CA 02457172 2004-02-09
FILED OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the composition of a food coating material used to
create an
edible and healthy shell imitating a bun or bread and embracing a food
substrate. The
final product is having a an oval, round or square shape of a hamburger or
shape of a
cylinder or a cylindrical ring and. a method of making thereof. The product is
a frozen
fully cooked foodstuff that is reconsiztuted in the microwave energy and
having healthy
functional components and a high eating quality, good texture and overall
palatability.
The invention also relates to such food coating material that contains a flax
seed meal
stabilized by a heat treamnentthat delivers a daily recommended intake of eel
Omega-3 fatty acids and other healthy components in one or multiple serving
portions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Currently most breaded food products are manufachzred using food substrates
such as
meat, fish poulhy and vegetables using coating which mainly contain
ingredients such as
flour, breadcrumbs, protein isolates, egg products, leavening agents and
spices and
seasonings and salt. Such coated products are mostly fired in hydrogenated
oils, frozen
and r~:onstituted either in flyer or household ovens and eaten either as
center of the plate
items or sandwiches. Examples will include chicken fingers, breaded chicken
burgers,
breaded veal or pork cutlet. The food products made using current technology
have
several negative features from health and convenience point of view. The
carbohydrate
content of these products tends to be high, the fats used to fly the products
tend to have
high amounts of traps-fatty acids and if reconstituted in microwave ovens tend
to be
soggy and have poor eating quality.
There is increasing interest in the concept of "functional foods", which the
FDA
as foods that by virtue of physiologically active components provide benefits
beyond
basic nutrition and may prevent disease and promote health. Because of a
demographic
trend to an increasing senior population, there is a tending urgency for the
development
of fiinctional foods to facilitate a healthier lifestyle.
Different restaurants and retail grocery stores offer wide range of food
products that are
designed to satisfy basic nutritional needs of people that do not have time to
prepare their
own breakfast, lunch or dinner: The segment of the in~stry called fast food
industry is
supplying such ready meals or sandwiches in multiple public outlets is lacking
in their
offer functional foods products. Considerable prnportions of the fast food
products
consumed are battered and breaded meat and fish products. There is also a
considerable
consumer demand for this type of coated products such as coated portions of
meat,
poultry, vegetables or fish. Usually, these products are obtained by first pre-
dusting it
with a plant flour, dipping a raw, partially cooked or cooked, optionally
frozen, pt~uct
in a water bath or a batter consisting of a mixture of water and various plant
flours, thus
enrobing with a fluid substance and, subsequently to wetting, applying a
particulate
breading material. If desired, the steps of wetting and breading can be
repeated to obtain
a multtlayered coating. Before storage the coath~g may be stabilized, for
instance by pre-
frying ar baking in the convection oven.
CA 02457172 2004-02-09
Commonly known crumb coating materials contain particles of a heat-treated
starchy
material. Bread cnunbs are made by baking of a loaf of bread which, after
staling, is
ground into conventional breading material. Another method involves the cooker
extrusion of a mixture of flour and water, for instance to obtain sa-called
Japanese
crumbs. Crumb coated pare ofleia stored at frozen conditions. For consumption
the products are heated, for instance by deep or shallow fat frying, oven
baking, roasting,
microwave heating or grilling.
A coating composition for foods that contains high level of rice (e.g., as
flour) and
dextrin, and little or no cornstarch, with ~e rice and dextrin corng~onents is
described in
Canadian Patent Application C.A. 2398845 Feb. 7 , 2001.The high amounts of
both rice
and dextrin substantially increase the coated product's crispness and holding
time after
either complete initial cooking or se~ndaty reoonstitutioa~ in conventional or
microwave
oven after limited initial cooking (e.g.; parfrying) and freezing, while
mauntaining good
appearance, taste. Another food coating compositions having an ability to
produce crisp,
brown coatings on food products cooked in conventional convection ovens and
especially
in microwave ovens comprise conventional coating ingredients such as flour,
starch,
sodium chloride, carbohydrates, spices and herbs and at least one additional
salt
ingredient is known from Canadian Patent C.A: 1184413 Feb. 10, 1983. Another
invention describedin Canadian Patent Application CA 2435746, Jan 22,2002,
pertains
to the use of a degraded and cross-linked starch in a food coating or batter
composition
for food products.
Frozen food product described in Canadian Patent CA 1219763, Feb 12,1985 is a
coating
composition which permits the food product to be reconstituted far consumption
by the
application of microwave energy and obtain the desired combination of textural
properties, both of moistness of food substrate and crispness of coating. The
coating
composition comprises three components, namely a predust component applied to
the
food substrate, a batter component next appli~l. to the food substrate, and
finally a
carbohydrate breading component. Another example of a microwave cookable
coating
that comprises an aqueous mixhme of starch, cellulose gum, flour, enzyme
additive and
additional ingredients wherein the enzyme additive comprises one or more alpha
amylases optionally together with o~ or more further is revealed in Canadian
Patent Application CA 2189670, Apr. 26, 1995.
One of the major disadvantages of using of this type of coatings is that the
shell created
around the substrate, which is usually nutritionally higher value meat of fish
product,
contains considerable amounts of carbohydrates. The weight of the coating
represents
between 20% and 50% of the total weight of the product. This type of coats may
contain
from 60% to 80% of carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are eaten and digested
they are
broken down into glucose. Ghxose in the blood stream (blood sugar) needs to be
regulated. It is known that too much causes hyperglycemia, too little causes
hypoglycemia. The body uses some of the giucose immediately as energy, and
stores the
excess as glycogen and fat. Hormones produced in the pancreas, namely insulin
and
glucagon, regulate glucose. High blood sugar causes insulin to be released.
Low blood
sugar glucagon to be released, which in turn releases some of the stored-up
glycogen. When energy demand by the body is high, glucose (fuel) is released.
When the
body is resting glycogen is stored either a quick source of energy, or as fat
for long term
CA 02457172 2004-02-09
4
demand But if an overload of carbohydrates is eaten without a corresponding
increase in
activity, turning the glucose into fat is the quickest and easiest way for the
body to store
the excess. Scientific studies indicate that reducing total amount of
carbohydrates in
human diet is advantageous for humans. As those excessive carbohydrates are
consumed
in North America mainly as snacks or fast food mils, r~lacing them in those
foods with
a healthier substitute would have considerable effect on overall health of
consumers.
Current nutrition research continues to identify various substances in foods
that act as
protectors against chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Flax seed is a
popular food ingredient in Europe and Canada. Several studies confirm that
flax seed can
be a cholesterol-lowering agent like oat bran, fruit pectin and other food
ingredients that
contain soluble fiber. By packaging both Omega-3 fatty acids and soluble fiber
together,
flax seed presents two ingredients that favor healthy blood lipid patterns.
Flax seed contains healthy amounts of healthy both soluble and insoluble
fiber. Scientists
at the American National Cancer Institute singled out flax seed as one of six
foods that
deserved special study. It was found that the flax seed shows potential cancer-
fighting
ability. Flax seed is one of the richest sources of lignans, a type of
phytoestrogen, which
may protect against cancer, particularly hormone-sensitive cancers such as
those of the
breast and prostate. Eating 50 grams of flax seed per day (baked into muffins)
helped
increase the frequency of bowel movements and the number of consecutive days
with
bowel movements in a group of older Canadian adults. Total cholesterol levels
dropped 9
per cent and LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) decreased 18 per cent when a group of
nine
healthy woxn~en ate 50 grams of milled flax seed a day for four weeks (as
flour or cooked
into bread) along with their regular diets, according to a report from the
University of
Toronto. In a sim>'lar study with men and women, SO grams of flax seed (eaten
daily in
muffins) loweredtotal cholesterol and showed a constant trend of about 11 to
16 per cent
lower senun lipids (fat in the blood). Lignans and alpha-linolebic acid are
found
abundantly in flax seed Population studies of diet and disease risk suggest an
anticancer
role for flax seed
It is reported that eating more Omega-3 fats helps ward off fatal heart
attacks,
autoirnmune diseases floe rheumatoid arthritis, sever mcramps and depression.
Many researchers report that the modern diets, even healthy ones, are
routinely deficient
in Omega-3s.
Fatty Acid Composition of Flag seed Oil:
Saturatal fatty 9%
acids
Monounsaturated 18%
Polyunsaturated:
Ome a 3 fa acids 57%
Omega-6 fatty acids 16%
Total 100%
CA 02457172 2004-02-09
More than half the fat in flax seed is of the essential Omega-3 fatty acid
type. Scientific
studies reporting health benefits for Omega-3 fatty acids show that these
fatty acids are
required for proper infant growth ~d development. Adding flax seed to the diet
can
reduce cholesterol. New research also suggests that alpha-linolenic acid, an
Omega-3
fatty acid which is abundant in flax seed, offers protective effects against
both coronary
heart disease and stroke. Omega-3s have been shown to also protect against
hypertension,
and inflammatory and autoimmune disorders: Long-term studies of flax seed
effects on
breast cancer are now underway. An essential fatty acid, linoleic is the chief
polyunsaturated fat in the North American diet. Currently, researchers and
nutrition
experts recommend people replace some Omega-6 fatty acids in their diet with
Omega-3
fatty acids like those found in fl~ seed.
Known is the cancer-fighting ability of lignans. Flax seed is one of the
richest sources of
lignans in the plant kingdom. Most of the soluble fiber in flax seed is
mucilage, a thick,
sticky substance. Few studies have looked at the direct effects of .flax seed
mucilage on
health. But studies show that eating flax seed (baked into muffns and breads)
can lower
blood cholesterol levels.
Alpha-linolenic acid contained in the whole ar milled flax seed was found to
be stable to
heat at temperatures involved in baking batters and Boughs such as muffins and
yeast
bread There were no significant changes in peroxide values and fafty acid
composition
when both forms of flax seed were heated for 60 minutes at either.
100°C (212°F) or
350°C (662°F). Further studies confirmed the stability of alfa-
linolenic acid in baked
muffns containing the same amount of milled flax seed and noted that
1hiobarbituric acid
vah~es, as estimates of alfa-linolenic acid oxidation v~ere also unaffected by
baking
(Cunnane SC, et al. Am J Clan Nutr. 1995; 61;62-68): Bread; muffns and pizza
dough
containing 6.9, 8.0 and 13.2% flax seed respectively, were baked at
190°C (375°F). In
both commercial and homemade c~begories, ligaan product~n reflected the amount
of
flax seed added. This was also the case in pancakes enriched with 6.2% flax
seed, which
were griddle-baked at 205°C (400°F). Studies proved that the
lignan availability in flax
seed is stable to customary baking temperatures.
There are many ways of introducing flax seed to food products. Crround flax
seed can be
sprinkled into hot or cold cereal, yogurt, salad dressing, soup or fruit juice
just before the
food is consumed Another way is adding it to the dough e.g. with muffin or
donut flours
and bake it in the convection oven.
The disadvantage of this type of culinary application is that the added ground
flax seeds
may adversely affect the flavor and texture of food products. Raw flax seed
added to
fresh food products is easily recognized as a new and inferior additive
compromising the
eating quality of known food products. Addition of flax seed to baked prodwcrs
is also
adversely affecting eating quality of baked goods because a distinctive nutty
ar oily
ffavar of flax and different texture created by it addition are recognized and
disliked by
the consumers. Another disadvantage is that flax can only be added in limited
amounts in
order not to change tire eating qualit3r of existing food products and decease
their
salability. Consequently, products containing flax seed represent a small
fraction of
commercially manufact<ued food products in North America and a special
mttritional
advertising is required to enhance consumers to draw their interest.
Currently, products
CA 02457172 2004-02-09
containing flax seed are fi~equently categorized as fixnetional foods and
their distribution
is limited to consumers that are dicing or seeking healthy or organic type of
food
products.
According to the present invention, a convenient way of introducing flax seed
meal into
food p~ is developed wherein a healthy, flax seed coating with low content of
carbohydrates is created on various fast food products. The coating is
stabilized by a heat
treatment and subsequently coated product is frozen and kept fore an extended
period of
time without losing biological, nutritional value of components of the flax
meal coating.
Due to its visual characteristics reminding traditional buns or bread and high
content of
healthy essential Omega 3 fatty acids and lignans, it allows a large-scale
consumption of
such products which is beneficial to average fast food consumers.
In these respects, the healthy food casting composition according to the
present invention
substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior
art, and in
so doing provides a healthy alternative or substitute that can be prepared
quickly and
easy, saving time and cutting manufacturing; distribution and preparation
cost.
The instant invention seeks to build a low carbohydrate bun-like andlor bread-
like
fin a ground flax seed by agglomeration which is suitable for conventional
adhesion to a food comestible with a batter system. It has been found that
novel coatings
noWad using aggloaneratioai tecdmiques are sigrafica~y improved with respect
to
their quality, particularly after microwave heating.
Recent studies on the potential cholesterol-raising effects of traps fatty
acids have raised
public concern about the use of hydrogenated polyunsaturated oils in
coanmercial fryers
and as an additive to various flours and breading materials. Due to the high
content of
vegetable oil in tile gating composition, these ie no need to use frying oil
in the
manufacturing process. Heat induced stabilization of the coating can be
performed in the
convection oven, bus no traps-fatty acids are transferred to the product.
OBJECTIVES AND SITMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to utilize ground flax
seed as a
major component of a coating of food products allowing to substit~zbe more
expensive and
nutritionally deficient, carbohydrate based bread cmmbs, cracker mieal and
other flours
with a healthy alternative one. In addition, it has been recognized that it
would be
advantageous to use ground flax seed in coating composition in order to supply
a daily
recommended intake of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, mainly alpha-linolenic
acid, and
increased intake of lignans and soluble and insoluble fiber.
It has been recognized that incorporating substantial amounts of flax seed and
its healthy
co~onents into a fast food pthat are preferentially eaten in on a massive
scale in
North America as snacks, sandwiches or major components of fast food
restaurants meals
can ~ntdbube to improvement of fast food consumers' health, protect them
against both
coronary heart disease and stroke. Omega-3s have been shown to also protect
against
CA 02457172 2004-02-09
hypertension, and inflammatory and autoimrnune disorders. Modern diets - even
healthy
ones - are routinely deficient in Omega-3s essential fatty acids.
The coating with ground flax seed instead of conventional breadctumbs and
similar
cracker meal components allows reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the diet
and
preserve a traditional texture and consistency, but without traditional
messiness, high cost
of components, excessive labor involved in the manufacturing process.1n
addition, it has
been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a method for making
such
healthy coating composition.
It has been recognized that the novel food citing composition can be
manufa~ured
without the usage of hydrogenated polyunsaturated oils, thus the product
contains no
traps-fatty acids.
SPECIFICATION
The invention provides a food coating composition that is covering a substrate
ofprotein
material like cooked muscle meat, meat emulsion or textured plant protein
mixed with
spices, having a an oval, round or square shape of a hamburger or shape of a
cylinder or a
cylindrical ring. The substrate portion is surrounded by an edible shell
created of layers
of food materials wherein the external layer consists mainly of ground flax
seed that may
be mixed with a proportion of bread crumb, flour, spices and having a shape of
the said
substrate and a substantially continuous wall forming an integral shell and
cavity that
embraces and adhering to the aforementioned substrate.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, covering the substrate
wifh flour
creates the first layer, second layer is created by dipping dusted substrate
in a batter
consisting of a mixture of water and various plant flours. Covering the
battered substrate
with a ground flax seed or mixture of flax seed and other breading material
creates the
final layer.
FIGI. 1 is a cut away AA section of the coated food product (1) consisting of
the
substrate (2) and surrounded by an edible shell created of layers of food
materials
wherein the external layer (3) consists mainly of ground flax seed that may be
mixed with
a proportion of bread cnunbs, flour, spices and having a shape of the said
substrate and a
substantially continuous wall foraning an integral shell and cavity that
embraces and
adhering to the aforementioned substrate. The second layer (4) consists of a
mixture of
water and soy protein concentrate and the first layer (5) covers the substrate
and xnay
consist of flour, spices, proteins and other additives that are absorbing
excessive moisture
from the substrate and enhancing adhesion of the other layers and substrate.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the first layer
components of
the food coating composition comprise wheat gluten, salt, spice extract, whey
and
dextrose. The second layer components comprise soy protein concentrate and
watex. The
CA 02457172 2004-02-09
said layer is a liquid batter type material adhering and separating the first
and third,
external layers. Mixing about 10 parts of protein batter forn~ing material and
90 parts of
water creates the batter. Temperature of the batter used to cover food.
substrate should be
maintained at about 4.4°C (40°F) to 10°C (50°F).
The layer ~ponents comprise
essentially 100 % or less of ground flax seed. Some other breader components
like
breadcrumbs, flour, corn starch, chemical leavening agent and seasonings like
salt and
pepper may be added to improve eating quality of the finished product.
In order to enhance a visual effect on the surface of the food external layer,
about
10% to 20% of whole flax seed can be added to the ground one. Rosemary herbal
antioxidant may be mixed into the third layer components, in order to extend
the shelf life
of the irnished product Addition of natural antioxidant to the ground flax
seed is
preventing the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, including Omega 3 acids,
thus the
oxidative rancidity is inhibited for extend~l period of frozen storage time of
coated
products.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the first layer
comprise 2% to
5% weight, the second layer comprise 20% to 27% weight and the third layer
comprise
10% to 30% of the total food product. The coating comprise 30% to 50% total
product
weight. Each layer is separately and mechanically put on the substrate,
wherein the
coating shell is stabilized and crust consistency is created by heat treatment
in a deep fat
flyer for 10 to 30 seconds at a terriperature from 182°C (360°F)
to 199°C (390°F) and/or
preferentially baked in a convection oven for 5 to 12 minutes at a tune from
232°C (45U°F) to 288°C (550 °F), without prior
blanching in oil, until the substrate is
fully cooked until the temperature in the center of the product reaches
between 71 °C
(160°F) and 82°C ( 180°F) and the coated product is
fi~uzen. Finished products are sui~ble
for reconstituting in microwave ovens and they require 1 to 2 minutes reing.
The
frozen food product contains substrate, which may be is a ground chicken mixed
with
about 5% to 25% water and 0.5% to 1.5% salt and phosphates. The substrate
comprises
60% to 65% of the total product weight and said first; second and third
coating layers
comprise respectively: 2% to 5%, 20% to 25% 10% to 30% of the total food
product.
Other meats that can be used to prepare substrate part are pork and beef. The
shape of
the finished product may be similar to a patty, hamburger, fingers, nuggets,
cutlets,
cylinders and the serving size may be between 5 to 250 grams and allowing to
deliver
daily recommend amount of Omega 3 fatty acids in a single or mult<ple serving
portions.
Table 1. Proportions of the major components of an exemplary food coating
composition
Description Weight [gramsPro orrtion i
Substrate 140.00 63.21
~
Substrate and 1$ 144.45 65.21
la
1 S layer: flour 4.45 2.01
- Dust
Substrate and 2 la 196.8 s8.ss
2 layer: Batter 52:35 23.63
Subsixate and 3' 221so loo.oo
layer
3r la : Flax seed 24.70 11.15
CA 02457172 2004-02-09
Table 2.Proportions of the ingredients used to formulate the exemplary food.
coating
composition
F~nyda ProportionsWeight Description
componentIngredients [ % [grams]
]
SubstrateChicken meat, 6321 140.00
pork or
beef
Layer Wheat flour 1.00 1.86 Pre-dust
1
Wheat gluten 0.20 0.37
Salt 0.50 0.93
Spice extract 030 0.56
Whey 0.27 0.50
Dextrose 0.10 0.19
Layer Water 21.27 47.12 Soy protein
2
Soy Protein 2.36 5.24 concentrate
Concentrate
mixed
thoroughly
with
water.
Batter
is created.
Layer Golden flax 10.59 23.47 Covering
3 seed the
Seasoning 0.56 1.24 dusted
and
battered
substrate
Nutritional information of an exemplary coating composition compared to an
exemplary
chicken substrate and a regular sandwich bun are presented in table 3.
Table 3. Nutritional information of the exemplary coating composition, chicken
substrate and a regular sandwich bun.
Regular
CoatingChickenSandwichUnits
SubstrateBun
Servin size 81.5 140.0 58.0 Gram
Calories 148.0146.0 160.0 Kcal
protein 12.6 27.0 4.8 Gram
Garboh drates 8.1 0 31.0 Gram
Die Fiber 3.2 0 1.3 Gram
Net Carbs -Di stible4.9 0 29.7 Gram
Carboh drates
Fat 8.6 6.0 1.8 Gram
Saturated Fat __ 0.6 1.0 0.4 Gram
Monounsaturated Fat 1.5 1.0 0.4 Gram
CA 02457172 2004-02-09
1~
Po nsaturated 4.7 1:0 0.9 Gram
Fat _
Traps Fa Acids 0 0 _ Gram
0
Ome a 3 Fa Acads 3.6 0 0 Gram
Ome 6 Pa Acids i.l 0 0 Gram
Omega 9 Fatty 0.5 0 0 Gram
Acids
In accordance with another aspect of the pre~t invention, the novel coating
composition
represents much healthier choice as ooh to a standard sandwich bun. A single
serving portion weighing 81.5 gram delivea~ 3:6 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids,
32 grains
of dietary fiber and 4.9 grams of digestible carbohydrates. Main source of
nutritional
value added to the food coating composition is the third layer that, depending
on the
sewing size, comprises 5 to 30 grams of ground $aJC seed This layer delivers
the Omega
3 fatty acids, which comprises about 4 °/n to 5% of total coating
weight and about 10% to
20% of the weight of third layer.
