Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PATEN~I!
A~P-9912
I,AYERED FOOD PRODUCT
FIELD OF q~HE INVENl~ION
The present invention relates to thermally processed food
products comprised of rice or other farinaceous material and
liquid sauce.
BACKGRQU13D OF TH}3 INVENTION
Today's consumer has become accustomed to, and more and more
desirous of, food products which are quickly and conveniently
prepared merely by reheating the product for example in a
microwave oven. These prepared food products to bl9 acceptable
to the consumer, however, must be substantially the same in
taste, texture and appearance as the consumer expects from
similar meals conventionally prepared and served at home or in
a restaurant.
The food industry has been able to satisfy the consumer's
desires and expectations with a variety of thermally processed
shelf-stable food products. However, one extensive type of food
products heretofore have not been prepared to the consumer's
satisfaction. That is oriental cuisine and other meals
containing rice, or other farinaceous material, and a liquid
sauce.
Farinaceous foods, such as rice, grains, pasta, noodles and
other starchy materials, once heated, are prone to leaching their
starch into liquids to which they are in contact. Over time this
leaching of starch results in the farinaceous materials losing
their firm texture and becoming soft and mushy. Consequently,
in prepared food products containing, for example, rice and a
liquid sauce, the rice loses its desirable firm texture and
becomes undesirably soft and mushy. Also, the leached starch
sometimes tends to cause the individual rice kernels to stick
together resulting in unappealing lumps or clumps of rice.
The liquid sauce of the food product also suffers from the
leaching starch. The starch thickens the sauce unevenly to form
an unappealing gloppy texture. Further the starch tends to
deaden the flavor of the sauce.
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Accordingly, until the present invention, thermally
processed food products containing rice and a liquid sauce have
presented a rather unappetizing meal of gloppy, bland tasting
sauce with mushy clumps of rice.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a thermally processed, shelf-stable food product
comprising farinaceous material and liquid sauce in which the
textural identity of the farinaceous material is maintained.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a food
product in which the individual kernels, bits or particles of the
farinaceous material remain largely unagglomerated and
substantially clump~free.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a food
product with a liquid sauce, which may contain solid food stuffs,
of relatively uniform viscosity.
A still further object of the present invention is to
provide a thermally processed, shelf-stable food product
comprising farinaceous material and liquid sauce which is
superior in taste, texture and appearance.
8~NNA~Y_OF T~E INVENTION
The present invention concerns a thermally processed, shelf-
stable layered food product comprising a first layer comprised
of oil-coated farinaceous material and a second layer comprised
of viscous liquid sauce.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION !
In the present invention, the farinaceous material of the -
first layer may be any edible starchy material from which starch
may leach when in contact with a liquid. The invention is
particularly advantageous when the first layer is comprised of
kernels, grains, bits, chunks, pieces, particles, or other
individuations of farinaceous material which when amassed in the
layer leave a porous surface to the layer and spaces between the
individuations into which sauce might flow. More particularly
the farinaceous material may comprise rice kernels, cereal
grains, cuscous, or potato chunks. Also suitable in the present
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invention as the farinaceous material is shaped pasta or noodles,
such as macaroni, ~ettucini, spirals, twists, orzo, cavatelli,
fusilli~ shells, vermicelli, radiatore, ziti, rigati, Plbows,
spaghetti, and other shaped individuations of pasta or
combinations thereof. Any desirable combination of two or more
of any of th~se farinaceous materials may also be employed.
In accordance with the present invention, the farinaceous
material is coated with oil on its exposed surfaces. If the
farinaceous material layer is comprised of kernels, grains, bits,
pieces, particles, chunks or other individuat:ions of farinaceous
material, the exposed surfaces of substantially all of the
individuations are oil-coated.
It has been found that oil-coating of the farinaceous
material apparently forms a surface barrier to starch leaching
from the farinaceous material. Oil-coating therefore is
essential to maintaining the textural identity (e.g. ~irmness)
of the farinaceous material in the food product of the present
invention.
Any edible oil may be used to oil-coat the farinaceous
material. Preferred oils include peanut, soybean, vegetable,
sesame, canola and other seed or nut: oils, as well as mixtures
of any two or more thereof. For ease in coating the farinaceous
material, the oil should have a viscosity such that it is free-
flowing at the oil-coating process temperature. The oil may be
applied to the farinaceous material by spraying, tumbling, mixing
or any other suitable ~echnique known in the art. Only that
amount of oil as is necessary to efficiently coat substantially
all surfaces of the farinaceous material and enrobe its
individuations need be used. For instance it has been found that
from one-half to one ounce by weight of peanut oil is su~ficient
to coat one pound of blanched rice.
The viscous liquid sauce of the food product may be any
desirable edible sauce and may contain solid food stuffs, such
as meat, ~egetables, fruits, nuts, mushrooms, spices etc., in
addition to liquids. For example, oriental sauces, such as sweet
and sour chicken sauce which contains among its typical
ingredients diced chicken, pineapple bits, sliced mushrooms,
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diced peppers, sliced water chestnuts and seasonings may be used
as well as gravies, tomato sauces, white sauces, cheese sauces,
and brown sauces in the current invention.
The viscous liquid sauce has a viscosity at least great
enough to substantially prevent the sauce from flowing into and
through the layer of farinaceous material. The viscosity may be
as high as desired for appearance or as may be permitted by the
process employed to make the sauce and food product. It is
preferred that the liquid sauce have, at the time of its filing
into its container, a viscosity of about 10 or less Bostwick
units, more preferably from about 0 to about 10 Bostwick units,
and most preferably from about 3 to about 7 Bostwick units as
measured using a 24 inch Bostwick consistometer manufactured by
Cenco Products, Fairfax Virginia with a 2 x 2 x 1~ inch product
reservoir. (In this measurement a higher Bostwick unit indicates
a lower viscosity of the sauce.)
In the present invention, the food product is layered with
a first layer comprising farinaceous material and a second layer
comprising viscous liquid sauce. One of the layers overlaps the
other layer. Generally for consumer appeal the sauce layer is
on top when the consumer opens the food product package.
However, the identity of the top and bottom layers is not
critical. The food product may be packaged in any container
suitable for a shelf-stable, thermally processed food product,
including cans, trays and microwaveable bowls.
The present invention is further described in terms of an
illustrative manufacturing process for a shelf-stable, thermally
processed food product comprising a first layer of oil-coated
rice and a second layer of a sweet and sour chicken sauce. This
illustration of the invention should not however be construed as
a limitation as to its scope.
Par boiled rice (Riviana PB-F) in its dry state (7 to 11%
moisture) is blanched in a rotary blancher at 180 to 212~ F for
1 to 5 minutes to achieve a moisture content of from about 35 to
about 60% and a texture deemed desirable to the average consumer.
After blanching, the rice i5 cooled (to about 85~ F) in a cold
water bath and then drained. The drained rice is transferred to
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a container where one-half ounce of peanut oil is added for each
pound of blanched rice and mixed well together. The oil-coated
rice i5 then transferred to a volumetric filler and the desired
weight of rice is filled into a microwavaable bowl where it
settles forming a uniform layer of rice.
In the meantime, the sweet and sour chicken sauce is
prepared by adding the desired amounts of diced chicken,
plneapple bits, sliced mushrooms, chicken stock, diced peppers,
julienne carrots, sliced water chestnuts, flavorings, spices,
sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, peanut oil and water to a heating
vessel. This is heated to about 150 to 212 Q F to provide
adequate temperature to swell the starch (typically less than 5
minutes). The viscosity of the sauce is then adjusted by adding
a starch and water slurry and hot water to achieve a viscosity
of 0 to 10 Bostwick units (measured as stated above). The sauce
is then transferred to a volumetric filler where the desired
weight of sauce is filled into the microwaveable bowl on top of
the rice layer.
The microwaveable bowl is double-seamed and hermetically
sealed. The sealed bowl is then thermally processed to
commercial sterility. The preferred method is by still-cooking,
for example by using a basket Stock Rotomatronic Retort (Stock
Rotomat Model SRV-4/1100 manufactured by Stock America, Inc.,
Milwaukee Wisconsin), but processing under mild agitation may
also be used.
Even after repeated handling, when the microwaveable bowl
is opened and the food product placed on a plate, the layer of
rice and layer of liquid sauce remain substantially separate and
distinct with the sauce penetrating the rice layer only to a very
minor degree. The sauce is of relative eYen thickness without
any unappealing glops. The rice is white and unstained by the
sauce, and the individual rice kernels easily separate from each
other without clumping. When tasted the rice has a desirably
firm, non-mushy, texture and the sauce has retained its rich
taste.
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