EGG NUGGETS AND METHOD OF PREPARING EGG NUGGETS

PEPITES D'OEUFS ET METHODE DE PREPARATION DE PEPITES D'OEUFS

English Abstract

An egg-based material that includes an egg-based substance, a water-absorbent thickener distributed throughout the egg-based material, and pieces of supplemental food distributed throughout the egg-based material, where the egg- based substance includes a natural liquid egg component and the water-absorbent thickener is effective to maintain distribution of the pieces of supplemental food throughout the egg-based material.

French Abstract

Un matériau à base d'ufs comprend une substance à base d'ufs, un épaississant absorbant l'eau réparti dans le matériau à base d'ufs, et des pièces d'aliments supplémentaires réparties dans le matériau à base d'ufs, dans lequel la substance à base d'ufs comprend un composant naturel liquide d'uf et l'épaississant absorbant l'eau est efficace à maintenir la répartition des pièces d'aliments supplémentaires dans le matériau à base d'ufs.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An egg-based material, the egg-based material comprising:
an egg-based substance, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid
egg
component;
a water-absorbent thickener distributed throughout the natural liquid egg
component; and
pieces of supplemental food distributed throughout the natural liquid egg
component, the
water-absorbent thickener effective to maintain distribution of the pieces of
supplemental food throughout the natural liquid egg component.
2. The egg-based material of claim 1 wherein the supplemental food is
selected from the
group consisting of cheese, cooked egg, meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables,
fruit, grain, and any of
these in any combination.
3. The egg-based material of claim 1 wherein the natural liquid egg
component is selected
from natural liquid whole egg, natural liquid egg yolk, natural liquid egg
white, and any
combination of any of these.
4. The egg-based material of claim 1 wherein the water-absorbent thickener
comprises
chunks, pieces, particles, or crumbs of a cooked food product.
5. The egg-based material of claim 4 wherein the cooked food product is
selected from the
group consisting of bread, cracker, cookie, tortilla, breakfast cereal, cake,
crust, and any of these
in any combination.
6. The egg-based material of claim 4 wherein the concentration of the
cooked food product
in the egg-based material ranges up to as much as 25 weight percent, based on
the total weight of
the egg-based material.

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7. The egg-based material of claim 1 wherein the water-absorbent thickener
comprises a
dehydrated starchy plant material, a pre-gelatinized starch, a pre-gelatinized
starch-like plant
extract, or a pre-gelatinized starch-like plant material.
8. The egg-based material of claim 7 wherein the concentration of the
dehydrated starchy
plant material, the pre-gelatinized starch, the pre-gelatinized starch-like
plant extract, or the pre-
gelatinized starch-like plant material in the egg-based material ranges up to
as much as 15 weight
percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.
9. The egg-based material of claim 1 wherein heating of the egg-based
material to coagulate
the natural liquid egg component is effective to transform the egg-based
material into an egg-
based product that exhibits freeze/thaw stability.
10. The egg-based material of claim 1 wherein the egg-based material has a
fluid, flowable
consistency.
11. The egg-based material of claim 1 wherein each gram of the water-
absorbent thickener is
capable of absorbing at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute
absorption period when the
temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to 70°F
(21.1°C).
12. The egg-based material of claim 1 wherein the egg-based material
further comprises a
liquid dairy material.
13. The egg-based material of claim 12 wherein the liquid dairy material is
selected from
whole milk, reduced-fat milk, skim milk, dairy cream, buttermilk, sour cream,
yogurt, and any of
these in any combination.
14. The egg-based material of claim 1 wherein the egg-based material is
free of added water.

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15. The egg-based material of claim 14 wherein the concentration of the
natural liquid egg
component in the egg-based material is greater than 70 weight percent, based
on the total weight
of the egg-based material.
16. The egg-based material of claim 14 wherein the egg-based material
further comprises a
stabilizing agent, the stabilizing agent comprising starch or gum.
17. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material of
claim 1.
18. The cooked food product of claim 17 wherein the cooked food product
exhibits
freeze/thaw stability.
19. The cooked food product of claim 17 wherein the cooked food product has
an outer
surface, the cooked food product further comprising batter or breading affixed
to the outer
surface.
20. A fried food product, the fried food product comprising the cooked food
product of claim
19 with a fried form of the batter or breading.
21. The fried food product of claim 20 wherein the fried food product
exhibits freeze/thaw
stability.
22. An egg-based material comprising:
an egg-based substance, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid
egg
component and comprising between 65 weight percent and 99.5 weight percent of
the egg-based material; and
a cooked water-absorbent food distributed within the egg-based substance
comprising
between 0.2 weight percent and 8 weight percent of the egg-based material.
23. The egg-based material of claim 22 wherein:

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the natural liquid egg component comprises free water; and
the cooked water-absorbent food comprises bread crumbs, free water of the
natural liquid
egg component being absorbed in the bread crumbs.
24. The egg-based material of claim 22 wherein the cooked water-absorbent
food comprises
chunks, pieces, particles, or crumbs of a cooked food product.
25. The egg-based material of claim 24 wherein the cooked food product is
selected from the
group consisting of bread, cracker, cookie, tortilla, breakfast cereal, cake,
and crust.
26. The egg-based material of claim 22 wherein one gram of the cooked water-
absorbent
food is capable of absorbing at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute
absorption period
when the temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to
70°F (21.1°C).
27. The egg-based material of claim 22 wherein the egg-based substance
further comprises a
stabilizing agent, the concentration of the stabilizing agent in the egg-based
material ranging up
to 5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.
28. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg based material of
claim 22.
29. The cooked food product of claim 28 wherein the cooked food product
exhibits
freeze/thaw stability and originates substantially no free water upon freezing
and thawing.
30. The cooked food product of claim 28 wherein the cooked food product has
an outer
surface, the cooked food product further comprising batter or breading affixed
to the outer
surface.
31. A fried food product, the fried food product comprising the cooked food
product of claim
30 with a fried form of the batter or breading.

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32. The egg-based material of claim 22, the egg-based material further
comprising pieces of
supplemental food.
33. The egg-based material of claim 32 wherein the supplemental food is
selected from the
group consisting of cheese, cooked egg, meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables,
fruit, grain, and any of
these in any combination.
34. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material of
claim 32.
35. An egg-based material, the egg-based material comprising:
an egg-based substance, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid
egg
component comprising between 65 weight percent and 99.5 weight percent of the
egg-based material;
a water-absorbent material, one gram of the water-absorbent material effective
to absorb
at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption period when the
temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to 70°F
(21.1°C), the water-
absorbent material comprising between 0.2 weight percent and 8 weight percent
of the egg-based material;
pieces of supplemental food distributed throughout the natural liquid egg
component, the
water-absorbent thickener effective to maintain distribution of the pieces of
supplemental food throughout the natural liquid egg component, and
a liquid dairy material.
36. The egg-based material of claim 35 wherein the liquid dairy material is
selected from
whole milk, reduced-fat milk, non-fat milk, dairy cream, buttermilk, sour
cream, yogurt, and any
of these in any combination.
37. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material of
claim 35.

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38. The cooked food product of claim 37 wherein the cooked food product
exhibits
freeze/thaw stability.
39. The cooked food product of claim 37 wherein the cooked food product has
an outer
surface, the cooked food product further comprising batter or breading affixed
to the outer
surface.
40. A fried food product, the fried food product comprising the cooked food
product of claim
39 with a fried form of the batter or breading.
41. The egg-based material of claim 35 wherein the supplemental food is
selected from the
group consisting of cheese, cooked egg, meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables,
fruit, grain, and any of
these in any combination.
42. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material of
claim 35.
43. An egg-based material, the egg-based material comprising:
an egg-based substance, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid
egg
component, the egg-based substance comprising between 65 weight percent and
99.5 weight percent of the egg-based material;
a stabilizing agent distributed within the egg-based substance, the
stabilizing agent
comprising a starch or a gum; and
a water-absorbent material,
wherein the egg-based material is free or essentially free of added water.
44. The egg-based material of claim 43 wherein the concentration of the
stabilizing agent in
the egg-based material ranges up to 5 weight percent, based on the total
weight of the egg-based
material, and the concentration of the water-absorbent material in the egg-
based material ranges
up to 25 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.

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45. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material claim
43.
46. The cooked food product of claim 45 wherein the cooked food product
exhibits
freeze/thaw stability.
47. The cooked food product of claim 45 wherein the cooked food product has
an outer
surface, the cooked food product further comprising batter or breading affixed
to the outer
surface.
48. A fried food product, the fried food product comprising the cooked food
product of claim
47 with a fried form of the batter or breading.
49. The egg-based material of claim 43, the egg-based material further
comprising pieces of
supplemental food.
50. The egg-based material of claim 49 wherein the supplemental food is
selected from the
group consisting of cheese, cooked egg, meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables,
fruit, grain, and any of
these in any combination.
51. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material of
claim 49.
52. An egg-based material, the egg-based material comprising:
an egg-based substance, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid
egg
component, the egg-based substance comprising between 65 weight percent and
99.5 weight percent of the egg-based material;
a water-absorbent material, one gram of the water-absorbent material being
effective to
absorb at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption period when
the temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to
70°F (21.1°C); and
added water,

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wherein the egg-based material has a fluid, flowable consistency.
53. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material of
claim 52.
54. The cooked food product of claim 53 wherein the cooked food product
exhibits
freeze/thaw stability.
55. The cooked food product of claim 53 wherein the cooked food product has
an outer
surface, the cooked food product further comprising batter or breading affixed
to the outer
surface.
56. A fried food product, the fried food product comprising the cooked food
product of claim
55 with a fried form of the batter or breading.
57. The egg-based material of claim 52, the egg-based material further
comprising pieces of
supplemental food.
58. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material of
claim 57.
59. An egg-based material, the egg-based material comprising:
an egg-based substance, the egg-based substance comprising a natural liquid
egg
component;
a stabilizing agent;
a water-absorbent material; and
added water.
60. The egg-based material of claim 59 wherein the stabilizing agent
comprises starch or
gum.

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61. The egg-based material of claim 59 wherein one gram of the water-
absorbent material is
effective to absorb at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute
absorption period when the
temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to 70°F
(21.1°C).
62. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material of
claim 59.
63. The cooked food product of claim 62 wherein the cooked food product has
an outer
surface, the cooked food product further comprising batter or breading affixed
to the outer
surface.
64. A fried food product, the fried food product comprising the cooked food
product of claim
63 with a fried form of the batter or breading.
65. The egg-based material of claim 59, the egg-based material further
comprising pieces of
supplemental food.
66. A cooked food product, the cooked food product prepared by a process
comprising
coagulating the natural liquid egg component of the egg-based material of
claim 65.
67. A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance, a
water-absorbent
thickener, and pieces of supplemental food together to form an egg-based
material, the egg-based
substance comprising a natural liquid egg component, the water-absorbent
thickener distributed
throughout the natural liquid egg component, and the water-absorbent thickener
effective to
maintain distribution of the pieces of supplemental food throughout the
natural liquid egg
component.
68. The method of claim 67, the method further comprising:
blending the egg-based substance and the water-absorbent thickener together to
form an
egg-based intermediate;
allowing the egg-based intermediate to thicken; and

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blending the pieces of supplemental food with the egg-based intermediate to
form the
egg-based material as or after the egg-based intermediate thickens.
69. The method of claim 67 wherein the supplemental food is selected from
the group
consisting of cheese, cooked egg, meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables, fruit,
grain, and any of these
in any combination.
70. The method of claim 67 wherein the natural liquid egg component is
selected from
natural liquid whole egg, natural liquid egg yolk, natural liquid egg white,
and any combination
of any of these.
71. The method of claim 67 wherein the water-absorbent thickener comprises
chunks, pieces,
particles, or crumbs of a cooked food product.
72. The method of claim 71 wherein the concentration of the cooked food
product in the egg-
based material ranges up to as much as 25 weight percent, based on the total
weight of the egg-
based material.
73. The method of claim 67 wherein the water-absorbent thickener comprises
a dehydrated
starchy plant material, a pre-gelatinized starch, a pre-gelatinized starch-
like plant extract, or a
pre-gelatinized starch-like plant material.
74. The method of claim 73 wherein the concentration of the dehydrated
starchy plant
material, the pre-gelatinized starch, the pre-gelatinized starch-like plant
extract, or the pre-
gelatinized starch-like plant material in the egg-based material ranges up to
as much as 15 weight
percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.
75. The method of claim 67 wherein the egg-based material has a fluid,
flowable consistency.

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76. The method of claim 67 wherein one gram of the water-absorbent
thickener is capable of
absorbing at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption period
when the
temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to 70°F
(21.1°C).
77. The method of claim 67 wherein the egg-based material is free of added
water.
78. The method of claim 77 wherein the concentration of the natural liquid
egg component in
the egg-based material is greater than 70 weight percent, based on the total
weight of the egg-
based material.
79. The method of claim 67, the method further comprising incorporating a
stabilizing agent
into the egg-based mixture, the stabilizing agent being selected from the
group consisting of
starch, gum, and a combination of starch and gum.
80. The method of claim 79 wherein the concentration of the stabilizing
agent in the egg-
based material ranges up to 5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the
egg-based material,
and the concentration of the water-absorbent thickener in the egg-based
material ranges up to 25
weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.
81. The method of claim 67 the method further comprising incorporating a
liquid dairy
material into the egg-based mixture.
82. The method of claim 81 wherein the liquid dairy material is selected
from whole milk,
reduced-fat milk, skim milk, dairy cream, buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, and
any of these in any
combination.
83. The method of claim 67, the method further comprising heating the egg-
based material to
coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based
material into a cooked
egg-based product.

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84. The method of claim 83 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability.
85. The method of claim 84, the method further comprising applying batter
or breading to the
cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.
86. The method of claim 85, the method further comprising frying the
battered or breaded
egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.
87. The method of claim 86 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability.
88. A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance and a
cooked water-
absorbent food together to form an egg-based material, the egg-based substance
comprising a
natural liquid egg component, the egg-based substance comprising between 65
weight percent
and 99.5 weight percent of the egg-based material and the cooked water-
absorbent food
comprising between 0.2 weight percent and 8 weight percent of the egg-based
material.
89. The method of claim 88 wherein:
the natural liquid egg component comprises free water; and
the cooked water-absorbent food comprises bread crumbs that absorb free water
of the
natural liquid egg component.
90. The method of claim 88 wherein the cooked water-absorbent food
comprises chunks,
pieces, particles, or crumbs of a cooked food product.
91. The method of claim 90 wherein the cooked food product is selected from
the group
consisting of bread, cracker, cookie, tortilla, breakfast cereal, cake, and
crust.

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92. The method of claim 88 wherein one gram of the cooked water-absorbent
food is capable
of absorbing at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption
period when the
temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to 70°F
(21.1°C).
93. The method of claim 88 wherein the egg-based substance further
comprises a stabilizing
agent, the concentration of the stabilizing agent in the egg-based material
ranging up to 5 weight
percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material.
94. The method of claim 88, the method further comprising heating the egg-
based material to
coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based
material into a cooked
egg-based product.
95. The method of claim 94 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability.
96. The method of claim 95, the method further comprising applying batter
or breading to the
cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.
97. The method of claim 96, the method further comprising frying the
battered or breaded
egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.
98. The method of claim 97 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability.
99. The method of claim 88, the method further comprising incorporating
pieces of
supplemental food into the natural liquid egg component, wherein the water-
absorbent food is
effective maintain distribution of the pieces of supplemental food throughout
the natural liquid
egg component.
100. A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance, a water-
absorbent
material, and a liquid dairy material together to form an egg-based material,
the egg-based

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substance comprising a natural liquid egg component, one gram of the water-
absorbent material
being effective to absorb at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute
absorption period when
the temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to
70°F (21.1°C), wherein the egg-based
material has a fluid, flowable consistency.
101. The method of claim 100 wherein the liquid dairy material is selected
from whole milk,
reduced-fat milk, skim milk, dairy cream, buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, and
any of these in any
combination.
102. The method of claim 100, the method further comprising heating the egg-
based material
to coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based
material into a
cooked egg-based product.
103. The method of claim 102 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability and originates substantially no free water upon freezing and then
thawing.
104. The method of claim 102, the method further comprising applying batter or
breading to
the cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.
105. The method of claim 104, the method further comprising frying the
battered or breaded
egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.
106. The method of claim 105 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability.
107. The method of claim 100, the method further comprising incorporating
pieces of
supplemental food into the egg-based material.
108. A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance, a water-
absorbent
material, and added water together to form an egg-based material, the egg-
based substance
comprising a natural liquid egg component, one gram of the water-absorbent
material being

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capable of absorbing at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute
absorption period when the
temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to 70°F
(21.1°C), wherein the egg-based
material has a fluid, flowable consistency.
109. The method of claim 108, the method further comprising heating the egg-
based material
to coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based
material into a
cooked egg-based product.
110. The method of claim 109 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability.
111. The method of claim 109, the method further comprising applying batter or
breading to
the cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.
112. The method of claim 111, the method further comprising frying the
battered or breaded
egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.
113. The method of claim 112 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability and originates substantially no free water upon freezing and then
thawing.
114. The method of claim 108, the method further comprising incorporating
pieces of
supplemental food into the natural liquid egg component, wherein the water-
absorbent thickener
is effective to maintain distribution of the pieces of supplemental food
throughout the natural
liquid egg component.
115. A method, the method comprising blending an egg-based substance, a
stabilizing agent, a
water-absorbent material, and added water together to form an egg-based
material, the egg-based
substance comprising a natural liquid egg component.
116. The method of claim 115 wherein the stabilizing agent comprises starch or
gum.

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117. The method of claim 115 wherein one gram of the water-absorbent material
is effective
to absorb at least 1.5 grams of water during a five minute absorption period
when the
temperature of the water ranges from 35°F (1.7°C) to 70°F
(21.1°C).
118. The method of claim 115, the method further comprising heating the egg-
based material
to coagulate the natural liquid egg component and transform the egg-based
material into a
cooked egg-based product.
119. The method of claim 118 wherein the cooked egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability.
120. The method of claim 118, the method further comprising applying batter or
breading to
the cooked egg-based product to form a battered or breaded egg-based product.
121. The method of claim 120, the method further comprising frying the
battered or breaded
egg-based product to form a fried egg-based product.
122. The method of claim 121 wherein the fried egg-based product exhibits
freeze/thaw
stability and originates substantially no free water upon freezing and then
thawing.
123. The method of claim 115, the method further comprising incorporating
pieces of
supplemental food into the natural liquid egg component, wherein the water-
absorbent material
is effective to maintain distribution of the pieces of supplemental food
throughout the natural
liquid egg component.

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Description

CA 02500125 2005-03-10
EGG NUGGETS AND METHOD OF PREPARING EGG NUGGETS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to an egg-based material.
Additionally, the present invention relates to a cooked egg-based food product
that exhibits
freeze/thaw stability upon being frozen and reheated.
Eggs, especially eggs produced by chickens, are a main food staple in the
diets of many people. Eggs are often used as a main course for breakfast and
may be prepared
in a variety of ways. For example, eggs may be scrambled, fried, boiled, and
poached.
Cooked eggs are nutritious and contain significant amounts of beneficial
protein.
One challenge is cooked eggs traditionally cannot be held or stored for
extended periods of time after being cooked while maintaining the desirable
organoleptic
properties of freshly cooked eggs. When eggs are heated during cooking, the
proteins within
the eggs form a coagulated mass of protein. Besides containing coagulable
proteins, eggs
typically contain between about 75 weight percent and about 80 weight percent
water, based
on the total weight of the eggs. Much of this water contained in eggs prior to
cooking is free
water that is not chemically bound to any particular component of the eggs.
When eggs are
heated during cooking, at least some of this free water is trapped within the
coagulated mass
of protein.
When cooked eggs containing the coagulated mass of proteins are frozen, the
free water trapped within the coagulated mass forms ice crystals. When the
frozen eggs are
thawed and the ice crystals trapped within the coagulated mass thaw along with
the
coagulated mass, much of the free water resulting from thawing of the ice
crystals typically
does not remain entrapped within the coagulated mass. Instead, free water
resulting from
thawing of the ice crystals formerly entrapped within the frozen coagulated
mass has a
tendency to separate and "weep" away from the thawed coagulated mass.
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
Loss of the entrapped free water upon thawing of the frozen cooked eggs
adversely affects the organoleptic properties of the thawed coagulated mass.
Loss of
entrapped free water from the thawed cooked egg tends to cause the thawed
coagulated mass
to become tough, chewy, and less palatable to human beings. The thawed
coagulated mass
may also be visually unappealing because of the visible escape of free water
from the thawed
coagulated mass.
One potential approach to solving the problem of free water escape from the
thawed coagulated mass entails removing moisture from raw eggs prior to
cooking the eggs.
If all of the free water is removed from raw eggs, only egg solids, possibly
with some bound
amount of water, remains. Egg solids, also known as powdered eggs, that remain
following
free water removal from raw eggs have a long shelf life and may be
reconstituted by
combining the egg solids with water. However, the reconstituted eggs, upon
heating to cook
and form the coagulated mass, do not have the same organoleptic properties,
such as taste,
texture, or visual appearance, of freshly cooked eggs formed by cooking raw
eggs that have
not been subjected to moisture removal. Consequently, a need continues to
exist for a better
solution to the problem of free water escape from the thawed form of frozen,
previously-
cooked eggs and similarly from the thawed form of frozen, previously-cooked
egg-based
products.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a method of preparing an egg-based material.
The method entails blending an egg-based substance, a thickening agent, and
pieces of
supplemental food together to form an egg-based material. The egg-based
substance includes
a natural liquid egg component. The thickening agent is distributed throughout
the egg-based
material, and the water-absorbent thickener is effective to maintain
distribution of the pieces
of supplemental food throughout the egg-based material. The present invention
further
includes other methods of preparing an egg-based material. The present
invention
additionally includes egg-based materials along with egg-based products.
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention generally relates to an egg-based material.
Additionally, the present invention relates to a cooked egg-based product that
exhibits
freeze/thaw stability upon being frozen and reheated.
An egg-based substance that includes at least one natural liquid egg
component is prepared. The egg-based substance is combined with at least one
thickening agent to form the egg-based material. The thickening agent(s)
absorb
water, such as free water present in the natural liquid egg component(s).
Pieces of
supplemental food, such as diced cheese, meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables,
fruit, and
grains may optionally be incorporated in the egg-based material. The egg-based
material is heated to cook the egg-based material and form the cooked egg-
based
product. The cooked egg-based product exhibits freeze/thaw stability. The
cooked
egg-based product may optionally be battered and/or breaded and fried to form
a fried
egg-based product. The fried egg-based product also exhibits freeze/thaw
stability.
As used herein, the term "egg" means the round or oval female
reproductive body of an animal, such as a bird, usually consisting of an
embryo (egg
yolk) surrounded by nutrient material (egg white) and a protective covering
(egg
shell). Though reptiles, amphibians, and other animals also produce eggs, the
eggs of
birds are of principal interest for use in the present invention. Nonetheless,
eggs
produced by reptiles, amphibians, and other animals do fall within the scope
of the
term "egg," as used herein. Eggs produced by chickens, ducks, geese, and
ostriches
are some non-exhaustive examples of bird eggs that may be employed when
practicing the present invention. Desirably, eggs produced by chickens are
employed
when practicing the present invention.
As used herein, the term "natural liquid egg component" means a
naturally-occurring liquid egg component, such as liquid egg white, liquid egg
yolk,
liquid whole egg, and any combination of any of these in any proportion, where
the
liquid egg component has not been subjected to any processing to remove
naturally-
occurring water from the naturally-occurring liquid egg component and has not
been
subjected to any processing that causes more than a de minimis change in the
natural
liquid nature of the naturally-occurring liquid egg component. As used herein,
the
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term "liquid whole egg" means the naturally occurring combination of liquid
egg
white and liquid egg yolk typically present in an egg.
The egg-based substance includes at least one natural liquid egg
component, such as liquid egg white, liquid egg yolk, liquid whole egg, and
any
combination of any of these in any proportion. Besides the natural liquid egg
component(s), the egg-based substance may optionally include other egg
component(s), such as powdered or concentrated egg solids, including powdered
or
concentrated egg whites, powdered or concentrated egg yolks, any combination
of any
of these in any proportion, and any aqueous solution of any of these. These
optional
egg components may be used in combination with any natural liquid egg
component(s) in any proportion. Beneficially, however, the egg-based substance
may
contain only egg component(s) that are natural liquid egg component(s) to
maximize
the beneficial organoleptic properties contributed by the natural liquid egg
component(s) to the cooked egg-based product and to derivatives of the cooked
egg-
based product, such as the fried egg-based product.
The collective concentration of the natural liquid egg component(s) in
the egg-based substance may generally range from about 65 weight percent to
about
99.5 weight percent, and in some embodiments may range from about 97 weight
percent to about 99.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-
based
substance, when the liquid dairy material(s) mentioned below are excluded from
the
egg-based substance. However, the collective concentration of the natural
liquid egg
component(s) in the egg-based substance may generally range from about 45
weight
percent to about 99.5 weight percent, and in some embodiments may range from
about
75 weight percent to about 99.4 weight percent, based on the total weight of
the egg-
based substance, when the liquid dairy material(s) mentioned below are
included in
the egg-based substance.
Besides the egg component(s), optional ingredients, such as fat(s),
stabilizing agent(s), liquid dairy material(s), flavoring agent(s), coloring
agent(s),
added water, and any combination of any of these in any proportion may
optionally be
incorporated in the egg-based substance. As an example, the optional
ingredient(s)
may be included in the egg-based substance for purposes of modifying the
flavor,
texture, appearance and/or cost of the cooked egg-based product and/or
derivatives of
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the cooked egg-based product. As a further example, the optional ingredient(s)
may
be included in the egg-based substance for purposes of modifying in-process
characteristics of the egg-based substance and/or the egg-based material.
As noted, fat(s) may optionally be included in the egg-based substance.
Any fat(s) that are employed are typically included for purposes of modifying
the
texture and/or taste of the cooked egg-based product and/or derivatives of the
cooked
egg-based product. As used herein, the term "fat" refers to compositions that
are
primarily, or fully, made of one or more fatty acids, and glycerides thereof,
of all
types, no matter whether the composition is a liquid (i.e. "oil") at room
temperature or
is a solid (i.e.: "fat") at room temperature, or is a semi-solid (mixture of
oil and fat) at
room temperature.
The optionally included fat(s) may be or include either dairy fat(s),
such as butterfat (also known as butter oil); non-dairy fat(s); or any
combination of
any dairy fat(s) and non-dairy fat(s) in any proportion. The non-dairy fat(s)
may be
any conventional, shelf stable, non-dairy fat(s), non-dairy oil(s), or any
mixtures
thereof from plant (vegetable), animal, or marine sources. A non-exhaustive
list of
suitable plant fats includes corn oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil,
olive oil,
sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm
kernel oil, and
any of these in any combination and in any proportion. The optional fat, if
included in
the egg-based substance, preferably is corn oil or soybean oil. If included in
the egg-
based substance, the collective concentration of the fat(s) in the egg-based
substance
may generally range from about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent,
based
on the total weight of the egg-based substance.
Non-exhaustive examples of suitable optional stabilizing agents
include various starches, various gums, various starch-like plant extracts and
materials, and any combination of these in any proportion. Exemplary starches
include cereal starch, tuber starch, any other plant starch (such as sago
starch, for
example), or any combination of any of these in any proportion. Some non-
exhaustive examples of suitable cereal starches include cornstarch, wheat
starch, rice
starch, waxy maize starch, sorghum starch, waxy sorghum starch, seed starch
and any
combination of any of these in any proportion. Some non-exhaustive examples of

suitable tuber starches including potato starch, arrowroot starch, tapioca
starch, and
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
any combination of these in any proportion. Some non-exhaustive examples of
suitable gums include arabic gum, tragacanth gum, karaya gum, ghatti, guar
gum,
locust bean gum, xanthan gum, gellan gum, tamarine gum, agar-agar gum,
furcellaran
gum, gum acacia, and any combination of any of these in any proportion. Some
non-
exhaustive examples of suitable plant extracts include pectin,
arabinogalacton,
psyllium, quince seed, alginates, carrageenans, and any combination of these
in any
proportion. One non-exhaustive suitable example of other starch-like plant
materials
is cellulose. Alternatively, certain animal materials with starch-like
characteristics,
such as gelatin, albumin, casein, soy protein, any combination of any of these
in any
proportion, and any combination of any of these with any starch and/or gum in
any
proportion may also be used as the optional stabilizing agent.
The egg-based substance beneficially may include the optional
stabilizing agent to modify (enhance) the viscosity of the egg-based substance
and
provide the cooked egg-based product and/or derivatives of the cooked egg-
based
product with a smoother, shorter texture. The optional stabilizing agent
generally
should have a relatively high degree of freeze-thaw stability that allows the
optional
stabilizing agent to impart freeze-thaw stability to products that incorporate
the
cooked egg-based product and/or derivatives of the cooked egg-based product.
To
achieve or enhance these viscosity, textural, and freeze/thaw stability
properties,
starch that is used as all or part of the optional stabilizing agent may
optionally be
physically-modified, chemically-modified, and/or enzymatically-modified, as
desired.
Furthermore, the starch that may form all or any portion of the optional
stabilizing
agent may generally be gelatinized (pre-gelled) starch, non-gelatinized
(cookup or
non-gelatinized) starch, or any combination of these in any proportion.
Beneficially,
the optional stabilizing agent will generally be in a form, such as a powdered
form,
that allows homogenous and uniform dispersion of the optional stabilizing
agent
throughout the egg-based substance.
In one embodiment, the egg-based substance includes xanthan gum,
and may include a combination of xanthan gum and a modified, waxy maize cookup
starch, as the stabilizing agent(s). If included in the egg-based substance,
the
concentration of xanthan gum in the egg-based substance may generally range
from
about 0.01 weight percent to about 0.5 weight percent, based on the total
weight of the
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egg-based substance, with concentrations of xanthan gum in the egg-based
substance
ranging from about 0.125 weight percent to about 0.2 weight percent, based on
the
total weight of the egg-based substance, being employed in some embodiments.
If
included in the egg-based substance, the concentration of the modified, waxy
maize
cookup starch in the egg-based substance may generally range from about 0.1
weight
percent to about 1 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based
substance though concentrations of the modified, waxy maize cookup starch in
the
egg-based substance ranging from about 0.2 weight percent to about 2 weight
percent,
based on the total weight of the egg-based substance, are employed in some
embodiments. Some examples of suitable modified, waxy maize cookup starches
include those available under the CONSISTA trade name designation from A E.
Staley Manufacturing Company of Decatur, Illinois and those available under
the
PURITY trade name designation from the Food Division sales office in
Lincolnshire,
Illinois of National Starch and Chemical Company.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that concentrations for starch(es)
and/or gum(s) other than xanthan gum and modified, waxy maize cookup starch
that
may be employed as the stabilizing agent(s) in the egg-based substance are
highly
dependent upon the properties and characteristics of the selected stabilizing
agent(s).
Those skilled in the art will be capable of selecting starch(es) and/or gum(s)
(and
concentrations thereof), in addition to the described combination of xanthan
gum and
modified, waxy maize cookup starch, that may be employed in the egg-based
substance in place of the noted combination of xanthan gum and modified, waxy
maize cookup starch.
Dairy material(s) may optionally be included in the egg-based
substance to provide the cooked egg-based product and/or derivatives of the
cooked
egg-based product with a smoother, shorter texture, and/or altered taste
profile. Some
non-exhaustive examples of suitable dairy materials that may optionally be
included
in the egg-based substance include whole milk, reduced-fat milk, non-fat milk,
dairy
cream, buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, and any of these in any combination in
any
proportion.
The optional dairy material(s) may be in liquid form or in powdered
form. Liquid forms of the optional dairy material(s) may be reconstituted
liquid forms
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
prepared by combining aqueous fluid(s), such as water, with powdered forms of
the
dairy material(s). In some embodiments, any dairy material(s) included in the
egg-
based substance are in liquid form and are not of the reconstituted liquid
form.
Powdered dairy material(s) and reconstituted liquid form(s) of the dairy
material(s)
may not provide the cooked egg-based product and/or derivatives of the cooked
egg-
based product with the same textural attributes and taste profile
characteristics
contributed by liquid, but not reconstituted, forms of the dairy material.
Liquid forms
of dairy materials may generally be included in the egg-based substance at a
collective
concentration ranging from about 0.1 weight percent to about 50 weight
percent,
based on the total weight of the egg-based substance.
The egg-based substance may optionally include added water, though
numerous embodiments are free, or essentially free, of any added water. If
added
water is included, the concentration of the added water in the egg-based
substance
may be up to 50 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based
substance.
As used herein with regard to the egg-based substance, the term "added water"
means
water added separately from any other component(s) of the egg-based substance
and
water included as part of any reconstituted (i.e. made from a dry or dried
form)
component(s) of the egg-based substance.
When added water is included in the egg-based substance, it has been
surprisingly found that a corresponding increase in the amount of thickening
agent is
not necessarily required for purposes of attaining a homogeneous blend of the
components of the egg-based material or achieving freeze/thaw stability in the
various
egg-based products of the present invention. Rather, when added water is
included in
the egg-based substance, the percentage increase in the weight-based
concentration of
the thickening agent in the egg-based material (based on the total weight of
the egg-
based material) is often less than the percentage increase in the weight-based

concentration of added water (based on the total weight of the egg-based
material)
included in the egg-based material (as a result of including added water in
the egg-
based substance), while still attaining a homogeneous blend of the components
of the
egg-based material and freeze/thaw stability in the various egg-based products
of the
present invention
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
Flavoring agent(s) may optionally be included in the egg-based
substance to allow optimization of flavor profiles in the cooked egg-based
product
and/or derivatives of the cooked egg-based product. Some non-exhaustive
examples
of suitable flavoring agent(s) include salt, pepper, spices, herbs,
oleoresins, butter
flavoring, and acidulants, such as citric acid, and any combination of any of
these in
any proportion. The collective concentration of any flavoring agent(s)
included in the
egg-based substance may generally range from about 0.01 weight percent to
about 10
weight percent and, in some embodiments ranges from about 0.3 weight percent
to
about 1 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based substance.
Coloring agent(s) may also be optionally included in the egg-based substance
to allow
alteration of the color of the cooked egg-based product and/or derivatives of
the
cooked egg-based product. The collective concentration of any coloring
agent(s)
included in the egg-based substance may generally range from about 0.01 weight

percent to about 3 weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based
substance.
The egg-based substance may be prepared by first blending the egg
component(s) of the egg-based substance into a homogenous liquid egg mixture
using
conventional high speed mixing equipment. Then, optional ingredient(s) of the
egg-
based substance, such as fat(s), stabilizing agent(s), liquid dairy
material(s), flavoring
agent(s), coloring agent(s), added water, and any combination of these in any
proportion may be combined with and uniformly mixed with the homogenous liquid

egg mixture. The egg-based substance may then optionally be supplemented by
uniformly mixing the optional dairy product(s) with other component(s) of the
egg-
based substance to complete formation of the egg-based substance.
Some suitable exemplary, but non-exhaustive, formulations of the egg-
based substance of the present invention that employ liquid whole egg as the
natural
liquid egg component, a combination of xanthan gum and modified, waxy maize
cookup starch as optional stabilizing agents, and a combination of salt and
citric acid
as optional flavoring agents, but are free of any optional fat(s), free of any
optional
dairy material(s), and free of any optional coloring agent(s), may be prepared
using
the concentration ranges presented in Table I below to attain a total of 100
weight
percent for the egg-based substance:
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
TABLE 1
EGG-BASED SUBSTANCE WEIGHT PERCENT*
Liquid Whole Egg 87.12 - 99.47
Citric Acid 0.10 -0.20
Xanthan Gum 0.12 - 0.20
Salt 0.10 - 0.45
Modified, Waxy Maize Cookup Starch 0.20 - 2.00
* Based on the total weight of the egg-based substance
As an alternative to separately providing, combining, and blending the
various components of the egg-based substance, a commercially-available pre-
mixed
liquid egg product, commonly referred to as a "scrambled egg mixture" in the
food
preparation industry, may be purchased. Generally, any commercially- available
pre-
mixed liquid egg product or any thawed, commercially-available pre-mixed
frozen
egg product may be employed as the egg-based substance. Some exemplary
commercially-available pre-mixed liquid egg products that may be employed as
the
egg-based substance and some exemplary commercially-available pre-mixed frozen

egg products that may be thawed and employed as the egg-based substance may
generally be obtained from any commercial egg-products company, such as Cutler
Egg Products, Inc., of Abbeville, Alabama and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and
Classic Egg Products, a division of Moark, LLC, of Neosho, Missouri. Any
commercially-obtained pre-mixed liquid egg product and any thawed,
commercially-
obtained pre-mixed frozen egg product may be supplemented, as desired, and
uniformly mixed with any of the optional component(s) of the egg-based
substance
not already included at desired concentrations in the commercially-obtained
pre-
mixed liquid egg product or in the thawed, commercially-obtained pre-mixed
frozen
egg product.
One suitable exemplary, but non-exhaustive, formulation of the egg-
based substance of the present invention obtainable as commercially-available
pre-
mixed liquid egg product that employs liquid whole egg as the natural liquid
egg
component, a combination of xanthan gum and modified, waxy maize cookup starch

as optional stabilizing agents, and a combination of salt and citric acid as
optional
flavoring agents, but is free of any optional fat(s), free of any added water,
free of any

CA 02500125 2005-03-10
optional dairy material(s), and free of any optional coloring agent(s), has
the indicated
component concentrations presented in Table 2 below:
TABLE 2
EGG-BASED SUBSTANCE WEIGHT PERCENT*
Liquid Whole Egg 98.30
Citric Acid 0.20
Xanthan Gum 0.15
Salt 0.35
Modified, Waxy Maize Cookup Starch 1.00
* Based on the total weight of the egg-based substance
Another exemplary embodiment of the egg-based substance of the
present invention includes water or liquid egg whites in place of some of the
liquid
whole egg of the Table 2 formulation and has the formulation shown in Table 3
below:
TABLE 3
EGG-BASED SUBSTANCE WEIGHT PERCENT*
Liquid Whole Egg 68.30
Citric Acid 0.20
Xanthan Gum 0.15
Salt 0.35
Modified, Waxy Maize Cookup Starch 1.00
Added Water or Liquid Egg Whites 30.00
* Based on the total weight of the egg-based substance
After the egg-based substance is prepared or commercially-obtained, as
indicated above, the thickening agent and, optionally, pieces of supplemental
food, are
combined with the egg-based substance to form the egg-based material. When the

optional pieces of supplemental food are combined with the thickening agent
and the
egg-based substance, the combination of the egg-based substance and the
thickening
agent, prior to addition of the optional pieces of supplemental food, is
sometimes also
referred to herein as an egg-based intermediate. Nonetheless, it has been
surprisingly
found the optional pieces of supplemental food may be blended into the egg-
based
substance either prior to, or along with, the thickening agent, while
achieving
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
beneficial results, as an alternative to blending the thickening agent into
the egg-based
substance prior to optional pieces of supplemental food.
The natural liquid egg component(s) of the egg-based substance
contain free water; added water may also be included in the egg-based
substance. The
thickening agent is effective for absorbing water. Therefore, upon addition of
the
thickening agent to the egg-based substance, the thickening agent begins to
absorb
water originally present in the egg-based substance, such as free water of the
natural
liquid egg component(s) and/or added water. As water, such as free water of
the
natural liquid egg component(s), is absorbed by the thickening agent, the egg-
based
o substance thickens and the viscosity of the egg-based substance
increases.
When the optional pieces of supplemental food are included in the egg-
based material, the thickening agent may first be mixed with the egg-based
substance
to form the egg-based intermediate with the thickened form and enhanced
viscosity.
The increased thickness and increased viscosity of the egg-based intermediate
help
retain the optionally-added pieces of supplemental food in suspension upon
addition
of the optional pieces of supplemental food to the egg-based intermediate and
consequent formation of the egg-based material. Nonetheless, the optional
pieces of
supplemental food may be blended into the egg-based substance either prior to,
or
along with, the thickening agent, while still ultimately attaining uniform
distribution
of the optional pieces of supplemental food within the egg-based material. No
matter
whether added before, during, or after addition of the optional pieces of
supplemental
food, or even in the absence of any of the optional pieces of supplemental
food, the
thickening agent may generally be distributed within the egg-based substance
and
beneficially may be uniformly distributed within the egg-based substance to
provide
the egg-based material with a homogeneous composition.
Ultimately, the thickening agent and the concentration of the
thickening agent in the egg-based material, will desirably be sufficient to
maintain any
optional pieces of supplemental food in suspension, and in at least
substantially
uniform suspension or even uniform suspension in various embodiments, within
the
egg-based material for a time period. The time period may vary depending on
handling of the egg-based material prior to cooking the egg-based material to
form the
cooked egg-based product.
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
In many food production plants, the time period for maintaining
suspension of supplemental food between preparation of the egg-based material
and
cooking of the egg-based material may range from just a few minutes up to an
hour,
an hour and a half, or even two hours. In other food production plants, the
time period
for maintaining suspension of supplemental food between preparation of the egg-

based material and cooking of the egg-based material may range up to ten to
twelve
hours or even up to about twenty-four hours, to allow storage of the egg-based

material prior to cooking of the egg-based material. Whatever food production
plant
operation scenario, the thickening agent and the concentration of the
thickening agent
in the egg-based material, will desirably be sufficient to maintain any
optional pieces
of supplemental food in suspension, and in at least substantially uniform
suspension or
even uniform suspension in various embodiments, within the egg-based material
for
the time period that matches each different food production plant operation
scenario.
Some examples of suitable thickening agents include a cooked water-
absorbent material, such as a cooked food product (a baked food product or a
fried
food product, for some examples). The cooked water-absorbent material, such as
the
cooked food product, may be in any form, such as chunks, pieces, particles, or
crumbs
(or any combination of these) of the cooked water-absorbent material that are
amenable to at least substantially uniform distribution throughout the egg-
based
material. Crumbs of the cooked water-absorbent material are a convenient form
of the
cooked water-absorbent material that are readily amenable to measurement and
uniform distribution within the egg-based material. In subsequent references
to the
cooked water-absorbent material, such as the cooked food product, the form of
the
cooked water-absorbent material is predominantly referred to as crumbs of the
cooked
water-absorbent material, though it is to be understood that chunks, pieces,
and/or
particles of the cooked water-absorbent material that are amenable to uniform
distribution within the egg-based material may be substituted in place of some
or all
crumbs of the cooked water-absorbent material.
Examples of cooked food products that may serve as the thickening
agent and yield suitable water-absorbent crumbs include bread (toasted or non-
toasted), crackers, cookies, tortillas, breakfast cereal, cakes, crusts (such
as pie crust),
and any of these in any combination in any proportion. Some non-exhaustive
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
exemplary bread sources of water-absorbent crumbs include ordinary sandwich
bread,
French bread, Italian bread, Irish soda bread, dinner rolls, biscuits, corn
bread, and any
of these in any combination in any proportion. The cooked food product that is
the
source of the water-absorbent crumbs may have been cooked by any conventional
method, such as baking, frying, grilling, or microwaving.
The egg-based material, either with or without the optional pieces of
supplemental food, may contain any concentration of the cooked food product
(water-
absorbent bread crumbs, for example) as the thickening agent. Also, the
thickening
agent may include any combination of any of the materials characterized herein
as
examples of suitable thickening agents in any proportion. In various
embodiments,
the egg-based material may typically include the cooked food product (such as
the
water-absorbent crumbs, including the water-absorbent bread crumbs) as the
thickening agent at a concentration that ranges from about one weight percent
to about
twenty-five weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based
material. In
some embodiments, the egg-based material may typically include the cooked food
product (such as the water-absorbent crumbs, including the water-absorbent
bread
crumbs) as the thickening agent at a concentration that ranges from about
seven
weight percent to about ten weight percent, based on the total weight of the
egg-based
material. Lesser concentrations of the thickening agent(s) may typically be
employed
in the egg-based material when the egg-based material employs none or smaller
concentrations of the pieces of supplemental food product. On the other hand,
higher
concentrations of the thickening agent(s) may typically be employed in the egg-
based
material when the egg-based material includes higher concentrations of the
pieces of
supplemental food product.
A non-exhaustive list of water-absorbent bread crumbs that may be
employed as the thickening agent include white bread crumbs (American or
otherwise), corn bread crumbs, biscuit crumbs such as sweet biscuit crumbs,
and
oriental-style bread crumbs. Besides bread crumbs, some other non-exhaustive
examples of suitable water-absorbent crumbs of cooked foods for use as the
thickening agent include cake crumbs, corn bread crumbs, corn flake crumbs,
cracker
crumbs, matzo crumbs (sometimes referred to as matzo meal), and any of these
in any
combination in any proportion.
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
Oriental-style bread crumbs are employed as the thickening agent in
some embodiments of the egg-based material. Oriental-style bread crumbs are
generally bland in taste and therefore typically do not add any significant
flavor to the
liquid egg mixture. Of course, if desired for achieving a particular flavor
profile,
some Oriental-style bread crumbs with more significant flavor are available
and may
be employed as the thickening agent. Some alternative names for Oriental-style
bread
crumbs include, but are not limited to, Japanese-style bread crumbs, Panko-
style bread
crumbs, Japanese Panko crumbs and Panko. One example of the bread used to make

the Panko bread crumbs that may be employed as the thickening agent is made
from
wheat flour, water, yeast, shortening, glucose and salt.
A variety of Panko bread crumb sources exist. For example,
DYNASTY Panko bread crumbs and WEL-PAC Panko bread crumbs are each
marketed by JFC International, Inc. of San Francisco, California. WOOMTREETm
Panko bread crumbs are produced by Woomtree Corporation of 163-4, Donae-Dong,
Deolcyang-Ku, Koyang-City, Kyunggi-Do, Korea. Additionally, DYNASTY Panko
bread crumbs and WOOMTREETm Panko bread crumbs may be obtained from
TransEthnic, Inc. of Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
Besides cooked water-absorbent material, such as cooked food
products (crumbs, chunks, pieces, and/or particles of bread (toasted or non-
toasted),
crackers, cookies, tortillas, breakfast cereal, cakes, crusts, etc.), some
other examples
of suitable thickening agents include dehydrated starchy plant materials, such
as
dehydrated potato flakes, dehydrated potato granules, and the like; and pre-
gelatinized
starches, starch-like plant extracts, and starch-like plant materials.
Exemplary
starches include cereal starch, tuber starch, any other plant starch (such as
sago starch,
for example), or any combination of any of these in any proportion. Some non-
exhaustive examples of suitable cereal starches include corn starch, wheat
starch, rice
starch, waxy maize starch, sorghum starch, waxy sorghum starch, seed starch
and any
combination of any of these in any proportion. Some non-exhaustive examples of

suitable tuber starches including potato starch, arrowroot starch, tapioca
starch, and
any combination of these in any proportion.
Some examples of suitable dehydrated potato flakes include those
available under the BETTY CROCKER trade name designation from General Mills,
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Inc. of Golden Valley, Minnesota. The concentration of the dehydrated potato
flakes
in the egg-based material may generally range from about 0.1 weight percent to
about
fifteen weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material,
though
concentrations of the dehydrated potato flakes in the egg-based material
ranging from
about 0.2 weight percent to about 8 weight percent, based on the total weight
of the
egg-based material, are employed in some embodiments.
The pre-gelatinized starches, pre-gelatinized starch-like plant extracts,
and pre-gelatinized starch-like plant materials may optionally be physically-
modified,
chemically-modified, and/or enzymatically-modified, as desired, to enhance
water-
absorption properties and water-absorption rates of the pre-gelatinized
starches, pre-
gelatinized starch-like plant extracts, and pre-gelatinized starch-like plant
materials.
Beneficially, the pre-gelatinized starches, pre-gelatinized starch-like plant
extracts,
and pre-gelatinized starch-like plant materials that may be employed as the
thickening
agent may generally be in a form, such as a powdered form, that allows
homogenous
and at least substantially uniform dispersion of the pre-gelatinized starches,
pre-
gelatinized starch-like plant extracts, and pre-gelatinized starch-like plant
materials
throughout the egg-based material.
Some examples of suitable modified, pre-gelatinized starches include
those available under the ULTRA SPERSE M and TEXTAID trade name designations
from the Food Division sales office in Lincolnshire, Illinois of National
Starch and
Chemical Company. The concentration of the modified, pre-gelatinized starches
in the
egg-based material may generally range from about 0.1 weight percent to about
fifteen
weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material, though
concentrations of the modified, pre-gelatinized starch in the egg-based
material
ranging from about 0.2 weight percent to about 8 weight percent, based on the
total
weight of the egg-based material, are employed in some embodiments.
In one example demonstrating substitution of the ULTRA SPERSE M
modified, pre-gelatinized starch for Panko bread crumbs as the thickening
agent, the
substitution proved satisfactory for various concentrations of the ULTRA
SPERSE M
modified, pre-gelatinized starch. The substitutions were based on a form of
the egg-
based material that included pieces of the supplemental food and about 8
weight
percent Panko bread crumbs, based on the total weight of the egg-based
material. The
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egg-based material included about 150 grams of the egg-based substance and
about 30
grams of diced ham as the pieces of supplemental food. The temperature of the
egg-
based material and components thereof during this example were with the range
of
about 35 F (1.7 C) to about 75 F (23.9 C).
Use of either about 6 weight percent or about 3 weight percent of the
ULTRA SPERSE M modified, pre-gelatinized starch in place of about 8 weight
percent of the Panko bread crumbs as the thickening agent, based on the total
weight
of the egg-based material, resulted in the egg-based material having a
thickness that
was adequate to maintain suspension and distribution of the diced ham in the
egg-
based material for several hours. Use of about 1.5 weight percent of the ULTRA
SPERSE M modified, pre-gelatinized starch in place of about 8 weight percent
of the
Panko bread crumbs as the thickening agent, based on the total weight of the
egg-
based material, resulted in the egg-based material having a thickness that was

marginally acceptable for maintaining suspension and distribution of the diced
ham in
the egg-based material, though some stirring or mixing of the egg-based
material
would be required to extend the suspension and distribution of the diced ham
in the
egg-based material to several hours. Finally, use of about 0.75 weight percent
of the
ULTRA SPERSE M modified, pre-gelatinized starch in place of about 8 weight
percent of the Panko bread crumbs as the thickening agent, based on the total
weight
of the egg-based material, resulted in the egg-based material having a
thickness that
was insufficient for maintaining suspension and distribution of the diced ham
in the
egg-based material for even a few minutes.
The egg-based material, either with or without inclusion of the optional
pieces of supplemental food, may generally contain any concentration of any of
the
materials characterized herein as examples of suitable thickening agents.
Nonetheless,
the concentration of the thickening agent(s) will generally be low enough so
the egg-
based material remains somewhat fluid in nature after incorporation of the
thickening
agent(s) and any optional pieces of supplemental food. Also, the thickening
agent
may generally include any combination of any of the materials characterized
herein as
examples of suitable thickening agents in any proportion. Lesser
concentrations of the
thickening agent(s) may typically be employed in the egg-based material when
the
egg-based material employs none or smaller concentrations of the pieces of
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supplemental food product. On the other hand, higher concentrations of the
thickening agent(s) may typically be employed in the egg-based material when
the
egg-based material includes higher concentrations of the pieces of
supplemental food
product. Ultimately, the thickening agent(s) and the concentration of the
thickening
agent(s) in the egg-based material will desirably be sufficient to maintain
any optional
pieces of supplemental food in suspension, and in at least substantially
uniform
suspension or even uniform suspension in various embodiments, within the egg-
based
material for the time period that facilitates any desired food production
plant operation
scenario.
Different forms of the thickening agent(s) may perform in different
ways within the egg-based material. For example, when uniformly distributed in
a
container that contains a quantity of water exceeding the absorbent capacity,
the
thickening agent that is in the form of the cooked water-absorbent material
(such as
bread crumbs) will typically absorb water so that two discrete phases remain
in the
container, namely a solid phase of the cooked water-absorbent material (such
as bread
crumbs) that is saturated with water and a separate liquid water phase that
includes
water not absorbed by the cooked water-absorbent material. On the other hand,
when
uniformly distributed in a container that contains a quantity of water
exceeding the
absorbent capacity of the thickening agent, the thickening agent that is in
the form of
the dehydrated plant material (dehydrated potato flakes or granules, for
example) or
the pre-gelatinized starch will typically be finely dispersed throughout the
water in the
container so that one discrete phase remains in the container.
Thus, some forms of the thickening agent(s) may result in two discrete
phases existing in the egg-based material, namely a solid phase of the
thickening
agent(s) that is saturated with water and a separate liquid water phase that
includes
water not absorbed by the thickening agent(s), while other forms of the
thickening
agent(s) may result in one discrete phase existing in the egg-based material.
Of
course, inclusion of the optional pieces of supplemental food product may
result in yet
another phase, in addition to phases impacted by the form of the thickening
agent(s).
Furthermore, combinations of different forms of the thickening agent(s) may
cause
phases impacted by the form of the thickening agent(s) to interact with each
other and
further vary the phase(s) existent within the egg-based material.
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The capacity of a particular material, such as a particular thickening
agent, to absorb water may be characterized by a Water Absorption Test.
According
to this Water Absorption Test, a sample containing a known amount of the
thickening
agent is placed in water and allowed to absorb water during a test period. The
average
temperature of the water during the test period is determined. After the test
period, the
amount of water absorbed by the thickening agent sample is determined by
determining the "wet" weight of the thickening agent. Besides employing
different
thickening agents, the temperature of the water and the duration of the test
period may
be variables that may be changes during different trials of the Water
Absorption Test.
For a particular trial of the Water Absorption Test, a sample of the
chosen thickening agent is weighed (the initial weight of the thickening agent
- in
grams) and the weighed sample of the thickening agent is thereafter placed in
a
container of water. The amount of water included in the container should be
sufficient
to ensure there will be excess free water remaining in the container after the
thickening agent has absorbed as much water as the thickening agent is capable
of
absorbing or at the end of the test period, whichever is later. At the end of
the test
period, (1) the "wet" thickening agent containing absorbed water and,
optionally, (2)
the free water remaining in the container are deposited on a piece of Whatman
#4
filter paper that is positioned in a three inch (7.6 centimeter) diameter
Buchner funnel
atop a vacuum flask. Whatman #4 filter paper may be obtained from Whatman,
Inc.
of Clifton, New Jersey. A partial vacuum of about 0.5 atmospheres (380
millimeters
of Mercury) is pulled on the vacuum flask for about five minutes or until no
water
flow into the vacuum flask is observed.
To calculate the weight of water absorbed per gram of the thickening
agent, the weight of the thickening agent remaining on the Whatman #4 filter
paper
after vacuum cessation is determined (in grams); this is referred to herein as
the "wet"
weight of the thickening agent. The wet weight of the thickening agent is then

subtracted from the initial weight of the thickening agent to determine the
weight of
water absorbed by the thickening agent (in grams) over the selected test
period at the
selected water temperature. The weight (in grams) of water absorbed by the
thickening
agent is then divided by the initial weight (in grams) of the thickening agent
to yield the
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weight (in grams) of water absorbed per gram of the thickening agent, based on
the
initial condition of the thickening agent.
Samples of various materials characterized herein as examples of
suitable thickening agents (i.e., dehydrated potato flakes, Panko bread
crumbs,
American bread crumbs, and pre-gel modified starch) and samples of one
material
characterized herein as an example of a suitable stabilizing agent, when
evaluated
according to the Water Absorption Test detailed above, exhibited the water
absorption
capabilities summarized in Table 4 during the indicated water absorption
period using
water at the indicated temperature:
TABLE 4
PURITY ULTRA
T
DEHYDRATED PANKO AMERICAN COOKUP SPERSE TEX AID
PRE-GEL PRE-GEL
VARIABLE POTATO BREAD BREAD MODIFIED
MODIFIED MODIFIED
FLAKES CRUMBS CRUMBS CORN
CORN CORN STARCH
STARCH
STARCH
Water Temperature 70 F(21.1 C) 70 F(21.1 C) 70 F(21.1 C) 70 F(21.1 C) 70
F(21.1 C) 70 F(21.1 C)
Absorption 5 2.64 5.06 4.02 0.9 16.7 7.03
Period 10 2.87 5.44 4.51 0.95 20.6 11.54
(Minutes) 20 3.07 5.62 4.60 1.00 21.6 11.6
Typically, one gram of the thickening agent(s) will be capable of absorbing at
least
about 1.5 grams of water, and in many embodiments of the thickening agent at
least
about 2.5 grams of water, during a five minute absorption period when the
temperature of the water ranges from about 35 F (1.7 C) to about 70 F (21.1
C).
After being combined, the thickening agent and egg-based substance
may be blended using a conventional mixer until the thickening agent is well
distributed within the egg-based intermediate (or egg-based material if the
optional
pieces of supplemental food will not be combined with the egg-based
intermediate).
The egg-based intermediate (or egg-based material) may be allowed to rest for
a
period of time after combination of the thickening agent and the egg-based
substance
to allow water absorption by the thickening agent. Although any time period
for
allowing the thickening agent to absorb water is within the scope of the
present
invention, the time period for allowing the thickening agent to absorb water
and
thicken the egg-based intermediate (or egg-based material) is at least about
twenty
minutes in some embodiments and more beneficially ranges from about twenty
minutes to about thirty minutes in various embodiments. Periodic stirring of
the egg-
based intermediate (or egg-based material) while allowing the thickening agent
to
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absorb water and thicken the egg-based intermediate (or egg-based material)
helps to
more uniformly disperse the thickening agent within the egg-based intermediate
(or
egg-based material) and produces a more consistent and uniformly thickened egg-

based intermediate (or egg-based material).
The optional pieces of supplemental food may be mixed with the egg-
based intermediate. Upon blending of the optional pieces of supplemental food
into
the egg-based intermediate, the egg-based intermediate is transformed into the
egg-
based material. The optional pieces of supplemental food may be homogeneously
mixed with the egg-based intermediate. Inclusion of the thickening agent (such
as
water-absorbent crumbs, including, for example, water-absorbent bread crumbs)
increases the thickness and viscosity of the egg-based material and thereby
helps
retain suspension and distribution of the optionally-added pieces of
supplemental food
throughout the egg-based material. Addition of the optional pieces of
supplemental
food into the egg-based intermediate may be delayed until after the egg-based
intermediate has been allowed to thicken over a desired period of time to help
ensure
distribution of the optionally-added pieces of supplemental food is attained
throughout
the egg-based material.
As described above, the thickening agent may be incorporated in the
egg-based substance to form the egg-based intermediate followed by
incorporation of
the optional pieces of supplemental food in the egg-based intermediate to form
the
egg-based material. Nonetheless, the optional pieces of supplemental food may
permissibly be blended into the egg-based substance either prior to, or along
with, the
thickening agent in the course of forming the egg-based material that includes
the egg-
based substance and the thickening agent and optionally includes the pieces of
supplemental food. When the optional pieces of supplemental food are blended
into
the egg-based substance prior to, or along with, the thickening agent in the
course of
forming the egg-based material, more vigorous mixing may be useful for
suspending
(distributing) the optional pieces of supplemental food in the egg-based
substance
until the thickening agent absorbs an amount of water that allows the optional
pieces
of supplemental food to remain distributed in the egg-based substance without
any
further mixing action.
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The optional pieces of supplemental food may permissibly be included
in the egg-based material to beneficially alter the taste, texture and/or
appearance of
the cooked egg-based product and derivatives of the cooked egg-based product.
Examples of the supplemental food include cheese, cooked egg (yolk, white, or
any
combination of these), meat, fish, shellfish, vegetables, fruit, grain, and
any of these in
any combination in any proportion. The pieces of the supplemental food may
generally have any desired size and geometric configuration for purposes of
altering
the taste, texture and/or appearance of the cooked egg-based product and
derivatives
of the cooked egg-based product. For example, the pieces of the supplemental
food
may be diced, pelleted, chopped, cubed, hashed, and/or minced in form.
As one example, the supplemental food may be a restricted melt
cheese. A restricted melt cheese is a cheese with a melt temperature that is
selectively
controlled by including select ingredients in the cheese to achieve a melt
profile for a
specific or desired application. Use of restricted melt cheese as the
supplemental food
helps ensure that cheese present in the cooked egg-based product and
derivatives of
the cooked egg-based product will not have a flowable texture or appearance
when the
cooked egg-based product and derivatives of the cooked egg-based product are
reheated after being frozen. Nonetheless, any cheese besides or in addition to

restricted melt cheese may be employed as the supplemental food.
The egg-based material may permissibly include any desired
concentration of the optional pieces of supplemental food, such as a
concentration of
the optional pieces of supplemental food ranging from about one weight percent
to
about ninety weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based
material. In
various embodiments, the concentration of the optional pieces of supplemental
food in
the egg-based material may range from about one weight percent to about thirty
weight percent, based on the total weight of the egg-based material. Often, it
has been
found that concentrations of the optional pieces of supplemental food in the
egg-based
material ranging from about ten weight percent to about thirty weight percent,
based
on the total weight of the egg-based material, are adequate to beneficially
alter the
taste, texture and/or appearance of the cooked egg-based product and
derivatives of
the cooked egg-based product.
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When the thickening agent(s) and the egg-based substance are included
in the egg-based material and the optional pieces of supplemental food are not

included in the egg-based material, the concentration of the egg-based
substance in the
egg-based material, based on the total weight of the egg-based material, may
be
determined by subtracting the collective concentrations of the thickening
agent(s) in
the egg-based material, based on the total weight of the egg-based material,
from one
hundred percent. Similarly, when the thickening agent, the optional pieces of
supplemental food, and the egg-based substance are all included in the egg-
based
material, the concentration of the egg-based substance in the egg-based
material,
based on the total weight of the egg-based material, may be determined by
subtracting
the collective concentrations of the thickening agent(s) and the pieces of
supplemental
food in the egg-based material, based on the total weight of the egg-based
material,
from one hundred percent. In some embodiments, the concentration of the
natural
liquid egg component in the egg-based material that includes the pieces of
supplemental food is greater than 70 weight percent, based on the total weight
of the
egg-based material, to enhance the "egg" taste of the cooked egg-based product
and
derivatives of the cooked egg-based product.
Like the egg-based substance, the egg-based material may also be free,
or essentially free, of any added water. As used herein with regard to the egg-
based
material, the term "added water" means water added separately from any other
component(s) of the egg-based material, water included as part of any
reconstituted
(i.e. made from a dry or dried form) component(s) of the egg-based substance,
and
water added separately from any other component(s) of the egg-based substance.

Nonetheless, added water may permissibly be included in the egg-based
material, if
desired. When added water is included in the egg-based material, it has been
surprisingly found that a corresponding increase in the amount of the
thickening agent
is not necessarily required for purposes of attaining a homogeneous blend of
the
components of the egg-based material or achieving freeze/thaw stability in the
various
egg-based products of the present invention. Rather, the percentage increase
in the
weight-based concentration of the thickening agent in the egg-based material
is often
less than the percentage increase in the weight-based concentration of added
water
included in the egg-based material, while still attaining a homogeneous blend
of the
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components of the egg-based material and freeze/thaw stability in the various
egg-
based products of the present invention.
Some non-exhaustive examples of formulations of interest for the egg-
based material that include the optional pieces of supplemental food are shown
and
described in Table 5 below:
TABLE 5
Pepper Jack Pepper Jack Bacon & Cheese Bacon & Cheese Ham & Cheese
Ingredient
Formulation* Formulation* Formulation* Formulation* Formulation*
Liquid Whole Eggs 67.826 47.069 68.454 47.624 65.917
Xanthan Gum 0.094 0.126 0.095 0.126 0.091
Salt 0.3 0.3 0.303 0.3 0.292
StarchA 0.75 0.875 0.758 0.875 0.73
Japanese Bread Crumbs 6 7.5 6.06 7.5 5.84
Diced Pepper Jack Cheese 24.9 24
Diced Ham 10
Diced Cheddar Cheese 17 16 17
Crumbled Bacon 7.2 6.445
Citric Acid 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.013
Added Water 20 21
Total Formulation Weight % I 100 I 100 100 100 100
In Weight Percent. Based on the Total Weight of the Egg-based Material
Modified, waxy maize, cookup starch
The egg-based material that may either include or exclude the optional
pieces of supplemental food is heated to a select temperature over a period of
time that
ensures the natural liquid egg component(s) substantially, and preferably
fully,
coagulate (solidify) and consequently transforms the egg-based material into
the
cooked egg-based product. To accomplish this heating, the egg-based material
may
beneficially be placed in a water-impermeable cooking container, such as a
plastic bag
or a chub pack, prior to heating. During this placement, it will be seen that
the egg-
based material typically has a fluid, flowable consistency. The water-
impermeable
cooking container containing the egg-based material may be placed onto a rack
and
submerged into boiling water, placed in a microwave oven for microwave-induced

heating, or otherwise heated. When the chub pack is employed, the chub pack,
either
separately or in combination with the rack, causes the solidifying egg-based
material
to be molded as the cooked egg-based product into a desired configuration with
desired dimensions (such as length, width, and thickness).
The egg-based material may generally be processed to form the cooked
egg-based product by heating the egg-based material to a temperature ranging
from
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
about 160 F (71.1 C) to about 212 F (100 C) for a heating period ranging from
about
one half hour to about one and one half hours. As a suitable example, the egg-
based
material may typically be processed to form the cooked egg-based product by
heating
the egg-based material to a temperature ranging from about 190 F (87.8 C) to
about
200 F (93.3 C) for a heating period of about one hour. Persons skilled in the
art will
recognize that the cooking time and temperature are dependent on both the
amount
and the configuration of the egg-based material being cooked and will be able
to
modify the cooking time and/or cooking temperature accordingly.
Formation of the egg-based product with larger thicknesses will
typically require a higher heated temperature and/or a longer cooking time.
Persons
skilled in the art will also recognize that configurations having a greater
thickness will
require longer cooking times and/or higher cooking temperature(s) to
adequately
coagulate (solidify) the natural liquid egg component(s) and transform the egg-
based
material into the cooked egg-based product and will be able to modify the
cooking
time and/or cooking temperature accordingly. Additionally, the egg-based
material
may be cooked under super-atmospheric pressure, and consequently at a higher
temperature, to decrease the cooking time required to adequately coagulate
(solidify)
the natural liquid egg component(s) and transform the egg-based material into
the
cooked egg-based product.
After formation of the cooked egg-based product, the warm, cooked
egg-based product may be cooled to a temperature ranging from about 35 F (1.7
C) to
about 45 F (7.2 C). The cooked egg-based product may be cooled by any suitable

technique that may employ cold or cool water, ice, chilled air, liquid
nitrogen, carbon
dioxide, or any of these in any combination. One skilled in the art will
recognize that
a waterproof barrier may be desirable when the warm, cooked egg-based product
is
cooled by immersion in water and/or ice to prevent free moisture from
permeating
into the cooked egg-based product. Such permeation of free moisture into the
cooked
egg-based product may adversely affect the organoleptic properties of the
cooked egg-
based product when reheating the cooked egg-based product from a frozen state.
In
addition to merely being cooled to refrigeration temperatures upon formation,
the
warm cooked egg-based product may permissible be frozen immediately after
removal
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
of the warm, cooked egg-based product from the heating source, and then later
thawed
before further processing or use.
After being cooled, the cooked egg-based product may be removed
from the water-impermeable cooking container and cut into any desired
geometric
configuration. Some nonexhaustive examples of desirable configurations are
geometric configurations that are easily gripped by a person=s hand and
preferably
mimic geometric configurations of hand-held foods already commercially
available,
such as, but not limited to, chicken nuggets, french toast sticks, and hash
brown potato
patties and wedges. In some embodiments, the cut forms of the cooked egg-based
product have the geometric configuration of a nugget with a weight that ranges
from
about five grams to about forty grams and may, in other embodiments, range
from
about ten grams to about eighteen grams to better mimic commercially available
hand-
held foods, such as chicken nuggets.
As an alternative to cutting the cooked egg-based product into
convenient hand-held configurations, the cooked egg-based product may also be
cut
into diced pieces, such as diced pieces with length, width, and height
dimensions as
small as about one fourth of an inch (6.35 millimeters). The diced pieces of
the
cooked egg-based product may be combined with a fluid binder, such as a liquid

medium consisting of eggs and a starch, to adhere the diced pieces together in
the
form of a patty or in the form of a spheroidal product similar in shape to a
meatball.
As another option, the cooked egg-based product (or the cut pieces of
the cooked egg-based product) may be batter-coated and/or breaded to form a
coated
egg-based product prior to being frozen or further processed. The batter-
coating may,
by way of non-exhaustive example, be based upon a blend of a dry batter mix
and
water with a composition ranging from about ten to about fifty weight percent
batter
mix and from about ninety to about fifty weight percent water, based upon the
total
weight of the batter coating. In some embodiments, the batter-coating is based
upon a
blend of about forty weight percent batter mix and about sixty weight percent
water,
based upon the total weight of the batter coating.
Optionally, the cooked egg-based product (or the cut pieces of the
cooked egg-based product) may be pre-dusted in conventional fashion prior to
application of the batter coating to the cooked egg-based product (or the cut
pieces of
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the cooked egg-based product). The pre-dust medium is typically formulated to
increase batter adhesion to the egg-based product upon multiple passages
through the
battering process and any subsequent breading process. As another alternative,
the
cooked egg-based product may be coated with the batter and breading after
first
passing the cooked egg-based product through a deep fat fryer at a temperature
of
about 340 F (171 C) for about two minutes to form a pre-fried egg-based
composition
and help ensure the batter adheres to the pre-fried egg-based composition.
After application of the batter coating to the cooked egg-based product
(or the cut pieces of the cooked egg-based product), the battered egg-based
product
may optionally be passed through a breading machine. In the breading machine,
the
battered egg-based product may be coated with bread crumbs, such as American
bread
crumbs. Thereafter, the battered and breaded egg-based product (i.e. the
coated egg-
based product) may again be battered and coated with breading one or more
additional
times.
The coated egg-based product will typically be heated to ensure the
breading adequately adheres to the batter present on the coated egg-based
product. As
some non-exhaustive examples, the coated egg-based product may be heated by
deep
fat frying to form the fried egg-based product, may be baked to form a baked
egg-
based product, or may be subjected to microwave energy in a microwave oven to
form
a microwaved egg-based product. After heating, the fried egg-based product,
the
baked egg-based product, and the microwaved egg-based product may have one or
more additional coatings applied to better adhere the breading to the fried
egg-based
product, the baked egg-based product, and the microwaved egg-based product.
Thereafter, the breaded forms of the fried egg-based product, the baked egg-
based
product, and the microwaved egg-based product may be cooled, packaged, and
individually quick frozen. As yet another alternative, the coated egg-based
product
may be frozen without subsequent heating to allow final frying, baking, or
microwaving of the coated egg-based product by the end user, such as the
consumer.
The fried egg-based product, the baked egg-based product, the
microwaved egg-based product, or, if not cooked after breading and battering,
the
coated egg-based product may be stored in a frozen state until shortly before
consumption by the end user. Prior to being consumed, the fried egg-based
product,
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the baked egg-based product, the microwaved egg-based product, or simply the
coated
egg-based product may be heated and thawed using any desired heating
technique.
Typically, prior to being consumed, the fried egg-based product, the baked egg-
based
product, the microwaved egg-based product, or the coated egg-based product
will be
thawed and heated using a conventional oven, a convection oven, a toaster
oven, a
microwave oven, or a deep fat fryer. The fried egg-based product, the baked
egg-
based product, and the microwaved egg-based product are preferably heated to
an
internal temperature ranging from about 145 F (62.8 C) to about 165 F (73.9 C)
in
preparation for consumption. On the other hand, the coated egg-based product
may
additionally be heated for a heating period and at a temperature sufficient to
sufficiently cook the breading and batter coating while additionally heating
the coated
egg-based product to an internal temperature ranging from about 145 F (62.8 C)
to
about 165 F (73.9 C) in preparation for consumption.
Inclusion of the thickening agent (such as the water-absorbent crumbs,
including the water-absorbent bread crumbs) increases the thickness and
viscosity of
the egg-based material and thereby helps retain suspension and distribution of
the
optionally-added pieces of supplemental food throughout the egg-based
material.
After the egg-based material is heated and thereby cooked to form the egg-
based
product of the present invention, the existence of the thickening agent that
continues
to hold free water and any optional added water helps prevent separation of
water
upon freeze/thaw (reheating) cycling of the egg-based product and derivatives
of the
egg-based product, such as the fried egg-based product, the baked egg-based
product,
the microwaved egg-based product, or simply the coated egg-based product.
Consequently, due to incorporation of the thickening agent (such as the
water-absorbent crumbs, including the water-absorbent bread crumbs) in the egg-

based material in accordance with the present invention, the egg-based product
and
derivatives of the egg-based product, such as the fried egg-based product, the
baked
egg-based product, the microwaved egg-based product, and the coated egg-based
product exhibit freeze/thaw stability upon freeze/thaw (reheating) cycling of
the egg-
based product and derivatives of the egg-based product. This freeze/thaw
stability of
the egg-based product and derivatives of the egg-based product is visually
discernable
by simple observation.
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CA 02500125 2005-03-10
Specifically, if a frozen form of the egg-based product or any
derivative of the egg-based product is thawed, such as by heating, and little,
if any,
free water originating from the thawed egg-based product or from the thawed
derivative of the egg-based product is visually observed proximate the thawed
egg-
based product or proximate the thawed derivative of the egg-based product,
then the
egg-based product or any derivative of the egg-based product is said to
exhibit
freeze/thaw stability. Otherwise stated in numeric terms, when a frozen form
of the
egg-based product or any derivative of the egg-based product weighing about 50

grams is thawed, the egg-based product or the derivative of the egg-based
product is
said to exhibit freeze/thaw stability when about two grams or less of free
water
originating from the thawed egg-based product or from the thawed derivative of
the
egg-based product visually appears proximate the thawed egg-based product or
proximate the thawed derivative of the egg-based product.
In various embodiments, when a frozen form of the egg-based product
or any derivative of the egg-based product weighing about 50 grams is thawed
about
one gram or less of free water originating from the thawed egg-based product
or from
the thawed derivative of the egg-based product visually appears proximate the
thawed
egg-based product or proximate the thawed derivative of the egg-based product.
In
some of these embodiments, when a frozen form of the egg-based product or any
derivative of the egg-based product weighing about 50 grams is thawed, no free
water
originating from the thawed egg-based product or from the thawed derivative of
the
egg-based product is visually observed proximate the thawed egg-based product
or
proximate the thawed derivative of the egg-based product.
Besides being visually appealing to consumers, the presence of only
little, if any, free water upon thawing of a frozen form of the egg-based
product or a
frozen form of any derivative of the egg-based product demonstrates the thawed
egg-
based product and the thawed derivatives of the egg-based product will exhibit
good
organoleptic properties. For example, retention of water within the thawed egg-
based
product and the thawed derivatives of the egg-based product will tend to
prevent the
thawed egg-based product and the thawed derivatives of the egg-based product
from
becoming tough, chewy, and unpalatable to human beings. Consequently,
retention of
water within the thawed egg-based product and thawed derivatives of the egg-
based
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CA 02500125 2013-08-08
product that is supported by incorporation of the thickening agent within the
egg-
based material allows the thawed egg-based product and thawed derivatives of
the
egg-based product to exhibit the same or very similar organoleptic properties
exhibited soon after original preparation (without freezing), or shortly
thereafter, by
the egg-based product and derivatives of the egg-based product.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to
preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes
may be
made in form and detail without departing from the invention, the scope of
which is
defined in the appended claims.
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