Profood item and puffed food product preparations

A profood item for preparing a puffed food product, the profood item comprising:

• a shell, comprising a shell foodstuff, the shell characterized by a hardness and rigidity able to withstand breakage when subject to a temperature and pressure below breakage threshold conditions;
• and
• an interior, contained within the shell, the interior comprising an interior foodstuff comprising:
• at least one starch;
• and a liquid adapted to form a vapor when subjected to heating, wherein an increased pressure of the vapor when the profood item is subjected to heating causes a rupturing of the shell when the breakage threshold conditions is reached, inducing a sudden release of the vapor at a high pressure, resulting in puffing of the starch to produce the puffed food product,
• wherein the interior foodstuff comprises:
• a first interior component selected from the group consisting of:
• a vegetable;
• and a fruit;
• and
• less than 10% w/w interior of a second interior component selected from the group consisting of:
• dried sorghum, rice, corn, wheat, potato, cereals, and mixtures thereof.

A profood item for preparing a puffed food product, the profood item comprising:

• a shell, comprising a shell foodstuff, the shell characterized by a hardness and rigidity able to withstand breakage when subject to a temperature and pressure below breakage threshold conditions;
• and
• an interior, contained within the shell, the interior comprising an interior foodstuff comprising:
• at least one starch;
• and a liquid adapted to form a vapor when subjected to heating, wherein an increased pressure of the vapor when the profood item is subjected to heating causes a rupturing of the shell when the breakage threshold conditions is reached, inducing a sudden release of the vapor at a high pressure, resulting in puffing of the starch to produce the puffed food product,
• wherein the interior foodstuff comprises a first interior component selected from the group consisting of:
• a vegetable;
• a fruit;
• and a legume;
• and
• wherein the interior foodstuff does not comprise any of a component selected from the group consisting of:
• dried sorghum, rice, corn, wheat, potato, cereals, and mixtures thereof, thereby providing the starch of the interior foodstuff only from the first interior component.

A method for producing a profood item used for preparing a puffed food product, the method comprising the procedures of:

• preparing a micropellet, the micropellet comprising an interior foodstuff comprising:
• at least one starch;
• and a liquid adapted to form a vapor when subjected to heating;
• coating the micropellet to form a shell comprising a shell foodstuff, the shell characterized by a hardness and rigidity able to withstand breakage when subject to a temperature and pressure below breakage threshold conditions,
• wherein an increased pressure of the vapor when subjected to heating causes a rupturing of the shell when breakage threshold conditions of the shell is reached, inducing a sudden release of the vapor at a high pressure, resulting in puffing of the starch to produce the puffed food product,
• wherein the interior foodstuff comprises:
• a first interior component selected from the group consisting of:
• a vegetable;
• and a fruit;
• and
• less than 10% w/w interior of a second interior component selected from the group consisting of:
• dried sorghum, rice, corn, wheat, potato, cereals, and mixtures thereof.

A method for producing a profood item used for preparing a puffed food product, the method comprising the procedures of:

• preparing a micropellet, the micropellet comprising an interior foodstuff comprising:
• at least one starch;
• and a liquid adapted to form a vapor when subjected to heating;
• coating the micropellet to form a shell comprising a shell foodstuff, the shell characterized by a hardness and rigidity able to withstand breakage when subject to a temperature and pressure below breakage threshold conditions,
• wherein an increased pressure of the vapor when subjected to heating causes a rupturing of the shell when breakage threshold conditions of the shell is reached, inducing a sudden release of the vapor at a high pressure, resulting in puffing of the starch to produce the puffed food product,
• wherein the interior foodstuff comprises a first interior component selected from the group consisting of:
• a vegetable;
• a fruit;
• and a legume;
• and
• wherein the interior foodstuff does not comprise any of a component selected from the group consisting of:
• dried sorghum, rice, corn, wheat, potato, cereals, and mixtures thereof, thereby providing the starch of the interior foodstuff only from the first interior component.