# US 11,439,167 B2 · Process for the controlled introduction of oil into food products > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,439,167 B2 - Document ID: US11439167B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/911,874 - Filed: 2020-06-25 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2005-10-04 - Assignees: JimmyAsh LLC - Applicants: JimmyAsh LLC - Inventors: Jamshid Ashourian; Steven Phelps - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439167B2 ## CPC - A23L 19/18: Roasted or fried products, e.g. snacks or chips - A23B 7/06: Blanching (machines therefor A23N12/00) - A23B 7/155: Microorganisms; Enzymes {; Antibiotics} - A23L 5/15: {using wave energy, irradiation, electrical means or magnetic fields, e.g. oven cooking or roasting using radiant dry heat} - A23L 19/03: {consisting of whole pieces or fragments without mashing the original pieces} - A23L 19/10: of tuberous or like starch containing root crops - A23L 19/105: {Sweet potatoes} - A23P 20/11: {Coating with compositions containing a majority of oils, fats, mono/diglycerides, fatty acids, mineral oils, waxes or paraffins} - A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - A23B: PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES - A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS - A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION ## Abstract A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces comprises: (a) providing or receiving a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces; (b) applying an oil-water emulsion to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion; and (c) reducing the initial moisture level, in the absence of frying in oil, to a moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 80% by weight to provide a cooked food product, comprising said predetermined amount of oil, wherein step (c) does not comprises frying the food pieces in hot oil. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making a snack food product comprising, (a) providing a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces comprising a fruit or a vegetable; (b) exposing the food pieces to a solution comprising about 0.1-5 wt % of one or more starch-reducing enzymes and about 0.1 to about 5 wt % CaCl2; (c) thereafter blanching the food pieces for a time sufficient to inactivate the enzymes and rinsing the food pieces with water, wherein the food pieces have an initial moisture level after the blanching step; (d) applying oil for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil; (e) reducing the initial moisture level of the food pieces by cooking the food pieces in bulk in at least one oven or drier set at a first temperature of about 325-450° F. for a first time period of about 0.5-40 min. to reduce the initial moisture level to an intermediate moisture level; (f) cooking a bulk quantity of the intermediate moisture food pieces in the one or more driers or ovens set at a second temperature of about 225-325° F. for a second time period of about 4-35 minutes, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, wherein the food pieces are not cooked or fried in hot oil; and (g) applying salt to the cooked food pieces; to yield a snack food product having moisture level of about 0.2-20 wt-%; and a fat content of up to about 35 wt-% and a Young's modulus of equal to or greater than about 12 N/mm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in step (f), the food pieces are cooked at about 300-325° F. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the food pieces are cooked in a dryer/oven providing an air velocity of about 500-10,000 feet per minute. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in step (e) the food pieces are cooked for a time of about 0.5 to about 14 minutes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the food pieces are cooked at about 350-400° F. in step (e). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein step (f) comprises cooking the food pieces at a temperature of about 275-300° F. for a time of about 6 to about 12 minutes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the food pieces are cooled and stored at ambient, refrigeration or freezer conditions after the food pieces are brought to the first temperature for the first time period, and before the food pieces are brought to the second temperature for the second time period. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the food pieces are exposed to a solution comprising one or more of amylase or amyloglucosidase. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein in step (b) the food pieces are exposed to the solution for a time of about 1 to about 15 minutes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the food pieces are cooked in at least one rotary drier or oven, at least one fluidized bed drier or oven or at least one microwave drier or oven. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said food is selected from the group consisting of beets, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, apples, pears, bananas, rutabaga, plantain, taro, okra, onions, parsnips, yams, sweet potatoes, Yucca, and potatoes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said cut food pieces are slices, strips or sticks. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said blanching comprises a wet blanch. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said wet blanch comprises treating said cut food pieces in an aqueous solution at a temperature of about 140° F.-250° F., and for about 15 seconds to about 10 minutes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the oil is sprayed onto the food pieces. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising rinsing the food pieces with water and drying the food pieces prior to applying the oil to the food pieces. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fat content of the snack food product is up to about 15 wt-%. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the final moisture level is about 2-5 wt-%. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the pieces are fluidized in air by said at least one drier or oven in steps (e) or (f). ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the snack food product has a fat content of less than about 0.5 wt-%. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the intermediate moisture level is about 40-70%. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) A food product produced by the process of claim 1. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising adding additional seasonings or minerals to the snack food product in step (g).