 2.9 lbs.
Non-fat Dry milk 2.3 l~s.
~he dry fraction ingredients are allowed to mix in the
coating reel which is operated at 30-60 rpm's for 5 minutes.
8.4 Lbs. of pure coconut oil is poured or sprayed onto ~he pre-
blended dry fraction ingredients in the rotating coating reel, and
the oil-coated dry fraction is allowed to tumble in the coating
reel for an adaitional f~ve minutes at the same rpm to insure
di~tribution of the liquified oil on the surfaces of the dry in-
gredients.
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Se~arately a coating syrup i~ prepared having the fol-
lowing ingredients:
Brown sugar (aranular)12.3 lbs.
Corn syrup 1.~ lbs.
Honey ~.7 lb~.
Pure caramel powder 0.6 lbs.
Water 5.7 lb~.
The caramel powder, brown ~ugar, corn syrup and honey
are dissolved in water at 150F. to produce the coating syrup
solution which i~ poured or ~prayed at 150F. onto the oil coated
dry ingredlents fraction in the rotating reel, the reel being
operated at a range of 30-60 rpm's for an addit~onal five minutes
of tumbling 80 as to promote uniform coating of the material.
The o~ yrup coated product ig then removed from the
coat~ng reel and loaded onto tray-type dryer ~creens at a bed
depth of 3/4" to 1", the material ~eing loaded at a le~el of 10
l~s . per tray having a dimension of 2 " wiath and 3" length. The
material is leveled auring drying with a metal spatula to induce
slight compression and consequent compaction and aensification.
The loaded screens are then placed on a cabinet-type air circula-
tlon dryer wherein the material is dried or 15 minutes using an
air temperature of 250-260F. with a maximum updraft air flow.
After completion of pas~age through the dryer, the product is
dumped to a trough and mixed for approximately 30 seconds where-
after the product is returned to the dryer screen, releveled and
slightl~ recompacted as in the in~tial tray loading ana run again
through the dryer using the same conditions as in the initial run.
At the end of thi~ second pa6s the material 1~ cooled, broken
apart from the sheet formation thereof and sized through a 3/4"
6creen. The sized, cooled product is then bulk bagged for packag-
ing. The product entering the dryer initially had a moisture con-
tent of 13~ and when dried the first time had a moi~ture content
of 8~ and a final moisture content af~er the s~cond drying of 3~.
--lg--
.. . .
~049319
It will be obvious from this operative example that a
number of alternative plant processing conditions may be
employed including the use of dry ingredient bins which promote
se~uential feed of the ingredients to a transfer belt and in
turn to an undulating V-blending coating reel or equivalent
apparatus operative to initially apply oil and thereafter apply
syrup. In lieu of the preferred belt-type commercial dryer
other means to effectively set the syrup coating and thus
produce a preferred distinctively low density eating quality
may be employed such as a humid bed agglomerator wherein the
syrup is humidified and thereafter dried, all of which varia-
tions will occur to persons skilled in the methods ~f coating
and drying.
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