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AssigneeUniversity College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork
InventorYrjo ROOS
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A process for making an edible snack food product having a low water content and a high solids content is described. The process comprises a step of providing an edible porous body, for example a freeze-dried fruit or vegetable slice or an extruded cereal product, and coating the body in a high-solids polymer solution, for example 25% (w/w) whey protein isolate, such that the polymer solution infuses into the pores at or close to the surface of the body but does not rehydrate the porous body. Coating may be achieved by spraying the product with the polymer solution or by briefly immersing the porous body in the solution. The coated porous body is then heated to a high temperature to dehydrate the infused polymer solution. This results in closure of the pores at or close to the surface of the porous body.
A method for producing an edible snack food product having a porous body and a non-porous surface, comprising the steps of providing a porous body of dehydrated edible material, coating the body in an edible high-solids polymer solution, and heating the coated body at a high temperature such that the pores at the surface of the body shrink to form a non-porous surface layer.
An edible snack food product having a porous, dehydrated, body and a non-porous, substantially non-hygroscopic, surface coated with a protein, and which has a protein content of 20-60% of total solids (w/w) and a water content of less than 15%.
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